⧉ Reclaimed
Welcome to the fourteenth issue of OVERLAP ⧉

Reclaimed
Nature comes for everything, eventually.
In the city, it’s a vine creeping up the side of a brick building. A spiderweb stretching between wrought iron railings. A swarm of unusually large dragonflies, swooping and swerving outside your penthouse window at dusk.
In the hills of rural Pennsylvania, it takes a different form: bigger and wilder, omnipresent yet almost invisible.
It’s underground — the woodchuck digging in the flower beds and the skunk burrowing in the hayfield. It’s in the air — barn swallows gliding low over the meadow and herons flying back and forth between the trees and the river. It’s in the corner of your eye — a fawn bolting across the road and a fox trotting along the edge of the woods.
It’s above your head, waiting for you to look up — the bright swath of the Milky Way and the piercing gaze of Jupiter, hovering over the treetops. It catches your breath for a second; it makes you feel small and full at the same time.
It’s the old bathtub by the woodpile, covered with moss. It’s grandpa’s old farm equipment, rusting on the front lawn. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
It’s subtle, slow, and quiet. It’s wondering why, exactly, you’re walking so fast. Why, exactly, you’re rushing to catch the express train. Nature is in no great hurry, but it caught up to you anyway.
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I took a break from writing this newsletter when I was on vacation. (Only a few people noticed.) While I was away, I photographed my childhood home and family farm with my vintage camera. This issue includes a few selections; I’ll be sharing more on Instagram during Roll Film Week, July 22-26. If you’re film photographer (or film-curious), please join us.
I’d love to hear what you think — reply to this email or send a note through my website. You can also forward this to a friend or two and invite them to subscribe. If you missed a previous issue, all the archives are online.
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Auntie Jess recommends:
Email newsletters. If you responded to my request for newsletter recommendations last month, thank you. Here’s the crowdsourced list of 200+ email newsletters, organized by topic.
The Pieces I Am. Rachel and I saw a Well Read Black Girl screening of this Toni Morrison documentary a couple weeks ago. Run, don’t walk, to a showing near you.
Working with people who want to see you succeed. I’m proud to be part of a diverse team of smart, caring people. My company announced promotions and new hires this week; I’m hoping I can live up to my new title.
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Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear from you — hit reply to share your favorite summer constellations, wildlife sightings, or anything else that’s on your mind.
Until next time,
Jessica
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