Finding light
when it feels very dark
Hello, Friends!
This week’s Bookworm is a little light on whimsy and heavier on reality. I generally avoid getting political on here because that’s not really the mission of this Substack, which is supposed to be dedicated to recommendations for a relaxing weekend.
However, sometimes those recommendations are weightier than other weeks. Read on if I haven’t put you off already.
Read this!
In Paper Girl by Beth Macy (author of the powerful Dopesick, amongst others), Macy travels to her hometown of Urbana, Ohio, to take a look at the changes that have occurred in the years since she left. She examines these transformations—educational, economic, and political, all of them inextricably connected— with compassion, empathy, and insight. While she doesn’t come to any easy answers, she does take a hard look at some of the reasons why our country is so divided today. Part memoir, part sociological examination of one town that is a microcosm of so many other communities, it offers a window into today’s reality.
Eat this!
Okay, a little whimsy! Last week my older daughter turned seventeen (17!), and she requested this gnocchi with creamy tomato sauce. It was surprisingly easy, came together fast for a weeknight meal, and everyone loved it. We’ll definitely be making it again soon.
Consider this!
Perhaps you are also experiencing the strange dissonance of being an American in 2026. I pull up the news app on my phone and read about the truly horrendous things happening in Minneapolis and beyond, and then I go about preparing my students for their midterm exams or dig out a new puzzle or enjoy a snow day. How to hold it all in our heads and hearts and still have the energy to cook dinner? How to be an engaged and informed citizen without drowning in helplessness and despair?
All this is to say that I appreciated this Substack post, “Yes, Everything is Terrible But I’m Still Trying to Write” by author Rebecca Taylor in which she grapples with some of these questions. It’s not really about writing—you could substitute writing with “wash the dishes” “parent” “go to work” or really anything else. Reading it offered some comfort that I’m not the only one struggling with the weight of it all and trying to find a way through.
I do think acts of creativity can counter despair. Putting the phone down and doing something with my hands—whether it’s writing, cooking, painting, collaging, beading, or puzzling, I’ve been doing a lot more crafts this winter, and I suspect part of it is because creativity can be a light in the darkness.
And if you’d like to also find some tangible way to help the people of Minnesota, check out these resources from StandwithMinnesota.com.
That’s all for this week. I promise my next post will be heavier on the whimsy! Until then, take care of yourselves and the people around you.
Emily
Thanks for a great mixture of whimsy and reality, Emily. I don’t think we need to apologize for writing and for living our lives, as long as we remain vigilant. Art = resistance. Otherwise, the forces of darkness win.