We're Back (A Little Early)
I am not accustomed to resting, but I try
Hi all. It’s me, Sara, the person who writes this newsletter, SARATONIN. I said last month (“Must Be the Season of the Hermit”) that I was taking a break from here and Patreon until April 20.
It is April 14, not April 20th, and I have returned.
Greetings.
Hello.
It is good to see you again.
I’ll be back to personal essay writing and artistic musing and all that soon, but in this issue of your four-times-a-month newsletter (paid subscribers get two EXTRA exclusive posts, too!) I figured I’d say hi and re-introduce myself.
I’m an author with a job at a nonprofit (one of my books is called REAL ARTISTS HAVE DAY JOBS). I’m also an actor, writer of articles and TV and more, SAG-AFTRA member, WGA member, columnist for
, and person who is bad at cooking and cleaning but who is trying to be better at those things. I live in Chicago and New Jersey. I spend a fair amount of time in sunny Los Angeles.In the past few weeks, I’ve updated my website a little, said yes to a few upcoming live events in Chicago and New York, traveled to the East Coast for work for the third time this year, made a decision to have major surgery to help alleviate the back pain that’s plagued me since I was a wee teen, joined a not-expensive gym to start a tiny strength and conditioning program to hopefully help prepare my body for said surgery, thrown up from the aforementioned back pain (twice!) and also done fun things that I will list below.
A list of enjoyable things I did on publishing sabbatical
Hung out with my many-toed polydactyl cat, Polly the Demon Queen, a lot. Her adventures are often documented on my Instagram.
Helped make an Easter casserole for some dudes.
Saw my shrink in person, a rare occurrence for me in these days of Zoom medicine. We talked about liver enzymes and how they process selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. We talked about other things, too, but this all made me think of how fortunate I am to be able to access good mental health care. If you’re seeking assistance, you may find some resources through NAMI or Mental Health America.
Ate really good fancy diner food at Raymond’s in Montclair, NJ.
Watched my brother make my sister-in-law laugh during the solar eclipse. We were not on the path of totality but we made it weird anyway.
Admired the table my brother built in his garage woodshed. Like our grandfather and uncle, he’s teaching himself to build things and it’s really cool to see.
Did what I think/hope was a good job producing a photoshoot at work with some fun and generous volunteers and a great photography team (my “publishing sabbatical” did not involve quitting my day job, that’s for sure.)
Said goodbye to my Instagram art project, Excellent Coats on Irritated Women (RIP). There was a time and a place for it, and it soon grew to include photos of women, femmes, and nonbinary folks in great coats, and then eventually just whatever I felt like that day. But I haven’t felt like adding to it often in recent years, so I thanked the followers for their kindness and sent the account off to Digital Art Project Heaven. Here is a nice piece Refinery29 did on it back in 2018.
Looked at Lake Michigan a lot.
Looked at the Delaware River.
Looked at trees.
Looked at birds.
Visited a bigass arboretum on Chicago’s West side.
Bought this wig to see if I like this hair color. I look like a cult member in Upstate New York in 1972 or now.
Enjoyed shrimp and grits in the company of my friend Anna, who works on one of the procedural shows that shoot here and thus is here a few months out of the year. She is very cool and interesting and I feel better knowing she’s around.
A few links
in the Ol’ Gray Lady, discussing the open letter is a place for anyone interested in recovery. I like it.Miry’s List because I love them
Wonderful writer
(who is also a very good photographer, in my opinion) in The Yale Review (h/t )RAICES Texas because they do great work
The Rihanna interview that everybody is talking about, in Interview.
What’s next
I’ll do more essays soon. If there’s something you’d particularly like me to cover, let me know in the comments (reserved for paid subscribers - thanks to you all very much).
Take good care, and get some rest when you can. I’m thankful you’re here, and I’m excited to do more creative writing this year.
Love,
Sara
Can I ask two Chicago questions? Where is that arboretum? I've only been here about a year and still looking for cool places to just go walk about. And where did you get that shrimp and grits? It looks delicious and shrimp and grits is one of my favorites!