Nevertheless, She Persisted.

Welcome to Clayton Place

Today is my birthday.

This newsletter is a way for me to celebrate. The bulk of it will be me talking about me. It’s an experiment to see if I can persevere and do it. While I’ve written essays in my writing career, they’re usually reported essays. And I do journalism (plus some other types of writing). That means I’ve mainly gotten paid to talk about you. That’s what reporting is! But this focus has become too much of a habit. A friend recently told me I never talk about my life. While of course this isn’t completely true, it’s often true. For one year, though, I’m going to write weekly about me me me.

This intro today is rather long, but I’ll keep the newsletters on the shorter side. They’ll come each Wednesday. Interested? Okay…

Greetings! This is me!

Want to know more? Like maybe what might I include? I anticipate it’ll be stuff like this:

Writing Life

I’ve been a writer for decades – contributing to publications such as The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, MSN, a ton of magazines and other websites. I started as a beauty reporter for women’s magazines (back when things were printed on paper!). I’ve worked on stories about education, climate, social trends, health, family, some celebrity stuff and more. I’ve worked on scripts. I’ve been a parenting columnist. I’ve been hired by two different magazines to write their newsletters (and yet I’ve never written my own).  I’ve also taught journalism. I do lots of other kinds of writing that I get paid for, too (a big thank you to everyone who pays me). And then I do lots of writing that I can’t seem to get paid for - yet! Like creative nonfiction (CNF), flash or micro fiction, a novel that I keep working on and on and on (let’s see if I get it done this year). I have some stuff I’m really excited about. So I’ll share about my failures and my successes. I’ll share new things and old things I’ve published. And maybe things that’ll never get published.

Family matters

I grew up in a mid-sized town in the Midwest with outsized people. My mom has always been an eclectic, loving nutso hypochondriac (she’s a bit different today in her 80s) and my dad, an ironworker, was an unfortunate alcoholic who died of cirrhosis of the liver when I was in my early 20s. I was a first-gen college student. I grew up working class with family members who were mentally ill, wracked by addiction, did time in prison and more. None of it was not good. I’ll tell you why. And: by the time I was 40, three of my siblings died tragic deaths. Decidedly not good. You’ll hear about this. Also—now, my oldest son is about to start his first year at an Ivy League school and my youngest has dyslexia and other learning issues. Both have opened my eyes to different universes. I’ll discuss openly!

Food&Drink

I’ll share my recipes – just for fun.

Women Talking

I have friends who tell me about cool stuff. So I’ll pass along tips and conversation. (You can take the writer out of journalism, but you can’t take the journalist out of the writer …does that even make sense? Anyhow, I must do some reporting)

Inspiration…

Greta Gerwig has a list of movies that inspired Barbie.

I’ll share the movies, books, articles, art, and outings that inspire my life. Why not, right?

By the way, my niece works at Mattel, my husband and other niece work on shows like Big Brother and Vanderpump Rules, my friend works in the music industry. They’re all fairly tight-lipped, but I’ll see if I can get some insider info.

My Friend Mary

This is an homage to my dear friend Mary Goodstein. She’s at an age where most women are long retired and yet she’s not. She’s the ultimate persister – and the quintessential tastemaker and wise woman. She’s OG L.A., grew up in Beverly Hills, traveled the world, kind of seen it all. And she has excellent home decorating taste! I told her long ago that I wanted to start a website called My Friend Mary where, using her vast knowledge, we solve problems for people. So, let’s test this out…if you have any sort of dilemma, email me and I’ll ask Mary. And because this is supposed to be about me, though, I’ll try my hardest to bring all advice back to me me ME!

Weird & Woo-Woo

A huge part of my life has been spent as a health/science writer and academic-adjacent (I’m counting grad school in my 40s here, the six years I spent teaching part-time as an adjunct professor and that I deal with academics/researchers in one way or another almost daily). I have an immense amount of respect for legit science.  I’m a member of So Cal Science Writing and the Association of Health Care Journalists. And yet I’ve also been trained in reiki and transcendental meditation, I’ve studied with the intuitive Laura Day, I like essential oils and I’ve been devoted to yoga for half my life. One of my first jobs was at a natural health magazine so that may have started this whole thing. But, then again, when I think back further it may be that I was born this way. Even as a little kid when my mom’s friend Linda told me she was a witch I was just like, “Oh, cool.”  That was the 1970s! Please note that some of my very favorite writers are nutso like me …they love tarot and iChing and astrology and all kinds of stuff (hello, Sheila Heti – you are a true giant). I love pondering the spiritual and esoteric. I believe in everything and nothing. Just go with it.

A recent discussion with my fiction writing group ended with Tess saying that it’s our moral obligation to share ourselves and our work/knowledge/gifts with others. Is this true? I don’t know. I don’t know if I should be doing this. Why would anyone care to read this? Will you really want photos of my chihuahua Isaac? I have lots of doubts. I’m just figuring out Substack! But, in the persister spirit, let’s go! My goal is 5 subscribers.

This newsletter won’t be well edited. I probably won’t ask people if I can mention them. This is about me. I will not intentionally embarrass anyone or disclose highly personal details, but if you really don’t want to be mentioned you shouldn’t be around me. I may not have any friends by the end of it.

Also, I like to give away random stuff. Like maybe essential oil potions, books, or clothes from my closet. Let’s see how it goes!

Happy birthday to me and may this year and this project be enlightening in the best way possible. I hope I learn something from this adventure and I hope don’t bore you!

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