Dispatch from Austin

On 1000 Words contributors, being open to receiving ideas, and Fiona Apple

Hi friends.

Greetings from Austin, where I’ve been running around the Texas Book Festival all weekend. This letter is definitely for the festival-heads, the kind of people who get excited to go hang out with a bunch of nerds and watch someone talk about books or ideas or art or culture or life. Could that be you? Maybe.

A lot has been great about this weekend—this is just one of the best festivals in America. But an absolute highlight was that I got to see some of the contributors to the 1000 Words book—Reese Kwon and Morgan Parker and Attica Locke and Liz Moore—in real life, and be able to express gratitude for being a contributor. (And also Justin Taylor, who isn’t in the book, but wrote such a great letter for last summer’s session.) There is just nothing like looking someone in the eye and saying, “Thank you for being a part of it.” Especially something that has changed my life in so many lovely ways.

Anyway I just wanted to say a quick Sunday morning hello and talk a little bit about the value of checking in with your community and being open to ideas. Oh, and share this cute picture of Morgan and Reese.