Good Seedlets #31

Watch to nurture…….

• New York Vocal Collective: Folded: It’s an a cappella cover of Kehlani’s “Folded,” and the soloist, Henry Platt, is WONDERFUL. Watching it made me remember how powerful it is to hear people make music together. It’s under four minutes, so take a moment and enjoy it with headphones on.

• Olivia Dean: Cool About It: Olivia Dean sits at a piano and covers boygenius’s “Cool About It,” a song about the feelings we pretend not to have. She strips the song down to her voice and a few keys, so every word lands. If you’ve ever said you were fine when you weren’t, this one will hit home. It’s the kind of performance that makes you stop what you’re doing and just listen.

• The Japanese secret to being calmer and happier: This short film introduces ichigo ichie, an idea that began in Japanese tea ceremonies and means treating each moment and meeting as something that will only happen once. It’s filmed in a preserved village along the old Nakasendo trail, and Nina Otsubo Cataldo guides us through how to practice it in everyday life. I love that it asks nothing of you except attention. If your mind feels crowded lately, this is a lovely way to slow down.

• Brainrot Research: We all feel like our attention spans are slipping, but what does the research actually say? In this BBC conversation, journalist Katty Kay talks with Joss Fong about the studies behind the “brain rot” fear and what they really found. It’s thoughtful rather than alarmist, and it left me a little clearer about how I want to use my phone. If you’ve ever put your phone down feeling foggy, watch this one.

Follow to grow………….

• The Clearing, Katherine May: Katherine May wrote Wintering, one of my favorite books, so she feels like the right voice to keep you company as the days get darker. Her newsletter is for anyone who feels a little wild, a little worn out, or in need of some enchantment, and it only lands in your inbox twice a month. If you’re not sure where to start, begin with her post “How to light the dark months.” I think it’s worth a follow if you spend any time on Substack. 

• Poetry Unbound, Pádraig Ó Tuama: If you’ve ever wanted to read more poetry but weren’t sure how to start, this is where I’d begin. Each week, Pádraig takes a single poem and walks you through it slowly, so you never feel like you’re missing something. The comment section is full of readers sharing what the poem stirred up for them, which makes it feel like a small, kind community. Subscribe if you want a few minutes of slowness in your week.

• Kate Bowler’s Substack: Kate writes about grief, illness, and the pressure to be grateful all the time, with honesty and a lot of humor. Her newsletter is full of blessings and reflections that make room for the hard things and the beautiful things in the same breath. It’s the kind of email that makes a heavy week feel a little less lonely. Subscribe if you need permission to feel human.

Read to root…….

• If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio: I loved this book, and the Shakespeare is a big part of why. Seven acting students at an elite conservatory spend their days living inside the plays, and Rio weaves the lines so well into their lives that you start to wonder where the performing ends. Then one of them dies, and the story opens ten years later with Oliver finally ready to tell the truth. What stayed with me most is how well it captures a group of creatives who are deeply, deeply enmeshed, where friendship, rivalry, and obsession blur together until you can’t tell them apart. If you love Shakespeare or have ever been part of a creative circle that felt like your whole world, read this one.

• When Someone Wants To Keep You But Does Not Want To Choose You: Read this one if you’ve ever stayed somewhere because it was almost right. It’s a fairy tale about a Ferrari waiting in a garage for a man who keeps her spotless, knows her better than anyone, and always has one more reason he isn’t ready to drive her. It’s quietly devastating, and the ending made me feel braver about my own life. Vera’s author’s note afterward asks what loving someone has required you to become, and I haven’t stopped thinking about that question. It’s tender, so take it in when you have a little space.

• Women are protectors, men are predators: This is a short, direct post from Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom, and it’s one I think is worth your time. She challenges the idea that men are the protectors of women and children, and argues that women are the ones who do most of the protecting. Then she turns to something I had never thought about: how repeated brain injuries from domestic violence can change a woman’s ability to think, plan, and make decisions. It made me rethink how quickly we judge women who stay in harmful relationships. It’s a heavy topic, and the post deals with domestic violence, so read it when you’re ready.

Listen to expand……

• Poetry Unbound in Conversation: Peter Coleman: This episode isn’t about poetry, and I think that’s what makes it so good. Pádraig sits down with a conflict-resolution expert to talk about how to stay open and curious with the people we disagree with. If you’re worn out by how divided everything feels, Peter speaks directly to you. He explains why walking side by side with someone you disagree with can change the whole conversation, and the advice is practical enough to use this week. 

• Everything Happens with Kate Bowler: Look for her conversation with Suleika Jaouad. They talk about what it means to live inside the questions that ache and don’t have answers yet. I loved how freeing it is to hear two people admit that self-improvement has limits and that not everything can be fixed. They talk about how to keep going anyway, without pretending you’ve figured it all out. 

Support if you can….

• American Wild Horse Conservation: AWHC says the BLM plans to remove nearly 15,000 wild horses and burros this year, including what it calls the largest planned roundup in U.S. history, in Nevada. It sends observers to document roundups, challenges them in court, and runs the world’s largest humane fertility control program for wild horses. If you’re already giving to Skydog Ranch, this works as an excellent companion.