A space to mull

and a book about space

a reflection

This little newsletter is one years old!

Why did I start this newsletter? What motivates me to keep writing, even in the squishiest of seasons? How does it give me so much joy?

I wrote in my first post how I had been looking for a space to mull over good things with others. I ended with a well-wish that I hoped it may add value or levity to your life—a sort of benediction for meaning and lightness in a world fraught with lesser things. I also jotted down how I like trying to add whatever goodness I can to this side of eternity.

These bold snippets have unsuspectingly shaped everything. Me as a writer. The trajectory of this newsletter. And, dare I say, you friends who have voluntarily joined me on this weekly adventure. I give each of you my gratitude. (Especially if you had no choice like my cute immediate family whose email addresses I manually keyed in, and thus were my first [unsanctioned] subscribers teehee).

In short, I just like doing this.

Thank you for enjoying it with me.

Here’s to more mulling and goodness one Monday at a time.

a book

On the plane, I finished that sci-fi novel I mentioned a few weeks back. It’s called The Sparrow. And we as readers only find out why in the last few of the 418 pages. I want to try sharing why I love it so much by giving slightly more details than the back cover does, but I promise it isn’t too spoiler-y. Here’s my pitch:

Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit priest and linguist, returns home from an 8-crew space mission alone. Everyone else, dead. There are photos proving a successful first contact with the alien planet. So, what happened? We as readers are perplexed how this charismatic young man in the 2019 timeline leading up to the shuttle launch starkly contrasts the 2060 sullen, angry, emaciated man with shredded hands who now stands trial to attest his story to the Jesuit authority. We as readers also cannot help falling in love with the entire crew of likeable and complex characters, despite knowing their deaths have been more than foreshadowed. How did this space mission go so terribly wrong? Why? Most importantly, what do we do now?

This book is about searching. And finding answers. This book is about asking. And being hit with terrible silence. The story so seamlessly invites you into the captivating cast of personalities, the science of traveling in space, the anthropology of experiencing culture and language on a new planet, that you don’t blink twice when it is also highly philosophical. Where Emilio, not unlike Job, hurtles where are you, God? in the same breath as i get it, God, and i love you. It is not a religious book. But it is a deeply spiritual one, with the power of confession at its heart.

I’ve got a library hold for the sequel.

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be well, friends! jetlag is in full-gear. i think smol nephew subsconsciously knew this, so he cranked out his drum kit to show me his solo.

no napping for yiyi

love,
reb