Hi friends, I missed you last week. Ironically, my lack of posting last week stood in harsh contrast to the previous post I made which was about being committed to your craft – making stuff even when you do not feel like it. Lol.
However, sometimes pushing past that whole body resistance is not an act of bravery. Sometimes you really do need a break or a nap, or both.
I am really grateful to my small but mighty community of readers. However, it can be easy to opt out of writing when it sometimes feels like I am just shouting into the void.
That is just freelance writing I think. Thank you to those who read and share my work, it means a lot to me.
Writing
The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake
Anything David Brooks says I usually listen to or read. This piece about the de-centralization of the family and the deconstruction of the nuclear family is a fascinating read. If you do not have a subscription to the Atlantic, I recommend reading it through the internet archive.
If you want to summarize the changes in family structure over the past century, the truest thing to say is this: We’ve made life freer for individuals and more unstable for families. We’ve made life better for adults but worse for children.
We’ve moved from big, interconnected, and extended families, which helped protect the most vulnerable people in society from the shocks of life, to smaller, detached nuclear families (a married couple and their children), which give the most privileged people in society room to maximize their talents and expand their options.
The shift from bigger and interconnected extended families to smaller and detached nuclear families ultimately led to a familial system that liberates the rich and ravages the working-class and the poor.
This is a longer read, but Brooks does an incredible job of exploring the reality of the disconnected families we see today and how we got to where we are.
Reading
I realized that this section could use some clarification, having a section of what I am currently reading and what I have finished since the last time we chatted. I also am including what part of the Bible I am reading as well!
Finished
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Guys, we are plowing our way through this series. It is unreal that I am on the final book of this saga, I am so sad already that it is going to be over soon. I absolutely adored this book. (HP spoilers ahead, beware!)
I was really hoping Snape would not turn out to suck as much as I feared he would. I am craving a redemption arc for him, but as I plow through Deathly Hallows I am worried that will not be the case. Please, Snape, be good.
Each book that I read in this series becomes my new favorite and that has not been truer than with the Half-Blood Prince. There is so much good commentary on power, evil, love, family….I could go on. One of my professors from undergrad wrote an incredible piece about why Harry Potter is such an impactful series, with such a strong Christian message. You can read that here.
Currently Reading
This has been on my TBR for years and I am finally getting to it. This is a dystopian series that takes place on Mars. That is literally all you need to know, now go pick up a copy and read it with me. I am kidding, but you should. One of my coworkers recommended this series and I have been obsessed with it since I picked it up.
The Rise and the Triumph of the Modern Self
It has taken me a few months to reach the half-way point of this book. It is heady, meaning it requires concentration and mental energy and so incredibly worth the read. If you want a nuanced, and thoughtful historical overview of how we got to where we are as a culture with what we believe about institutions, gender and God, you need to read this. I will have to dedicate an entire post to my thoughts about this work once it is finished, it is incredible.
Scripture
I am doing a Bible in a year plan, which I have never done before because I have never actually read the whole Bible. This feels significant and important to do, considering this book is the foundation of my framework of reality.
With that being said, I am in the trenches of the book of Numbers right now which is a little…rough. I have had the privilege of reading through these books before under the guidance of really thoughtful and helpful professors, so I know that I have a level of experience with the Old Testament that most of my peers do not, but that does not make it any less…historical-document reading, vibes??? It feels disrespectful to say it is boring (it is actually quite riveting and shocking a lot of the time) but it feels inaccurate to say that it is a thrill through and through. It is a true book, based on things that really happened. Things that are important.
So I bring my barely conscious mind to the Word every morning, even when it is a lot of genealogies or census data or laws because I know that a greater understanding of the Jewish story, will open my mind and heart to the story of Christ. The magnificence of the atonement is lost when we do not acknowledge the atoning process that was necessitated before Christ, and how starkly different it was from the atoning process the other gods requested of their people.
There is definitely a piece brewing here about how we use Paul’s words to operationalize and optimize our faith while we ignore the first half of the Bible because it feels less…practical.
Anyway, I am reading Numbers. I am about halfway through the book, which is 28 chapters in all. I remember having to read this for my Old Testament class and we had to take insanely detailed notes, which is reminding me in this moment that I should go on my Google Drive and find those…
Appreciating
Wicked
Most people have already seen those two witches, Cynthia E and Arianna Grande, on screen. The movie was 5 stars, Chefs Kiss, in my opinion. I saw it in the Fall when it was released and soon tracks like “Dancing Through Life” and “Defying Gravity” made every car ride a karaoke session – even if it was a solo one.
My mother-in-law noticed my new obsession and gifted my husband and I tickets to see the show, live in San Diego in February. That day passed this last weekend and it was truly magical. The day leading up to the show included walking by the ocean, eating delicious sushi and stuffed gnocchi and a heinous wardrobe malfunction – my dress ripped, my strap broke, but I made it through the evening nonetheless.
Attached below are some photos – also I realized I do not think I have ever shown my face on Substack, so hi there. *My profile picture is Mia Thermopolis from Princess Diaries, my favorite movie, that is in fact not me if you have been confused.
I have seen musicals and plays before but I had not yet had the pleasure of seeing a Broadway show and it was quite the production. I also did not know what happened in Act II (if you are unfamiliar, the Wicked movie that came out in the Fall was merely Act I) so it was so fun seeing how the show wrapped up.
Afterward, I was yearning for a socratic seminar to discuss the themes and topics brought up in the musical. A two-hour car ride home with my husband sufficed. I can not stop thinking about the contrast between “Together we are unlimited,” to “I’m limited.” There is so much to unpack here.
I had a pretty significant Hamilton phase in high school and I now feel more determined than ever to see them live. If you have seen a Broadway show and loved it, please drop it in the comments, I would love any recommendations.
Pondering
Everything from my church’s sermon yesterday on false prophets. We are going through 2 Corinthians and it is so cool to see how things tie into our current cultural moment as we are faithful to go through the text. I grew up in churches that were more topical with their teaching, so going through a proper book of the Bible and teaching from it all the way through still feels new to me, but it is so refreshing.
Thank you for reading this week’s piece. I publish every Monday.
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Your friend,
Jenna
I read red rising last month and loved it!!! like a more grown up hunger games.
also reading numbers - I fear I’m also stalling out in the middle but my church doing sermon series on it has been helpful to gain perspective! https://www.aletheia.org/resources/sermons/
This is so cool, thank you Cora!