do you [write] or do you tweet? i can't tell, get in the booth, b!tch!

Taking the sage advice of modern oracle, Latto, and getting back in the writer's booth.

When I left journalism, I thought that’s it, I never want to write in that capacity again. I was burned out, burnt by the industry and just over it, in general. I wrote a few pieces here and there when commissioned, and I wrote books because I felt called to it, but I generally stayed away from essays and reportage. Over the last year, as I’ve healed after subjecting myself to an MBA, I’ve missed writing. I often found myself saying ‘I think I could really kill a column’. But the way South African media is set up these days… there are very few publications, and very few places for someone to just muse.

Thing is, I love words. Visual media just doesn’t hit in the same way. Constantly feeding the image monster that’s Instagram isn’t my vibe. I resent the idea that I have to be an AFDA graduate to use a social media app, so I post to TikTok rarely. I miss the days of being able to post the most banal thoughts on a social platform where people found joy in reading others’ banal thoughts. From the apparent lack of reading comprehension to the bots, and engagement farming, Twitter has become exhausting. Every single time one of my tweets goes viral, I get the ick.

I could just say goodbye to posting my Takes™️ altogether, but a writer must write, and similarly, a yapper must yap. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. My thoughts also have value. Why else are my tweets endlessly embedded in news articles that pass for journalism? So, instead of whoring out my opinions, I’ll place this demure petticoat of a newsletter opt-in over them to obscure from the prying eyes of randoms … or something like that. I want a place to play, to muse, to share my short- and long-form unhinged thoughts without someone acting in bad faith here to ruin the fun. Let’s use the comments section to chat, far away from people who are hellbent on making us naar.

What can you expect from this little newsletter?

·      It’s not going to be all about me me me, thank God. The self-indulgence era is over. I miss interviewing people, asking them real questions, and talking to cool, interesting women. So, expect Q&As – and lots of them. I’ve become increasingly obsessed with the process of making. We often celebrate the results of someone dedicating themselves to a craft or a calling, but we very rarely get into the weeds about *how* they do it, and this is what I’d like to use this space for most of all.

·      There will be many lists and recommendations. If you know me, you’ll know I’m a recommendation queen. When people want an itinerary for taking international guests around town or want to know what to gift a bougie friend for a housewarming, they know who to call. I’ll be sharing some of my faves and new finds here.

·      I love a good listicle, and I’ve become more conscious about recording and writing down lists, from what we like, small pleasures, top reads, links we’ve sent to friends, let’s use this space as a digital scrapbook.

·      And, if the spirit moves me, there will be Journalism. Reportage, essays, reviews, but don’t count on that every single week please, my nerves are fragile!

So now that you know what *gestures at everything* this is all about, please subscribe and forward the link to a friend, or your group chat. For now, this newsletter will remain free, but I’m not promising that it will stay this way forever. Our work and words all have value.

Thanks for reading! Jx