32. reading about writing (+ a tiny driver book club?!)
thinking about starting a book club for the tiny driver community
Hi there! 👋 I’m Ida, and this is tiny driver, a newsletter about research, pedagogy, culture and their intersections. Thank you for being here. Reach out anytime by just hitting reply, I love hearing from you.
Last week was another difficult week. I was consumed with grief over the weather crisis in Texas, as it too clearly mirrored the stress I felt during the wildfires in my home state of California. It is so unsettling to see these natural disasters wreak so much havoc over so many communities, and it is even more unsettling to see how certain government officials handled this crisis. Those who I know in Texas are thankfully safe now, although there were some days they had with no water or electricity. As many have already done, I wanted to drop a few documents here that list places you are able to donate your time or resources for those who still need shelter, food, and help, as well as places that TX folks can access for resources, warming stations, etc:
Something that hit very close to home was hearing more about the anti-Asian violence occurring throughout the pandemic. I'm currently teaching a class called "Race & Nation in the US: Belonging, Longing and Resistance," that essentially uses the SWANA community in the US as a case study in the different modes through which minoritized subjects relate to & navigate the United States. For each unit, I ask students to submit a "think piece" that has them connect the larger themes of the unit to a topic of their choice—either a "cultural text" or a "current/historical context." So many of them wrote about this string of violence that has strained the Asian American community since the pandemic. It has been painful for us all, and I hope that writing the think piece allowed them to process some of what is happening right now.
Here are some places where you can donate to organizations working to support Asian communities throughout the US.
This week is going to be a bit of a short one. Please take some time to recover from the last week. I hope you all are taking care of yourselves.
What I consume.
In the Bookshop:
Currently Reading:Â Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
On Deck:Â Juliet the Maniac by Juliet Escoria
This year, I've been making the conscious effort to read more books about writing. As I've written before, this newsletter has been so helpful to my writing practice. Alongside this weekly practice, it's been helpful to hear the struggles & strategies of other authors communicating their ideas. On the recommendation of Ann Friedman, I'm currently reading Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones. While I'm only about a fourth of the way in, I've been writing down some passages that have given me pause along the way. Here are a few:
"Understanding this process cultivates patience and produces less anxiety."
"Finally, one has to shut up, sit down, and write. That is painful."
"Own anything you want in your writing and then let it go."
"There is no permanent truth you can corner in a poem that will satisfy you forever. Don't identify too strongly with your work...They are not you. They were a great moment going through you."
"There is no permanent truth you can corner in a poem that will satisfy you forever. Don't identify too strongly with your work...They are not you. They were a great moment going through you."
My personal favorite:
"If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you."
Here are some other books on writing that are on my list:
Reading about writing has been great, but I have also found myself wanting to talk about this with other folks. So, I'm wondering if the tiny driver community would be interested in a book club where we read books on writing and books that are good models of writing. Would you want to join?
📚 I'm interested in starting a tiny driver book club! What books would you be interested in reading and discussing? Let me know using the button below! 📚
Item(s) of note.
Ever wanted to know how to make Persian rice? Look no further than Beeta Baghoolizadeh’s post above.
My friend Brandy M-P was on NPR talking about race & The Bachelor.
A primer on community fridges.
Denis Johnson's list of writers on writing.
adrienne maree brown on pleasure activism & the problem with cancel culture:
A pup-date.
Much like Girlie, Higgins also deeply enjoys the outdoors. Here he is at Lake Chabot:
As always, thanks so much for reading through, and I'll see you in the next one!
Warmly,
Ida
Book club sounds like a great idea ! I'm in :) Keep me posted please
"There is no permanent truth you can corner in a poem that will satisfy you forever. Don't identify too strongly with your work...They are not you. They were a great moment going through you." — wowwww such a great quote!!!