GM! ☕️
Here are this fortnight’s 5 things to consider:
The way of the “tender activist.” In both her children’s book Summer’s Magic and Living Resistance, her guide for grown-ups, Kaitlin Curtice offers a vision of caring for the world that is both soft and strong. “In an era in which ‘activism’ and ‘resistance’ are tokenized hot topics, I want to restore these ideas as a basic human calling.” In my bones, this feels right. (Related: Nonprofit Quarterly themed their winter issue around love as social order. What if?)
Deleting social media from my mobile devices has been helping me enjoy spring’s liveliness, without running at a gallop. It really is amazing how much time you get back! The dream, as ever, is to notice, to linger, and to savor sweet spring. 🌸
sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love—e.e. cummings, “sweet spring”
On Monday, I led a class on emotional intelligence. I’ve changed my approach to this subject, adding a critical thinking component to the standard fare. EQ is such a helpful framework, but, like everything in leadership, it demands interrogation with justice in mind. Here are a few resources for that: Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Adam Yearsley on “The Downsides of Being Very Emotionally Intelligent,” Ebony Curry’s “A Look at Emotional Intelligence Through the Black Lens,” and Merve Emre on “The Repressive Politics of Emotional Intelligence.”
What might “a really glorious exit” open up? (See also: living as if.)
Word of the day and all we can really do:
Tiny book reviews
I read three very different works of fiction while I was away:
First was The Great Divide, by Cristina Henríquez. This book pulled me right in with diverse stories of the Panama Canal’s construction, which Henríquez wove into a lesson on imperialism. A smart vacation read. (3.5 stars)
Next, I escaped into Nghi Vo’s magical realism with Siren Queen. In this book, movie stars in post-silent Hollywood make bargains with and must liberate themselves from devilish studios. Vo has a special talent for writing the shadow side of glamorous scenes without erasing their sparkle. (4 stars)
Finally, I tackled Alan Garner’s Treacle Walker, a short but challenging fable about coming of age, second sight, apprenticeship, healing, and (maybe?) death. This book made the 2022 Booker shortlist, and at age 87 Garner made history as the oldest author to receive the honor. I needed help from critics to understand it, but that’s a fact, not a complaint. Still, I wasn’t in love with it. (3 stars)
How to interpret my ratings:
1 - strong negative reaction, probably abandoned
2 - meh
3 - liked it fine or found it useful
3.5 - really enjoyed
4 - loved and/or admired
4.5 - almost perfect
5 - adored, cherished, and probably wore out my highlighter
Thank you for reading. This newsletter is a labor of love. 💌 To support it, you can upgrade to a paid subscription (coming soon), share this post, or engage my services. You can learn more about my work at jenniferlphillips.com.
Happy Passover to my Jewish family and friends, and to all who observe! Happy Tortured Poets Day to Swifties, and, to everyone, have a great weekend.✨
Peace,
Jenny
P.S. sign me up for the bananamobile party👇🏼