TGIF

Post-Christmas musings; plus, Elf on a Shelf is as old as my kid, and the inspiration for "Marty Supreme."

Happy Friday! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Boxing Day! Happy birthday to me! I had hoped to have a couple of new magazine pieces to share with you today, but alas those must wait until next week. There's one about ballet that I really enjoyed writing, and another about an artist who is really, really cool (and screamingly hilarious). You will have those in your hot little hands soon enough though. If anything, they serve as a reminder that it's important to support the arts and creative people, especially right now.

Did you have a good Christmas yesterday? If so, what was it about the day that made it special for you? Was it a gift? A meal? The company you kept? Let me know.

I started the week catching up with an old roommate of mine who lives in Northern France and ended it here, at my desk, writing to you. I'm going on two years of writing this little weekly letter and I'm so grateful to everyone for remaining on this ride with me. I love hearing from you, whether it's about writing questions, musings on typography, or random stories sparked by some gibberish I shared. Your stories, your presence, your give-and-take mean so much to me.

So thank you.

I hope your holidays have been special and cozy and restorative.

XO,

Paige

Writing prompt: Reflect on the past year. Write about what you learned about yourself, and what your hopes are for next year.

I think if I could go back in time and give myself a message, it would be to reiterate that my value as an artist doesn't come from how much I create. I think that mindset is yoked to capitalism. Being an artist is about how and why you touch other people's lives, even if it's one person. Even if that's yourself, in the process of artmaking.

-- Amanda Gorman

Endnotes

Elf on a Shelf Turns 20

One of my least favorite holiday traditions is Elf on a Shelf, wherein you make the little elf get into all sorts of mischief until Santa comes, and kids get excited about it and can't wait to see what the elf does next. And then kids talk amongst themselves about what their elves do, and there's a lot of comparison ("Why doesn't my elf snort powdered sugar like the Secretary of State?"), which, as we know, is the thief of joy. Thankfully, my kid is at an age where I don't have to do this anymore, because how would I even top Napoleon Elf, which was only really appreciated by me? Anyway, here's an interview with the twins who turned Elf on a Shelf into an international phenomenon that includes movies, merchandise, and all kinds of partnerships and stuff. Was the elf a big deal in your household? If so, hit reply and let me know what he'd do until Santa came.

The Inspiration for "Marty Supreme"

I don't know if I'm going to see this Timothee Chalamet movie "Marty Supreme" but this NPR piece definitely has me curious about it. Who knew that table tennis was once gritty and full of misfits hustling for hundreds of dollars a night? Marty Reisman (pictured above) was one of those characters. Apparently if you didn't watch it, "you could lose your eyebrows playing with him." Reisman inspired the Chalamet character in "Marty Supreme" and you can read more about this sharp-dressing bad boy by clicking here.

If you can, please consider...

...a donation of some amount to your local animal shelter.