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Amal El-Mohtar

Amal El-Mohtar

Nov
26
On Sondheim

On Sondheim

Dear Friends, Most weeks I try to gather up little bits of news to deliver in a bundle at week&
3 min read
Nov
19
Close-up on fallen gingko leaves, golden and jewelled with drops of rain, with a patch of dark green moss between them.

Friday Open Thread (with Quiet)

Dear Friends, I'm writing to you from my family's home in the wilderness, surrounded by deep
3 min read
Nov
13
Petra Mayer smiling against a light blue background, holding a paper with her name, job, hometown and twitter handles on it.

In Memoriam: Petra Mayer

Petra Mayer [https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-extra/2018/06/11/618848485/faces-of-npr-petra-mayer] – editor at NPR Books, pillar of my
3 min read
Nov
12
A Shang-Chi comic cover, "Dweller by the Dark Stream," with Shang-Chi in a spooky forest looking towards a ghostly bag-piper.

Friday Open Thread (with Shang-Chi)(but without spoilers)

Dear Friends, Stu and I watched Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings this evening, and I'm
2 min read
Nov
06
Three slender elm trees lean over a river; the sun shines from beyond the upper-left corner illuminating their golden leaves.

Friday Open Thread (with November)

This is a little heavier than the usual Friday Open Thread, so if you'd like to skip straight
4 min read
Oct
29
A slender, sun-dappled path through a pine forest.

Friday Open Thread (with Nuthatches)

Dear Friends, Once upon a time, when I was in high school, I got the opportunity to go on a
4 min read
Oct
25
A very dramatic sunset over a river covered in lily pads and framed in long grasses and leaves from surrounding trees.

The Blessed Unrest of Women Talking

On April 12, while scrolling the wilderness of Twitter, I saw Ellen Kushner post an excerpt from Agnes de Mille&
6 min read
Oct
08
A maple branch with bright red leaves extends across a background of blue sky, river, and bright green grasses

Friday Open Thread (with Canadian Thanksgiving)

Dear Friends, This weekend I'm celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(Canada)] with my family,
2 min read
Oct
01
A stock image from Reitmans of a tall thin woman wearing high-waisted dark-blue jeans with a lighter blue 3/4 length top.

Friday Open Thread (with Jeans)

Dear Friends, I last bought jeans in 2019 – four cheap pairs from Reitmans in a variety of styles, under the
3 min read
Sep
24
A free-standing squeeze-bottle of Heinz Salad Cream, its contents pale, with a green label calling it "deliciously zingy."

Friday Open Thread (with Strong Opinions)

Dear Friends, Every now and then with a sort of tidal regularity someone on Twitter will ask for everyone'
3 min read
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