Links + Local Love (Vol. 1)
a list of things I'd like to share with you - some of them local!
Hello to my new subscribers, and thank you for the warm Substack welcome the last couple of weeks! You can get the backstory on this newsletter in this post, have your burning questions answered here, or share this with a friend via the button below. Thank you!
I really enjoy reading link roundups here on Substack. As much as I want to dig into meaty longform pieces on this platform (and I do! and I shall!), my attention span is still in Instagram recovery, so I appreciate the chatty tone and familiar format of a friendly roundup post.
Do you have favorite Substack writers who regularly share their favorite reads, listens, products, recipes, etc. in the form of a regular roundup? I’d love to hear who your favorites are: you can leave a comment or a reply by email to let me know!
I am always drawn to
’s and ’s roundups (they both call theirs “Three Things”; shares hers in the form of of a monthly ‘journal’ (and there are always tea recommendations!). I also love the roundups and have been enjoying ’s “5 Things to Tell You” posts. But I know so many clever folks share what makes them happy via link lists, and I’d love to know whose roundups you’re reading. Let me know!Helping helps…
If you need a link roundup that directs you to ways to help folks impacted by the fires in Los Angeles, I recommend
’s:
There’s also a really comprehensive Google Doc maintained by Mutual Aid LA with specific ways to help:
I am reminding myself that doing one thing, doing something, is more impactful than spinning my wheels trying to figure out the right thing or the best way. This week I’ve been reaching out directly to friends who have close ties in Pacific Palisades and Pasadena. This morning I made donations to Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen. I am moderating my news intake so that I can continue to show up actionably, intentionally, and not live in a state of panic or overwhelm. And I’m sending so much love to you and yours if you’ve been affected by the fires.
Onto the links…
Over break our family (ages 11-75) played Puns of Anarchy, Ransom Note (pictured above), and Poetry for Neanderthals - clearly, we’re wordplay people! (Reminder: you can purchase games at your local bookstore or games shop - mine is Metro Entertainment in Santa Barbara)
I found this episode of the Culture Study Podcast about the rise of therapy speak to be both funny and fascinating
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a
local friendcreative idol of mine and I’ve listened to every episode of her podcast Wiser Than Me. I am fully biased because I love everything JLD does episode, but the season 3 interview with Rita Moreno blew my mind.For Christmas I received a print subscription to The New Yorker, so basically I’m an intellectual now. (Where did I put my readers?) This article about writer Alice Munro’s daughters is long (and heavy) but I’m so glad I read the whole thing in print.
I made this twice over the winter holidays and can’t wait to make it again: Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens (that’s a gift link, so you don’t need a NYTimes Cooking subscription)
Local Love
I am still working out how much of this newsletter will center around my actual community, since the majority of you don’t live here. I think of it this way: if you live in, say, rural Ireland or suburban Dallas or small town Indiana or coastal Maine, I’d still be into hearing about cool things going on in your area; ergo, I’m going to share what’s happening in mine.
My friend Georgia is a food writer and grew up here in Santa Barbara, so this one goes under local love because that’s how we’re connected. She has a new cookbook coming out this year and a related new Substack:
. Give a follow (I’ve been reading her other newsletter for years) for great food and culture writing - and SNACKS FOR DINNER.I have been to Happy Cat Eats twice now and need to go back for breakfast post-haste. This spot really seems to thread the needle of occupying a high-tourism-foot-traffic area while giving locals great food at decent prices. (This article is a great summary with more detail.) Hooray!
My 16-year-old and I took a beginning crochet class at The Crafter’s Library over break. If your town doesn’t have a craft co-working space with lessons and events and a retail boutique, get yourself one! (PS: I wrote a profile of the owner in our local paper!)
It should tell you everything you need to know about my midlife YouTube consumption when I recommend this, from my local botanic garden: Restoring Nature: A Story of Biodiversity and Community at Elings Park
That’s it for now! Wishing you a wonderful weekend. -S
One of my favorite substacks to read is Caroline Chambers What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking. She has so many great recommendations food and otherwise.
The link for the bean soup didn’t work for me…but maybe it’s just me!