what i’m reading
On Twitter, I have joked that I find nothing sexier than having session donations stuffed in books rather than envelopes. Because I have amazing clients who seem to read more of my Tweets than I expect, stacks of books they have carefully chosen fill my office—and seeing them while I work fills me with unbridled joy!
One of the things that I love about these gifts is that they encourage me to read things that I wouldn’t buy for myself, and doing so always leads to engaging intellectual and aesthetic experiences. And most recently, also erotic ones!
This week I dove into a recently gifted book of poetry, The Poetry of Sex: Lesbians Write the Erotic, edited by Tee Corinne. I have been thoroughly enjoying the poems (did I just say thoroughly?!). For now, I’ll just share one selection with you.
Bare Necessities II by Natalie Devora
Black lace encases pink nipples hardened by desire
holds hidden treasures protected
by an array of snaps
that long to be undone
Black lace accentuates full hips
reveals naked shoulders
that cry out “lick me”
Black lace paints a picture
demanding attention
invites you to touch
Black lace leaves nothing
leaves everything
to the viewer’s imagination
Black lace asks to be removed.
I leave you this poem as a gift and an invitation.
what I’m thinking about
This week I spent a lot of time alone in the car. I drove to a little town on Lake Erie to spend time with family, and from there also went to Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Wheeling for work.
I really love solo road trips because they give me time for quiet reflection—something my lifestyle doesn’t often afford. While I usually listen to audio books or podcasts on the road, this week I decided to focus on sitting for long stretches of time in silence. I’m glad I did, as driving through the West Virginia mountains yesterday morning—watching the fog roll in at sunrise—was nothing short of a spiritual experience, the kind that is only possible through sustained attention to majestic beauty.
While I was alone, there was something about being surrounded by vast beauty that made me feel less so; indeed, that made me feel connected to something larger than myself. As the sun came up, I was reminded of a Sweet Honey in the Rock song “We Are” (listen/watch here) which opens with the repeated verse:
For each child that’s born
A morning star rises and sing
To the universe who we are
It is not uncommon at a beginning (the birth of a child, the start of a day), to reflect on purpose; to ask ourselves who we are, and how we connected to everything outside of ourselves. In the song (which I played on repeat for part of my driving stretch), when the morning star “sings to the universe who we are,” she tells us that we are one. Interconnectedness is who we are.
In our every day lives—especially in a fractured political milieu and after two years of a global pandemic that has left us more isolated than ever—this is easy to forget. Allowing ourselves to forget entirely, though, cuts us off from who we are meant to be. We need each other in order to be ourselves.
On a personal note, after several years of prolonged illnesses in my immediate family (everyone is much better now, thankfully!) and a pandemic that has forced us all to isolate, I recognize that I have been living in survival mode in a way that hasn’t made enough space for thinking about community and relationships (or much outside of my own household).
This week I have been thinking about what we lose when we don’t take the time to recognize that our interconnectedness is part of who we are. I do not think it is too dramatic to say that we lose a piece of ourselves.
I am thinking about the importance of reconnecting with the part of myself that was lost through connecting with others—through recognizing oneness in communion.
what I’m excited for
In light of the conversation above, I am very fortunate in that as part of my job I get to travel to interesting places to connect with people that I genuinely like and enjoy! These trips have been interesting and exciting, and they have also been feeding my soul and my desire for both connection and adventure. I am looking ahead to some travel to cities I often frequent (Buffalo, NYC), and some that I will be touring for the very first time (Washington DC & Boston)!
If you are in any of those cites and would like to connect with me please reach out, I am busily (and excitedly) making plans for the next several months.
availability & booking
For the rest of the month (with the exception of one weekend in Buffalo) I’ll be in Pittsburgh working on writing and seeing some of my local favorites!
At the beginning of August I’ll be in Washington, DC and at the beginning of September I’ll be in Boston, MA. It will be my first time touring both places, so I can’t wait to meet some new friends.
I’ll be updating my tour schedule on my website, so make sure to check that out.
