Quickly Commonplacing #1

Current quotes, reading recs, excellent earworms, and more in a new series for my Substack

In a busy new season of life (baby #3, post paternity leave, and start of the school year) I want to keep my Substack active, even when I can’t do frequent full time posts. So I’m borrowing wisdom from my fellow writers and embarking on a recurring series of short, listicle style posts. Please enjoy, and feel free to share ideas for what you’d like to see in this series!

Current Reads:

1. Reread: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

   1. I adore this book. Gaskell juggles three main “streams” that each be a novel on its own: a nuanced exploration of the relationship between ‘masters’ (the factory owners) and workers in an industrial world, an “enemies” to lovers romance, and a moving meditation on reconciling the existence of suffering with the existence of a good God. Each of these “streams” is improved by the way in which they intermingle with the others.

2. New Read: Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers

   1. I always enjoy the snap of Sayers’ dialogue, as well as the dry wit of Lord Peter Wimsey. The setting of this murder mystery in an advertising agency makes for some fascinating (and highly relevant) critiques of consumer culture. And Sayers had first hand experience-she worked at an ad agency and created some of Guinness’ most famous advertisements. I find detective stories oddly comforting, and Sayers’ are some of the very best the genre has to offer. One thing I have found hard in this particular novel is keeping all the ad agency employees straight-I recommend making a short character list to keep track. Definitely listen to

      Close Reads HQ
      series on this book (early in the archives).

Recent Commonplace Quotes:

1. “In her heart of hearts Mrs. Grantly hated Mrs. Proudie—that is, with that sort of hatred one Christian lady allows herself to feel towards another. Of course Mrs. Grantly forgave Mrs. Proudie all her offences, and wished her well, and was at peace with her, in the Christian sense of the word, as with all other women. But under this forbearance and meekness, and perhaps, we may say, wholly unconnected with it, there was certainly a current of antagonistic feeling which, in the ordinary unconsidered language of every day, men and women do call hatred.” (Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope)

   1. This is Trollope at his best, writing something that is both genuinely hilarious and genuinely insightful. Mrs. Grantley and Mrs. Proudie represent opposing trends within the Anglican church of Trollope’s day, and their attitude towards one another is something that continues to infect Christian culture in our times. How many of us harbor this sort of hatred for fellow Christians who vote for a different political party, or participate in a different liturgy, or emphasize a different aspect of our faith than we do?

2. “There’s things that get half said plenty loud enough when we don’t think about it. Things that slip through the cracks. Line items we got on our minds have a tendecy to come out whether we know or like it.” (Zorrie, by Laird Hunt)

   1. Zorrie was an interesting read for me. It reminded me a lot of Hannah Coulter as it covers roughly the same time period and also narrates the life of a woman from a farming/working background who is widowed as a result of WW2. The fact that the two books share these similarities makes their differences all the more interesting. Zorrie and Hannah are distinct individuals despite being shaped by similar historical and life circumstances. Zorrie is in some ways, a darker and less hopeful novel than Hannah Coulter, though both novels highlight the importance and beauty of local communities and found families.

Excellent Earworms:

1. Music: Irish Eyes by Rose Betts and Banks of the Roses by Nathan Carter

2. Podcasts:

   1. Reading Revisited
      ’s podcast has been delightful. I just finished their episode on East of Eden and was blown away by the insightful commentary

   2. Classical Stuff You Should Know is both very funny and very educational. I loved their series on the Plantagenets because I’m a sucker for English history, and I love laughing while I learn.

Substack Shares:

1. This piece hit home for me in the best possible way. I am also a former teacher with an excellent education who struggles with the prevailing cultural assumptions about what sort of “work” is considered worthy.

Dear feminism: I thought it was about choice

2. I am an avid crafter myself (crocheting, cross-stitching, embroidery, weaving) and have found deep joy in these hobbies. Living in a house built in 1791 has added to the sense I get when I craft that I am connecting to the wisdom of our forbears. It’s humbling to contemplate how many other women sat in the rooms I now sit in completing similar activities.

The Humble Knitter’s Lament

3. I love Tolkien, I love our planet, and I love this beautiful reflection.

   Tolkien's Best Gardener

Polling the People:

It’s time to ask one of my favorite literary questions. I urge readers to consider a couple of factors: Who makes the best partner? Who has virtues/qualities you’d most like to possess? Which one would you tell your sons (hypothetical or actual) to emulate?

*Note: Substack limits option numbers, so I have decided to exclude Edmund Bertram (because he’s my least favorite) and Edward Ferrars (because if I have to pick one hero from Sense and Sensibility, it’s going to be Colonel Brandon. By all means defend either character in the comments!