First we read, then we write

10 things worth sharing: Reading for writing, the art of knowing what you have, and more...

Hey y’all,

Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week: 

1. First we read, then we write.
    

2. Indexing, filing systems, and the art of knowing what you have.
    

3. Reading so much about Emerson and Thoreau has spun me out to a delightfully random reading list. This week I’m reading the Bhagavad Gitaand Conversations of Goethe. (Reading old books reminds us that humans have always been crazy and hilarious.)
    

4. “If you think you’re burned out, you’re burned out, and if you don’t think you’re burned out you’re burned out. Everyone sits under the shade of that juniper tree, weeping, and whispering, ‘Enough.’” Jill Lepore on burnout.
    

5. Musical Geminis: The comedy of Bob Dylan and a zine I made for my son about Miles Davis.
    

6. “I feel that having a No. 1 record derailed my career and my tearing the photo put me back on the right track.” A great interview with Sinead O’Connor. (I gasped when I grasped the significance of that particular photo.)
    

7. Movie: Do you love Barry Lyndon but wish it were half as long and full of wicked sword fights between two dudes who hate each other for no good reason? Then I suggest The Duellists, Ridley Scott’s first movie, based on The Duel by Joseph Conrad, which was based on actual dudes duelling.
    

8. Documentary: I really enjoyed The Donut King, the story of a Cambodian refugee who built a multi-million-dollar empire off donuts. (I won’t spoil the ending.)
    

9. RIP comedian Paul Mooney. RIP illustrator Lois Ehlert. (I read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to my kids countless times.) 
    

10. RIP “picture writer” Eric Carle. I wrote about his process and how he was a collage artist. (If you don’t read the post, at least watch the video of him painting with Fred Rogers.)

Before I sign off, I want to wish a very happy birthday to my wife Meghan! She is my favorite person and she patiently proofreads every single one of these newsletters.

Thanks for reading. If you like this newsletter, you can help it keep going: forward it to someone who’d like it, read my books, shop for some of my favorite gear (I get a cut), buy a t-shirt, or hire me to speak.

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xoxo, 

Austin

PS. Here’s an unboxing video of the first delivery from my new book club!