Now
What’s coming this month…
I’m currently in Seattle on vacation with my partner. Then I’ve got a few days home with board meetings, book clubs and Dungeons and Dragons before I head out to D.C. for a conference and speaking engagement. Then I head out west for state visits in Arizona and Nevada. You will be getting a couple of book reviews and my plan for March here, an essay or two on Substack behind the scenes of navigating all of the travel and work and of course, the Curiosity Cabinet each Wednesday on Substack and Instagram.
What I’m working on professionally…
It is a federal election year, so it is a busy year for an election administration policy professional. While I’m not one of the people running the election (those people are my heroes though), I stand at the ready to help any one of them that asks. This means calls, research requests, and sharing best practices. It also means being human with these people that I care deeply about; standing at the ready to commiserate with them and cheer them on (loudly) from the sidelines.
What I’m working on independently…
As I’ve mentioned, I am researching community, civic engagement, trust in government and health outcomes (it’s very broad, I know). Right now my focus is on re-engaging with my research and developing a plan for publishing it on the site. It’s all about learning publicly, so stay tuned.
What I’m reading…
This month’s to be read pile includes The Wedding People by Alison Esbach, Babel by R.F. Kuang, The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacle by Malka Older, Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura, and The Starseekers by Nicole Glover. It was unintentional to only read books by women, but I’m not mad about it.
What I’m thinking about…
Did you know the Medjai from The Mummy movies (Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weiss versions) were real? I learned this the other day and now cannot stop thinking about it and want to spend hours reading all about these people.
Is our decline in critical thinking skills actually attributable to our emphasis on standardized testing and STEM? Did we stop teaching people how to live in the gray because STEM is much more black and white, right and wrong?
One personal thing…
I’m not a morning person, but March is all about going to bed early(ish) so that I can get out of bed by 7 a.m.