Hello Reader,

I'm just about on the other side of a month of busy-ness and I'm not going to lie: I'm tired. But I also experienced some deep magic that has rekindled my writing spark.

If you've been around here long, you know I'm almost as big a music buff as I am a book nerd. And this past weekend was something I would call once in a lifetime if not for the fact that I got to experience it last summer as well: Joni Mitchell and the Joni Jam.

Bear with me, even if you don't love Joni the way I do...there is a writing metaphor to be found here...

In 2015, Canadian folk icon Joni Mitchell had an aneurysm that she barely survived. It left her unable to play the piano, the guitar, or even speak, let alone sing. At a friend's urging, she started a series of "Joni Jams" in her home in California in 2017, in which she invited friends to come over and make music. It started with musicians such as Brandi Carlile, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Marcus Mumford, Hozier, and more stopping by to jam while she watched. But as they sang her songs--and other classics--to Joni, in time she started to sing along with them. And grow stronger. Until she was able to pick up her guitar and play as well.

This led to a surprise appearance at Newport Folk Festival in the summer of 2022. When the videos from the event went up on YouTube and ended up in my feed, I watched them in tears. I had been a long-time fan, but since she stopped touring in 2000, I had never seen her live. I thought I'd missed my chance. But seeing videos of her on stage rekindled hope that I could see the artist whose songs I sang as I rocked my babies to sleep. Whose songs I played on my old steel string guitar. Whose songs felt like anthems for multiple generations from my mother-in-law (also a super fan) to my kiddos, who grew up hearing her music in our home.

When she announced a show at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington, I knew I had to go. And in fact, I took three generations of Artz Family Joni fans along for the weekend. But I thought that was it--my once in a lifetime chance.

Then she announced a show at the Hollywood Bowl, just down the road from her Laurel Canyon home, in an iconic venue where she'd never headlined in all her long musical career. Once in a lifetime became twice in a lifetime. Then thrice in a lifetime when they announced a second Hollywood Bowl show and I scored last-minute tickets.

The shows in West Hollywood demonstrated how much stronger she's gotten even since last summer, but also the huge supportive community around her. Because not only did the usual suspects (Brandi Carlile, Marcus Mumford, Sista Strings, Lucius, Taylor Goldsmith, Blake Mills, Allison Russell, and Celisse) show up, but so did John Baptiste, Annie Lennox, Elton John, and even Meryl Streep (I loved learning that she is a super fan just like me).

Joni's story is so inspiring to me not only because of the way she persevered and triumphantly returned to the stage this past weekend. But because of the way that her fellow musicians gathered around her to literally sing her back to health.

If ever we needed a reminder of the power of community, of the restorative properties of being with other like minded folk, it's now, on the eve of what is likely to be a very trying and tumultuous end to a wild ride of an election season here in the United States. So gather your writing pals around you. Write together. Commiserate together. Because together, we can weather any storm.

I'll close with a message from Joni herself: "Everyone get out there and vote. This is an important one."

Take care of yourself! These next two weeks are going to be a wild ride.