Alice Bradley's Weekly Newsletter: Here we go!
Holy crap, it's summer
And yet New York has not yet imbued itself with its signature garbage-stink. In fact something smells positively delightful around these parts. Like, a blooming, living thing. My cursory research suggests it's the linden trees. Thanks, linden trees! (See below for a related but not really related video about linden trees. It's unexpectedly filthy!)
WHAT I'M WORKING ON
1. Writing courses! I'm revamping the Practice of Writing course, and also putting together a course on memoir and personal essays. More very soon.
2. I'm writing a whole mess of personal essays. Someday these essays will be gathered together. Possibly bound, professionally, and then sold in a bookstore near you. That is my wish and my hope and my dream. Also my plan. (To the vision board!)
(I really do have a vision board. It needs work.)
ON THE PODCAST
Episode 14: Anxiety is a Turkey. This started out kinda rocky, for me, but it all worked out in the end. My personal inclination when feeling anxious is to curl up into a ball, but Deanna nudged me out of my hidey-hole, and I'm glad she did.
HERE ARE FUN LINKS
Linden trees do not actually smell like semen (that's either the chestnut tree or the Bradford pear tree, depending on your source—boy, did I spend too much time Googling "semen trees") but this NSFW Mitchell and Webb sketch is still hilarious. “'Look at the funny wheel on that penny farthing' is a perfectly valid observation for a Victorian, Your Majesty. 'Don’t linden trees smell like cum,' conversely, is the sky falling on our heads.”
Lynda Barry—writer, artist, teacher, muse—shares this writing exercise. This is great practice if you write, journal, if you're trying to recall a memory, or it just seems fun. I always enjoy listening to Lynda Barry. She's like the kooky but wise relative I wish I could spend holidays with.
My therapist doesn't think I love myself enough (or, like, at all?). It's a little chilling to hear that I'm not at least mildly affectionate with me. I'm not sure how to cultivate self love, exactly, but these questions seem like a good start.
Carry around a sketchbook at all times, and sketch whenever you can. It can change your life. Here's how.