Stuff We Like :: 10.19.19
Happy birthday to the fabulous Suzanne! I was looking for an appropriate occasion to celebrate the return of Friday Stuff, and I can’t think of a better one than the anniversary of the day my favorite book nerd, podcast cohort, school partner, and lunch date was born.
And yes, that means that this week marks the return of regular blogging at HSL. We have some great stuff coming up — including the fall issue, which should be up next week! — and we’re all energized and refreshed after a much-needed break.
what’s happening at home/school/life
Our homeschool feels seismic this year — it’s my daughter’s senior year, and after a decade of homeschooling, this stage of our life together is ending. We’re working through college essays and applying to colleges, and I say we because it’s been we for so long, but now it’s really her. I’m so proud of her and happy and excited for her — and also really prone to tearing up at ordinary moments. My son, who is in middle school, I don't even know what grade we are calling it, has discovered that he loves taking classes with his friends, so we still do homeschooling together, but I can already see that homeschooling high school with him will probably look a lot different from the way it has looked with my daughter. They’re both awesome, and their blooming is a joy — it's just a joy that also makes me feel a little sad sometimes, which I think is okay.
on the blog: Have you guys seen Sarah’s Kindle deals? She is finding some amazing stuff! (You can get an email with each day’s deals if you sign up here.)
in the magazine: Look for the fall issue next week! In January, we are moving over to a new subscription model on Patreon — if you’re a subscriber, nothing will change for you until it’s time to renew your subscription, but new subscribers will see different options starting next month. (And if you’re already a Patreon supporter, the magazine will become one of your perks!)
at the academy: I have been having a little too much fun teaching the Salem witch trials in high school. (Even though my students did vote to burn me at the stake, so …) I’m also really enjoying my first online APUSH class — probably because my students are the best.
on instagram: I definitely enjoy the fact that my kids still like to dress up for their presentations sometimes!
links I liked
This totally gives away my age, but I loved Lilith Fair. It’s hard to think of concert experiences that even compare to how those concerts felt.
I’ve seen lots of U.S. citizenship tests, but this was my first look at a British one. (Apparently my copious knowledge of Henry VIII and the Tudors would serve me well here!)
I feel like "spiritual consumerism” is a phrase I have been trying to pin down for a while now: “It’s a little bit curious that as our political discourse is concerned with economic inequality — and the soaring costs of health care, education and homes — the cultural conversation is fixated on the healing powers of luxury items. What does it mean, that materialism is now so meaningful?”
Yes, thank you, I am very interested in knowing more about The Great Everywoman Outfit Contest of 1915.
Did you know about the great book scare of the late 19th/early 20th century?
Obviously a question right up my alley: What would the Golden Girls read?
As someone who had to navigate permissions for Emily Dickinson’s poems recently, I particularly enjoyed this. (The short version: Most of Dickinson’s poems were published in bowdlerized forms after her death, so her actual, un-bowdlerized poetry isn’t in the public domain yet, even though you’d think it would be.)
Semi-related: Dickinson’s herbarium is gorgeous and available online.
We were just talking about cancel culture and Harold Bloom in philosophy today.
I’m looking forward to seeing you again next Friday!
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
It's that time again! We've rounded up some great ways to celebrate your first day of the new homeschool year, whether you want to keep it simple at home or take a big adventure together.