May 4 May
This May, let's get inspired by the quiet, contemplative world of May Sarton's 1973 Journal of a Solitude.
I had what I thought was a funny thought in a recent meeting of my journaling class: What if we did a May Sarton deep dive? What if… for, let’s say, the month of May… we focused on the beautiful, thoughtful, fascinating diary that the poet/novelist/critic May Sarton kept during a year in which she lived alone in rural New Hampshire? I find Journal of a Solitude to be a brilliant exploration of the beauty in the everyday. It’s simple yet complex, ambitious yet quotidian. It always makes me feel somehow soothed to revisit. Maybe other people would like to do this, as well?
And thus, May 4 May was born. Want to join in? It will include:
-Weekly zooms where we journal from May-inspired prompts
-A shared commonplace diary doc
-An optional evening session to discuss the book
(Reading the whole book is not required for any of this! You can also just join for the Tuesday morning writing sessions, and I’ll bring the May to you.)
This is open to writers of all backgrounds, all genres, all levels of experience. There’s no wrong way to write in a journal. I know that I always feel both calmer and more alive after I’ve taken a minute to catch up with myself.
Hope to see you there.