Introducing...Assemblage!
welcome to my new incarnation
Hello, dear reader! It’s always a privilege to have the gift of your attention, but it occurs to me what a blessing it is at this moment in particular, when my city and country (and by extension the world) are descending into chaos, fear, panic and despair. It reminds me that words are a gift — a balm, a bridge, a tool for resistance and building community.
So it seems apropos that it’s in this moment that I’m formally launching the new incarnation of this platform: Assemblage!!!
I would love to tell you more about how and why this writing journey of mine is taking this new direction and what’s going to change around here. Truth be told, I’m trembling a bit as I type these words, because I’m so very excited about all the ideas and possibilities on the horizon! Thank you so very much for being here with me on this quest and also for being patient, as some parts of my Substack platform (visual identity, my ‘About’ page and bio, etc.) are still a work in progress.
Looking back: 44 Revolutions
I launched this platform in August 2022, shortly after I turned 44.
I was in my happy place (that would be Treasure Beach, Jamaica – as you know already if you’ve been here for a while). Sitting on my roof deck under a blanket of stars, a bit of poetry started flowing out of me, bit by bit.
I’ve always written in some way across different seasons of my life, but launching 44 Revolutions was the beginning of a new, intentional, sustained chapter. The idea behind it was primarily to share monthly roundups of the things that inspired me or gave me pause over the course of that month: books, podcasts, fashion, music, recipes, cultural and social commentary and more. I signed off each missive with an original poem, because as I once wrote:
It’s through poetry that I feel most able to make the connections between the many imprints and sentiments that course through me at any given moment.
Somewhere along the way though, I discovered a penchant for personal essays, always interspersed with my original photos (yes indeed: I love taking photos). In this format, I’ve been able to write more expansively about everything from the solar eclipse to hurricane relief in Jamaica to my morning routine to navigating the dystopian post-election climate in the U.S. Here are some of my most popular essays, in case you missed them:
Assem-what?
This brings us to the era of Assemblage. The word comes from French and refers to a collection of people or things or the act of bringing things together
But as the Tate in England reminds us, assemblage is also an art form, one that’s “made by assembling disparate elements — often everyday objects — scavenged by the artist.”
And here’s the thing: I’ve been engaging in assemblage all my life. I just didn’t know it.
I’ve often been referred to as “eclectic.” Some would even say “random.” Part of it is surely the result of having had the good fortune to travel and live all over the world, not to mention being an immigrant. But the simple fact is that I was born curious and thirsty.
Quite frankly, mélange is baked into my DNA. My house, my closet, my playlists (and their mixtape predecessors), my bookshelf, my weekly dinner menu, my contact list: tapestries all.
What I’ve come to realize with the gift of the passing years is that all of this is no accident. My “brand” of assemblage is in fact a life philosophy – a way to weave together stories, moments, places and emotions. A way to live, guided by curiosity and the quest for beauty, knowledge and understanding. It’s multihued and layered – disparate filaments bound by a common thread: my own.
Speaking of weaving together stories: I was recently a guest on the “Connected Conversations” podcast with Elena Petrova of Ad Astra Inc. It was a really cool opportunity to tie together many threads of my life. Truly an assemblage!
Assemblage is an attempt to embrace the fullness of myself. Now let’s be real: we all contain multitudes. But in life, we’re often asked to check just one box.
This new platform is me choosing the fourth option on the multiple-choice list: All of the above.
I’m a mother, a lover, a poet, an epicurean, a “collector of souls,” a seeker, a global citizen, a sentimentalist, a polyglot and a writer, above all.
And make no mistake about it: assemblage is also a survival strategy for these dark days. With the storm raging outside, it seems all the more imperative to fortify our own house. That means seeking and remaining open to joy, delight, beauty and love. A small but revolutionary practice, perhaps. I sure hope so.
What’s changing?
Assemblage also represents a new commitment that I’m making to you as a reader and ultimately to myself as a writer. For a while now, I’ve been working on the practice of writing itself. I journal every day (in the form of “morning pages”), read craft essays and engage in different Substack writer communities. One of those is Jeannine Ouellette’s Writing in the Dark, through which I’m doing a 12-week seasonal intensive based off of Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights. We’re learning to observe and pay attention, to document our everyday delights and to craft short pieces using some of the same techniques as Gay, guided by Jeannine’s luminous words and generous spirit. The intensive is frankly delightful — no pun intended!
I know that all of this is leading somewhere exciting, even if I don’t know what the final destination will be.
That’s OK though: choose-your-own-adventure was always my favorite as a kid.
I do know that there will be a book someday. Most likely books, plural. There’s so much to say, so much to share.
And as a first foray in that direction, I’m happy to announce that I’ll be publishing a book of poetry this year! Stay tuned for more news about that, but suffice it to say for now that I’m very, very excited.
In terms of this newsletter, a few things are changing. I’ll no longer be penning the monthly roundups. I adore writing them but they represent a significant amount of work, and going forward I’d like to use that energy in a different way.
What does that mean? Well as a free subscriber to Assemblage, you’ll now receive the following:
Weekly essays: From now on, these will always sent out at 6am (EST) on Monday. Because why not start the week with something that’ll hopefully give you a positive pause, right?! The topics covered will vary…but stay tuned for missives on creation as an act of resistance, my love affair with voice notes, “touching grass” and why jargon kills my soul. Of course the essays will include photos too, as well as a smidgeon of poetry here and there.
Seasonal (rather than monthly) roundups: The same mix of goodies that you’re used to, just at a more relaxed cadence. Stay tuned for the Winter round-up, which will come to you towards the end of March.
Sunday Assemblage: Starting in March, we’ll have a virtual gathering on the last Sunday of the month for anyone who wants to join. I’ll start each month with a writing prompt or reflection, and then we’ll come together at Sunday Assemblage for a very chill open-mic style hang, for anyone who’d like to share and hang out together for a minute. Our first Sunday Assemblage will be on March 30 – mark your calendars (more info to come soon)!
Occasional podcast-style offerings: I’m not totally sure about this yet but I must admit that I really enjoyed doing the Connected Conversations podcast, as linked above. Several people have told me subsequently that I should consider doing (meaning hosting) a podcast of sorts. I don’t have the space for something quite that ambitious at this stage but thought it would be fun to chop it up from time to time with some of the many interesting persons in my assemblage, no pun intended. Substack offers great podcasting and video capability, so I look forward to exploring that.
And let me be real here…I could use your support!
It goes without saying that all of the above requires a significant amount of work. It’s a labor of love, but it’s labor all the same. So if you’re a free subscriber who finds yourself reading my work regularly (or if you’re new here and like what you’re seeing), would you consider upgrading to a paid subscription?
It’ll set you back only $5/month (or you can pay $50 upfront for an annual subscription, which saves you 10 bucks). That’s likely less than the cost of your morning coffee (or tea) but it means the world to me, helps to offset my expenses and keeps me going. I do understand though that this isn’t within reach for everyone, so if you’d rather just send me some one-time love, please feel free to buy me a coffee!
Moving forward, new (and previous) paid subscribers will receive the following perks (in addition to all of the free content):
Audio version of each week’s essay: These will likely be sent as separate posts just for paid subscribers. Great for those who would prefer to listen rather than read.
The very occasional essay reserved for paid subscribers only: These will be few and far between but are likely to be reserved for my more raw, personal, intimate writings.
Free (electronic) copy of my poetry book, to be released in the latter part of 2025
If you’re feeling extra generous, you can also opt for a Founding Member subscription ($100), which will get you all of the above PLUS a free, signed, physical copy of the poetry book as well as a personalized, handwritten note from me via snail mail (address required). And not to mention – my everlasting gratitude!
And again, if you’d like to support my work but a paid subscription isn’t possible for you right now (I totally get it), you can also opt to buy me a coffee.
It also goes a long way if you simply share Assemblage with anyone who you think might enjoy my writing or if you engage by liking, commenting or re-stacking anything that resonates with you - that all makes a big difference in increasing my reach and growth. Please also feel free to drop me a line anytime - I will most certainly answer you!
Thank you for reading and for being a part of my assemblage x
I love the new name and the evolution of you and your publication.
Scrolling through this, excited by what I've seen so far! (I should be getting ready to take mum to the doc...) I just wanted to say how much I like what I've seen...be back soon...