​

​

Things to Share:

1. Toni Morrison's 'Site of Memory'
2. Asking questions for clarity
3. Valle de Bravo

​

​Toni Morrison's 'Site of Memory'​

Morrison's essay, Site of Memory, is an accompaniment to her novel Beloved, and it explains the process she underwent to excavate truth and imagination from the brutally disappeared history of slavery accounts. It's also included in a excellent collection, called Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir. The essay reveals the lengths to which Morrison went to find the interiority and emotional memories of the people who lived that oppression, and it's a profound reading on what gets lost, but also how we can regain those connections through the power of imagination and the fidelity to truth in fiction. A sort of literary archaeology, as Morrison describes it:

Morrison goes on to make clear the role and responsibility fiction plays not just as an expression of the imagination, but also for telling truths about ourselves and the world around us.

The process by which she used to create one of the most accurate emotional expressions of slavery and race in the United States is also one that any writer or striving of self-reflection can benefit from:

​

​Asking questions for clarity​

I'm not usually one to share pithy Instagram quotes, but I saw this recently and it home. The last sentence is certainly wrong. Clarity can only do so much. Some relationships just aren't right regardless of how well we approach them. There are also times when the story in your head is potentially saving you from something you intellectually can't quite place. Otherwise I do think it's a good rule of thumb to seek clarity through questions rather than eschew it for fidelity to a story in your head. I'm far from perfect in this realm, but I think I'm consistent when it comes to leaning on my curiosity and empathy to ask questions that sift through and past my own story and judgments. That awareness of the importance of asking questions and getting past the surface-level response is something that I find invaluable in my relationships, coaching, fiction, and through the process of interviewing and writing about life stories.

Another, more nuanced version of this comes from the modern-day sage Charles Barkley, who I heard on a podcast tell a story from his rookie season in the NBA. A reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a scathing piece declaring Barkley wouldn't amount to much in the league due to his poor work ethic and ballooning weight. Barkley was incensed and went complaining to Julius Erving, his veteran teammate at the time, that he was going to pummel the reporter. According to the story, Dr. J turned to Barkley and said something to the effect of 'sure, you can do that, but first ask yourself what part of what we wrote is true'. Once the hurt and anger subsided, Barkley realized that there was some truth to the idea that he wasn't applying himself to his training off the court as much as he should.

​Valle de Bravo (link to photos)

Two hours southwest of Mexico City, propped up in the mountains of Mexico's Central Valley, is the lake town of Valle de Bravo. The pueblo mágico hugs one side of the lake and climbs up the hills in a tangle of shabby cobblestone streets. Each hill climbed offers a perch with a view of the lake and the mountains that straddle the other side. Tucked away behind stone walls and high hedgerows are the modern second homes of Mexico City residents, built terraced up the hills each with its own unobstructed view of the man-made reservoir below. Level with the lake are a smattering of sites to visit, including a beautiful church and zócalo, art galleries, and a few commercial streets crowded with pedestrians, restaurants, and small shops. There's a short, but steep hike that rises to a lookout point over jutting rocks onto the lake below. There are also hikes to nearby waterfalls, and another peak where visitors paraglide descending over the lake. Just as Mexico City residents have been doing for decades, I escaped the mega city for a couple days in this tranquil lake town. I was there during the beginning of the Mexican posadas, or the nine days leading up to Christmas (the celebrations start early in Valle). Fireworks popped in the sky throughout daytime and evening. On my last night, as I hiked the meandering cobblestones to my hotel, I passed a small group of women seated close together on a roadside curb, singing and praying in front of a small religious altar lit by candles.

​

​
​

Next Sunday

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for next week. If you aren’t already subscribed, please join my newsletter here. We deliver on Sundays. :)