What I’m Writing

What I’m Reading

Book Reviews

*The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation* by Anna Malaika Tubbs: Click **here** to read my review

*To the Lighthouse* by Virginia Woolf: Click **here** to read my review

*Beautiful World, Where Are You* by Sally Rooney: Click **here** to read my review

*What Kind of Woman* by Kate Baer: Click **here** to read my review

*The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo* by Taylor Jenkins Reid

*Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End* by Atul Gawande: Click **here** to read my review

Other

**“Brené Brown’s Empire of Emotion: How a Texan’s Stories Teach a Nation To Be Vulnerable”** by **Sarah Larson** | The New Yorker | October 25, 2021

**“How I Knew I Needed to Quit Instagram”** by **Laura McKowen** | The New York Times | October 1, 2021

**“How Stephen Sondheim Solved the Puzzle of Being Alive”** by **Isaac Butler** | Slate | November 27, 2021

**“Ann Patchett on Creating the Work Space You Need”** by **Ann Patchett** | Lithub | November 23, 2021

**“The Benefits of Emodiversity”** by **David Brooks** | The Atlantic | November 26, 2021

**“Emily Ratajkowski and the Burden of Being Perfect-Looking”** by **Carrie Battan** | The New Yorker | November 8, 2021

What I’m Listening To

**“Talking About the Best Books of 2021”** | **New York Times Book Review Podcast**

**“A Conversation with Nelly Korda”** | **Just Women Sports**

**“Perfectly paired gifts for every bookworm”** | **Novel Pairings Pod**

The Book

On October 1, 2021, Bessie Anthony was formally inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame — one of the country’s most celebrated and prestigious halls. To see her memorialized alongside such golf legends as Chick Evans, Jock Hutchinson, and Charles Blair MacDonald was one of the most special experiences of my life. Even now, two months later, I find I am still unable to articulate how much it meant to me.

As is so often the case, one of the best parts of the evening was the people I got to share it with. Several members of the “Bessie Anthony fan club” were in attendance, as were five of her descendants, including her only living grandchild, Susan. Born twenty-six years after Bessie died from childbirth at the age of thirty-two, Susan never got the chance to meet her grandmother, knowing her only as the recipient of the medals and trophies that filled her childhood home. For her entire life, she has watched as Bessie’s legacy has been shelved away and slowly forgotten, like an heirloom gathering dust.

But together, we have worked to correct that. If my husband Tim is my “lead research assistant,” then Susan is my head archivist and interpreter. She is also the sweetest person I have ever known. Without her, I have no clue where I’d be.

Please scroll to watch my acceptance speech and to see pictures from the event — and enjoy! Xx