Hello!
It’s almost the end of September, and the (school) year is in full swing. I don’t know about you, but this fall has felt fast and furious so far. I’m grateful for those moments when I can take a reading break and dive into the words of some of my favorite writers. I’ve been reading Molly Wizenberg’s work for almost two decades(!!), starting with her OG blog, Orangette. (I’m thrilled to see it is still up on the internet; she moved on from it years ago to write books, and a newsletter, and to teach others how to write as beautifully as she does). In one of her recent newsletters, she offered a writing prompt based on a idea she got from Suelika Jaouad. Suelika’s memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, is a New York Times bestseller, and she also writes an incredibly inspiring newsletter.
Molly shared the poem “How to Be Perfect,” by Ron Padgett and then asked everyone to spend ten minutes writing their own “How to Be Perfect” poems. I’ve excerpted Ron’s below, and you can find the full work here. You can find Molly’s version below Ron’s, and mine even further down. I loved how Ron’s and Molly’s words made me catch my breath and think about how I want to be in the world. Perhaps you will feel the same?
Here is Molly’s.
And here is mine, if you’d like to read it.
Maybe you’d like to try it, too? Set a timer for ten minutes, and see what happens! Remember, perfect is the enemy of good.
I’d love to see what you come up with, if you want to share. You can reply directly to this email. Or share on social media. You know where to find us.
x
Lindsay
Oh, I love these. Looking forward to writing my own <3