Election Eve Invite

Politics | Recovery | Current Obsessions

Urgent news first: I’ll be hosting an election-free Election Eve writing group at 7 p.m. CT. Register here.

Here’s the idea: to focus on the thoughts and feelings we’re experiencing without centering on the cause of our distress at this moment. The source of our anxiety is not Trump himself but what he represents. This is a space to reflect on your own journey rather than let the election define how you’re feeling.

From my description in the registration:

A 60-minute writing session split into two 20-minute chunks, with time at the end to discuss your piece or your writing process. Banned words: Trump, Harris, Vance, Walz, polls, electoral college, popular vote, couch. 

Very much allowed: Discussion of fear, anxiety, recovery, community, personal exploration, healing journeys, oppression, and freedom. The goal isn’t to avoid discussing feelings but to refrain from giving power to the superficial triggers.

Again, register here.

Now.

Welcome to the consolidated email list. If you’re receiving this email, you’ve opted in to get occasional updates from me in some form, either from a previous newsletter (including Civil Wars) or my workshop emails. I’ve decided to get my act together (and pull my many selves together) and use the Dreaded Substack to communicate about everything I cover and the projects I’m working on.

Paying subscribers will receive original content once a week. Discussion of the movie Civil Wars may, uhm, become more relevant. If you have subscribed there, you can stay subscribed there and receive only that content. Non-paying subscribers will get announcements, collections of recommendations, and digests of paid content as the moment requires.

I’ll be sending out a few “bonus emails” over the next few days. The moment requires.

Meanwhile, a piece I wrote back in July seems relevant again.

Because I’m still more politically connected than most civilians (and because they’re feeling the desperation I’ve written about), friends and family in Texas often ask me what they can do. I suspect they’re hoping I’ll connect them with a campaign. [There’s still time for that and vote curing will be needed in the days after the election as well. More info here.]

Instead, I tell them about the actions that helped me out of my own darkness. Bringing food to the Austin Free Fridge Project. Keeping a bit of folding money in my car (mostly fives) to give to those panhandling at stoplights — and looking them in the eye and saying, “Hope you have a good day” when I do. Austin Mutual Aid has Google Doc sign-ups for taking supplies to people whenever the weather gets extreme. Volunteering at the Austin Animal Center. Knocking on a neighbor’s door during one of our many heat emergencies. Vote, sure. Yes, vote, and sign up to help get out the vote. But get out of the damn house and connect with people somehow, because, you know what, yes, Trump may win, and if he does, we can’t afford for you to get lost in the darkness or, worse, think you don’t need support.

Read the entire piece here.

Man, I really used to be a lot funnier.

Ana

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