Thank you for writing this. It especially struck a nerve with me here: "I saw just how useless keyboard warrioring is, and how performative it is, and how prone I can be to participating in it. It was a mirror held up to my own actions and I don’t want to fuel that. I don’t want the online world to jade me against what my real world life is, where I actively go out and engage with people, for better or worse. I don’t want social media to rob me of my enthusiasm for that. It’s hard enough as it is!"
This is a good kick in the rear as I contemplate my second deactivation this year. There's a lot of offline life to experience. Cheers!
"Those of us who can really need to operate in real world, face-to-face contexts, and get away from our stupid screens and devices where we are just constantly shouting into a breathless void." Yes! Thank you for voicing this, Chris.
Yes, all of it, and definitely also this. I haven’t deactivated my accounts but I’ve gotten rid of the apps (IG/FB) and have started archiving everything of my own.
Good luck with the recording - it will be wonderful to revisit BLS by hearing it in your voice when it is released. And seconded on the social media shitshow - there are times I wish I had your fortitude, and I continue my attempts to disconnect. As for Yellowstone and rivers - you have a spot in my raft anytime you want, and a place to sleep as well. Stay safe in LaLaLand, and my very best to you and your family this holiday season.
"Not a single candidate I voted for in this state won, which says almost as much about those candidates as it does the dumpster fire this state has become."
"Social media just isn’t built for that kind of thing, it’s built to sell product – either product to buy or the products we make of ourselves for our followers to consume – and I don’t want to be one." Woof. Many nuggets in this letter here, but this one especially feels salient in the hellscape that is late-stage capitalism.
Thanks for this edition ~ I have been reading your posts for a while now, even picked up your sentence-a-day practice. I'm a new mom with an almost 3 year old and we live in a yurt off grid near the West Elk wilderness of western Colorado. The sentence-a-day practice helps me remember moments that would otherwise completely disappear in the abyss of motherhood. ☆ Appreciate so much your sharing around Thanksgiving and politics. Its refreshing, as I too was bombarded with anti-thanksgiving media, wondering if I should feel bad for giving thanks and sharing food with people I love..? Given these times, I am grateful to just get to be around the people I love, that they are alive and well, and that I have an excuse to make seven million desserts.
We find ourselves, because the way we live, so basic and so close the earth (no running water, woodstove heat only, etc), always seeking out simple, quiet and sacred indigenous wisdom (just ordered that book you mentioned by your friend), practices, and even remembering them ourselves from our long ago earth-based ancestors throughout old Europe. We are hoping to open a little school of indigenous wisdom here in our town, representing all nations, all peoples, centralizing on ancestral and indigenous life ways and teachings, connecting the hoop with elders and youth, pulling in skills and nature awareness, celebration, dirt. it's a big dream. I'll keep you posted. in the meantime, just thank you. So appreciate diving into your posts when I have a moment here and there.
As always, I appreciate your words and your work. Best of luck w/ your recording. That sounds like good, difficult, tangible work.
I shut my last social media account (Twitter) awhile back and grieve a little bit (Chuck D followed me!) but I am mostly very happy about not having that interaction/time suck/pot of negative energy in my life.
Your mention of keyboard warrioring made me laugh and also rang true. It’s a nearly impossible task to change someone’s mind, especially in public. It is truly a waste of good agitating energy.
Oddly, I served a sort of soup kitchen meal yesterday with Winona LaDuke’s mother, Betty, an artist and retired professor, and I was mindful of the kinds of agitation that make differences (and often the troubled folks that make those important, good differences).
Maybe keyboarding elicits a difference-making feeling of some sort. Like writing a letter to the editor, when in fact very little difference is actually made.
Words make a difference - as in published, circulated works by thoughtful writers such as yourself.
But the kind of codswallop we encounter on social media, and that I must admit to having keyboarded myself once upon a time, I don’t think does what the authors think it does.
I’m thankful for your words, both in print and spoken.
Your river idea is great. Let me know if you want to put something together that involves writing. The Yellowstone Writing Project at MSU could be a good way to connect writing, teaching, and water. I know and trust those folks to do good with writing. I also know a lot of folks who are good on the sticks, raftwise.
Yeah, there are plenty places and studios in Montana, including mine, who have experience recording books. That said, I really enjoyed my time as a studio musician in the LA area. No In n Out burgers then, but Hamburger Hamlet and the Brown Derby!
Hey Chris, I'm on the other side of recording the audiobook and a pro-tip (which I didn't know before recording) is not to drink milk for a few days. Who knew? I'm not a milk-drinker anyway, but thought I'd pass it on. Maybe it's weird advice, but it came from a pro. I'm glad you're searching for places to rest, glad you're off the social media, glad you're looking toward what you might teach/organize. Whatever you build I'll try to get to MT for...solidarity from Portland, xo
Of course you are friends with James! I follow him online and he is such a gentle teacher. In my writing accountability group we were just talking about one sentence a day, and I was singing your praises, and you’ll be amused to know that a bunch of white women in the Sierra Nevada already knew who you were. Good luck on your recording, and stay hydrated. Honey, lemon, hot tea. It’s a grueling week.
"It isn’t that I disagree with the statements. It’s that I saw just how useless keyboard warrioring is, and how performative it is, and how prone I can be to participating in it. It was a mirror held up to my own actions and I don’t want to fuel that. I don’t want the online world to jade me against what my real world life is, where I actively go out and engage with people, for better or worse.6 I don’t want social media to rob me of my enthusiasm for that. It’s hard enough as it is!"
I've come to understand that most people are not entirely good or bad (take those labels as you will) and there are many people we would choose never to associate with (e.g. I would NEVER buy a Tesla JUST because it is associated with Elon Musk, even if I COULD afford one) but in general I try to avoid 'throwing out the baby with the bathwater' so if your teachings are useful and helpful for students, should they be jettisoned because a teacher disagrees with what you espouse politically? So much to unravel there...
I am sorry you are not going to Yellowstone this year, I had the opportunity to do one class there in the Lamar valley one year, (when my job was better paying than it is now...) and it's a wonderful place.
" I think we are in for a long and difficult stretch here" - I agree. sad, but it is what it is.
I've been reading Poet Warrior...and other things that pull me back to Art (in all its forms) and how important that is (to our personal sanity, the wider community, the entire world, you name it). What you do, what you present, what you inspire Chris, is needed.
Isn't it funny that the anonymous commenter you quoted is happy to threaten a writer to toe the line, but expects you to be grateful for politicians who won't change their tune when their constituents are begging them to? They got theirs, apparently... anyway, I'll be here.
Thank you for writing this. It especially struck a nerve with me here: "I saw just how useless keyboard warrioring is, and how performative it is, and how prone I can be to participating in it. It was a mirror held up to my own actions and I don’t want to fuel that. I don’t want the online world to jade me against what my real world life is, where I actively go out and engage with people, for better or worse. I don’t want social media to rob me of my enthusiasm for that. It’s hard enough as it is!"
This is a good kick in the rear as I contemplate my second deactivation this year. There's a lot of offline life to experience. Cheers!
"Those of us who can really need to operate in real world, face-to-face contexts, and get away from our stupid screens and devices where we are just constantly shouting into a breathless void." Yes! Thank you for voicing this, Chris.
Yes, all of it, and definitely also this. I haven’t deactivated my accounts but I’ve gotten rid of the apps (IG/FB) and have started archiving everything of my own.
Good luck with the recording - it will be wonderful to revisit BLS by hearing it in your voice when it is released. And seconded on the social media shitshow - there are times I wish I had your fortitude, and I continue my attempts to disconnect. As for Yellowstone and rivers - you have a spot in my raft anytime you want, and a place to sleep as well. Stay safe in LaLaLand, and my very best to you and your family this holiday season.
"Not a single candidate I voted for in this state won, which says almost as much about those candidates as it does the dumpster fire this state has become."
Same.
"Social media just isn’t built for that kind of thing, it’s built to sell product – either product to buy or the products we make of ourselves for our followers to consume – and I don’t want to be one." Woof. Many nuggets in this letter here, but this one especially feels salient in the hellscape that is late-stage capitalism.
Glad to hear that you're putting out a recorded version of Little Shell. I'd love to hear about the experience of recording it.
Thanks for this edition ~ I have been reading your posts for a while now, even picked up your sentence-a-day practice. I'm a new mom with an almost 3 year old and we live in a yurt off grid near the West Elk wilderness of western Colorado. The sentence-a-day practice helps me remember moments that would otherwise completely disappear in the abyss of motherhood. ☆ Appreciate so much your sharing around Thanksgiving and politics. Its refreshing, as I too was bombarded with anti-thanksgiving media, wondering if I should feel bad for giving thanks and sharing food with people I love..? Given these times, I am grateful to just get to be around the people I love, that they are alive and well, and that I have an excuse to make seven million desserts.
We find ourselves, because the way we live, so basic and so close the earth (no running water, woodstove heat only, etc), always seeking out simple, quiet and sacred indigenous wisdom (just ordered that book you mentioned by your friend), practices, and even remembering them ourselves from our long ago earth-based ancestors throughout old Europe. We are hoping to open a little school of indigenous wisdom here in our town, representing all nations, all peoples, centralizing on ancestral and indigenous life ways and teachings, connecting the hoop with elders and youth, pulling in skills and nature awareness, celebration, dirt. it's a big dream. I'll keep you posted. in the meantime, just thank you. So appreciate diving into your posts when I have a moment here and there.
All the best,
Leah
As always, I appreciate your words and your work. Best of luck w/ your recording. That sounds like good, difficult, tangible work.
I shut my last social media account (Twitter) awhile back and grieve a little bit (Chuck D followed me!) but I am mostly very happy about not having that interaction/time suck/pot of negative energy in my life.
Your mention of keyboard warrioring made me laugh and also rang true. It’s a nearly impossible task to change someone’s mind, especially in public. It is truly a waste of good agitating energy.
Oddly, I served a sort of soup kitchen meal yesterday with Winona LaDuke’s mother, Betty, an artist and retired professor, and I was mindful of the kinds of agitation that make differences (and often the troubled folks that make those important, good differences).
Maybe keyboarding elicits a difference-making feeling of some sort. Like writing a letter to the editor, when in fact very little difference is actually made.
Words make a difference - as in published, circulated works by thoughtful writers such as yourself.
But the kind of codswallop we encounter on social media, and that I must admit to having keyboarded myself once upon a time, I don’t think does what the authors think it does.
I’m thankful for your words, both in print and spoken.
Your river idea is great. Let me know if you want to put something together that involves writing. The Yellowstone Writing Project at MSU could be a good way to connect writing, teaching, and water. I know and trust those folks to do good with writing. I also know a lot of folks who are good on the sticks, raftwise.
https://www.yellowstonewriting.com/for-students
Cheers,
-Nigel
I applaud every time a social media account is shuttered, although occasionally I'm a bit bummed to have one fewer real ass human being in my feed
Nice one, Chris. Thanks!
Yeah, there are plenty places and studios in Montana, including mine, who have experience recording books. That said, I really enjoyed my time as a studio musician in the LA area. No In n Out burgers then, but Hamburger Hamlet and the Brown Derby!
Oh yeah, and I also wrote music for Barry Lopez reading and music is great with those recordings. Plenty of terrific Métis musicians as you know!
Hey Chris, I'm on the other side of recording the audiobook and a pro-tip (which I didn't know before recording) is not to drink milk for a few days. Who knew? I'm not a milk-drinker anyway, but thought I'd pass it on. Maybe it's weird advice, but it came from a pro. I'm glad you're searching for places to rest, glad you're off the social media, glad you're looking toward what you might teach/organize. Whatever you build I'll try to get to MT for...solidarity from Portland, xo
Have so much fun with the recording!!! And take breaks when needed!
Couldn’t agree more with the whole piece and especially: So there’s the door – mind your ass.
Hear Hear!!! ❤️🔥
Of course you are friends with James! I follow him online and he is such a gentle teacher. In my writing accountability group we were just talking about one sentence a day, and I was singing your praises, and you’ll be amused to know that a bunch of white women in the Sierra Nevada already knew who you were. Good luck on your recording, and stay hydrated. Honey, lemon, hot tea. It’s a grueling week.
I too have deactivated my online accounts. Don’t miss them.
I too honed in on this paragraph;
"It isn’t that I disagree with the statements. It’s that I saw just how useless keyboard warrioring is, and how performative it is, and how prone I can be to participating in it. It was a mirror held up to my own actions and I don’t want to fuel that. I don’t want the online world to jade me against what my real world life is, where I actively go out and engage with people, for better or worse.6 I don’t want social media to rob me of my enthusiasm for that. It’s hard enough as it is!"
I've come to understand that most people are not entirely good or bad (take those labels as you will) and there are many people we would choose never to associate with (e.g. I would NEVER buy a Tesla JUST because it is associated with Elon Musk, even if I COULD afford one) but in general I try to avoid 'throwing out the baby with the bathwater' so if your teachings are useful and helpful for students, should they be jettisoned because a teacher disagrees with what you espouse politically? So much to unravel there...
I am sorry you are not going to Yellowstone this year, I had the opportunity to do one class there in the Lamar valley one year, (when my job was better paying than it is now...) and it's a wonderful place.
" I think we are in for a long and difficult stretch here" - I agree. sad, but it is what it is.
I've been reading Poet Warrior...and other things that pull me back to Art (in all its forms) and how important that is (to our personal sanity, the wider community, the entire world, you name it). What you do, what you present, what you inspire Chris, is needed.
Thank you.
It's not an easy journey.
Isn't it funny that the anonymous commenter you quoted is happy to threaten a writer to toe the line, but expects you to be grateful for politicians who won't change their tune when their constituents are begging them to? They got theirs, apparently... anyway, I'll be here.