I started this newsletter nine years ago because I believe that the best writing builds our empathy and brings us together. Early on, I also found out that the best writing doesn’t always come from the most famous writers.
For those two reasons, I’m excited to announce that this month, we’ll be reading and discussing “Wider than the Sky” by Phyllis Beckman.
Published in the now-defunct True Story magazine, “Wider than the Sky” is an exquisitely written piece about love and loss, a moving braided essay that explores the meaning of consciousness, the question of free will, and the mystery of chance.
I appreciated this article so much that I chose it as one of my favorites of 2023.
Here’s what I wrote about it a couple months ago:
“The human brain,” Phyllis Beckman writes, “weighs approximately three pounds, resembles nothing so much as a shelled walnut, and is the texture, one neurosurgeon tells us, of soft tofu.” Yet our brains hold our memories, they direct our activities, they tell us when when to eat and sleep, they help us dream.
The love we experience in our lives, as well as the pain and sorrow, comes not from our hearts, Ms. Beckman reminds us, but rather from our brains.
One moment, Ms. Beckman and her husband, the love of her life, are enjoying a summer meal together — beef kabobs on the grill, yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes. The next moment, she notices something off. She says to her husband, “Your left pupil is dilated.”
As you can tell from my blurb, “Wider than the Sky” is difficult to summarize. But I know a few things for sure: If you’re in the mood to read about the big things in life, this essay will not disappoint you. You’ll find yourself stopping to take in the language. You’ll pause to reflect. And perhaps you’ll reconsider the cliché that “everything can change in the blink of an eye.”
In addition to encouraging you to read the article, I would like to invite you to join Article Club this month to discuss “Wider than the Sky” on February 25.
If you’re interested, this is how things will go:
This week, we’ll read the article
Next week, we’ll annotate the article as a group and share our first impressions
On Sunday, February 25, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT, we’ll discuss the article on Zoom.
If this will be your first time participating in Article Club, I’m 100% sure you’ll find that you’ll feel welcome. We’re a kind, thoughtful reading community. Feel free to reach out with all of your questions.
In case you’re still a maybe: I’m excited to announce that author Phyllis Beckman will be joining our discussion. For an author to say yes to Article Club in any capacity, that is already kind. Participating in our actual discussion? That’s next level generosity. I am extremely grateful.
So what do you think? Interested in reading the article and joining our discussion this month? All you need to do is sign up below. Hope to see you there.
Sign up for the discussion on Feb. 25
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