This newsletter has a new name.

But that's really all that's changing.

Hey there! My newsletter has a new name.

I started this newsletter in summer 2019 when I was focused on exploring the intersection of food, intuitive eating and faith. Thus, the name Given Appetites made a lot of sense.

But for a while now, that title hasn’t really fit. I’ve been thinking about what a different name for this little online space of mine might look like. So, I started thinking about what I’m always talking about in my embodied life. The answer is simple: the books I’ve read and the books I’m reading. So, that’s what I”m going to talk about here.

But, before you unsubscribe, let me tell you a bit about what’s to come. 

The newsletter going forward actually won’t be all that different in content going forward. Because while I’ll probably share more freely about what I’m reading, favorite books and the book-ish life in general, the larger focus of the newsletter will be how the books of my life are shaping my living.

Thus, the new name and tagline.

biblio•kept: a living hemmed in by books.

Or put a different way, this newsletter is going to be about the books I’m reading and the life that’s following.

I’m not writing much about food (and agriculture) anymore, but 12 of the 13 newsletters I’ve sent in 2022 were about my reading life or included content about authors/books that have shaped my thinking and living. So I want the title and tagline of my newsletter to reflect that shift.

Also, did you notice the picture in the header? It’s a photo titled “The Literary Machine.” I love everything about it.  If I were to create an apparatus to assist with my reading, it would look like this.

But also, I’ve been thinking… could the woman herself be the machine, with the stuff around her just lovely book-ish clutter? As the literal machine in the photo brings together a chaise, a book holder, a table for tea and a lamp to assist with reading, the woman at the center reminds us that a reader brings together different pieces of her person (her intellect, her emotion, her experiences, her passion, her values, etc.) to do the work of reading. Reading is not a passive act, but a effort (albeit a delightful effort) calling for creativity, skill, and diligence. 

On several levels, this photo is the mood I’m going for in this newsletter, even though my reading life often happens in seven minute increments on my Kindle or through my ear buds. I love how this woman is so blatantly is giving herself to the work of reading.

All of that said, welcome to biblio•kept. I’m glad you’re here. If you have minute, drop a comment with what you’re reading below.