In the latest issue of my newsletter: how a talk begins. (I got so many nice comments about this one!)
Interview with Tim Kreider
Next week I’m interviewing Tim Kreider about his work and his contemporary classic, We Learn Nothing.
I’ll be asking him about his process, his move from cartooning to essay writing, his reading life, his teaching, and how he’s weathering the pandemic.
The event will stream live on YouTube on Thursday, January 27th at 3pm EST. If you click through, you can set a reminder:
Look away from the pit
Some morning pages in my diary to remind me to stop doomscrolling and keep calm and make ugly art.
Show your children who you are
“Your kids… They don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.”
—Jim Henson
My grandma died on Monday night. I wrote these pages in my diary yesterday morning, and reflexively, almost without thinking, posted them on my Instagram. Since then, I have been awash in kind condolences in the comments.
I was surprised by how many people mentioned how well I knew grandma. One sentiment seemed to be something like, “How nice to be known like this!”
I was blessed with grandmas who had things they liked to do and things they liked to do with me. I always took it for granted that they shared who they were with me.
This is not a given thing, having adults in our lives who love us and are willing to let us really see them.
Yesterday I re-read an interview with one of my favorite songwriters, Bill Callahan, and he spoke about his relationship with his mother:
“I never understood her,” he admits. “And I didn’t ever feel like she was being honest or expressing her feelings my whole life. As she was getting older, I begged her: Show your children who you are, because we want to know before you die. She couldn’t do it. So now she’s still just an unfinished person for me.” He rubs his eyes and his spirit seems to lighten, as if suddenly struck with a pleasant memory. “We only have this time, each of us, 70 or 80 years, if we’re lucky. What’s the point of hiding?”
“Show your children who you are.” Or: Love what you do in front of the kids in your life.
It is a great gift to them, and the best way to be remembered.
Please, for goodness’ sake, start a mailing list
It is 2022 and I am still frustrated every week that somehow my favorite artists and writers don’t have a simple mailing list I can subscribe to so I can know when they have a new book, article, show, etc.
Here I am, a fan who wants to read/see every single thing you put out… and you don’t have a freaking mailing list!
START A MAILING LIST, Y’ALL.
It doesn’t matter what platform it’s on. You don’t need to commit to a regular newsletter. Just put a box on your website that people who want to hear from you can type their email into. When you have a new thing, send it to your list.
Social media is not enough! The algorithm will screw you, eventually. You need a list of emails.
I cannot believe I’m still having to type this.
This is not complicated. This is basic punk rock show 101 write your address down on this clipboard and we’ll send you a zine stuff.
Stop making it hard for someone to be your fan.
Bare minimum, folks: a website with a box to put an email into.
End rant.
(You can sign up for my list here.)
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