Well hi there.
Once again, it’s been a few months since I’ve written to you. Since stepping down from my post at PD in November, I’ve been taking some time to rest, reflect, and refocus. I’ve done a little bit of writing (which I’ll share links to below) and lots of reading, but it’s mainly been a fallow season. I’ve been resisting the need for professional productivity, embracing the practice of “wintering,” and trying to “flounder well.” I’ve been letting ideas germinate, and slowly getting a clearer idea of the direction I want to take my work next.
My body has been getting in on all of this too, persistently urging me to choose naps over writing, reading, workouts, laundry, or dishes. But, just as I hope some quiet time is allowing new ideas to come to life, all of this physical rest is bringing new life, too.
That’s right! There’s a new Sigillito on the way, due to arrive in September.
It’s funny, because much of my writing focuses on the ways that our bodies teach us truths about ourselves, others, and the world around us. I argue that this is particularly evident in the female experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. Yet I feel like I still have to keep being taught the same lessons over and over again. It’s hard to embrace your dependency, vulnerability, and limitations, even when philosophically you’re totally on board.
I’ve been experiencing some (relatively minor) complications this pregnancy that are keeping me humble. In the picture above, for example, I had just finished a 7.6k race. I had been planning to run a half marathon that day, and had been training for it for several months. But I have been dealing with high blood pressure, and I came down with a nasty case of COVID at 8 weeks pregnant (even after being vaccinated + boosted) and just couldn’t get my groove back after that. Eventually, I had to admit that, as much as I wanted to be superwoman and PR my half marathon at 14 weeks pregnant, my body was telling me that was just not in the cards. So I changed my registration to the shorter distance and decided to focus on simply finishing rather than trying to push speed.
In the works…
As spring is starting to arrive and first trimester nausea and exhaustion are sloooowly beginning to abate, I’m starting to introduce more external commitments to push myself to do more intellectual work again. (Sidenote: if you aren’t familiar with Gretchen Rubin’s four temperaments framework, I highly recommend it. I’m an obliger all the way.)
I’ve got a couple of book reviews coming out soon: one at Plough of Abigail Favale’s Genesis of Gender (which is brilliant! Go pre-order it right now!) and one at National Review of Christine Emba’s Rethinking Sex (which I was less impressed by). My next big writing project is a feature for America magazine delving into diet culture, intuitive eating, fat acceptance, virtue ethics, and Catholic teaching on the sacramentality of the body. Stay tuned for links to all of those as they go live.
I’m also in the beginning stages of creating an online reading group to tackle Sr. Prudence Allen’s masterful work on The Concept of Woman, which is just brilliant. Click here to learn more/sign up.
Interviews
Back in January, I had the privilege to interview Dr. Margaret Chisholm about her outstanding and accessible book on mental health, From Survive to Thrive: Living Your Best Life with Mental Illness.
Mental health is a tricky topic to get right, and Dr. Chisholm just has so much to offer here. Her book is a helpful, nuanced, clear guide to understanding the complex roots of mental illness; she shows how to move past a simplistic disease model and build a life that allows you to thrive as a whole person, in communion with others. I highly recommend it.
More recently, I had a thought-provoking conversation with writer Bethany Mandel about some rather hot button topics: “From Masks to Gender Ideology: The Political Power of Parental Pushback.”
As I share in the interview, I have been pretty middle-of-the-road in terms of COVID mitigation measures and masking (though staunchly in favor of in-person learning). But I’m really fascinated to see how all of the frustration over how schools—particularly public schools—have handled the pandemic is going to connect to the parental rights issue in terms of things like “gender-affirming” practices and exposure to gender ideology at very young ages. Electoral politics aren’t my area of expertise, but this seems like a moment that could have some big consequences, particularly if GOP politicians get serious about addressing parents’ concerns. (Now, if they’d only get on board with making child allowances permanent…)
What I’m Reading
Middlemarch, by George Eliot. Okay, technically I’m listening to this on audiobook, but boy—what a delight! It’s been a while since I’ve lost myself in such an expansive and immersive novel.
Anne of Green Gables, by LM Montgomery. My kids are finally old enough to enjoy this treasure from my youth, and I’m savoring every read-aloud moment. It’s especially perfect to enjoy Anne’s raptures over “The White Way of Delight” as the trees around our neighborhood burst into blossom.
Mysterion: The Revelatory Power of the Sacramental Worldview, by Fr. Harrison Ayre. This is a gorgeous book, and a great lenten read, diving into the sacramental nature of reality.
The Concept of Woman, by Sr. Prudence Allen. Did I mention I’m starting a reading group?? Seriously, join me!!
The Women Are Up to Something: How Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch Revolutionized Ethics by Benjamin Lipscombe. This is such an interesting and fun read. I had never heard of Mary Midgley, but now she’s on my to-read list. I selected this excerpt about her to publish at PD.