Blast from the Past

I've been incredibly privileged to have the opportunity and the means to be able to travel. I've been to destinations as far-flung as Patagonia and Greece, but one place I've always had on my list but simply never found the time to visit is Philadelphia. For me, Philadelphia represents the intersection of the historic (birthplace of the American Experiment, world-class city of art and food, etc.) and the deeply personal (the place where I was born).

Sadly, it took a death in the family before I made it the trip for the first time in 25 years. I'm so glad I did. Not only did I get to see some of the sights that have made this city famous and stuffed myself with cheesesteak (shout out to Philip's Steaks on Passyunk), I also stood outside the house where I lived when I was little, got to honor the memory of my Uncle Jim, and reconnected with family I never knew. It was a whirlwind experience and a reminder to me of the power of travel to help us understand ourselves and our place in the world.

If you'd like to read more about my trip to where it all began, check out the link below:

Highly Recommended

Here are some of the books, podcasts, and articles I've been enjoying recently:

BOOKS

• See You On Sunday by Sam Sifton
  My new favorite cookbook. Sifton knows how to feed a crowd and while his recipes aren't always simple enough to deploy on a weeknight, they always turn out amazing—be sure to try the sheet pan chicken shawarma.

• Creative Fuel
  PNW-based writer and artist Anna Brones asks fellow creators, researchers, and scientists big questions about creativity, like "how do we find flow?" and "how do we slow down?" Thoughtful and meditative.

• A Love Letter to Climate Fiction (Cincinnati Review)
• 'Andor' and the Banality of Evil (The Canvas, YouTube)

I'm a Bookshop.org affiliate, so I may earn a small commission on purchases made using links from this newsletter. Bookshop.org is an alternative to Amazon that supports independent bookstores, which is awesome. You can find all my recommendations here.

The Last Word

So ends another year. The year 2022 has been a busy one for me as a creator. I published two short stories with Creative Colloquy, launched two podcasts, finished the first draft of a novel, and was interviewed about my work on the Grit City Podcast. I'm excited to continue working on these projects in 2023 and exploring new ideas that have been brewing. Thanks for being along for the ride and I hope you have a very happy new year.