A summary of the August posts from the MORE TO COME newsletter.

Georges Simenon once told an interviewer that “writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness.” In describing her writing process, Anne Berest said that “I write all day . . . I write until it’s time to pick up my children from school. My life is not exciting at all. I’m alone most of time.” Anne Lamott tells her writing students that . . .

“. . . the odds of their getting published and of it bringing them financial security, peace of mind, and even joy are probably not that great. Ruin, hysteria, bad skin, unsightly tics, ugly financial problems, maybe; but probably not peace of mind.”

Clearly there are challenges for those who want to write and do it well. I admire those who succeed in their craft.

In February of 2023 my dear friend, the writer Janet Hulstrand, agreed to a “chat” about her just released memoir. That kicked off a regular newsletter feature that I’ve titled Author Q&As. There are now 17 in the series, with the two newest arriving this month. And—as is often the case—those two were at the top of our reader favorites list for MTC.

---

READER FAVORITES

• A history of the City of Light captured my conversation with Jeremy Black, MBE. The book and our discussion is full of broad observations and interesting vignettes. Among the latter is the story of Saint Denis, first bishop of Paris, who after he was allegedly beheaded, picked up his decapitated head and walked for some distance, preaching as he went.

• A couple of weeks ago I posted Talking murder mysteries with Anna Scotti, the author of the brilliantly conceived set of stories involving the “librarian on the run.” Readers clearly enjoyed learning how, thanks to the influence of her parents, Anna became a mystery writer . . . and which writers influence her work today.

I have more Author Q&As in the queue. Robyn Ryle and I will be chatting next month about her terrific new book Sex of the Midwest; Rich Moran will join me to discuss The Accidental Vineyard; there will be a conversation in November with Dr. Amy-Jill (AJ) Levine on her new book A Child Is Born: A Beginner’s Guide to Nativity Stories; and I’m lining up another chat with Jeremy Black on his just published work on the American Civil War. If you scan the conversations in this series, you will find that we’ve covered memoirs, spirituality, histories, murder mysteries, slavery, freedom, architecture, photography, leadership, city planning, community revitalization, and libraries! Since these chats often top the reader favorite list, my brilliant readers clearly find these conversations—and the authors—as fascinating as I do.

There was a third post—painful at a profound level, and yet somehow resilient and inspiring—that was also a top choice of MTC readers.

• A stunning work of great pain and grace is an autobiographical novel about the genocidal treatment of the Jews during the Nazi-led holocaust; history that should never be forgotten much less repeated. When indifference arises this part of the past should always be there to inform and shape our individual and collective responses to evil. The Postcard is an important work that I simply cannot get out of my mind. I recommend it to you as a book you’ll never forget.

Now let’s see what else caught my fancy this month.

---

AN AUGUST TRILOGY

I ended up taking a dive into the current war on history, but I bookended it with two pieces to help me (and hopefully you) think about ways to respond to the challenges of our time.

• Work on things you can do something about is a reminder that when we train our focus we can work on things where we have influence.

• A nation denied knowledge of its past “cannot make sense of its present or imagine its future” as I consider in When the narrative tries to swamp the history.

• Finally, when times are difficult we can let our emotions rule our lives. We can respond to criticisms with bitterness. We can look for others to scapegoat. We can seek out the voices of revenge and hatred. Or we can take a different path, as I write in Choosing gratitude in difficult times. Our daughter, Claire Holsey Brown, has been an important guide in helping me see the peace and balance that’s possible amidst life’s challenges, with something as simple as taking a loving pause when life feels overwhelming.

---

BOOKS, MUSIC . . . AND MORE

There were a range of books and musicians appearing in MTC this month.

• Unexpected perspectives is an excerpt from an upcoming review of Thomas Schiff’s extraordinary Civic Architecture Across America.

• After reading a random work in a mystery series, I often return to the beginning: this time with Inspector Maigret. A case of cons, doubles, and intrigue is my review of Georges Simenon’s classic Pietr the Latvian.

• Music as a healing force is my review of Daniel J. Levitin’s I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine, along with some thoughts on our son—the tenor Andrew Bearden Brown—and his time this summer with the Santa Fe Opera.

• From the bookshelf: July 2025 is the regular update on the five books I read last month.

• These cats are good! is my celebration of the International Bluegrass Music Association 2025 Award nominees.

• In a short post, I alerted readers to Joe Posnanski’s thoughts about the commissioner of Major League Baseball in Rob Manfred Doesn’t Love Baseball (a repost). Joe and I agree. And in a blast from the past, my January post Rest in Peace, Mr. Baseball was trending this week as the Milwaukee Brewers honored the life of Bob Uecker.

---

COMMENTS I LOVED

In my review of The Postcard, I linked to an online post written by the translator, describing her work on Anne Berest’s autobiographical novel. So image my surprise when the first comment on my essay came from . . . the translator!

“David, translator Tina Kover here. I can’t thank you enough for this beautiful and deeply thoughtful review.”

I was so touched by Tina’s comment that I sent it, along with the original post, to brilliant reader Judy who had recommended the book in the first place. She quickly wrote back with the following:

“Thanks so much for pointing out the translator’s comments—loved reading them as I had wondered how anyone could actually do this translation so impeccably. Did I tell you that after I read the book in English, I re-read it in French—figuring I could decipher what I didn’t understand in French just by having read the English translation….and it worked! The same heart and soul throughout every beautifully written page!! The translator succeeded in inhabiting the emotions fully!”

I told you I have brilliant readers (and friends)!

---

DON’T POSTPONE JOY

Thanks, as always, for reading. Your friendship, support and feedback mean more than I can ever express.

As you travel life’s highways be open to love; thirst for wonder; undertake some mindful, transformative walking every day. Recognize the incredible privilege that most of us have and think about how to put that privilege to use for good. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, public servants, and others can feel especially vulnerable . . . because they are. Work hard for justice and democracy as the fight never ends.

But also keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable. Take time to dawdle and dream. Leave enough empty space to feel and experience life. Those gaps are where the magic begins. When times get rough, let your memories wander back to some wonderful place with remembrances of family and friends. But don’t be too hard on yourself if a few of the facts slip. Just get the poetry right.

Remember that “we are here to keep watch, not to keep.” Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. And bash into some joy along the way.

Life is finite . . . love is not.

Try to be nice. Always be kind.

More to come . . .

DJB

---

For the July 2025 summary, click here.

---

You can subscribe to MORE TO COME by going to the small “Follow” box that is on the right-hand column of the site (on the desktop version) or at the bottom right on your mobile device. It is great to hear from readers, and if you like them feel free to share these posts on your own social media platforms.

---

Photo by Pascal Debrunner on Unsplash