Emily in France 🇫🇷 The Importance of Being Kind

Hello, again.

As you may have notice, I took a little break from this newsletter. I'm guilty of being too hard on myself even when there isn't a global pandemic, so you can imagine that my accomplishment-driven brain took one look at all of those articles warning people of the dangers of trying to accomplish too much and decided I was the exception to the rule.

Friends, I'm not an exception to the rule.

I pushed myself too hard; my brain broke. I have taken the past week to be kinder to myself, but I have returned with more fun things to read – and a reminder, for anyone who needs to hear it, that it's OK to take a break.

1. My dear friend Anna Polonyi has been keeping writers motivated and inspired with her podcast, the Quarantine Quill. She features writing from listeners, and in this episode from last week, you can hear yours truly!

2. I still remember how weird it was, when I was in a French high school, to sit in on English classes, simply because there were rules I used properly but didn't know existed. This story explores some of those rules we don't know, including why any native English speaker will never say "blue, big truck."

3. This abandoned subway station beneath the Waldorf is supposedly not wholly abandoned – it's allegedly still used to transport Presidents out of the city.

4. If you're missing nature, this Dutch flower park is offering virtual tours of its tulips and more.

5. "Somewhere, Borges is sitting quietly at his desk, imagining a language without grammar. Then, with a smile, a grammar without language." This tidbit comes from a "where are they now" roundup from the Paris Review that tickled me.

Stay safe, stay INSIDE, and à bientôt !

Emily in France