I have friends everywhere
Months have passed without a word from me, and now here is a full on brain dump.
But first, a message from our sponsor (me š)ā¦
A Cat in Sancerre
āAn absorbing, character-driven novelā¦ heartfelt and genuine, with lyrical writing that captures the beauty of Sancerreās natural landscape.ā
āWith a textured storyline, notable characters, and magnificent epicurean delights, this well-crafted novel is a literary sojourn rich in sensory delights.ā
ā Starred Review ā Blue Ink Review
MANY thanks to everyone who has read A Cat in Sancerre and shared your love of the story with me. Iāve had so many wonderful conversations with readers and every one of them has warmed my heart.
The quotes above are from the Blue Ink Review, which reviews indie books and gave A Cat in Sancerre a starred review. A Cat in Sancerre also got an excellent review and Recommended Read from Kirkus Reviews. Woohoo!
I also want to share this lovely review from a friend. More than anything, being able to bring someone a little joy in this time of craziness makes me truly happy.
āBeautifully written, wonderfully positive, and full of memorable characters - an absolute must readā
āIn a world saturated with negativity and heavy headlines, A Cat in Sancerre arrives as a much-needed breath of fresh air. I absolutely adored this book, finding it to be a genuinely positive and uplifting story. Itās a testament to the power of simple joys and the kindness that still exists, making it a truly restorative read.
Beyond the heartwarming plot, the book shines through its incredibly vivid imagery. The authorās descriptions, particularly the scenery around Sancerre, are exceptional. I felt completely transported to the sun-drenched French countryside, able to picture the rolling vineyards, the charming village streets, and the quaint stone houses with perfect clarity. Itās writing that appeals directly to the senses.
The character development is also great. Each individual in the story, from the main protagonist to the supporting townspeople is richly drawn and deeply human. Their motivations, quirks and eventually growth are handled with such care that they feel like old friends by the final page. The relationships forged within the narrative are the true heart of the book.
For anyone seeking an antidote to cynicism ā a story that is beautifully written, wonderfully positive, and full of memorable characters - A Cat in Sancerre is an absolute must read.ā
ā Carrie Carney
More book related news:
This winter I had a couple of really fun book events including one with an Austin book club that read A Cat in Sancerre. The group meets around dinner to discuss their recent reads (my kind of book club!), and for A Cat in Sancerre they made a wonderful French dinner complete with Sancerre wines and invited me to join them. I LOVE cooking and eating with people, and that was one of the most fun nights Iāve had in a while.
Are you in a book club? I really love book clubs, and Iād be happy to give you a nice discount on a set of books for your club. Iāll even give you a free audiobook code if youād like to listen to the audiobook (see below). And, who knows, maybe I could join your book club for dinner!
A Cat in Sancerre audiobook - Yes, I also released the audiobook for A Cat in Sancerre on Audible this winter. I spent a good part of the fall working on the it with a voice actor in France, and Iām incredibly happy with how it came out. I have strong feelings about using a real person instead of an AI voice, and the voice actor I found is great ā he is so talented. The whole process of producing the audiobook was interesting and turned out to be far more work than I anticipated, but it turned out so great. Iād highly recommend it. Itās a very fun listen.
And now we return to our regularly programmed show, the ongoing chaos of our worldā¦
I never wanted to write a political blog.
When I began About Almost Anything, I made an active decision that I was not going to delve into politics. Why? Because Substack is already flooded with excellent political reporting. In fact, Substack really took off largely because of the success of Heather Cox Richardsonās amazing Letters from an American. If youāre not familiar with Heather Cox Richardson, you should be. She is a brilliant historian of American politics and now an adamant tracker of the goings on of current politics. She is one of the best people you can get information from in these crazy days.
When it comes down to it, I am very hesitant to dedicate my creative time to writing about these politics. I wanted this newsletter to follow the philosophy that drove my art for many years ālife is a canvas for art.ā
Life is a canvas for art
For me, ālife is a canvas for artā means that life itself is an act of creativity, and we should embrace it. We only have one chance, one life, and we should live it to itās fullest. Of course, the idea of living life to itās fullest is going to mean something different to everyone, and I donāt want to suggest that I know what that means for you. Your ideal life might be like a Beethovenās 9th symphony, or maybe it is more like a hand knit scarf. My life has been a bit more like a Jackson Pollock painting šš¤£.
So much of my life has been about creativity, and I am thrilled that A Cat in Sancerre has provided some meaningful escape to people. Still, with everything that is happening in the world I sometimes find it hard to write on topics that arenāt directly related to the things that seem critically important. I know it doesnāt make sense, but emotions rarely do make sense.
But hereās the thing that I remind myself of ā creativity is by its nature a rebellion against chaos. Right now our world is in a degree of chaos, and creativity is our attempt to impose a little order. We create as a way to make sense of the world or to try and make it a little better. Or maybe we create to thumb are noses to power and try to exert some little measure of independence. Our lives are one little act of creation after another, and we should celebrate that.
Now that Iāve told you about how I want to keep this Substack space mostly politics free, I do share a lot of news on Facebook. And now, since U.S. and world events are so enormous right now, Iāve decided to share just a few things that felt meaningful, pointed or just hilarious to me. I hope they will resonate with you. Next post Iāll get back to the creativity.
Worthwhile Watch #1 (Motivational):
James Talarico commencement address at Paul Quinn College
This was the one thing Iāve read/watched in the past month that has made me feel the best. James Talarico is truly amazing. His address is uplifting and inspiring. Watch this if you do nothing else.
Worthwhile read #1 (reality check):
The most powerful crime syndicate in history (Op-ed, NY Daily News)
By James Speyer, February 18, 2026
āIt is time to acknowledge what has become tragically obvious: the Trump administration is essentially acting as a massive criminal enterprise. It lies, steals, extorts and murders ā all while cloaked in the awesome authority of the state. It is on a crime spree that puts Al Capone to shame.ā
I donāt normally read the NY Daily News, but this came across my feed and it strikes me as the most honest assessment of the current administration that I have read. Extremely worthwhile reading in full.
[link here: The most powerful crime syndicate in history ]
Worthwhile Watch #2 (beyond hilarious):
Trump Rages at Pope Leo | The Daily Show
Ah hahahahaha!!! Omg - so frickinā hilarious. I laughed so hard that I felt better for hours.
Worthwhile read #2 (absolutely hilarious):
The MAGA Meltdown Is Hereāand Itās Goddamn Glorious (Are you fāng kidding me? Substack)
by Jojo from Jerz, Apr 12, 2026
āThey built the monster, fed it for years, and now itās turning around and eating every last one of them alive.āā¦
This does a way better job of capturing how I really feel about the situation than anything I could write. Totally out there, but also totally hilarious. If youāre easily offended, you may want to pass on this one. But if youāre not and you need a laugh, brew up your coffee and take a read. Thanks, Jojo! I needed that. Seriously.
[link here: The MAGA Meltdown Is Hereāand Itās Goddamn Glorious ]
Okay - thatās way more than enough for now!
Lastly I want to share this Facebook post that I wrote a couple weeks ago along with an article about the Trump administration firing the entire Advisory Board of the National Science Foundation:
I often feel as though too much of my social media has come down to sharing news that makes me angry. I think I read too much news. I am over-informed. I like to remind people to stay informed, but It gets to the point where I know it affects my well-being. It makes me angry, because I care. And this in itself is a conundrum. Many of us care about what is happening, and it is hard to care and at the same time feel as though nothing you can do will make a difference. Even when we know that every single person makes a difference, it is hard to actually feel that in your bones, because we are seeing such enormous forces changing the world around us in real time.
I donāt want to be part of the rage machine that social media creates. But I also want to speak my voice even though it so often feels like throwing a pebble at a turbulent ocean.
I know many of you feel the same way. I have so many friends from the past who I only ever see here anymore - a few other caring souls floating in the maelstrom of internet frenzy. Itās not ideal, finding connection here, but it feels like something.
A few years ago I abandoned social media for three years because of this very problem. Now that Iāve been back for a while I see the same thing arising. We care, and we sometimes care so much that it overwhelms much of the rest of our lives. Can we care too much? I think so, but I also think that boundary, the boundary between caring enough and caring too much, is unclear and always open to judgement. It is a balancing act, but unlike being on a tightrope youāre never exactly sure when youāre falling off balance.
I know that I will keep caring regardless of whether I stay on social media or retreat to become an internet hermit once again. I think a lot of us feel this way - we must care, because we know that for all the others who care, there are many out there who donāt and at this moment they hold the steering wheel. For my own infinitesimal part, I canāt stop caring, so I just go on trying to figure out the best way to care that lets me hold onto my own balance and sanity. For today that will mean going to the place that gives that back to me - Barton Springs. I hope all of you have your own places to retreat and find that moment of respite and peace.
Peace and sanity to all šš¼ā¤ļø
Nelson
PS: āI have friends everywhereā
You may be wondering about the title. Last month a friend told me I should check out the Star Wars series called āAndor.ā
Iām not what you would call a huge Star Wars fan, but I would definitely recommend Andor ā it is about the beginning of the Rebel Alliance and itās storyline speaks deeply to what the current government of the U.S. is trying to do (hint - our government is not the rebels). As the rebels are building their numbers in secret, one of their code phrases is āI have friends everywhere.ā I loved that. And actuallyā¦ I do have friends everywhere. :)