(not) A Newsletter From The President of the United States
This newsletter is from someone else.
The parenthetical “not” makes all the difference.
This newsletter is from Ben Simpson, written on a refurbished Mac computer, typed on a Das Keyboard that clicks and clacks, while seated at a desk I picked up for free at a rummage sale. The only condition on the desk was that I had to get it out of the church gymnasium and off the premises. One of my friends helped me load it up and get it home.
This package was not shipped from Dillard’s.
You might not have known that if not for the (not).
This week I heard David Sedaris say that if you’re wondering what to write about, you can write about your life, the things that happen to you, even things that are not funny while they are happening but that might be funny later. He said just about anything can be funny if you give it enough time.
Neil Gaimann said that if you’re going to write, you need to get out there and live a little bit, let some things happen, and bear witness. Sometimes the story will come to you, just like this box came to my doorstep.
Sedaris also said you can get around funny people and quote them. They’ll give you all the material you need.
Sometimes they might even send it to you.
The dangerous thing about having a writer in your family, or having a writer in your circle of friends, is that they might write about things that happen. You might find your way into a story.
And your writer friend should thank you for it. We need the material.
Book Notes
I’m reading Hampton Sides’s Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West. Still working on Blight’s Frederick Douglass, too.
Sights and Sounds
It’s been a week for documentaries. I watched No Safe Spaces and My Comic Shop Country.
Last Words
This week I shared a painting of Jar Jar, thoughts on the pastor as theologian, and a video from a guitar company.
Before I go, standard copy.
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Hit play on the tape with the appeal for social media followers, then: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. I’m not checking those accounts, but content does push there. If you use social media as your news feed, follow there. Maybe those services are for you. They are not for me. I’ve been a happier and less anxious person since I quit checking social media.
Publishers consider social media numbers when extending offers or invites to write. Likes, follows, etc. help a person like me make their way. Lastly, subscribe to the blog by submitting your email to the "Updates to Your Inbox" form in the sidebar. We're at 1,392 across platforms. Help me get to 1,500+.
That's the business.
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Be well this week. Bless others.
Best,
BAS
P. S. - I am Groot.
