I'm Taking July Off from Substack. Before I Go...
Jewish Learning Circles postponed; THREE SPOTS for Taste of 11s; register for Ebb & Flow: A School Year of Writing Practice. Plus: Summer bouquets, an advice column, snail mail & a cute pic of us š
Hello, on this last day of June!
Thereās a farmhouse on my way to my favorite swimming hole. Every summer, I admire the wooden table the owners set out in front of a beautiful oak tree, adorned with a row of bouquets bursting with freshly cut zinnias and daisies. The bouquets cost $5 each, honor system; mason jar vases not included. Yesterday, I was on my way from the reservoir to have dinner with my parents and my oldest sister and stopped to pick up two bouquets. I only had a $20, so I knocked on the farmhouse door and waited a moment. A kind-faced older woman opened it; I explained that I wanted to take two bouquets but didnāt have change. She told me to wait; sheād be right back. A moment later, she and her husband both came outside. He opened a lockbox and handed me two $5 bills while she told me next time, just take the flowers and leave the money another day. Her name was Nancy, a beloved late auntās name, my momās sister. She pointed out that sheād added basil to this arrangement, then instructed me to take an extra one, seeming delighted as I made my selection. She wrapped stems in rubber bands, then gently gathered them all into a piece of newspaper. Her husband nodded and told me to use their circular drive to turn around. I drove off, flowers on the passenger seat, car aromatic with basil, windows down, hair still dripping, happy.
These fleeting summer pleasures are just that āĀ fleeting. Thatās why I decided to give myself a month away from writing to publish.
The month will fill up all by itself, as time does even when you carve out some intentional space. Iām very grateful for my continued work in the world, including two wonderful clients, one who is writing her first collection of poems, the other who has completed a first draft of a memoir. Iāll be leading Shabbat services and Torah study in Worcester again, and will get a brief daughter sighting in between her comings and goings.
Without further ado, a few updates before signing off here until August.
A TASTE OF 11s āĀ 3 spots left!
Write 11 things before each session
Read your words in the company of kind and generous humans
Learn by listening, sharing, and receiving encouragement
Be amazed at the power of such a simple-seeming writing practice and structure!
Register for just the group, or add on a coaching session to connect privately about your writing ideas, hopes, fears, dreams, and neuroses (ha!).
š š š
THREE SPOTS remain.
Does one of them have your name on it?
www.jenaschwartz.com/taste-of-11s
IYUN JEWISH LEARNING CIRCLES:
POSTPONED. FALL DATES TBA.
I will be offering two six-week cohorts after the High Holidays.
New dates and times will be up in August for:
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SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR REAL LIFE
and
BETWEEN SELF AND OTHERS
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Please use the button below if youād like me to notify you!
EBB & FLOW:
A SCHOOL YEAR OF WRITING PRACTICE
Tuesdays, 11:15am-1:00pm EST
September 8, 2026-June 8, 2027
Magical things emerge when we make time to write. Even more magical things happen when we get to share the benefits of our process in good company. Joining a small, supportive creative cohort fosters more flow, contributes to a sense of belonging, and leads to deeper self-compassion.
Read all about it and secure your spot today!
š SPACE IS LIMITED š
www.jenaschwartz.com/ebb-and-flow
Can a person be a writer without participating on the Internet?
Read my advice. (Spoiler alert: The answer is yes.)
Two and a half years ago, I received an incredible 50th-birthday present from my family: A gift certificate for a weekend of Retreat & Renewal at the Kripalu Yoga Center, just an hour west of us in the Berkshires. Today, I realized that I can apply this towards day passes! So M.J. & I are super excited to go together for a day of yoga, nourishing meals, and quiet. I am especially excited to swim, paddleboard, and walk the labyrinth.
I welcome snail mail. Send me a postcard, a letter, a poem, a collage. I promise to respond!
Jena Schwartz
P.O. Box 60251
Longmeadow, MA 01116
See you back here in August, dear reader. Thank you for being part of my world, part of the world.
Love,
Jena
p.s. Looking for writing prompts? I published a whole book of those for you!
FIERCE ENCOURAGEMENT: 201 WRITING PROMPTS FOR STAYING GROUNDED IN FRAGILE TIMES on BookBaby, Amazon, or request to order from your favorite library or indie bookseller.
