Hey! You’re here. Thank you!
Like so many people, I was surprised by joy watching the Olympics these last few weeks. I’m not a particularly competitive person, but I am a big fan kind of person.
Let me tell you what I mean. When I decide I am on rooting for you… I AM ROOTING FOR YOU. Competing for victory on the grandest stage, overcoming obstacles, existing and thriving despite the harsh realities we live in… I am a fan.
The Olympics gave me a tangible athletic forum in which to act out my fan dreams. I was yelling at the TV and tearing up and generally having the time of my life right here on my couch.
It had me thinking, how can I bring this big fan energy to my whole life?
In that spirit, here’s a lists of people and things and ideas of which I am a big, big fan:
Older lesbian couples - I am thinking especially the woman who came into the store the other day, bought a big stack of poetry and said, these are for my wife. Gold Medal!!
Tiny, terrible, old, stinky, loud, misbehaving dogs - bonus points if they have eye boogies and no teeth. Automatic gold medal if they are the dogs nobody at the shelter wanted. Go Team!!
People who are honest when something is hard. Bonus points when it’s something that is easy for other people. Most of us have something like this and I am a HUGE, MASSIVE FAN of telling the truth about how hard this living stuff is.
Paperbacks - It’s the flop for me. Bonus points if they are really old and yellowing. Gold medal if they are dog eared and once cost 99 cents.
Women & queer people celebrating literally anything. Watching the Olympics made me think about what it's like to see this joy play out in the public arena, but really these celebrations are happening every day if we just pay attention. I simply cannot get enough of it.
My favorite authors smoking cigarettes. I know cigarettes are bad for you. I KNOW. But I’m not going to stand here and pretend I am not obsessed with these photos of my literary heroes out here smoking a cig. If Fran Lebowitz offers me a smoke I’m telling you now I am not saying no. Big, big fan.
A perfect combination of the last two items:
I know cigars are gross, BUT, hear me out…. this is very much not gross to me. In fact, I am a big fan.
Kitschy autumn & Halloween decor. BLESSED, THANKFUL, AUTUMNAL, SPOOKY GIRLIES UNITE. You know the stuff I’m talking about. Wooden signs about how thankful you should be, bless this mess, giant plastic candy corn, hug inflatable pumpkin monsters… You may cringe, but let me tell you I have courtside seats to the corny autumnal super bowl and I am locked in. I would talk about horrible pumpkin spice products, but I love them too much to expose them to a public forum.
Dunkin’ Donuts. Just yesterday, Rebecca and I were in Dunkin’ waiting for our iced coffee (obviously) and my blood pressure dropped ten points (blood pressure is measured in points, right?). Our beloved Dunkin’ features this giant painting of a white mug with DD in orange and pink on it surrounded by sort of abstract coffee beans. I told Rebecca, I would hang that in our house. Thank God, she agreed. Find your people, you know what I mean?
That one Olympic swimmer who dedicated her gold medal to her dog who died. If you exist on the dog side of the internet (you should), you probably saw this story going around. My favorite part of the whole thing is that I would have expected her dog to be some sporty lab or shepherd mix, but no it was this little guy! I can’t think about it too much. Huge, massive fan.
Books. This is ostensibly a book newsletter so let us not forget that I am a BIG BOOK FAN. Like if I could buy a jersey and season tickets and a bumper sticker and a foam finger to cheer on these books I would. Here is a quick list off the top of my head (lol):
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Everyone in this Room Will Someday be Dead by Emily Austin
Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace
Kings of B’More by R. Eric Thomas
The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland
HUGE FAN. BIG FAN. LFG.
If you’ve read this far… I am a big fan of YOU. And I have a question. What are you a big fan of? It can be a sports team or a musician or an author or a book or a weird dog you saw once on the street. It can be an idea or a thought you once had or a memory or a feeling.
I don’t know about you, but I think it’s worth dwelling on what we really love.
I love you.
Love,
Rosamond
I LOVE THIS! I am a BIG FAN of EXPRESSING MY LOVE FOR THINGS IN ALL CAPS! I am a big fan of YOU! I am a big fan of tea, Alexander Chee, picture books, people who are earnest, people who love things LOUDLY, people who cry A LOT, beach picnics, oh, and of course winter. I am winter's biggest fan. Also I am a big fan of lots of other things and people and ideas and feelings, like the feeling I get after the first swim of the season and after reading a poem I feel in my whole body. Big fan of words and using lots of them. So much love to you.
As someone who cried in the grocery store, at the pharmacy, in the gym, walking down the sidewalk, ON A DATE, in a bar, etc etc etc after their dog died, I get it with this swimmer. I get it so hard. I am a big fan of people who try to understand each other instead of just dismissing someone who takes a different view (for example, someone who cries about their dog in public spaces). I am a big fan of curiosity. I am a big fan of people who say, "I get it" or " tell me more". I am also a big fan of weird, queer books and the people who love them. I am a big fan of trying to let go of preconceived notions. I am a big fan of letting people run their own race. I am a big fan of walking the people we love home.