If you’re new, welcome! I’m Caitlin and this is my newsletter. I hope it warms your heart, hands, and that part of your upper ear that always gets cold.
Hey fam,
It’s hard to believe 2021 is behind us! And the end of the year means one thing: time for LISTS.
It was a lovely surprise to learn that my humor piece “Steamy Excerpts From Covid Romance Novels” was Number Eight on The Belladonna’s 21 Most-Read Pieces of 2021.
“I want to hear your laugh carried in the wind. I want to feel the touch of your sanitized hand in mind. I want to contact-trace my fingers all over your body. I’ve never met a girl like you. Also, I’m really lonely.”
I published this piece back in February at the “height of the pandemic,” and it is unfortunately very relevant again. I didn’t expect it to resonate with so many people, but it’s good to know that being stuck inside made everyone else horny and weird too!
As far as other lists…I actually don’t have any others for you, because I don’t read lists unless I’m on them. So what if I’m a raging narcissist? Sue me. That’s the energy I’m bringing into 2022.
Anyway, let’s get into it.
There’s no new SNL this week, and it’s unclear when it will return. Instead, I suggest taking the time to check out Vulture’s list of Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2021. I know I just said I wouldn’t promote any other lists, but these rising stars are very, very, funny.
My Favorite (Comedy) Things I’ve Done In 2021:
I performed on Characters Welcome twice: As a Small Town Mayor and an Astronaut Dealing With Workplace Issues. I had a blast(off) and hope to return in 2022!
In addition to my steamy covid piece, I also published six other pieces this year. Here are my faves:
Oh yeah, I made a character reel!
I tried out some new short characters on social media, including this woman who just loves fall (and her subsequent adventures in an apple orchard and at pumpkin-carving night) as well as God Apologizing for Mosquitoes. Get ready for more characters in 2022!
I taught comedy classes to some very talented students. It was the best. <3
I started this newsletter! It’s honestly been so fun to write and I’m thankful to you for reading it :)
I share this list in the hopes that you might click on something and get a laugh out of it. And because it feels good to see that I did, in fact, do things during this wacky year. I also had a buttload of rejections - editors that said “I’ll pass,” festivals that said “we’ll take your submission fee, but no slots for you” and plenty of emails that never got a reply. But I don’t keep track of those (unless you count my Very Long List Of People To Exact Revenge Upon When I Become A Supervillain, but that’s private).
Recommended Reading:
To Be Happy, Stop Comparing Yourself To Others, Especially Me, Genghis Khan (Alex Baia in Slackjaw)
“It’s true, you can drive yourself nuts just trying to “keep up with the Khanses,” and all their Teslas, iPhones, infinity pools, glittering bejeweled daggers, and tents full of 250 nubile concubines.” If one of your new year’s resolutions is to stop comparing yourself to others (I’m right there with ya) I recommend this very silly piece by Alex Baia. I love the way he marries nerdy history facts with pop culture references, and imagining Genghis Khan as a present-day life coach is a very fun premise.
Michaela Coel Told Us To Try ‘disappearing’ For A While – Here’s Why That’s Great Advice (Hollie Richardson in The Independent)
If you’re looking for a more serious solution to your self-comparison blues - and maybe something to kick-start your creativity - a social media detox might be the key. This article gets shared a lot on Writing Twitter and I’m glad to know it resonates with others as well.
What Happened This Week:
In an effort to avoid returning to virtual learning, New York City schools won’t quarantine students who have been exposed to covid, and are instead implementing a testing program called “Stay Safe and Stay Open.” This is a change from the original slogan, “No Child Left Online.”
A lock of Beethoven’s hair is currently on display at the New York Public Library. The display is titled “Fur Elise.”
Omicron has produced a surge of cases in children, but preliminary data suggests it may be milder and less threatening to kids than Delta. The Motion Picture Association gave Omicron a PG rating for “mild infection and some threatening effects.” Delta was given a PG-13 rating as it “may not be suitable for children.”
Story Source: New York Times December 29, 2021
Can I ask you for a weird favor?
If you enjoy reading this newsletter but aren’t subscribed, would you mind signing up to make sure you don’t miss anything? It’s free for you and would mean a lot to me :)
I know this week’s edition was very self-promotional, so thanks for indulging me! I wish I had more fun silly news for you, but our apartment has been a sick zone lately (did you know you can still get the normal flu during a pandemic? The injustice!) so I’ve been focusing on more important things like napping, eating cookies, and blowing my nose.
Stay classy and stay alive, America!
Love,
Caitlin
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