On Gathering
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During my years in the Midwest, I decided there were two kinds of people: those who lose their mind in February and those who lose their mind in March. My lunacy came in February, when the tight gray skies and the mountain of snow in the Hy-Vee parking lot became intolerable. I combated it by planning elaborate dinner parties at which I got drunk.
So here we are, once again, in a February to outdo all Februaries. I am hungry for novelty in any form, longing for the dopamine it produces, which helps the brain consolidate memory. With dinner parties off the table and dwindling interest in cooking, baking, and drinking, I’m coming up with new distractions. First, there’s exercise: push ups, planks, jump squats—movements I hated in the Before and now seem (almost) fun. Also audiobooks: I’m listening to Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings, which is absolutely excellent. And I enjoyed this recent episode of On Being about wintering, reminding me that we need rest this time of year. Which partly explains why I’m not doing much writing.
Recently, one of my students described her current non-writing state as gathering. She is reading and thinking about writing, but not actually writing. It doesn’t always feel like it, but this act is critical to our writing and growth. Periodically, we need to refill the well; for some of us, this naturally coincides with the wintertime. Gathering requires patience and trust, but if we can get past our aversion to pausing, it can be immensely productive, sowing seeds that will sprout in time. Today’s tumbleweeds, tomorrow’s tulips.
A lot of people have said to me lately, “I’m not writing as much as I should be.” Scratch that, friends. You are writing exactly as much as you need to be, even if that is not at all.
An Iowa February can last a year, but winter doesn’t last forever. Spring is on its way. Till it arrives, I’ll keep gathering.
J.
Nearly a year ago, our lives changed irrevocably. Many of us have not had the time or space to process, grieve, or even notice all those changes. This gathering will include writing exercises and guided sharing, drawing on our collective energy and presence to encourage healing and connection. Listening to poetry and writing about our feelings can reduce our stress and boost our immune system, and boy do we all need that right now. I hope you’ll join me for this free event—sign up here.
After a wonderfully restorative New Year’s yoga & writing workshop, my friend Amanda Boerboom of Om Girl Yoga and I have decided to offer three more workshops where we will use yoga and writing to reconnect with ourselves, leaving us refreshed to move through the months ahead. If your winter has been anything like mine, you will welcome this space!
These workshops will follow the seasonal transitions, and the next one, Reflect, Recenter, and Refresh is March 25th. In this two hour, online workshop, we will set intentions, move and meditate, write, and share and reflect (that last part is optional!). Learn more about this workshop (including future dates) and register here. Early bird pricing ends March 11!
I’m offering another round of Memoir Writing through the Durham Arts Council. The class starts April 1st and will cover the basic elements of telling our story: establishing a writing practice and using voice, setting, character, and scene to recreate the meaningful movements of our lives. Full details and registration are here.
Remember Amanda Gorman? Queen of the Inauguration, and then the Super Bowl? Here she is telling a story at the Moth a few years ago. Watching her perform this story brought some joy to a dull day and convinced me it’s time to schedule an outdoor storytelling class for the spring. More details on this in my next newsletter!
To Go Poems
Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde were born on February 18, Morrison in 1931 and Lorde in 1934. I can only hope one day we’ll get to replace Presidents’ Day with a holiday that honors these two extraordinary writers and thinkers. Morrison didn’t write much poetry, so I am also including a must-watch 2-minute clip of her answering a question about “how to survive whole in a world where we are all victims of something.” Do not miss!
Power by Audre Lorde
Who Said It Was Simple by Audre Lorde
Eve Remembering by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison on Trauma, Surviving, and Finding Meaning
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