What I Read in the In-Between

Every June we pack up Casa Madre and land back in Portland. The kids hit the ground running. I spend the first week stocking the house (hi Trader Joe’s), rediscovering the neighborhood, driving around with the windows down singing loud with the boys. We live an endless summer between the school year in Mexico and summers here, and yet each year I forget how good the real summer-time mindset feels. Especially the singing with the windows down part. And don't get me started on the 9:30 PM sunsets. They are glorious, beautiful even but nobody (FELIX MCGRATH!!!) is going to bed on time in this house.

1. Lauren Sornberger — On Second Thought
   Football, Not Soccer

   Mexico! Mexico! Mexico! Everyone I know is deep in World Cup fever and this post pushed me over the edge. Lauren handed the newsletter over to her footie obsessed husband who proceeded to write a very earnest and extremely convincing breakdown of kits past and present worth your attention. The Thrasher x Argentina kit had me at hello and is one of the few things that made it into my cart and arriving on my doorstep this month. And with her inspo I dressed head to toe for our Mexico watch party last week. No further questions.

2. Whitney Goodman — WM Goods
   A Quick Rant About Substack and ShopMy

   I wrote about this exact topic twice last month and both posts kind of flopped- but mostly they had me second guessing my thesis. Then Whitney went and said it better, more honestly, and with less hand-wringing than I managed. Her subtitle is “I’m a walking hypocrite and I know it”, is exactly the kind of self-awareness that makes you trust a writer. The comments section alone is worth the visit. Enjoy.

3. Tyece Wilkins-Amadi — Ampersand Motherhood
   Unread on the Nightstand: A Summer Reading List for Mothers Who Contain Multitudes

   A new-to-me follow and already a favorite. Tyece put together a book list for mothers organized in her own words “by the selves we inherit, create, shed, and rebuild.” I’m currently reading one of her picks, Lena Dunham’s Famesick—and it’s making me sadder than I expected. Everyone said they loved it. I think I just feel too much for Lena’s body and the torture of being a misguided 20-something soul. Anyway, the full list has range and depth and I’m grateful to have it as a guide to work through all summer.

4. Emily Sundberg — Feed Me
   No Days Off

   Emily is a fixture on this platform for good reason. She asked 21 in-demand and notable newsletter writers how they take time off from a career with no real off switch. The illustrations alone pulled me in, but the question she’s asking is one I think about constantly. What does rest or a break even look like when writing is also just part of your life?

5. Violet Carol — Mother Love Letters
   Poems for People Who Love Olivia Rodrigo

   I found Violet through Tyece’s book list above and immediately understood the hype. I’m a self-described Livie—yes, at 42 years old. So the title alone stopped my scroll. But what really got me is that Violet is out here writing and sharing poetry on the internet like it’s the most natural thing in the world. It is a gift to have access to her art on this platform. Full stop.

That’s what I’ve been reading, plus a few more I’ll save for a future send. If Substack has brought back blogging, it’s only a matter of time before other early 2000s trends make a comeback too. Follow Friday, anyone? If you’re reading something good right now—on Substack or otherwise—let me know it in the comments. I always enjoy finding new to me voices.

xx Ly