1. Red Letter Days
“A day that is pleasantly noteworthy or memorable.”
Welcome to my newsletter! Quick note: I have no idea what I am doing. If you’re reading this, it’s most likely because I subscribed you to this Substack against your will. Sorry. The “Unsubscribe” button is at the bottom of the page.
Thoughts on Titles / Naming Conventions:
I don’t enjoy coming up with titles. I can’t imagine the backbreaking work of having to name a child. What if you name your child “River” and they grow up to be a “Stream” instead!? Stressful! I’ve been thinking of creating this newsletter for some time but I couldn’t imagine what it would be called. So, I sat at my dining room table and got to brainstorming. I lit a new candle to mark the momentous occasion. The kind of candle you get at a local market and spend way too much money on. I won’t share the 100+ notes I jotted down before reaching the one I realized made perfect sense: Red Letter Days.
My junior year of college I took a scene study class. Professor Magruder taught us the repetitive technique of looking into your partners eyes and repeating the same phrase over and over again. Through this, we learned how to respond to different behaviors or circumstances, in different moments, all with complete truth. This is known as Meisner Technique.
“Your hair is brown.”
“Your hair is brown.”
“Your hair is brown.”
“Your hair is brown.”
You get the picture.
At some point in the semester, Magruder also mentioned the phrase Red Letter Days. “Theatre isn’t about the mundane” he said. We don’t go to the theatre to watch characters wash the dishes, go to work, and then watch an episode of Survivor before bed. No, plays are about the days in which life is upended. Your partner leaves you! You’re fired from your job! An angel crashes through your bedroom ceiling announcing the end of times!
For me, every day is a red letter day. Sure some days hold more weight than others. But I wake up each morning, grateful for “one more go at the wonderful, mysterious jack in the box of a brand new day.” Who knows what’s going to happen?
So, welcome to Red Letter Days. You’re signed up for an inconsistent newsletter featuring things that happen in my life and thoughts that stay in my head.
Other Things / Reads:
I finished listening to the audiobook of These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett. As my Goodreads review states, “Simply put, I did not want it to end.”
Although it was a busy week at work I managed to finish The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. The book was recently Longlisted for the Booker Prize. Deserves all the praise. Hilarious, heart-felt, tragicomic of a family that does not know how to communicate. I blew through the 643 pages in one week.
Shoutout to my dear friend Caroline Campbell for the encouragement to start this letter. I miss our days drinking wine and writing reviews to Ariana Grande albums. Check out her newsletter, Middle Part!
That’s all I’ve got. Thanks for reading — see you next week (maybe)!
—Mario
P.S.
Dinner with Will at 312 Sushi in Chinatown. Incredible. Featured sushi (from left to right): Kama toro, Chu toro, Hamachi, Kin Madai. Half-finished Sweet Potato Tempura Roll in background.
An incredible bottle of white wine. Mineral-forward. Light + bright. Pairs well with fish.
My view reading on a bench at Montrose Bird Sanctuary. Lovely and peaceful.
Viral meme this week. Very relatable.