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It’s been a minute, huh? If you don’t follow the IG, you might’ve thought that I had quit, overbuoyed by the accomplishment of my first publication. The reality has been the opposite: I’ve been working to push pieces out and planned to send the newsletter only when I’ve succeeded again. This ain’t that victory lap. I’ve taken a few Ls, meaning “losses” for anyone off rap. And since Seven Yrs is about finding use in your failings, I thought I’d round the bases anyway. And I missed you guys, so yeah, let’s take those Ls. Last Months Today Since venturing off, I have written one essay (not one monthly), realized I need journalistic standards, submitted it to a big outlet, and haven’t heard back. I was sent an opportunity to write a movie, so I rewrote a screenplay from seven years ago as my sample. I then had a table-read for the sample, which most participants greatly disliked, before hearing back that the movie is indefinitely on hold. I was floated a chance to write more environmental videos like this, but I’m not needed now. Thought I’d quit my day job by Labor Day, but I need the money. I sunsetted the Twitter after over 365 days and 23 followers. Cool. So I didn’t blast off into a galaxy of creative fortune—me and everyone else. Given the links, good things still came through. And while these scenes are embarrassing at certain moments, I remind myself that low stakes are steps and flops are reactions, not forecasts. I’m not going to retire because some people don’t like what I do. I’m going to lose bigger because big is what I aim for. Resilience is a triumph. If I don’t get read, I can rebound. Theme Songs “Father Stretch” by Sunday Service Choir (Spotify / YouTube) In case “Bounce Back” is played out, there’s always church. Don’t need a denomination to repair. Theme Media The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O’Meara – “Episode 218: Mary Pilon, Louise Thomas, Seasoned Losers” (Spotify / Site) At the heart of many metaphors is sports—rolling with the punches, par for the course etc. I love the Olympics, but it does have a way of pinning a country’s hopes on a magnified few. Favorites Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Nyjah Huston are people and reminders that even winners lose. In fact, most players lose more than win. Mary Pilon is a sports journalist I’ve come to respect and she co-edited the essay collection Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard. You don’t have to run a mile to get it, so skip to 04:40 to start the interview, or cut through a lawn and read a review of the book. Notable Note
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