Why Your Muse Wants You to Say NO!
Plus a poem on the art of no, books we're reading, two questions and more
What simple materials are near you right now that you might pick up and play with and see what emerges? (Here’s what happened when Rosemerry & friends found themselves in the Ohio woods.)
Preview: Emerging Form Episode 12
It’s only two letters long, but the word “no” can be one of the hardest words to say out loud. In this week’s upcoming episode, we talk about why no is every bit as important a word as yes for a creative. We’ll talk about earthworms, the trifecta of yes, how to strengthen your no muscle and Christmas candles. Then we interview the international bestselling “anti-guru” Sarah Knight, author of the No F*cks Given guides. (Please note that we don’t bleep out those f-words in this episode.)
What We’re Reading:
Rosemerry:
· This old public letter by Clarissa Pinkola Estes has really been speaking to me, and these opening words especially, “Do not lose heart. We were made for these times.”
· If you’ve ever wished that someone would just find the best short stories, poems and essayettes and send them to you four times a year, well, you’re in luck. Deborah Jacobs is in her second year of publishing Stone Gathering: A Reader. I love these small editions—beautifully made, a provocative and literary wake up call.
Christie:
· I love Haruki Murakami, and his new short story “With the Beatles,” published in the February 10 issue of The New Yorker, did not disappoint. It’s a wonderful musing on nostalgia and aging, and the first paragraph is a portrait of what it feels like to be middle age.
The Art of Saying No
by James Crews
The first one comes as a whisper
with the softened edge of apology
like a butter knife asking permission
to cut. But soon, as a cook learns
to balance the sting of cayenne
with cream that calms the palate,
you practice saying no with such grace
the other person almost forgets they're
being turned away. You fold in gratitude
and humility so they melt together,
until the heat shows up only later
on the tongue with a hint of something
like pleasure because you said
what you meant with the cold clarity
of a glass of water that washes it down.
Two Questions:
(share your answers with us here on Substack)
How do you decide when to say no?
What’s the best way to say no?