Hands reaching to the sky
Some thoughts on trees
This time of year the trees show us their shapes, which is something I treasure about the winter. Sure, leaves are beautiful and sound nice in the wind, but I always feel like the trees are hiding in the summer. There is something so lovely about a bare tree.
There is a very large, old beech tree that I pass every day on the way to the studio. It has crutches that are made from it’s own branches. I’ve talked about this tree before, but it is worth sharing again. It is a metaphor with many applications.
Trees fall down pretty frequently near me - a natural side effect of living next door to an arboretum. The ones that fall have generally lived a full life and just can’t stand up to the wind anymore. But now there is space for a new tree to grow.
I get huggy around trees. Like some kind of cartoon character, I am sometimes drawn to literally reach out and touch them. I guess, like with anything, once you really tune into the being of something, it becomes viscerally meaningful. Imagine if all humans could do this for each other.
A couple points of (stick related) business:
Robin and the Stick has received 2 starred reviews! Thank you to Kirkus and Publishers Weekly for seeing something special in Robin.
A reminder that if you preorder a copy of Robin and the Stick from Brookline Booksmith, not only can you have your book signed and personalized, but you will also receive a limited edition letterpress print. On shelves 4/14/26
Fanta-stick news about Robin!
Love this, Emily!