Big 2025 Energy

Hey gang,

Happy New Year!

What kind of energy are you bringing into this year? Are you energized? Are you tired? Are you terrified? Are you ready to step on 2025's neck and show it who's boss? What's your story right now? Hit reply and let me know where you're at about what's ahead of us all. If you're not sure where you're at, let's talk it through.

In the waning days of 2024 and into this week, I've been doing a lot of writing, either because it has been assigned (look for a story on a self-help guru, a up-and-coming race car driver, a history geek that isn't me, and some other exciting things), or because I am returning to a book proposal that I needed to set aside because life was life-ing in the final months of the year. These things happen, and the way I've been able to reconnect with the proposal is by reading it, and writing about what I needed to do to make it better, and ultimately complete. Knock wood and all that. I really want this to be the year where I can start talking to you a little bit more about this fascinating person. By committing it to writing, I am...maybe asking for trouble from you (which is fine), but we'll see.

I've also been writing to another writer, who will be joining us to talk about her next thriller, which is coming out soon. Watch this space, as the kids say. When I heard the premise of her next book, I was truly in awe of how her brain works.

Anyway, some sources of delight right now: Birthday sunflowers from my mama. Birthday oysters with my husband. A long-overdue facial. A long-overdue lunch date with one of my favorite people. A pregnant mama to knit something for. A bag of teensy little bok choy I bought at a nearby market. My sister's hair coming back in thick, gorgeous ringlets. One of my oldest, dearest friends KILLING IT in law school (and I am so damned proud of her). The "Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas" album I decided to buy. The grumpy Nick Saban VRBO commercials. The people in my life.

Also, the conversations I have from time to time with my beloved grad school mentor. There is usually some point in our conversations where he will say "Are you familiar with..." or "Does the name (whatever the name is) ring a bell to you?" And my answers are usually in order: "Should I be?" or "Uh...no, why?" And then he will say why.

To close, I'm going to share the essence of the most recent one with you, as it's the beginning of the year and we're out here trying to figure out how to do things better.

Him: "Are you familiar with Stephen Potter?"

Me: "Um, no. Should I be?"

Here's who Stephen Potter was: He was a British writer best known for his parodies of self-help books, the most famous of which is "The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: Or the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating." Before that, he was an academic who wrote a biography of D.H. Lawrence (which came out a few days after the novelist's death, and included some unfortunate typos that didn't help the public's perception that Lawrence didn't get the biography he deserved), and four works about Samuel Taylor Coleridge (which were better-received). After writing a satirical book about teaching English literature, which was no doubt rooted in experience, Potter left academia and went on to write and produce for the BBC.

In 1947, when a ten-day power cut prevented the BBC from broadcasting, Potter used that time to write a book. Now, when I say he wrote a book, he wrote many things down on dirty scraps of paper that were poorly typed, illegibly edited, and very difficult to comprehend. This sort of chaos, I believe, would get you shot and/or banned from publishing today. But back then, these bits and bobs became Potter's "The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: Or the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating." He got the idea when he and a friend were playing a very bad game of tennis with two young, fit students. When a ball Potter and his pal hit was so obviously out it was ridiculous, the friend asked the students to let them know whether the ball was in or out. The kids thought their sportsmanship was being questioned, and it rattled them so much that they lost the match. The book and its twisted wisdom not only sold like crazy, but brought the word "gamesmanship" (and later, many other "-manships") into the English language. To his regret, Potter felt he wasn't taken seriously as a writer because of his extensive and often funny writings about ulterior motives. But I have to say, I tip my hat to him. He had an idea, resolved to write about it, and it resulted in not just one book, but several of them that entertained and resonated with a lot of people. Maybe he wasn't the writer he thought he'd become, but there are so many times when things don't go the way we think they will or should and they turn out even better than we could hope.

So here's to sticking to your guns in 2025, folks. Let's do this thing and see what happens!

-- Paige

Writing prompt: What did you learn about yourself in 2024, for better or for worse? In what ways will you take those lessons into 2025?

Quote

I have always been willing to bet on myself you know – and been willing to stand on what I am and what I can do even when the world isn’t much with me.

-- Georgia O'Keefe

Endnotes

What I'm reading: Jessica B. Harris' memoir My Soul Looks Back, in which the renowned journalist, cookbook author and historian reflects on 1970s New York City and her friendships with Maya Angelou and James Baldwin (among others). If you've watched or read High on the Hog, the storytelling is about as rich and evocative as you might imagine, and I highly recommend it.

What I'm watching: I finally saw the "Brick by Brick" movie about music producer Pharrell Williams. It was so inspiring and fun. But the thing I appreciated about it most was that not only did it not shy away from some of his creative struggles, but it showed how he worked through them. I think that's something any creative person needs to see, even in animated Lego form.

What I'm loving: I'm a big fan of chocolate. And I like a nice cup of tea in the middle of the afternoon. Atlanta's Just Add Honey Tea Company gives me the best of both worlds with their Cacao Chai Tea. No, this is not an advertisement (though I know it reads like one). This is just me telling you about good things. This particular good thing has chocolatey richness with warm, spicy chai love. I let it steep for longer than normal, and then when I'm feeling a little wild, I add some orange zest to it too.

What I need to know: What are you watching right now that you love? I've been meaning to start Netflix's "Black Doves" but it's bowl season and that has been a challenge. If you've seen it, do you recommend it? If you haven't seen it, do you have something else you think I need to see? If so, what is it?

What I'll try to do more of in 2025: Disco naps. One of my readers was at a New Year's Eve party where this was listed as an "in" thing to do for 2025. A disco nap, I learned, is technically a power nap for people like me who aren't night owls. It's a win-win. You get your rest, and you get to hang out and have fun with your friends who are too used to you turning in early. As one "Marie Claire" writer wrote: "History remembers the ones who can hang – late." Maybe so. But I was raised by a woman who assured me that "nothing good ever happens after midnight." So we'll see how I wrestle with this over the next twelve months.

Where I hope you'll donate this week: Former president Jimmy Carter passed away this past week at the age of 100. Ceremonies to honor him will take place in Plains, Ga. as well as in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Carter Center, which does incredible work to alleviate suffering around the world. I'm hoping you'll consider a contribution to whatever aspect of their work that speaks to you. Thank you.