Harshada Is Going To Harshada and My Favorite New Beyoncé Song

Do you, folks.

In My “Authenticity” Era

Hi guys!

A few weeks ago, I had an important meeting on Zoom and it was crucial for me to impress the professor. I was so nervous because my voice loves to evaporate as soon as it feels any kind of stress. I think the professor could sense my nerves and began speaking first. He gestured with his arms and I caught a glimpse of his right wrist. A glimmer of something colorful caught my eye and I let out the tension-filled breath that had been lodged inside my throat.

Almost cutting him off, my voice came rushing back. “Are those friendship bracelets?”

He nodded and immediately broke into a smile. “My daughters are huge Swifties so I’ve kinda become one too.”

Of course, I told him I was one too and showed him my bracelets. We discussed which cities we went to for her concert, our favorite songs etc. I was automatically relaxed talking about my favorite subject and he was equally at ease speaking proudly about his daughters. Then we moved on to the real crux of our conversation but had already created a great rapport. So long story short, it went incredibly well.

I have always known wearing these borderline tacky and childish bracelets that don’t match any of my clothes was a pretty ridiculous choice. But I’ve insisted on keeping them on for months because I like them. I didn’t really care how dorky they made me look, or corny or cringe or whatever. I am a lot of things and I’ve lost my way time and time again but one thing is for sure—I’m unabashedly me: cringe-worthy, charming, cheesy, chaotic and all. And being authentically yourself will always pay off.

If you need another example of authenticity being dope af, look no further than controversial Duke Basketball phenom Jared McCain. He is the anti-jock: he paints his fingernails, sings, dances and lives out loud. Some people, like me, love him for this but so many hate him and ridicule him for showcasing this refreshing brand of masculinity. But through it all, he’s singing and dancing his way past the haters to the top of the game and breaking scoring records with freshly manicured nails. 💅

TV/Book Talk

TV:

We Were The Lucky Ones (Hulu) - WWII drama about an affluent Jewish family living in Poland. I will never not be shocked and shattered by seeing how monstrous people can be to other people, and how the rest of the world stays silent. Great acting and relatively fast-paced.

Books:

My reading “velocity” is starting to scare me but I can’t stop 🫣

You Can Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - a memoir about motherhood and divorce. But what makes this book special is how she plays with language and form. Smith is a poet and you can tell from her beautiful vignettes, metaphors, quotes and prose.

Heavy by Kiese Laymon - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - another beautiful memoir, a coming-of-age story about his life as a black son of a problematic, loving, abusive, brilliant single mother. He writes the entire story as if he’s speaking to his mother in the second person “you” which feels like a fresh approach. Such a captivating, biting story.

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - im sorry I can’t do romance books that follow the same fake-fiancé formula 🫣 but it was fun and I loved the desi representation! So if you like this genre, you will love this book!

Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - a coming-of-age story of three Muslim siblings living in a predominantly Arab community in Brooklyn during the month of Ramadan. I learned so much about Ramadan and admired the book’s explorations of faith and belonging.

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - a novel that also uses the second person but the “you” actually describes himself, which also feels like a refreshing change after you get used to it. This starts off as a beautiful, magnetic love story and turns into a powerful, emotional commentary on what it’s like to inhabit a black body in this cruel world.

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - novel about a recovering addict and alcoholic and talented writer who is trying to find something or someone that connects him to this life—a favorite theme of mine 🫶🏽 and since he can’t find meaning in his life, he wants to at least have a meaningful death. Akbar is a renowned poet but his prose is absolutely breathtaking. A friend who knows him says he’s a “walking beautiful quote” and I loved that.

Quote/Poem of the Moment

Good Bones by Maggie Smith

Life is short, though I keep this from my children.

Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine

in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways,

a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways

I’ll keep from my children. The world is at least

fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative

estimate, though I keep this from my children.

For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird.

For every loved child, a child broken, bagged,

sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world

is at least half terrible, and for every kind

stranger, there is one who would break you,

though I keep this from my children. I am trying

to sell them the world. Any decent realtor,

walking you through a real shithole, chirps on

about good bones: This place could be beautiful,

right? You could make this place beautiful.

*I’ve always loved this poem, especially the end. But this time, the words “the world is at least half terrible” hit a bit more poignantly amid the current chaos and destruction in the world. Here’s hoping people and our leaders can rediscover their humanity and common sense and attempt to make this place at least half beautiful.

On A Brighter Note…

Can’t wait to see some of you at the book club on Wednesday night!! For anyone wondering, my favorite song from Beyoncé’s incredible album is Levi’s Jeans featuring Post Malone. SO good! And two weeks until the new Taylor album!!

See ya’ll in a month! ✌🏽

Yours,

Harshada