In these books, there are fingerprints and water stains. Prefaces and TOCs. Dog-eared pages and half-ripped ones. My self at fourteen, my self at forty. Notes in the margins, and annotations in the back matter; cracked spines and old covers faded by sun and the vacation smells of spilt sunscreen and saltwater. Published by on such-and-such date. To Jen Love Dad, September 1998. At least twelve different readings of Jo March, or Elizabeth Bennett, or Anne Shirley — together, a logbook of a heart making its way a life.
Each time I dip in, I am the kingfisher. I find something new. Or, maybe, the text is the kingfisher, and I am the fish waiting to be found somewhere in the vast blue, storm-tossed by sea change or still in the shallows, depending on the day.
When I’d fish with my Dad in Colorado, I would see the rainbow trout inches beneath the clear mountain water, their sleek sliver bodies appearing stuck in situ. They were skittish, though, and we took care lest our shadows spook them off. I imagine myself trout-like now, waiting or whatever they were doing. Do they sleep like that, fins against the current? What a way to live.
In any case, they made for easy prey, eye-visible and hungry, as do I now. I imagine the text throwing out an easy line, landing on the fragile surface of the water, nearly nothing between it and my heart.
In any case, I want to be caught by the word. And I want to catch it, too.
Sunday Shopping.
ICYMI, we have Magpie hats! You can buy them here. (Below: real men wear “bad book girl” hats. While dry-brining steak for dinner no less.). I am completely charmed by all your notes about these hats — several of you are buying to wear to your book clubs!
Also had a few piquant shopping notes for you today:
+I’m newly obsessed with this nude color of The Outset’s lip oasis. They sent me the full run of their tinted glosses and I LOVE THIS NUDE. It’s such a great product — hydrating, plumping, keeps lips glossy for a LONG time, but not tacky. I love it. Try the nude!
+Rag and Bone’s excellent Maxine button-down is on sale for $100 (!) in this great taupe/white colorway. I’ve never seen such a steep discount and the color is so good! This is A Really Good Shirt. I own in blue and I love it so much — has a silky, drapey feel to it. Looks super polished IRL.
+I can’t keep myself away from a pair of utility pants; these are en route to me now. I really like to write in pants like these (movement, have a utilitarian workhorse vibe that puts me in a good headspace — “I will be productive in these”) and I thought the drawstring and pocket details were cool. Also come in white. Did I mention they’re under $160, and they have this Nili Lotan vibe going on? Love. Also, my code JEN15 brings them down to $134.
+Not shopping, but really enjoying the new AppleTV+ show The Studio! A lot of stirring questions about the intersection between art and business.
THE OUTSET LIP OASIS IN NUDE // RAG + BONE MAXINE SHIRT (ON SUPER SALE) // CINQ A SEPT BLAZER // MAGPIE BIRDING CLUB HAT // PISTOLA UTILITY PANTS // WONDER VALLEY HINOKI BODY WASH // LOEFFLER RANDALL EYELET MARY JANES // LOEWE SUNGLASSES // THE STUDIO ON APPLETV+ // GOYARD PLUMET CROSSBODY // DRAWING GAME FOR THE FAMILY
SEPHORA’S TIERED SPRING SALE JUST LAUNCHED — ALL MY PICKS HERE
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