I collect things.
Books, mostly. But also Black Barbie dolls and Funko Pops of my fave Black girls. Records. Okay, I only have one. It’s Sister Rosetta Tharpe, but it’s mine and I collected it.
I’ve got plenty of screenshots. Articles I swear I’m going to come back to. Quotes that eventually make their way into my everyday conversations. TikToks I send to my sister with barely any context. Tabs. So many open tabs.
And questions.
I collect a whole lot of those.
Womanist Wonder was always meant to be a space to hold the what if’s and whys, but I’m realizing it can also be a place for the little things that lead me to them, too. I want to share the things I read and immediately underline. What I see and can’t stop think about. What makes me happy and of course, what get’s on my last nerve. And probably some other stuff I don’t really know how to categorize yet.
So, Wednesdays are for wonder.
Y’all ever been to a baby shower and played that game, What’s in Your Purse?
Yeah, I’m not really a games person either, but let’s just pretend like I’m emptying out my bag.
Here’s what I’ve got this week:
What I’m Reading
MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS
Adulting ain’t what they promised it would be. There are way too many responsibilities. So in search of wonder and a little whimsy, I’ve been pulling books off the middle grade shelf.
I’m currently obsessed with all things Renee’ Watson. I read All The Blues In The Sky as part of my bed routine a couple weeks ago. It’s a novel in verse about grief, and exactly what my 40-year-old-heart needed.
Next up: What Mama Left Me
I’m a few pages in but can already tell I’ll be recommending this on for years to come.
What I’m Watching
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
I love a good documentary, and Toni Morrison holds a special place in my heart. This is one I come back to often, partly because I love hearing her talk about her own life and work, but also because every time I watch it, something different catches me.
There are some women whose words keep meeting you in new places. Miss Toni is one of them for me.
What I’m Noticing
I’ve been noticing how much I’m drawn to things I can hold.
I love the convenience of everything living on a screen, but I still want the actual thing sometimes. I’ma listen to the book but I still need to own the hardcover, flip through the pages, and take a few notes in the margins.
My Gram’s handwriting is tucked into the header for Wednesdays Are for Wonder, and I love finding new places for pieces of her to live.
That might be part of why I’m so drawn to making and collecting things we can hold. There’s something about the physical thing that feels like proof. That this happened. That somebody was here. That somebody loved us enough to leave something behind.
What do the things we keep remember for us?
What I’m Wondering
I’m only, what, two posts into this thing? But someone left a comment on my first essay that’s got me thinking.
I gave my answer, but I keep twirling with her question.
Sometimes I don’t think we need another system or somebody else telling us how to get things done. We know what needs doing. We just need to sit down and do the thing.
So now I’m wondering if we need a room.
I’m thinking about trying a monthly virtual Womanist Wonder Workroom. Nothing complicated or fancy. We’d just show up with whatever is already on our plates, say what we’re working on, hit mute and work for a while. Then we’d come back together, see what moved, and go on about our business.
No workshop, homework, or preparation. Just some protected time to actually do the thing.
Would a room like that be helpful to you?
Before I Go
I think that’s everything in my bag this week.
If you missed Sunday’s essay, you can read it here:
Girl, How Many Times Are We Gonna Start Over?
Here’s what you need to know: I’m going to start over.
That’s where this week’s wondering started, and I have a feeling these Sunday and Wednesday conversations are going to keep talking to each other.
That’s part of the wonder of Womanist Wonder. I love that I get to build this in real time, pay attention to what resonates, follow the questions that keep showing up, and, of course, make room for the things I couldn’t have planned for yet.
I’m glad y’all are here while it becomes.
P.S. Some of the books I share are linked to my Bookshop. If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. So if you were already planning to buy the book, I’d really appreciate you buying it with me. ✌🏾🪩