#76: Take It or Leave It
A monthly drop of things I love
Welcome to Take It or Leave It. Every month, sometimes a few times a month, Paid subscribers will receive a quick hit of things I’m loving.
Most of my writing is long-form and requires time for research between essays. Hopefully, this helps fill in the gaps for you with new finds (or things you want to revisit).
If not, all good. Take it or leave it ✌️
Columbus, Ohio friends! I’m teaming up with the homies at Scatter Joy Project to read alongside a talented group of poets and storytellers. Join us at 968 North High Street on Friday, April 11th for a special-edition Studio Stories event. Doors open at 7 P.M.
Also, in case you missed it:
For my latest newsletter essay, I wrote about the complications of still calling myself a Christian. I’m still blown away by how people connected with this piece, especially after most of it sat in my Notes app for at least a month.
said:“I sent this to my grandmothers, eighty-year-old lesbians who run our Episcopal parish, it made them both cry. The intersection of queerness and faith is something so so personal, but you've managed to articulate it in a way that reflects the specificity of your lived experience while also expressing it in a way that's so easy to connect your own experience to. This is an incredible essay, and also a fantastic sermon.”
Native Tongue
I used to dread getting asked if I still go to church. Maybe it’s too early to relegate my animosity to the past. But I don’t fear this question—or questions like it—as much as I once did.
Me and
hosted a beatiful reading (I wrote more about it here), and I performed one of my earliest essays—originally published in 2022. It’s an essay about basketball but really about my Grandma Gwen. It was fun returning to this piece and realizing it’s still one I’m deeply proud of. In many ways, this essay helped set the stage for what my newsletter would become. What I began practicing then, I still carry with me now.
Live Reading: I Fell in Love with Basketball in Grandma’s Basement
ICYMI: Me and rachel moss hosted a reading in Columbus, Ohio, and it was one of the most special things I’ve ever gotten to be a part of. If you want to relive the event and read more about how it came together, I wrote a little recap:
I went live with the homie
to talk about our love for one of basketball’s most complicated figures, Kevin Durant (who I wrote about here). It was dope getting to chat with Tirhakah and connect with the viewers about this game that brings us joy—and if you’re a Nuggets fan like me, a healthy dose of pain. Even if you’re not a basketball fan, I believe you’ll find something in here to enjoy!
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Something I watched
Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) plays pickup basketball in low-top New Balances.
I’m still recovering from that news. And that he plays basketball at all. I felt even more seen by “the white man Bon Iver” as Nicki Minaj famously referred to him.