Hello!

I know I missed a new moon already. I was waiting to show you my book review, which published a few days after the new moon. Then I got busy writing an essay. More on that later. Rather than wait until the next new moon (very tempting) I’m sending this one late; better than never.

January was a difficult month. Lots of cold, lots of snow, short days, long dark evenings.

It’s been sunnier than last year. I traveled to LA for a few days for a family bar mitzvah, which was a wonderful reprieve.

I recently sprained my ankle playing basketball, right as the temperature was about to plunge below zero. Which was then followed by a 24-hour bout of lake effect snow, as we failed to escape the storm that engulfed the eastern half of the country.

It’s one thing, psychologically, when I’m planning to hunker down for a few days. I could go out. With an injury, I knew I could not. Being cooped up by the weather, on top of Alex Pretti’s killing (also more below), made for some black moods.

I’ve been at work on a couple larger projects that I’ll be able to talk about within a month or two. One I just submitted; you can’t read it yet, so I’ll just hype it up.

Minnesota

But first. I prefer to talk about art and psychology and nature in these emails. It’s not necessarily to avoid politics, although sometimes it is to avoid politics. My readership is pretty plugged-in already. Still, I’ve gotta speak up when I can.

So Minnesota’s personal. Ashley was a proud Minnesotan. I’m relieved she doesn’t have to witness the federal government invade her hometown. I wish she could see the extent to which her city is responding with compassion, vigilance, and solidarity. Would she be helping behind the scenes, or would she have insisted on traveling to the front lines?

Alex Pretti and Renée Good were both around the same age Ashley would be today, when they were murdered. I see her in them, and them in her. I see her in every story I read about someone delivering groceries to a family in hiding, coordinating rapid response shifts, showing up to protests as a street medic.

I just want to make sure everyone’s aware of the situation in detail. Because I’m late sending this, the article below is slightly out of date, but still holds true. There has been no drawdown. No “cooling the temperature.” This isn’t over, won’t end until those responsible are removed from office and held to account. Until the detention camps are emptied and dismantled. Stay alert, and keep calling your reps.

This piece in The Atlantic by Adam Serwer (gift link) is masterful. It’s thorough, presenting a 360-degree view of how the ICE occupation has changed Minneapolis. Just as crucially, it’s reaffirming. Stick around for the last three paragraphs. They embody what’s keeping me going.

Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong

Writing

My latest review for Chicago Review of Books is out, and it’s a big one: George Saunders. I enjoyed his newest effort a lot; it was challenging to distill all the themes into a pretty short piece. If anyone else out there deals with imposter syndrome, may I suggest writing public takes on celebrated authors’ work as a remedy?

An Inevitable Occurrence in George Saunders’s Vigil

Forthcoming

A while ago, I was drawn by lottery to write for a music essay tournament. Every year they solicit 64 essays, each written about a song that fits the central theme. The essays compete in a bracket, March Madness-style, with voters deciding who advances, until a champion is crowned.

This year’s contest is called March Sadness; each essay is a about a sad song from the 1990s. Which is kinda my wheelhouse. I chose Neutral Milk Hotel’s “The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One,” from their 1998 album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. If you know it, you probably have feelings about it. I did.

It’s the most ambitious and vulnerable thing I’ve written for public consumption; I’m excited and nervous to share it. It’s not out until March, but if you wanna pledge me your vote—or even better, work the GOTV campaign—I’m grateful to accept. You can check out the contest site, read the “extracurricular” essays, and examine the bracket. I’m a #9 seed. A little low, in my opinion!

March Sadness 2026

Future

I’m planning to revive my “Song of the Week” feature. I’ve been reading a lot more books. I’m going on a huge trip a month from now. More on all that later; this is plenty long already.

Take care of yourself out there!