The Waterbeds of Ohio

Two poets and a comedian in America's 15th most populous city. Plus recs for Zach Sherwin's crossword, Josh Gondelman's new special, and Isabel Castro's op-ed.

I spent most of this past week in Columbus, Ohio with the poets Sarah Kay and Hanif Abdurraqib filming a little video / documentary that will be out in September. I don’t fully understand how I ended up in a place where my job involves exploring a Midwestern city with poets, but I love that that’s where I am.

As you might imagine, exploring a place with two poets leads to all sorts of beautiful observations, whether it’s about the shape of the clouds or the power of public libraries. As you also might imagine, traveling with me involves me insisting that we understand the full inventory of a store called “Waterbeds ‘n’ Stuff.”

I feel like they must be really banking on the “stuff” part to pay their bills because I have not encountered a single person who owns a waterbed in years.

Actually, though, I said that out loud and one of the members of our film crew revealed that he had slept on a waterbed throughout high school. So, you never know, there are people among us who truly do use waterbeds and stuff!

I will have a lot more to say about Columbus and the community there and how great it is when the video comes out, but for now, I just wanted to make sure I created an opportunity for more people to share their personal experiences with waterbeds and/or stuff.

The comments below are open to all (or you can reply directly to this email if your waterbed/stuff anecdote requires discretion).

My projects and upcoming events:

PODCAST: How to Be a Better Human (TED/PRX) - One of my favorite books ever written about creativity is Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist. It was a true pleasure to have him on the podcast and get to talk about his work and his process. Listen to our conversation here (or wherever you get podcasts).

VIDEO: How to Be a Better Human (TED/PRX) - Here’s the video of my interview with Debbie Millman, author, artist, and host of the long running show Design Matters. How to Design a Creative Life (w/ Debbie Millman)

This week’s list

GREAT:

Zach Sherwin hosts a brilliant comedy show called The Crossword Show. He has panelists solve a puzzle he’s constructed and each clue corresponds with a hilarious digression. There is nothing else on stage or screen like it. In many ways, it’s impossible to describe what seeing a Zach Sherwin live show is like, you just have to experience it. But now you can also experience one of his crosswords in The New York Times! He made his crossword debut and it’s a fun one. Especially fun, once you’ve solved it, is reading this NYT behind the scenes article about the construction. Warning: the discussion gives away the answers so only read it after you’re done!

FUNNY:

Josh Gondelman is another hilarious comedian who also happens to be a mensch. I can vouch for this firsthand. He’s very funny and he’s very nice! I love to hang out with him and I love to watch him perform. And guess what? His new special just came out this weekend so now you can watch him tell jokes from the comfort of your own home. How nice! How funny! How delightful! How Gondelman-like! Josh Gondelman - Positive Reinforcement

INTERESTING:

I admire Isabel Castro. She makes beautiful documentaries that keep you on the edge of your seat but also have a deep empathy. Whether it’s about someone famous like Selena or a family trying to navigate the broken U.S. immigration system, she always finds the nuance and humanity. This op-ed she wrote, accompanied by her photos and videos, is a must-read account of the current situation here in Los Angeles. How the ICE Raids Are Warping Los Angeles

BONUS FOR PAYING SUBSCRIBERS:

Paying subscribers make Bright Spots possible! This newsletter will always be available for anyone to read for free, but paying subscribers let me make that happen! They also get access to special features as well the entire archive of past posts. Paying subscribers also get my undying gratitude (which never dies). It’s never too late to join them!

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading! Please share Bright Spots with anyone you think might enjoy it.

Sleeping on a regular mattress and things,

Chris Duffy

This has been Bright Spots, a newsletter.

---

…wait, who are you?

I'm Chris Duffy, a comedian, TV writer, podcast host, and both a former fifth grade teacher and a former fifth grade student. I’m currently writing a nonfiction book about humor for Doubleday.