Life Wright Now | Spring 2020

Spring 2020 has provided ample space to rest, reflect, and read. With protests supporting anti-racism efforts without and two little babies growing within -- Wright twins coming this October! -- it's been difficult to pinpoint all that I've been thinking and feeling over the past several weeks. In my small little world, the days often roll right into the next with nothing significant to tell them apart. Meanwhile, in the world at large, Black lives have been taken left and right. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd.

No amount of mental gymnastics can whitewash the hate, cruelty, and injustice associated with their murders. Death itself is weighty, but when you add purposeful and unnecessary violence, discrimination, and racial prejudice, it morphs into something ugly and sinister. I've watched a few of the videos available, forcing myself to witness and acknowledge the horror, brutality, and assumed power of the white persons involved. In the past, it's somehow been easy to turn away from similar stories, forget, and truth-be-told, essentially dismiss what took place by not giving it much consideration or headspace. I'd like to change that pattern in myself. I know others around me are hoping to change as well. Perhaps collectively, this focused consideration and increased respect for people of color will lead to societal change, notwithstanding the immense police reform needed. I long for my children's generation to grow up in a world overflowing with empathy and equity, where headlines like these will live in the past.

WATCHING | PBS produced an incredible 4 hour series on the history of Reconstruction. Mr. Fleece and I started it on Juneteenth in an effort to reflect and learn about the post-Civil-war era and its link to current events. It's phenomenal and I can't recommend it highly enough!

EATING | Although it hadn't crossed my mind before, I've decided to prioritize these black-owned restaurants the next time I'm craving take-out with Mr. Fleece or making plans with a friend.
Central Cafe & Juice Bar (Central District)
Emma's BBQ (Hillman City)
Simply Soulful Cafe (Madison Valley)

READING | Ironically enough, I recently finished "Gone With The Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. The book paints a picture of the social conditions that continued long after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox -- the persistent pride of the Confederacy, the immense poverty and despair, the nostalgia and longing for the "old south", and of course, the racial conflicts between former slaves and whites. While the historical setting was important and interesting (I've read lots of fiction placed during WWII but none during the Civil War), that's not why I loved the book. Mitchell's superb character descriptions, interactions, and dialogue, alongside the themes of survival & gumption, social status & expectations, fidelity & loyalty, virtue & morality, is what will stick with me.

LISTENING | Haven't jumped in yet, but I'm planning to check out Code Switch, an NPR podcast featuring conversations about race and how it impacts every part of society.

It's never too late to learn & grow, 

- SJW

Leapin' Year

An extra day every four years feels like a sweet little bonus. I used my 24 hours on February 29 as an opportunity to revamp our living space. It always amazes me what 10+ hours and a can of white paint can do to a room. To keep things simple, we used the same color as in our bedrooms two summers ago and the amount worked out perfectly - I didn't even have to make an extra trip to the paint store :)

Perhaps even more significant than freshend up walls, after seven years of marriage, we purchased our first couch! Ten inches longer than our former loveseat, we can now fully stretch out comfortably. Ebony would likely be content on any couch, but I think we all agree - this was a good choice! White walls with a toddler on the otherhand...time will tell. 

Bright & airy,

- SJW

February Featue: @katesbookparade | Book Reviewer

I wanted to squeeze in one final February Feature for the year, topping things off with a fun Instagram handle called @katesbookparade. A gal I know threw together a little side project for her personal enjoyment, sharing and rating the books she's read. This outlet of hers has since exploded, gaining 3,000 followers from the bookstagram world in just a few months. And I can't blame them!

Instagram

Her opening post reads....

Hi, friend! You've stumbled into a space full of love letters (and sometimes hate mail) to the books that I, Kate - a tall, snarky, noisy ex-librarian - am currently reading. While this space is mostly used to flex a few creative muscles and catalog thoughts on books devoured (because, honestly, Goodreads never did it for me), if you decide to tag along with me I hereby promise you will be met only with honesty, color, and lots and lots of silliness. If you love words and scribbles and having very strong opinions of things you know very little about, we are made for each other! Come join the parade. 

Her book reviews provide the perfect tease. They contain enough detail and context to let you know if this is a good pick for you, while being sly and offhanded enough as to not give too much away. She crafts her humor, passion, and literary observations into a witty reflection that will leave you pleased to have read her thoughts, if not the book itself. The fun visual approach with her beautiful penmanship rounds out the experience, leaving you with favorite verses, number of stars, and usually a bullet list for quick reference. She tipped the scales for me to read Save the Plums, and The Starless Sea is a new addition on my holds list.

Marching bands, floats, and balloons,

- SJW

February Feature: Tim Wistrom | Painter

I stumbled upon this next fascinating artist at an artshow in Seattle. I was so awestruck by his paintings that I bought a pack of postcards on the spot and proceeded to send these oddly imaginative and imaginatively odd images out to my friends. The juxtaposition of nature and landmarks amidst a serene yet apocalyptic scene is both thought-provoking and strange. It's not clear whether I'm meant to be reflecting on climate change, nature's ability to adapt, the end times, or simply craving a Dick's hamburger and frappachino.

Self-taught, he's become a master at surrealism, and is apparently known as "the artist that paints Seattle underwater." Although typically not my style, there's something about his work that is undeniably unique and makes it difficult to look away. I enjoyed reading through the artwork titles and descriptions on his Etsy page to gain a better understanding of the meaning.

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Considering a world gone by and a world yet to be, 

- SJW

February Feature: Shannon Loys | Designer

Shannon Loys is not only a kind and likeable human being, she's creative as can be. Overlapping at Seattle Rep, I slowly discovered her niche craft in designing beautiful show posters for local theaters. She's singlehandedly made her mark on Seattle's non-profit scene...pun intended :)

Most of her work will force a double take, often starting with a minimalist image to draw the viewer in, then visually pairing it with another theme or important motif from the play - always with a simple straightforward color pallete. I'd love to know what her process is. Does she always read the play first? Does she look at other posters or book covers? Does she do it freehand and then transfer to the computer? Whatever the method, she does it consistently well!

Website

Upstaging everyone else,

- SJW

February Feature: Fiona Woodcock | Illustrator

In one of my many trips to the library, I encountered the books "Look" and "Hello" by Fiona Woodcock featuring clever visual wordplay with bright whimsical drawings. Since then, I've stalked her online presence, including her participation in this unique and creative fundraiser and this recent interview about her new book project, "The Snow Dragon." She has a very playful approach to drawing and uses children's blo pens, rubber stamps, and cutting stenciles to achieve her lively characters and lovely typography. Take a L O O K for yourself :)

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Hard to chOOse a favorite!

- SJW