38 Comments
May 9Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

What a wordsmith! I’m crazy about Laurie Stone’s writing—the skill, the truthfulness! I’m sharing this with all my writer pals.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, dear Sandra! I'm super appreciative of your support. Stackland is an entirely original means of publishing, earning a living, and attracting readers who want to sustain writers. xxL

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

Beautifully written. I especially love, "I used to walk around as if there was all the time in the world to make the same mistakes."

Expand full comment
author

Thanks!

Expand full comment

I can clearly hear your voice inside my head. It's nice to have someone else in there.

Expand full comment
author

Happy to be there. Who else is in there? What perfume are they wearing? What are we having for lunch? xxL

Expand full comment

There is a Baltimore Oriole who doesn’t eat seeds but is at my birdfeeder anyway. There is a Russian motorcycle guy who looks like a blonde Bob Seeger and has to clean his apartment before the visit from his Ecuadoran girlfriend or “She will just turn around and go back...” I suspect his perfume is WD-40. And there is a yogi who teaches a noon class at the Y. After that, we’re having a dragon bowl with grilled tofu and peanut sauce.

Cheers,

JT

Expand full comment
author

Jesus, what a great party. I want my tofu now! xxL

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone, Sari Botton

"...found nothing, and lowered her expectation of what a snack was. She would eat a piece of cheese or a single grape." I literally just lol'ed at a coffee shop!

Expand full comment
author

Good work. xxL

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

Love, love, love your writing and the observations of life. I felt like the ghost of Joan Didion was writing. I love rereading her book, The White Album. I can get the cultural references. I miss the wild early 70s. Ah, memories!

I will say my journey continues at me now 72. Husband died, covid happened, I sold the home, and got rid of 98% of the stuff in it (don't miss a thing), packed my dog and too much stuff in my Prius and drove west. I'm loving Portland Oregon. I walk a neighborhood and marvel at the beauty of nature and absorb the energy of all the young(er) people.

Expand full comment
author
May 9·edited May 9Author

Wonderful to hear all this. Didion seems a strange comparison, but hey, who am I to know how I come off? xxL

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone, Sari Botton

How fabulous these pages! Pure, unadulterated pleasure of a fine, honest mind skateboarding through life.

Expand full comment
author

When I'm asked why do you do what you do, I say, "I aim to produce pleasure." Thanks for seeing that! xxL

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone, Sari Botton

This is fantastic - and, I have always felt exactly the same about the chimps.

The only thing that distinguishes us from them is maybe better haircuts - and some of us don't even have THAT ... lol.

I admire the stream of consciousness vibe you always produce. Thanks again Laurie for a stellar, thought provoking read.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, love. I really love your appreciation. The writing is never stream of consciousness, not really, not for a second. If it was, it wouldn't produce pleasure in you. It is all calculated, all weighed technique I experiment with. It's a trick the way all art is a trick. xxL

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

I'm terrified of being dead dead. And I don't have any children, and I'm positively gobsmacked by my age. My father is stumbling over steps exactly the way my grandfather used to, and I miss my grandparents more every year.

Expand full comment

We all are I can understand that

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone, Sari Botton

oh my, another gem—i got chills. you made me laugh at contemplating death, but i felt a genuine creepy prickle remembering hal singing "daisy." when i die, when we all die, i hope there will be a room where i encounter you again, frolicking with bonobos. xx

Expand full comment
author

Me too! I hope it's not on Jupiter, though.

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone

if there are bonobos, maybe uranus?🤪

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone

Totally captivating. I get it about family. And pretending dying will be okay. Your slant is refreshing and unique. Kudos.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, dear Jill. If you are interested in coming to the next Zoom conversation on writing craft, email me, and I will give you more information. It's on May 25 from 3 to 4EST: lauriestone@substack.com

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone

Thank you for being so funny, honest, and real. I love your writing.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for this tender comment, it means a lot!

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

What a pleasure to read!

Expand full comment
author

Thanks so much.

Expand full comment

Really enjoyed this right. Your skill is amazing and makes it easy to read. The reflection it contributes a spot on that’s something we want to talk about or think about very often. We must accept and pray for the grace to move forward with it.

Expand full comment
May 10Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

What a nostalgic piece! But walking the New York streets not even noticing time, as my walking Petersburg streets 30 yers ago... When we think or read about it, it gives such a pleasure even now.

Expand full comment
May 10Liked by Laurie Stone, Sari Botton

This was so perfect to read just now at the end of a long day.

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Sari Botton, Laurie Stone

Such beautiful writing. A very easy flow. Enjoyed it immensely.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks! It means a lot.

Expand full comment
May 9Liked by Laurie Stone

Ah, you made me laugh when I needed it, my friend. And, there may bonobos in Vegas.

Expand full comment