Hello everyone...
It’s been a hot minute! So much for putting out a monthly newsletter; ah, the things I promise sometimes.
However, in my defence, I have been working on something else; something quite big. And (I think) I’m finally ready to start sharing it — eeep!
I’m writing a book. For the first time in a very long time.
All my life, I’ve pretty much only ever really wanted to write a book. I’ve started one numerous times, and they’ve fallen off the rails because I either lost confidence/wimped out when the going got tough, or my heart was not really in the subject.
It’s only through a couple of recent, unbelievable chance encounters (that I will eventually publish somewhere here) that the pieces of a book idea I have been mulling over for years — but not realising their theme or how they all fit together — finally fell into place…and I got a cosmic kick up the butt to just get writing already.
Now, having only worked on it consistently for a few months — I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. I wake up excited and driven to read and research and flesh out its intricate depths and work hard on it in a way I haven’t been for a long time. I am fired the fuck up, to say the least, and connect more deeply with the subject than with anything else I have ever written.
Here’s a preview of my first chapter and an idea of what’s to come:
Almost two years ago from the time of writing this, I was sitting beneath a palm tree on a north Queensland beach with a book in my hands, crying tears of wonder and joy upon having finished the final pages.
The book was about a boy and an unlikely sage that leads the protagonist on his way to buried treasure. From what I have heard anecdotally — and in a most delightfully meta way — the book itself serves as its readers’ own unlikely sage that propels many on their own spiritual pilgrimages. My own copy — with its lovingly worn, ornate vermilion red and sun-yellow cover, like a cross between an old map and a mandala tapestry, and a lead pencil inscription in Hebrew on the back cover — was the hard-won, yet unexpected treasure at the end of a spiritual pilgrimage I did not quite realise I was taking, and the punchline of a long drawn-out cosmic prank.
The story of which I will tell you now; because not only did receiving this book as a parting gift from a beautiful encounter close a chapter on one of the greatest lessons of my life, but — unbeknownst to me at the time — also served as both the foundational allegory of this book.
In short:
The book will be a series of observations and teachings of what it means to remain fully alert, alive, discerning, and loving in a world that is fast accelerating towards an unknown, morally compromising, and plausibly terrifying future…
based around the framework of a well-known fable, intertwining with the wisdom of philosophers, thought leaders, spiritual teachers, scientists, journalists, poets, artists, and many more…
whose timeless truths are inherently simpler to grasp (where “solutions” to our problems grow unfathomably complex), and point to the more mysterious and less measurable forces that bind us together in shared, creative, messy, maddening, beautiful, and unexplainable humanity…
and hold the keys to keep us firmly grounded in our authenticity, integrity, community, and courage — no matter what the future holds. To the “home” inside all of us, and chests of treasures we might have yet to unlock and uniquely serve the collective dream of a better, more meaningful existence.
Make sense?
At first, I thought I would go about creating this book in the way you traditionally create books: write/edit the whole thing in one go, send it off to a bunch of might-be publishers (or cobble it together as an indie self-published project), cross fingers. And if I’m really lucky, be discovered, get reach, tour around and talk about it, make a difference.
However...considering the book’s subject matter (as I’ll briefly summarise further down), I eventually decided (with an initial twinge of sadness and begrudging acceptance, now tentative excitement and curiosity) to release the book in serial form, chapter by chapter.
Why, you might ask?
- The information, concepts and ideas I have been obsessively researching and converting into (hopefully) coherent prose is — in my deluded mind, anyway — important to be shared; so important I don’t think it should wait until the end.
As I have heard many an argument lately proclaim: now, more so than in any other period in history, is the time to speak truth to the issues and injustices that threaten to careen our collective humanity off the cliff. There are too many to name just now (though I will do so in later chapters; feel free to research metacrisis in the meantime if you feel like doing some homework). Suffice to say, it is critical that we start getting a whole bunch of people aware of our circumstances and ready to roll up their sleeves in whatever ways they can.
The world needs our art and our voices. Like, now. I’m beyond passionate about this topic...and also a slow-ass writer, so I figure releasing the information here in chapters will — with luck — start some honest conversations much sooner and connect me with more people who care.
- I got the idea from Sarah Wilson, who is serialising more of her incredible journalism via Substack. 1 She references other writers throughout history — Tolstoy, Dickens, and Hunter S. Thompson, to name a few — who have released notable bodies of work in serial format, in some cases due to their content being considered challenging for their times (and play-it-safe publishers).
While I don’t for one moment suggest my body of work will prove nearly as notable as Sarah’s or any of the others (though of course I’m trying!), I vibe with this experimental, interactive route of publication — and sadly acknowledge that, being a totally unknown author, I will likely not step into success and widespread traditional publication anytime soon.
Putting aside my childhood dreams of achieving such, it’s more important to me that I start speaking out and sharing sooner than traditional or self-publishing would allow. And I like the idea that I could incorporate feedback and new ideas as I go, as Sarah is doing. It sounds kinda fun and playful.
- I’m a bit nervous to mention this one. It’s a pipe dream and feels audacious to say out loud, and here goes anyway: I’m tentatively considering the idea of adding an option to support/subscribe in small monetary ways — only once I’ve released a handful of chapters, and if people are feeling financially comfortable and connected with the content.
My goal would be to eventually, gradually, transition more from “regular work” into working on this project, which of course would mean covering my living expenses somehow. I plan to do this on savings, though would be honoured if anyone were to feel so inspired to chip in a few dollars here and there and take part in a more communal experience. No obligation — it would simply help, and I eventually plan to bind up all these chapters into some kind of eBook or similar, of which paid subscribers would automatically receive a free copy.
I'm new to Ghost and was on Substack before – still am, though partially migrating over here due to mounting Substack controversies and rumours of its creators aspiring to take a leaf or two out of the broligarch's handbook – and they have similar subscription tier models. Thus far, they have been great platforms for keeping trolls and bad behaviour at bay, due to paywalls behind writers and their posts — because no one is going to pay to act like an asshole. Much like Sarah, and many other writers I respect, I want to link in community members and supporters who are equally passionate about these potentially life-saving subjects, and create a safe space for them to speak and share; gradually and organically, if it is meant to happen at all.
So…that’s the long and short (mostly long) of it! I really hope this might be a project that speaks to you. It sure as hell speaks to me, hence why I’ll be conceivably spending the next several years of my life working on it. Speaking out, joining in, and empowering others to do the same in this most pivotal period in history — in which we could, realistically, go one climactic way or another.
It won’t be boring, that’s for sure. We must stay present, no matter how painful it gets. And we must stay loving.
As the protagonist says in the fable you are soon to hear a whole lot more about (another chapter teaser):
“It is we who nourish the Soul of the World, and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse.”
Any questions, comments, or ideas are greatly welcomed — keep ‘em kind, in the Ghost/Substack spirit. I would be honoured to hear more from you as this project unfolds.
Let’s dive in! Next instalment will be a table of contents, which I will add to gradually (with links) as I…you know, come up with chapters! Keep an eye out.
Much love, Lauren xx
I highly recommend subscribing to her book series, as well as her other books about anxiety and, funnily enough, reconnecting to each other and to life; I was gifted This One Wild And Precious Life from my boyfriend while the pieces of this project were slowly clinking together. It proved to be an incredibly timely companion — thus will refer to it, and Sarah’s other work, extensively throughout. ↩
