Julie Metz

You Had Me at Island Happiness is being surrounded by water…and cats…and history

My latest dispatch from lovely Sicily.

Frank Turns 100 Julie Metz on her father's long life and big birthday. PLUS, an open thread on the centenarians in our lives: Do you have people 100 years old—or older—in your life? Or...are you 100 or older?

There’s also my latest essay in Oldster, “Frank Turns 100.” As always, thanks for reading.

Consider the Spider with Julie Metz | Substack For a lesson in taking your time to do a task with care, consider the spider. Click to read Consider the Spider with Julie Metz, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

Summer was busy for everyone, myself included. Take a break and catch up on Consider the Spider!

A Few Thoughts on Lawns and why you can get rid of yours

My beloved “wild garden.” My front garden is now a place that shifts in color with the seasons, enjoyed by birds, small creatures, and neighbors on dog-walking adventures.

Motorcycle Who had the better ride?

And then, beyond congested city streets, we were free, on a glorious sunny afternoon...

Sounds, Words, and Pictures Satisfying the two halves of my brain.

This week on Consider the Spider: how I satisfy the two halves of my brain while freelancing, plus a podcast rec and my thoughts on Lena Dunham's "Too Much."

I Thought About You Truth, Beauty, Jazz, and a Sip of Sherry

Until I met other jazz lovers, I would think of her every time I played a record and say a private thank you.

Come join me on the 29th at Pangea in the East Village!

tinyurl.com/july29salon

Do We Really Need More Babies? Part Two Further thoughts on reproduction

June was a light month for Consider the Spider but more essays will be coming soon! In the meantime, catch up on Substack.

The Memoir Time Machine As a writer of personal nonfiction, I worry that with every memoir or essay, I risk fragmenting and simplifying my life into words living on pages.

Writing memoir is time travel.

A Night at the Theater “Is this the only story we have?”

My review of Prayer for the French Republic:

Do We Really Need More Babies? Part Two Further thoughts on reproduction

Since no help is coming for this generation, who can blame young people for choosing their freedom for a bit longer, or maybe forever?

Emergency Two newlyweds, far from home

We are in a bar on Likoma Island, a small blotch of land in Lake Malawi, close to the border with Mozambique. It is May 1989 and we are on our honeymoon.

Cassandra vs. Sean In defense of too-young women

#ICYMI: May on Consider the Spider 🕸️

Do We Really Need More Babies? A few thoughts on pro-natalism

Today on Consider the Spider: falling birthrates, Ross Douthat, Catholic converts, and more.

Survival Skills What I Learned in Episcopal Summer Camp

So, off we went to summer camp.

So Much Paper Excavation and the art of letting go

My dad talks a lot about not being here forever.

My Doppelgänger The gift of random encounters

On those days, when I get too lost in my head, I take comfort that a person with almost my name is living his life, working through his own challenges. I remember that I am just one human in the multitudes I’ll never meet.

Cassandra vs. Sean In defense of too-young women

My thoughts on US v. Combs, and the abuse Cassie Ventura has suffered at the hands of Diddy.

Why Frozen Shoulder is a Feminist Issue I promise you—there’s a connection.

Considering the impact this badass disease has on our productivity and personal joy, we should all be banging on doors lobbying for capsule distention.

Invasive Species How we speak about Otherness

Language matters, a lot.

#ICYMI: April on Consider the Spider 🕸️ Read now on Substack.

Learning while teaching A trip to Florida

Teaching offers an introvert like me a chance to share what I’ve learned and to learn from my students who share their lives so honestly during our sessions.

Dreaming in Another Language The best French I ever spoke was on an island in Greece.

As I emerged out of the dream, I began laughing aloud, at the creative power of my wishful thinking.

War in Val d’Orcia Iris Origo’s vivid and timely wartime diaries

Notes from book club.