I’ve been reading The Crooked Heart of Mercy by Billie Livingston lately and it is slaying me with its economy and energy. Such tidy sentences that describe such unruly human emotion. I love writers who can make it seem so effortless, and Livingstone is definitely one of those. The book is about terrible grief and guilt, so there is some common ground there. I’m paying close attention to the way Livingstone navigates it.
Last night I went to see Jason Isbell and Shovels and Rope play and it was so deeply good. Isbell especially writes songs that hit me exactly where I live. He writes about small-town struggle, addiction, loneliness, loss, true love. Expect to feel all the feelings when Isbell is in the house. And Shovels and Rope moved me with their incredible, unstoppable energy. They’re a wife-and-husband team, a two-person band. Watching her play drums and keyboard and sing all while looking like a total badass was completely inspiring.
Check out Livingston, Isbell and Shovels and Rope, and tell me: What’s inspiring you these days?
Stephanie Domet, writer at large 
4 responses to “Inspiration point”
Oh my, I think I’ll be checking out all three.
Feeling all the feels. That’s a hard one. I realized at a concert last week that I am most comfortable listening to metal or rock cause angry feels are easy. Two songs into the opening band, the Strombellas, I’m crying. By Blue Rodeo I quit wiping my tears away.
I was at that concert too, Heather. It was my first exposure to the Strumbellas, and I loved them. The whole evening was excellent.
I am checking out your recommendations one by one, Stephanie. First was Jason Isbell. Wow. Thanks for the tip. As for me, Joseph Boyden’s The Orenda has stuck with me long after I turned the last page a few months ago. I’m following a course from Cape Breton University, Learning from Knowledge Keepers of Mi’kma’ki. It’s free and fascinating. I’ve also been inspired of late by friends and family who are taking big, brave steps into new and uncharted pathways.
I just finished reading A Little Life and, while it’s harrowing, it’s all SO BEAUTIFUL! What I loved about it: a book that deals with the inability to get past a hard life as opposed to reaching epiphany…. A big recommend.