51 Comments
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Anica's avatar

Always up for experiments in writing...looking forward to this new iteration of homeculture.

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Meg Conley's avatar

We'll see how we all like it!

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Camille Andros's avatar

Yessss. A monthly Home Culture Andi playlist!🤗🤗🤗I feel very good about this.

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Meg Conley's avatar

VERY EXCITED

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Janet Werther's avatar

I love the idea of shorter, more conversational daily missives! I admire your work SO MUCH and I look forward to your newsletter every week! But so often your really brilliant writing sits unread for days, even weeks, in my inbox bc I don't have the spoons to devote to reading it as deeply as I want. I'm excited to engage more frequently with your thinking and context-building in a way that feels lower stakes for me as a reader, too. (Also...when *will* you be compiling some of these pieces into a book, anyway?! ;-) )

Spring Cleaning sounds nice for a playlist ... or something about April showers, metaphorically connecting that to our collective tears of overwhelm and "letting the rain fall?"

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Sara-dactyl's avatar

I was going to suggest April Showers, too. It's along the lines of spring cleaning, but maybe a bit more forcefully... watery? Deluge-y? Insistently cleansing, sounds good.

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Meg Conley's avatar

April Deluge is kinda amazing.

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Meg Conley's avatar

I get this feedback a lot! So I’m relieved to see it here too! And a book! I’ve got a meeting on editing my proposal coming up! So hopefully it’s finally ready to send out soon! (We’ll see. I’m the one dragging my feet. Just want it to be perfect?!)

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Janet Werther's avatar

Yes!!! Get that proposal in!!! I've never pre-ordered a book, but there's a first time for everything. ;-) And oof--the ADHD + perfectionism struggle is real. I've been writing my dissertation since...checks notes...the end of 2018. Facepalm.

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Meg Conley's avatar

We *get* each other.

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Laura MM's avatar

Collective tears falling sounds GREAT! A cathartic spring cleansing of the tear ducts/our interior closets/embrace the rain (🎶kiss the rain!)

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Gérard Mclean's avatar

I don’t have a suggestion for the playlist, but I walk my dog(s) every day and a few years ago noticed all the letter carriers have earbuds, listening to ... I don’t know. So I started to ask them when I happened upon them. My own letter carrier, Namen, uses earbuds and I once asked him what the soundtrack to his life is... and he’s still thinking about it and we talk about this question every few weeks. For a period of time, he was obsessed with the band, “The Dead South” and earlier this year he was playing the male lead, Daniel in “Once on this island” at the Dayton Playhouse so the soundtrack of his life was the soundtrack of the musical... anyway, I’ve veered off course again...😁

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Meg Conley's avatar

I love this so much. So much!!!

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Kara Norman's avatar

Hi! Excited about a daily iteration. I write a daily newsletter and recently took three days off for a long weekend. I didn’t realize how necessary the newsletter had become to my happiness! Until it wasn’t there every day. Hoping your daily plunge is full of light and insight and serves your mind well 💡

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Meg Conley's avatar

I am so glad you’re excited! I’d love to know your process for your newsletter! Do you write at night? In the morning? A little bit here, a little bit there?

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Kara Norman's avatar

O man, I hope to be worthy of answering this :) My process is a little loosey goosey right now because it’s an attempt to re-carve some (positive) neural pathways in my brain. I show up every morning with a cup of coffee and an open heart. From there I talk about what happened the day before in my world/mind. It’s kind of an exercise in trust and also in playfulness. And/so, for you I wonder if you would get anything out of keeping notes/a list of topics the day before and then sleep on it and see how your subconscious tabulates everything/what you’re still moved to write about the next day? I have two kids and waking up early to sit with my mind has proven an essential piece of health for me ever since lockdown…🐒🦄🐒 anyway, thanks for asking and I hope the exploration is a good one for you!

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Juliana's avatar

I might be feeling a certain way after watching the acceptance speeches of the Everything Everywhere All at Once cast, but it feels like an appropriate space for this collective to feel our feelings and be reminded of what happens when we look out for each other. Carving out the space for us even when the world doesn’t support us. There’s something extra delightful about that kind of stubborn affirmation.

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Meg Conley's avatar

I love this. What a great, amazing way to see all of us. I am so glad you’re here!

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Jason Kerr's avatar

I also love the idea of daily missives that have permission to be unpolished. That almost makes me want to do it!

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Meg Conley's avatar

Seems like it could be a neat new way to see each other?!

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Jason Kerr's avatar

Yes, I think so!

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Jason Kerr's avatar

Oh, and the playlist has to be called “April is the cruelest month.”

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Meg Conley's avatar

I love this Omg

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Roxy Coryell's avatar

LOVE this!!! I spent all day going through my closets and dresser, purging shit I don't wear/don't want anymore (is that Spring cleaning or decluttering?), so a great playlist for me would have to have some sort of Removal theme to it.

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Meg Conley's avatar

Ahhhh removal instead of cleaning....oh I LIKE THAT.

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Anna Lee's avatar

Excited for this new format! Isabella Rossellini is not worrying about her neck because she is busy with her sheep farm - have you found the great joy that is her instagram missives from Mama Farm?! https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck9Ls4zurvd/

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Meg Conley's avatar

Omg how did I not know about this?!?

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Jen's avatar

Hello from Australia :) (it’s such a cheesy greeting but I want you to know you have supporters all over the world Megi!)

I would love a playlist that is titled these two absolute gems you wrote, allow me to quote yourself back to you:

I know that fairy tales exist to explain the darkness, not eradicate it.

Being a walking memento mori isn’t fun.

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Meg Conley's avatar

Jen! 1. Australia!!! Brontë talks with an Australian accent because she watches so much Bluey. I’m not joking. 2. OMG. You are amazing for remembering *anything* I’ve written. And this totally made me tear up!

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Jen's avatar

Ohh I love that so much, and I hope you’re/she’s able to get the full episodes, with all the fart and poo jokes! Toilet humour is maybe the only developmental milestone I care about 😜 https://censorship.fandom.com/wiki/Bluey

And weirdly this episode? https://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/banned-bluey-episode-dad-baby-disney-plus

But I digress xx

2. Oh I too have something in my eye after this exchange 🥹

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Magpie's avatar

Ok, I came here to suggest "he is risen; she is hiding eggs before the kids wake up" but now that I've read the comments, yeah, it should be "April is the cruelest month."

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Meg Conley's avatar

Wait, but I also LOVE yours. Omg.

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Dramatic Sleeper's avatar

Easter is in March next year; you could save it for then.

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Sarah's avatar

I don’t know if this will come across well in writing but, here goes: you don’t have to worry so much about doing things or buying special perks for subscribers. I subscribe to read your writing. I don’t need a playlist or art work raffles or tchokes or anything else. I also don’t think anyone pays half as much attention to your posting schedule as you think. Work on the pieces, post when they are ready, we’re here to read them. If you need a daily deadline, that’s fine, but I’m a bit skeptical, knowing what you’ve told us about how your writing happens, that these daily newsletters will help you with longer form projects. Just my two cents

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Meg Conley's avatar

It’s good input! Thank you! And I love you for it. I wish there were more people like you! I’m kind of trying to figure out how to make this newsletter support my family while also producing good writing. Riley is going through a career shift and we’re going to be depending on my income more. Which is great and terrifying. And I’m wondering if this will help me get to where I need to be economically while also being regenerative when it comes to the idea produced in this space - by me and the people forming the community. It’s all so tricky. But I adore you for your comment and please know I MEAN THAT!

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Patricia Schreiner's avatar

Ditto. I don’t need perks. I just appreciate your POV, I like learning new things and am happy to support your efforts.

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Emily GreenPurpleFireDragon's avatar

Exactly. I’m subscribed because I want to read your writing, Meg. And because I want you to be able to write, because it’s worth it.

I don’t need any perks.

It’s a joy when a newsletter comes. I have no thoughts about posting schedules.

I hope you feel free to use subscription funds to experiment however you want. I know it’s hard not to feel like you should somehow be delivering *more*. Your writing *is* more.

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Sarah Miller's avatar

I came to say the same thing! (Sarah vibes, maybe?) I appreciate your care and efforts, Meg, but I subscribe for what you ALREADY do, not to be gifted more. If it helps your income overall that’s great but I echo the sentiment that the newsletter is more than enough.

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Shervyn Von Hoerl's avatar

Hard same. Here to support you and let you do your thing. Don’t need extras. Don’t need a hard schedule. Don’t need anything other than articles you’re ready to write when you’re ready to write ‘em.

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Katy O.'s avatar

Love the daily idea! As for the playlist I do love Spring Cleaning but also maybe Preparing for Planting or Mud Season? Or perhaps just Emerging (from the stupor, hibernation, etc)

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Meg Conley's avatar

Mud season!!! Also love the emerging idea

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Jane's avatar

I love the idea of Emerging! So good!

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Patty's avatar

I’m here for the long, deeply researched and slowly simmered essays that I would never have the time or patience to work through on my own. Love the idea of a window into your interrogation of your own thoughts, but please don’t underestimate the value you send into the world by sitting with your work until you feel it is complete.

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Brightness's avatar

Love this. Would love an April Playlist with the contrast of "earth is quaking, yet dawn is breaking"

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