We made it this far
Hello friends,
Happy spring! We made it! I love the weird smell of fresh earth as the snow melts here in the North. It makes me feel like anything is possible, which is probably my favorite feeling.
It’s been a long, lingering winter here in Minnesota, with the kind of grey skies and record snowfall that makes even the hardiest of us ask, “Why do we live here again?” Yet there’s nothing like springtime after the iciest days, the feeling of the sun on bare arms, the warmth of the light again. A winter like we just had reminds me of the thickest parts of grief, where you wonder if things will ever feel manageable again. And then, somehow, it changes.
Please join me for the book launch event of my memoir, The Unlikely Village of Eden, at Magers & Quinn bookstore in Minneapolis on Sunday, May 7th at 5pm. I am thrilled that I will be in conversation with Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman about making a good life when life doesn’t go to plan and other soul-related matters. The event is free, pre-register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/emma-nadler-presents-the-unlikely-village-of-eden-registration-539533056897
I will also be at Barnes & Noble at the Galleria in Edina, Minnesota on Sunday, May 21st at 1pm signing copies of The Unlikely Village of Eden. Stop by and say hello! I will sign anything, including your children.
Here are three hopeful things, see below. Since my daughter was born with a rare genetic deletion with life-altering medical problems, I have spent many moments confronting despair, and I know I am far from the only one. Which is why this newsletter is focused on hope, as a practice for myself, and also as a way to shine a light on some of the incredible beauty that exists in this world.
Is hope truly hot? I don’t know. The best answer I can come up with: it's not not hot.
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
This film was released in 2020 and you can find it on Netflix; I recently rewatched it because it makes me more hopeful about having a child who has disabilities. It also reminds me of everything that is possible when people connect, organize, and take a stand for what they need/deserve. Judy Heumann, who is featured in the film and was an amazing force for change in the disability rights movement (widely known as the mother of the whole thing), passed away in early March of this year. Her memoir, Being Heumann, details her incredible life as a leader and activist. It’s worth reading for the historical perspective alone.
The Sports Bra
Okay, first of all this is not an actual bra. It is a sports bar in Portland, Oregon that is dedicated to women’s sports. Which made me realize, in a deeper way than before (perhaps because I just discovered sports last year) that generally bars are entirely tuned in to men’s sports. Of course, I knew that women’s sports/women’s/non-cis male everything is undervalued, but this was eye opening—the fact that this place exists and that there is NOWHERE ELSE doing this. We need more Sports Bras. Never thought I would say that, on so many levels.
Romance novels
I know, I’m bumping up against middle age and I just discovered these. Forgive me, I never went to prom, and I’ve never held the title of bridesmaid. But hot heavens, Emily Henry takes us on any ride—Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation—with snappy dialogue and that ever-present will-they-won’t-they tension. Henry’s new book Happy Place is on my TBR (to be read) list. And Jasmine Guillory, with the protagonists to dream about! We know they probably will, and maybe that’s half the fun. Sometimes you need an escape, and these provide one.
For those who have already gotten a copy of The Unlikely Village of Eden, you can support the book by writing a review on Goodreads (and Amazon once it officially comes out on May 9th), or by posting about the book on social media. I am SO grateful for any way that you share this book, which is the way that it will make it into the hands of readers. Like I’ve said before: this is that kind of grassroots party.
Here is the link to pre-order:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-unlikely-village-of-eden-emma-nadler/18685259
Thank you so much for your support, enthusiasm, and also, your dance moves. Even if I haven’t seen them in a while (or ever), consider me a fan.
Let’s do this,
Emma
Ps. please forward this to the people in your life who might appreciate it!