Two Sylvias' Weekly Muse: December 3, 2023

Issue 84: Recording of our Zoom Class, Demystifying the Manuscript, included in this issue!

Welcome to December, Writers and Poets!

We find ourselves in that time of year when we are purchasing—taking advantage of holiday deals and end-of-year closeouts as we buy gifts for others and items for ourselves and our own households—who can resist those bargains?

In an article for The Atlantic, computational linguist, Kathryn Hymes, explores our relationship with the myriad of things we own and how our “stuff” is an important part of our personal history and identity. We form complex relationships with the things in our lives, and some of us might actually name our items: the vintage sewing machine passed down from grandma is known as Seymore, while the small camping trailer that has sheltered the family during outdoor adventures is named Little Jeannie, after the Elton John song. Hymes recounts buying a teapot on a visit to China with her last pennies and how she wrapped it in clothing in her suitcase, worried that it might break on the trip home. She christened the teapot Cami as s…