Here’s What’s Making Us Happy This Week.

The taxable of nan week is tiny beauty. The unit is successful nan details, arsenic they say. So we astatine Lit Hub are looking person and looking around.

Drew Broussard recommends Colin Dickey’s “Glacial Errata,” a newsletter dedicated to “oddities” successful 1 way, shape, aliases form. Each week, Dickey picks 5 things that look elemental astatine first glance, but connected investigation output awesome returns.

In Drew’s words, “there’s thing very old-internet” astir this newsletter. “[It’s] weird, fun, short, charming, and champion of each interesting.” Recent finds see aged taxidermy manuals, nan history of German “notgeld” (or, emergency money), and nan Mandela Effect.

Molly Odintz enjoyed nan stained solid ceiling connected nan Lazarus Brewery in Austin. Which I deliberation speaks for itself.

The stained solid ceiling covering nan Lazarus Brewery’s patio.

James Folta is simply a instrumentality of cryptic crosswords. This week, he’s been digging Minute Cryptic’s regular clues, which make for mini one-stop puzzles that really tickle your brain. “This site’s besides a awesome measurement to study astir cryptics,” says James, “and I’m ever trying to person much folks to nan team.”

My bully point of nan week is astatine erstwhile an identity, a lifestyle, and a surreal privilege. I telephone it: Being An Aunt. I spent immoderate clip moving aft my (very fast!) eighteen period aged nephew this week, and aft experiencing nan dopamine unreserved that ever attends watching a mini small personification observe nan borders of their body, I sewage to reasoning astir nan aunt’s unsocial position successful life and culture.

Other than my ain actual aunts, my individual Apex Aunt (#AuntGoals?) is astir apt Rosalind Russell’s Auntie Mame, a melodramatic dilettante inspired by Patrick Dennis’ comic heroine, Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade. I’ve Roz’s aunt-spiration to convey for this perpetually updating wishlist of fancy turbans, anyway.

For akin manner and existent property reasons, I look to Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances successful Griffin Dunne’s Practical Magic. What each 3 women person successful communal is simply a flair for making nan mundane miraculous. They promote self-indulgence and nurture heedless joyousness successful their young ward(s). Eat candy for breakfast, says nan Apex Aunt. Or, Sure! Follow that grocer to nan farmer’s market! You’ve sewage 1 life, kid. And your mom’s not here, so!

This is simply a mandate—no, a way of life—that I’m really uncovering meaning in.

If you are successful New York and besides looking to pat into aliases see afresh your auntly calling, I tin urge a happily insane caller play to get you done next week. A(U)NTS! by Zoe Geltman is moving astatine The Brick Theatre successful Brooklyn done nan extremity of May. It’s astir 3 aunts who activity astatine a dentist’s office. And, respective literal ants.

Wishing you a play of unexpected oddities, encephalon candy, and prestigious headware.