Things Worth Sharing
Le Cinema Club
Le Cinéma Club is a free streaming platform presenting one handpicked film each week, celebrating emerging voices and rare gems with global access.
I love getting their weekly pick in my inbox, and while I don’t always make the cut-off to watch the films (you have 7 days), their taste is impeccable and offers an instant watch list for life.
Art
I came across the work of artist Erica Baum, which led me to the NYC art gallery Bureau, which led me to the work of artist Tom Thayer, which led me into a 3-hour transcendent rabbit hole where I emerged obsessed with Erica Baum, Bureau and Tom Thayer.
A Book (That Continues to Haunt Me).
When I was little, I had a book called The Lonely Doll written by Dare Wright.
It was haunting, slightly creepy, and it made me sad. The sadness was familiar, related to words I didn’t yet have to describe my fears, I couldn’t shake—separation, death, how to survive when no one has explained the world.
When my mom sang “Found a Peanut,” I felt a desperate sadness. Who doesn’t feel sad about a kid who dies and goes to hell after eating a peanut, only to wake up and realize it was a nightmare? Oh, sweet, terrifying lullabies.
The pages were infused with inherent nostalgia, and it weighed on me. But I loved the book’s aesthetic simplicity.
I’d forgotten all about it when, in 2005, The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: the Search for Dare Wright by Jean Nathan was pitched to me for Happy Ending, a reading series I ran (2003-2018, may it rest in peace).
I shoveled the galley into the back of my throat like a starving, drunk person binging dinner over her sink at 3 a.m.—NOT THAT I HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT’S LIKE—ravenous for the information.
Books about books are tricky, but this one paid off in spades. The story of Dare Wright is upsetting, but it answered questions about what I felt when reading The Lonely Doll. Dare Wright also had maternal attachment issues, among many other struggles with early enmeshment.
While it’s an occasionally upsetting read, it’s a profoundly human book that has stayed with me for almost 20 years.
Until next week, I will remain…
Amanda
P.S. Thank you for reading! This newsletter is my passion and livelihood; it thrives because of readers like you. If you've found solace, wisdom or insight here, please consider upgrading, and if you think a friend or family member could benefit, please feel free to share. Every bit helps, and I’m deeply grateful for your support. 💙
Upgrade
Share
Quick note: Nope, I’m not a therapist—just someone who spent 25 years with undiagnosed panic disorder and 23 years in therapy. How to Live distills what I’ve learned through lived experience, therapy, and obsessive research—so you can skip the unnecessary suffering and better understand yourself.
Some links are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Every bit goes straight back into supporting this newsletter. Thank you!