Mental Overload!
Where to begin? My mind is awhirl. I’ll let one of my favorite writers, E.B.White, speak:
If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
In no particular order:
1.  Democracy Dies in Darkness. Marty Baron, recently retired editor-in-chief of the Washington Post, spoke at Powell's Tuesday night about his new book, Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos and the Washington Post. He looked exhausted. He spoke about how the paper responds to issues like what’s happening in Gaza, and he spoke about the precarious state of journalism today—newsrooms decimated, mis- and dis-information exploding—and what it takes to cover increasingly complex issues with fact and depth. (Hint: maintain a large staff around the world of experienced professional journalists, which costs real money.)
Jeff Bezos bought WaPo in 2013. I was heartened to learn that he never interferes with their coverage—even when the paper runs negative pieces about Amazon, as they often do. But he was the one who pushed for the motto that runs at the top of the paper every day (see masthead photo).
My modest effort to keep real journalism afloat is to PAY for subscriptions to three local newspapers, five national papers, my public radio station, the Bulwark (thoughtful conservative opinion) and ProPublica, an investigative journalism non-profit. No way I can read everything, but I scan for important pieces. I invite you to join me in paying for the news you consume. A free press is essential in a democracy.
 2. The need for play. Antidote for news that SUCKS. After visiting the Brick City exhibit last week at the Building Museum in DC, I picked up a little book, Build Every Day, which recommends taking a few mindful minutes each morning to build something random with LEGOS. (Substitute your own form of play—coloring book, writing a haiku, singing a song, dancing a jig…) I’ve got a bin of random pieces I picked up at the used brick store near me, Bricks ’n’ Minifigs, and am relaxing with making weird shit out of them. Soothing ASMR too.
3. The ‘content’ and ‘content creators’ controversy. Hollywood and social media people like to lump creative output and the professionals who create it under one demeaning reductive umbrella— ‘content.’ As if what writers, actors, journalists, artists, etc. do is crank out a factory product just to fill a profitable niche. Emma Thompson sounded off on this last week.
I’m reminded of traveling in China in 1981 with a group of hospital dietitians from the midwest. They discussed some of the food we ate as ‘product,’ instead of what it actually was. I wrote about eating in China for my alumni magazine. (If I say so myself, this PDF copy makes for a fascinating read.) Forty years later I would not recognize the country.
4. Appreciating fall color! On neighborhood walks I’m braking even more often for beauty. When I get home I arrange my findings. Where it started, with fresh leaves.
Where it is now with the addition of some gourds from TJs and dried findings. The variety enchants me. Try it yourself and send me a photo!
5. Joan Baez documentary. Tune in next week—I’m seeing it Tuesday. I was there at the Club 47 in Cambridge when she got her start, so this part will be like watching home movies. (Spoiler alert—back then I was not a fan.)
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Thank you for being here, <<First Name>>. I hope this gives you a brief respite from the terrifying news from the Middle East. If you need further diversion, read last week's feng shui review of seven museums in Washington DC. I love hearing from you and always welcome your feedback… just reply to this email and I promise to get back to you. Feel free to share these newsletters with your friends and invite them to subscribe.
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