Hello, and welcome back to your Sunday newsletter. I hope everyone is well.
This week we’re thinking about fungi, parasites, how to get rid of the old, make space for the new, and find ways to shine.
↓ In today’s email:
- This week’s inspiration: A maitake hunt
- Latest blog post: Letting It All Go, Parasites Too
- What I read this week: Ann Patchett’s Whistler
This Week’s Inspiration: A maitake hunt
Currently I’m scheming to get out of work for the meditative quality of foraging mushrooms: the slow walking, observation of bark and canopy, scanning for older oak trees that may just have dinner sprouting at their base.
I’m hoping to find a huge maitake and pair it with homemade pappardelle. Call the neighbors. Tribal feast for a successful hunt.
As we move into mid-fall, many cultures believe cleanses are necessary. It’s about finding and identifying the parasites in our lives and guts, making space for what’s generative and brings joy.
Latest Blog Post
Letting It All Go, Parasites Too (If Only It Were That Easy)
Please check out the blog post below. I went to a woman in her seventies for a colonic and came home with a 30-day herbal cleanse and a lot to think about. There were desperate stops in unacceptable places, vivid dreams, and old grievances that began to recede. On Monday night, six thirty-somethings came to my kitchen and made a Vietnamese feast from scratch. The fish came from the same shop I suspect supplied my unwelcome guest. This time it was cooked. :)
Better to be a host to fun kids than parasites.
What I Read This Week
Whistler, by Ann Patchett
I couldn’t help but pick up the new Ann Patchett book, mostly because I’ve read (almost) everything she’s written and expected an entertaining, if not satisfying read.
Much to my chagrin, in her recent book Whistler it seems her editor took a leave. Not a leave of absence, but actually just left. As in, stopped editing the book. Maybe with fame an editor becomes timid, and a celebrity client isn’t interested in criticism.
This book feels like three separate books cobbled together by AI. I don’t believe that’s true, mostly because at the end there’s a big disclaimer saying the content can’t be used for data mining etc etc. I really don’t like talking shit about Ann Patchett, so let me steer you toward some of her better books. Of course, I have a soft spot for The Magician’s Assistant, and quite some time ago I read her nonfiction book Truth & Beauty. Both wonderful. This one, skip.
Okay, have a great week. Wishing you well. Talk soon.
Dr. Catherine