See you on the dance floor

And by the dance floor I mean my kitchen

Hello friends,

Thank you for being so amazingly supportive of The Unlikely Village of Eden! You have written shimmering reviews of the memoir on Amazon and Goodreads, shared it with friends (and possibly a few people you don’t like), showed up for events, and sent me heartfelt messages about how the story has reached you. I am having a great time with this wild adventure, and it is largely because of the support that I am receiving from you! I am beyond grateful for this big showing up. I don’t even know what to say about it, and usually I have a lot to say.

See below for a few of my upcoming events. More are in the works and will be added soon. Please join me!

• The Unlikely Village of Eden book signing

  Tuesday, June 13^th 5:30-6:30pm CST

  Cream & Amber bookstore, Hopkins, Minnesota

• The Gathering Pod with Martha Beck

  Sunday, July 30th at 3pm CST

  Facebook Live on Martha Beck’s page

On to the hope, as promised. Here are three things that have sparked hope for me over the past few weeks:

The Lies Mothers Tell Themselves and Their Children (NYT article) by  Elise Loehnen https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/opinion/motherhood-lessons-children-parenting.html unlocked_article_code=745K2wexHqM20GwgJEWJGh_CclpmZ5E5bZRjslklE47WO6G4YLf-ZTcQe8Ef4scFQzdYjUJZHK0u6lagBUmiPeQ5kyhaj_nrrnWSaFVlLrcqwQyPzT8l7Bm8d6norR9m9UgVVRfmCHgzeuDU8Y7VeQtG4BASBZxDhOSWU7A_MfkS0GnXuNZHwmxiYwO3frFqOLMa-5M5tiGkC1KRfhuYtg4iDSGOv1W-xBz4xtBR97AD-lsRXxhdpxg2Up-ZZRulAVlmNSSFvLPch9B2upO36Won38auGoUrTd-_iqDlRqC2RW6cV9nGYYQhi-X_UheLv5KF1-EL1nDTy-CSRLZi1T8ZxIOvA4rlaptC9-SR0g&smid=em-share

Honest, fresh writing like this challenges cultural standards put on mothers and offers up new possibilities for all of us.

Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay by Cyndie Spiegel (Penguin Life)

This is an accessible book about discovering bursts of hope and joy amidst grief. Essays by this effervescent author/storyteller offer narrative prose and concrete ideas for how to consider beauty in new ways.

The Ezra Klein Show: Dan Savage on Polyamory, Chosen Family and Better Sex

This thought-provoking podcast episode includes a spicy exploration of sexual ethics, queer influence on mainstream culture, and more. I love Dan Savage’s insight about communication, along with his wisdom on long-term relationships and expectations, along with parenting and community.

I hope you find some bursts of hope over the next few weeks as we dive into summer. Here’s to holding the gorgeousness of being alive along with the heaviness that we sometimes face. And not pretending otherwise.

Happy Pride Month!

See you on the dance floor (and by the dance floor I mean my kitchen),

Emma