If your obligation to exist as a sentient being infuriates and excites you all at once, you’ve come to the right place.

As a writer, I have always felt deeply, observed carefully and intellectualized my own existence, usually to a scathingly critical degree. Accordingly, being has both exhilarated me and put me ill at ease in recent years. And lately, I’ve been trying to come to grips with being sentient and alive—here and now, in this body, on this Earth—by considering myself a reluctant optimist.

To me, reluctant optimism is staring into the harrowing chasm of the human experience and begrudgingly admitting that, in spite of everything, life is a gift and it’s good to be here. Perhaps you feel a little out of place on Earth, or a bit purposeless, or simply a little sad most days. Maybe you’re not really sure what the world has to offer you, or what you have to offer to the world. Even still, you’re determined to make the most of your time here.

notes from a reluctant optimist is here to offer perspectives on navigating the human condition from a writer who feels similarly. You’ll receive an essay each month exploring these themes, along with suggested reading (usually poetry) recommendations for further exploration.

If anything, I hope this newsletter serves as your gentle reminder: despite the horrors, life is beautiful and you do have time. And, as always, I hope it makes you feel something.