Here's the thing...

Litchrally. This, here it is. The Thing. Wait, let me explain, yes?

So many starts, now, finally a finish

Hey, friends. It’s been a minute, I know. When I tell you that I have been trying to re-launch my newsletter for years, I mean it. No hyperbole.

Some of you might remember that I had a biweekly newsletter called “A Writer’s Life With Nicole Blades” that launched back in March 2016 and ran for five solid years. So, if you do that bit of math, this means I even found a way to push out issues of the newsletter in 2020, when the “unprecedented times” kicked off. But by the summer of 2021, I was done. I couldn’t muster even a trickle of energy to write about anything remotely hopeful while mourning what used to be. Ah, the Before Times.

The thing is, I wanted to get back to newsletter-ing (let it be, OK?). I had so much to say, but didn’t know the first word to use to unfurl any of it. And since then it’s been literal years of starts and deletes and starts again and deletes again before calling curtains on the whole thing.

Now that the dark, dusty Unprecedented Times have stretched and morphed into WHAT THE HELL IS THISSSSSS, it’s clear that the only way we will get through these next four years is together. Leaning on community is the way forward. That’s what I hope this space will be. A connection spot for like-minds. I want this to be our li’l corner in this strange, strained world dedicated to conversations—the thoughtful and inspiring along with the undemanding, easy kind—about culture, connection, and community. So, welcome to the new do.

A necessary space for chatting it up, courting the light and meaningful, the goodness and joy. Plus, of course, the funny. I mean, I’m still me. Gotta get those jokes offffff!

Here’s how I see this thing working…

• Look for a fresh note from me every Tuesday morning. I’m aiming to keep this muscle flexed and working.

• There will be a main section, called Health, Wealthy & Wise, where I’ll share the things that have crossed my path the last week that have captured my attention, stirred my curiosity, brought my fascination to right to the surface or simply left me stone-cold stunned. For this first issue, here’s a quick rundown that we can totally chat about it—send me a note!—but moving forward, I’ll have more to say about each recommended/shared bit.

  
  Read: “The Gen X Career Meltdown” in the NYTimes. In a word? Sobering. No, better word? Ref, do something! Here, see what I’m talking about…

Watched: Adolescence on Netflix. There is so much to say and feel about this UK-set limited series. It’s four absolutely gripping, immersive, heartbreaking, hour-long episodes (shot in one take!) about a 13-year-old boy, Jamie (Owen Cooper) accused of killing a female classmate. I watched this series two weeks ago and it still has me shook. It’s deeply moving, but also a necessary watch. Episode three is particularly standout. It’s being lauded as the best episode of television in years.

Heard: I’m a big Trevah Noah fan (leave it; that’s what I call him). His podcast, What Now? with Trevor Noah, is one of my go-to listens for my walks. (You can also watch the video of the pod.) The conversations and the guests are always insightful and inspired. I listened to this episode with professor, sociologist, and MacArthur Fellowship winner Ruha Benjamin back in February, but marked it as one I wanted to share on my eventual newsletter. The episode, “RIP D.E.I.,” pulled me in immejetly, as Benjamin delved into her take on the initiative. “It always felt like a concession, a placeholder for something that could be more transformative,” Benjamin said. I was so taken with the conversation (that moved beyond D.E.I. to cover “how best to navigate a world that was not built for us”) that I marched right into Barnes & Noble that same day and bought Benjamin’s latest book.

• We’ve got video! Check the new-new below and let me know how you feel.

• Got some BIG, fun news coming soon. Make sure you hit the “subscribe” button!

• Lastly, there’s a free subscription and a paid one on here. I’ll keep it a buck; I’m still working out those details. When I know, you’ll know.

That video thing I mentioned:

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