JULY 2020 EDITION

"You may be queen of England, Lizzie, but that doesn't give you a knowledge of physic and surgery. It would have been wise to heed the surgeon's advice.
Now hold still."

Matthew to Queen Elizabeth, The Book of Life

Q: I just finished TIME'S CONVERT. Are you going to write another book???
A: Yes. I am writing one now! --Deb

#amwriting

I love you WI WA.
Thanks for keeping customers safe and showing us your ♥️ Bayview Farm and Garden 😷

Today I walked in the Huntington Library gardens. Have you checked to see if your local arboretum is open to the public? It's a wonderful way to get some exercise and a change of scene while wearing a mask and social distancing.

Wisdom.

#shirleychisholm #blacklivesmatter

Card from Blackbird Letterpress

For your viewing pleasure

Olive and Mabel from the archives

STAR FORCE.
Episodes 1 and 2 now available!
ADOW meets Outlander meets HDM meets Star Trek. Plus: full points to Teresa Palmer for whisk storage (!) and Steven Cree for bold use of iridescent highlighter and a strong lip! 💋 Full episodes on @thestevencree IGTV.

PS. Sky and Bad Wolf have not yet announced any air dates for Season 2 of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES TV. When they do, that information should be easy to find through a simple Internet search but of course I'll also share those announcements on my social feeds and in this newsletter, too.

July Playlist:

It's here it's here it's here, GASLIGHTER by The Chicks is HERE! Love every song on the album. Thank you! You have #setmefree #MARCHMARCH

I thought you might need another Gallowglass song. And just so you know--this is not about him and Diana. x Deb

My July bookshelf

Sometimes you just need Annie Dillard to remind you that the problem isn't your writing. The problem is you are a writer, and this is what it's like to be a writer. #TheWritingLife

Shhhhh....

from the book EVERYDAY OFFERINGS by Lea Redmond, illustrated by Flora Waycott

July 1. Last night I started CONJURE WOMEN by Afia Atakora. It is AMAZING. Drop everything. Get on the phone or your computer and BUY THIS BOOK. I read nonstop for three hours and only put the book down because I felt utterly suspended by the story and her prose and needed to process.

If (like me) you have been baking bread during recent months, treat yourself to Scott Shershow's BREAD from Bloomsbury USA. It's a brief, beautiful read about the history, science, alchemy, and sheer comfort of baking. Like a good loaf, you will gobble it up with pleasure. A note about BREAD: this isn't a recipe book or baking manual. It's an examination of what bread means to us and how that's changed. It's a thoughtful reflection on bread. (imagine if a loaf of sourdough could write a beautiful memoir...).

In bread-related news, I'm making sourdough now.

No Knead Sourdough using Chef Vincent's sourdough starter and King Arthur flour recipe.

Sourdough pizza

This is my delicious starter. It's fed and ready for its next evolution!

Your Assignments:

You know how I feel about the magic of rowing. Can't wait to see this movie based on the extraordinary book A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING by Arshay Cooper & made into a film by my Mount Holyoke College friend, Mary Mazzio, narrated by Common. So inspiring. Watch the trailer on #Vimeo (above) plus listen to the conversation between @arshaycooper & @GilbertLiz on her Instagram feed. So powerful. The courage of these young men! So there are your assignments: listen to the conversation, read the book, watch the movie when it comes out at the end of the month.

Prof H.

Forward THE BLAST to a Friend

FOLLOW DEB ON: