what's your style?
+ action items to preserve your creativity
Bonjour Bonjour!
My hair is getting so thin. And weirdly enough, our Airbnb in Nice is right next to a thin-hair-fixing place. No, I haven’t gone in. TBH the close up pictures of follicles freak me out.
Also, our Airbnb host is a cosmetic dermatologist—age spots and wrinkles be gone! No, I haven’t been to see him, but damn… the world is sort of handing me my ass, no? I got a facial the other day and the woman said to me, “Votre peau est trés soif!” Yes, my skin is very thirsty. She told me to wash my face with lotion, admonished me to avoid water!! (Exclamation points hers.) She also slathered on lotion the consistency of brie and then proceeded to give me a series of mild electrical shocks with metal balls the size of olives which she roamed over my face like a Roomba vacuum. Did I look better? Maybe.
…
In French class the other day our teacher made a big deal about not divulging her age. Why? She couldn’t be a minute over 35. Plus, she’d started the conversation by asking the age of other’s in the room. Whenever I begin a phrase, “Quand j’etais jeune…” the French person to whom I’m speaking responds… “Mais, tu est jeune!” I guess pretending not to age is a thing?
…
It’s not that everyone here in Nice is young and stunning. Yet, tout le monde puts themselves together (faux fur is in) before they step out into the world.
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An afternoon poking around the shops, walking the avenues, browsing the brocante I think to myself, I really should have some kind of defining style. And yet, what did I buy?
Maybe I bought false teeth, une blague, because laughter is my style? This picture is how I want to think of myself:
read:
We just had our very first read.write.eat. Mentor Book Group and let me tell you, it was such an honor to be in the room with smart, funny, insightful women. About a dozen of us discussed the gorgeous and surprising memoir, RAISING HARE, by Chloe Dalton.
In our current upside down world, why not look to books for mentorship? In this group the lens through which we read is, “what can I learn about how I want to show up in the world?”
RAISING HARE was perfect. It’s the story of Chloe Dalton, a high powered political advisor who has retreated from London to the English countryside during covid. The pace of her life slows. And then slows further when she rescues a leveret, a baby hare. Once she brings the leveret home, the memoir reveals how the wild creature absolutely changed her life.
Our conversation began with us listing the adjectives to describe both the hare and Dalton, and how we might want more of these qualities in our lives. Here’s the list from our chat:
Patience. Looking is Loving. Restraint…Holding back. Calm. Quiet. Respect. Pleasure of attachment to place. Tenacity and dignity. Hidden joys. Simply being, not being productive.
In this time of great stress, this book brought me great comfort. We must all be questioning how we relate to the world. How to respond to violence. This book is quietly profound, beautifully written, a pause, a worthy exploration of who we are, who we want to be.
Our Mentor book group selection for February is YEAR OF YES, 10th Anniversary Edition, by Shonda Rhimes.
The book group is a perk for paid subscribers and let me tell you we are a lively bunch!
Go ahead, upgrade to paid and claim your spot. I hope to get to know you better!
I’ve made a read.write.eat. Bookshop where you will find many of the books I’ve recommended. Buying books from my shop is another way you can support my newsletter.
write:
I had a completely different newsletter set to send out and then Alex Pretti was murdered in Minnesota, after Renee Good was murdered. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the street in subzero temperatures and it just didn’t seem okay to send the newsletter I’d prepared.
There are many smart people offering a way to engage and to keep creating. Here are just a few:
The wonderful Wendy MacNaughton with ideas for continuing your drawing practice while engaging.
Darien Gee and Abigail Thomas have a gorgeous PDF for how to continue writing when you're scared, agitated, heart broken.
K. Woodman-Maynard is creating community by asking cartoonists for panels about ICE protests. This feels actionable and important.
I encourage you to do what you can. Call your senators:
**347-514-6400**
Leave a message, tell them you want to stop funding ICE. Do it everyday. Here’s a script to help you:
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City, State].
I’m calling to urge Senator [Name] to refuse to vote for any appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security that fails to rein in ICE.
The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and are part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity, and abuse carried out by federal immigration enforcement agencies against our communities.
We can’t wait around while ICE harms more people. Senator [NAME] must push for an appropriations bill that puts serious restrictions on ICE, ends its dragnet raids, and doesn’t add a penny to its already bloated budget.
Thank you. I love you. Here are three prompts from me:
eat:
My style-lessness was not helped by the purchase of this whisk, but isn’t she lovely? Aren’t you just dying to make aioli?
Plus, le garçon who sold it to me threw in a book, Les Pommes de Terre, by Savoir Faire! Les pommes de terres are gorgeous au marché just now, and it’s a bit chilly, so perfect for potato soup.
Potato Soup, au marché
2 lbs potatoes
1/3 lb of pancetta
1 leek
1 onion
1 turnip
2 stalks celery
1 lg carrot
2 T butter
3 c chicken stock,
1 tomato
a few chervil leaves, or tarragon, or parsley, or all three!
1 bouquet garni
Cut the salted bacon into small cubes.
Chop the onion, leek, (peel first) turnip, carrot and celery to small dice.
Cut the potatoes into small cubes.
Peel the tomato and cut it into pieces.
Brown the pancetta in a pot with a knob of butter.
Add the vegetables. Cover and steam them for a short time.
Moisten with the broth. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bouquet garni. Cook for 15 minutes over moderate heat.
Add the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the bouquet garni. Serve the soup in a tureen. Garnish with tomato flesh and chervil leaves.
Enjoy!
I hope your day is very stylish! If you’re not yet a paid subscriber yet would like to be, here is a friendly button:
If you aren’t ready to hop in, yet you wish to send a little love my way:
Here’s Stanley, who definitely has street style!
Thanks for joining me! If you’d like to buy my books, you can do so here and here. Please share with your funny and fun friends with the buttons below, and go ahead, press the ❤️.
Remember to tell your people you love them and take good care of your skin.
PS.
There is no paid content below the line! I hate a paywall and I cannot figure out how to get rid of this stupid lying notice that makes people feel left out!
However, please do note, it takes me a bit of time to put the newsletter together. If you’d find yourself regularly reading and enjoying my work and you’d like to show some thanks, you can do so with this charming button:
So sorry to miss book club! But the delight of unexpected guests was good! And you DO have a style 💯 percent! Chic breezy confidence is our style!
I'll start writing today.