I wish someone had told me about The Marginalian

“I wish someone had told me” is a series of posts that feed into our inquisitive nature at CN&CO. Each week we hear from someone in our network about something interesting or surprising that’s recently happened or occurred to them – or lessons they learnt. These blogs are a way to pay it forward and form part of CN&CO’s belief that the world can be a better place – and we all have a responsibility to make it so. This post is by Carel.

Despite finding it difficult to pronounce, I love The Marginalian – a newsletter I subscribe to having been put on to it by my friend Anna Starcke. It is “soul-lifting” and always makes me think.

The curation of diverse writers, artists and musicians is often magical. And oh so very, very clever.

Like “Turning Loss and Loneliness into Wonder: How the Victorian Visionary Marianne North Revolutionized Art and Science with Her Botanical Paintings. A vibrant foray into ‘a perfect world of wonders’ fuelled by the bittersweet dimension of life.”

Or “May Sarton on How to Live with Tenderness in a Harsh World – We have to keep the channels in ourselves open to pain. At the same time it is essential that true joys be experienced, that the sunrise not leave us unmoved, for civilization depends on the true joys.”

If I miss any of the newsletters, one of my greatest joys is to use the “surprise me” search function – and invariably the universe offers up exactly what I need at that precise moment. Try it – you won’t be disappointed.

PS – As per Wikipedia, “Marginalia are marks made in the margins of a book or other document. They may be scribbles, comments, glosses, critiques, doodles, drolleries, or illuminations.”

PPS – I should have just asked Colin 🙂