Hey Reader I was reading a history book last week when a single paragraph made me put it down. Not because it was too much. Because I needed a minute to think about what I'd just understood. The book is These Truths by Jill Lepore. The paragraph was about an uprising in 1676 Virginia — poor white servants and Black people, some free, some enslaved, fighting together. They burned Jamestown. They nearly toppled the colonial government. And then they lost. What happened next is the part that...
about 9 hours ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, This week, I’m reading four books in four slightly different ways. A few pages at a time. By skipping ahead. By going back over what I missed. And by letting myself ask questions I used to think I wasn’t supposed to ask. These Truths by Jill Lepore is a history of the United States, and right now I’m reading about the first Congress and the enormous pile of questions the country’s founders had to work through. I’m taking it a few pages at a time. Not because there’s anything wrong...
about 17 hours ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Most people blame distraction for why they stop reading. I blamed myself. I thought I was lazy. Undisciplined. Too slow to keep up with all the "smart" people online and the stacks of business books they tore through every week. Eventually my own stacks of "must-reads" felt as heavy as the guilt of not keeping up with the people I wanted to model in the world of writing and teaching online. One day I realized I hadn't read a novel in months. Since first grade I've loved fiction....
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Ever notice how old highlights don’t always hold up? Every morning, an app I've used for several years drops a handful of my long-forgotten Kindle highlights into my inbox. If you’ve never used it, Readwise is basically a little robot librarian that resurfaces quotes you saved years ago — and allows you to talk to your highlights to glean the collective insight. Learn more about Readwise here (and get an extra 30 days if you subscribe using this link). Most of the 3 or 4...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Most people blame distraction for why they stop reading. I blamed myself. I thought I was lazy. Undisciplined. Too slow to keep up with all the "smart" people online and the stacks of business books they tore through every week. Eventually my own stacks of "must-reads" felt as heavy as the guilt of not keeping up with the people I wanted to model in the world of writing and teaching online. One day I realized I hadn't read a novel in months. Since first grade I've loved fiction....
8 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, I have a secret for when reading starts to feel like work again. I'm bananas over the Savannah Bananas' arch rival, the Party Animals. Yeah, yeah. What does baseball have to do with books? Stay with me. Last week I ugly-cried over the Savannah Bananas' season recap, and the new teams coming into the league next season. Not because of the baseball, but because of what I saw in the video recap: 2.2 million people choosing joy over cynicism. Fans singing Yellow with their phone...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Ten years ago, I put my bookcases in storage. Wrapped, taped, tucked away like they might someday return to the life I had back then. This summer, they finally came home. The wood was dry but unharmed. Protected, not forgotten. I spent days rubbing them with lemon oil—letting the wood drink it in. The scent, the shine, the depth of color. Honestly? It made me hesitate to even put books on them. Almost. Because what came next was the part I didn't expect to enjoy: sorting through...
9 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, You’re not in school anymore. So why does your reading list still feel like assigned homework? You scroll through your Kindle, open a few samples, skim a chapter. They’re fine. But not important. Not impressive. Not worth the time. Meh. Maybe later. Says who? Most reading slumps don’t come from bad books. They come from trying to read for approval instead of curiosity. Some slumps come after a heavy, intense book. The Count of Monte Cristo did that to me—brilliant, immersive,...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, The College World Series is where the best teams in college baseball fight it out for the national title. Double elimination. High stakes. Every pitch counts. This week, Gage Wood—a junior pitcher from my hometown Batesville, Arkansas—threw a complete-game shutout to keep the Razorbacks alive in the tournament after an early loss. Coming from the loser’s bracket means a team needs four straight wins to stay in it. This was win one. And it wasn’t just a win—it was history. Gage...
about 1 year ago • 4 min read