monday, monday (on a sunday)

and an announcement!!

Photo by Katia Rolon on Unsplash

hi friends,

By the time you open this newsletter, John and I will be en route to Mexico. Four days in Mexico City for all the art and all the tacos, followed by four more days by the sea—aahhhh.

In my absence, gathering (in grace) notes will be hosted by the singular Kennedy Lambrecht. In other words, it’s gonna S L A Y!!

For technical reasons beyond our control, there will be a new ZOOM link exclusively for March 10 and 17, which you can access here.

I’ll be back (yes, we are coming back) on March 19, but until then, I encourage you to write with Kennedy because there’s no better way to begin your week than by writing in good company.

and…if you want to tag along on our trip, follow me on IG!

thanks for reading!

xosew

ps

Only four spaces remain for Braiding Sweetgrass: Breathing Stories.

If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing Monhegan, don’t miss out on early-bird pricing.

gathering (in grace) notes

Looking for some butt-in-chair writing accountability? Lord knows I do 🤦‍♀️

Begin your week gathering in good company! Every Monday, 7:30 - 8:30 am ET, I host an online writing circle to encourage a creative start to the week. Honestly, I’m doing this more for me than anyone else, but I’d love to have you join me because I know the power of coming together and writing in community. Butt, it works ~ I wrote (most) of this newsletter in one sitting.

Each week, you are invited to come as you are. We will greet one another; I will offer a prompt in the chat if you are looking for a way to begin, and then we will write for 60 minutes with our screens on or off—that’s it!

This is a free offering for all. If you find you are attending regularly and ever wish to make a donation in support of maintaining the space, you can always buy me a book.

Register once, and the link is yours forever!

⬇️⬇️For the next two weeks, please use the following link ⬇️⬇️

and … . .. . . …. . join me on retreat!!

Braiding Sweetgrass: Breathing Stories

September 17-21, 2025 | Monhegan, ME

For the fifth year, I invite you to join me for an intimate retreat on Monhegan. Our program is an embodied book group, journeying and journaling through the wisdom and words of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s memoir Braiding Sweetgrass with the magic of Monhegan. I’m thrilled to consider the possible ways Kimmerer’s storytelling will become the guide to writing our own. Together, we will write through the island's topography, the geography of our senses, and our storied experiences. There will be ample time to search for sea glass and hike the trails through Cathedral Woods to the rocky shores of Pebble Beach.

Through writing, ritual, and restorative yoga, we will meditate, celebrate, and honor the variations of our authentic voices, as can only happen when you find yourself on this artist's island 10 miles out to sea.

Braid Sweetgrass is limited to eight participants ~ I hope this will be your year you join me on retreat!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION CONTINUES UNTIL MARCH 15!

lingering line…..

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that “reading room” sounds like “breathing room.” We need room to read—to breathe. To catch our breath. To confront things.

Rachel Schwartzmann

Thanks for being here. I’m grateful for your readership. Before you go, would you click the ♥️ or share this post with a friend? You may also restack, leave a comment, or reply via email because it helps others find this newsletter. If you want to see a little more of my island time you can follow me on Instagram, too.