Let It Be Sunday, 337!

Hello dear friends! I’m so glad you’re here this Sunday! We have a real treat for you this morning. My friend Kim Baldwin brings you today’s reads. Kim is a wonderful writer and a very hilarious truth-teller in her writing and in her friendship. She’s a gem of a human. Those are the only kinds of folks we accept round here. As always, enjoy and take only what you need. Here’s Kim: 

Greetings from Nashville – again! Man, shout-out to Joy for knowing which city has the best writers. I kid, I kid. Well, not about Nashville having the best writers, but about me being one of them. I am simply a human woman on the internet living her life one feral cat at a time. (theblondemule.com)

I know you can’t hear my voice, but some of you may know me from my podcast, Ladyland, which Joy has been on twice. She even sponsored our latest season, which just wrapped. P.S. You’ve bought her brunch and cake mixes at Williams-Sonoma, right? Riiiiiiight? Okay, let’s do this. (Ladyland.show/ Williams Sonoma)

• One of the aforementioned Nashville writers I’m lucky to know is Destiny Birdsong. I’m always in awe of writers who tell the whole truth, truth that stings your eyes and catches in your chest. Destiny does just that in her latest Home/Girl/Health column for Catapult.

•  One of my favorite things is a celebrity profile written by an actual smart person. It’s the Gemini Rising in me. So obviously I devoured this Vanity Fair piece by Tressie McMillan Cottom on Sean Combs, aka Puff Daddy, aka Diddy, aka that’s too many nicknames, sir.

•  I’m a 9/11 survivor and I have a lot of media anxiety around the newscycle between now and the 20th anniversary of the attacks. When I saw this Atlantic article making the rounds, I bookmarked it, but couldn’t bring myself to read it. There was finally a day that I was already crying, so I sat down and read it. It’s a beautiful piece.

•  Recent flooding has devastated parts of West Tennessee. These communities need help if you’ve got it to give. There’s a relief fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and an Amazon shopping list at Community Resource Center Nashville.

‘•  Do you have trouble giving yourself permission to sit down and watch a whole dang movie? I know I do. Good news, Lindy West is here for us. She started a newsletter called Butt News (lolz) where she assigns a movie to watch and then she writes a hilarious recap. It’s…the only thing good about 2021?

•  Book recommendations are my love language. It’s the former bookseller in me (shout-out Parnassus Books!). I highly recommend Shit, Actually on audiobook. It’s written and read by Lindy West. If you’re new to Libro.fm, get 2 books for the price of 1 ($14.99) by using code LADYLAND at checkout.

•  Speaking of things that will make you laugh, may I introduce you to Joy the Baker giving dating advice? ICYMI: we did an advice episode on this season of Ladyland and Joy is answering a question about staying true to yourself while dating. And if you like that, go back and listen to Joy’s full episode from season 2 here. (Ladyland.show)

•  How did Joy and I become friends? Glad you asked! I went to The BakeAway in 2018 and extroverted my way into a friendship. I actually wrote about the experience here, but if this world ever chills out enough for you to attend an IRL Bakehouse class, I highly recommend it. (theblondemule.com/ thebakehousenola.com)

•  I haven’t figured out how to make Julia Turshen my friend (yet!), but I’m such a fan of her cookbooks. Do you have the new one, Simply Julia? It’s so good. You can grab a copy here. Also! Julia made merch! Catch me out in these streets wearing this one. (bookshop.org/ teepublic)

•  I spend a lot of time thinking about who uses Facebook. I’m a social media strategist, so I have to keep a FB profile, but most of my friends have deleted theirs. Are you still on FB? If so, is it because of one of these reasons?

•  They don’t call Nashville ‘Music City’ for nothing. This city is teeming with talented musicians. One of my faves is Adia Victoria. I’ve been streaming her new single “Magnolia Blues” nonstop. The full album, Southern Gothic, comes out on September 17. (adiavictoria.com/ spotify.com

•  One of my favorite writers is Roxane Gay. I love her books, her newsletter, her book club – all of it. She was recently in conversation with Jenny Saville talking about Fatness & Feminism, for Arts in America. It’s such a good read. (artnews.com)

•  Thank you so much for reading my lil compilation of links! If you liked this, you might like my essay Monday Morning Nudes. It’s my first published essay and I’d be so grateful if you read it. (nashvillescene.com)

Joy, I’m terrified that you agreed to spend 2 weeks on a motorcycle, but I’m thrilled to write this post for you. Give my love to Tron. xoxo, Kim

I love you, Kim. Thank you for sharing this with all of us! It’s warm and hilarious and helps just where we need. I’m off the motorcycle. I have a wide walk I hope goes back to normal soon. But honestly, I’m ready to get back on the bike. After we sort all of this hurricane business. Keep us in your thoughts, everyone and Kim- please come back to our Sundays soon!

My love to you all. 
Joy