An earlier version of our newsletter was missing this note from Steve — apologies, our content management system was out tending to a digital rose garden.
The first thing I do after waking up in the morning is look at the headlines — and typically, my heart sinks. Maybe it’s news about another atrocity in Ukraine, or the latest political smear, or a new catastrophic weather event. There’s part of me that feels compelled to understand and — when possible — engage with these problems. And the other part? Just forget about it all and do Wordle and the Spelling Bee. But maybe there’s a healthier response.
That’s why I found Rebecca Solnit’s book about George Orwell so fascinating. In "Orwell’s Roses," Solnit shows that Orwell wasn’t just the great critic of totalitarianism. He was also a passionate gardener — someone who loved beauty and life’s daily pleasures. Orwell knew that he couldn’t spend all his time reporting on war or writing about fascism. He also needed to nourish his spirit. For him, that often meant tending his roses and fruit trees. In fact, Solnit points out that Orwell’s most famous book, "Nineteen Eighty-Four," is full of references to Winston Smith’s small acts of resistance to the authoritarian regime, whether it’s the sensory pleasure of putting pen to paper or falling in love. As Orwell writes, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
Solnit is both a writer and activist, and she’s seen too many people who regard activism as a 24/7 job, which often leads to burnout or despair. So how does she unwind and get recharged? Living in San Francisco, she goes to the beach, tends her own garden and spends time with friends and family. "They’re the very ordinary things that most of us draw sustenance and pleasure from," she tells Anne in this week’s show, "The Tangled Roots of War and Peace." I hope you’ll find this conversation as inspiring as I did.
—Steve