Slow Notes 12
May 2026 in review—and a few recommendations and prompts for you.
👋 In case the full email gets truncated in your inbox, be sure to check it out on a web browser.
👋 Notes on May
The words I plant don’t blossom into full sentences.
Instead, life arranges itself in lists—numbers: Take one dose every three days. 80 degrees is this week’s average high. 15 years since one chapter ended and another began.
On some level, both my mind and body know to save any creative reserves for my draft (which finally seems to be nearing completion).
Despite this creative block, I need to, as the kids say, lock in.
Speaking of which: Earlier this month, after a few attempts to turn the handle of the door in my entryway, I craned my neck to look through the windowpane into the vestibule, where I noticed my keys dangling on the other side.
In case it’s not clear: I was already at home (alone) when this mishap occurred. I somehow literally locked myself inside the apartment—but I didn’t throw away the key. My ticket to the world was still in sight, just beyond a thick layer of chipped wood and glass.
A couple of weeks later, after attempting to get out of the city for a weekend (our first trip since last fall), John and I barely made it to our destination thanks to a flat tire.
There could be a more incisive way to connect these ordinary (and somewhat humbling) events, but mostly they just embody how it’s felt to sustain momentum lately.
Closer to home, my drive has been eclipsed by a few instances of creative discouragement—unexpected discoveries that felt like losses. I recognize it’s normal to feel this way, but luckily, May proved to be a month of reawakening. However slowly.
Instead of forcing myself to make new and do more, I kept returning to the source: old journals and letters, articles of clothing, photographs from other lives, paintings on the walls I know and love. By people I know and love.
“As I left the house, I heard myself say, ‘Be right back,’” Han Kang writes in Light and Thread, “The house feels like a friend.”
From my journal: It’s a choice to live closer to the memory than face feeling far away in the present moment.
I know the tone of these monthly dispatches can veer into melancholic territory, but in addition to the links and recommendations and pretty photos, I want to create space for sentences that remind me how hard—and ultimately how worth it—it is to hold everything at once in this tangled world.
But I need time to share them in a way that feels meaningful for both you and me—in a landscape that continues to prioritize volume and optimization.
As Lena Dunham learns in Famesick, “Time takes time.”
I’m getting there. For now, I want to keep showing up here. Saying some of the less palatable things out loud—right next to what offers us joy: roses and dresses and moments when light hits the trees in a way that makes you literally stop and smile.
May Essentials
The style staples and stories that were on rotation and my mind…
Style
Aesther Ekme Classic Hobo Bag - Aperçu Alyssa Sunglasses in Vintage Tort - Donni Pop Drawstring Cargo Pants - DL1961 Shrunken Tee - Emma Rothkopf Patty Pants - Emma Rothkopf Cedar Swing Jacket - Everlane Day Glove Flats - Jamie Haller Ballet Flats - Jamie Haller Bit Loafers - J.Crew Cosmo Shorts - J.Crew Garçon Classic Shirt - J.Crew 6” Harbor Linen Short - Janessa Leoné Felix Bucket Hat - Loeffler Randall Leonie Wine Woven Ballet Flat - Madewell Greta Ballet Flats - Madewell Easy Shirt - Madewell Signature Woven Tote -Rosae Paris Le Doyle Jacket - Rouje Ilaria Skirt - Sézane Justine Basket Bag (Natural Perforated Raffia) -Sézane Jina T-Shirt* - Sézane Low Ninon Ballet Flats* - Sézane Zelira Dress - Warby Parker Carmel Sunglasses
Stories
Famesick by Lena Dunham - Light and Thread by Han Kang - Collapse by Édouard Louis* - One Moment by Luis Muñoz*
*KINDLY GIFTED THIS MONTH
May Details
A few scenes that especially slowed me down this month…
〰️ Touring the incredible Pollock-Krasner House & Studio
💌 Staying at The Maidstone for our third anniversary
🟡 “Suspending Time: Jess Allen” on view at Nino Mier Gallery (through June 13th)
🪑“Fancy & Flourish” on view at Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery (through June 20th)
💡“Library Collection: Grace Prince” on view at Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery (through June 20th)
🍃 Exploring Grace Farms
May Prompts
A few creative prompts for you to consider as the month comes to a close…
🔓 What parts of yourself have you locked away that you hope to retrieve or reclaim this summer?
🛞 What’s driving you forward lately?
⁉️ What’s the matter with you? What matters to you?
🖼️ What painting, drawing, or visual work best describes your current state of mind?
💭 What questions have helped unlock previous creative blocks?
May in Notes 👋
For Your Next Chapter
If you enjoyed this slow story, here are a few others that might slow your scroll…