uncapped: the shadow of a llama on a cardigan
i figured out how to do a newsletter, probably.
i. uncapped
when i was a teenager on forums and aol instant messenger, i had the habit of writing in all caps. THAT MEANS YOU’RE SHOUTING, they’d say, but i enjoyed the kind of deadened, bluntness of having full discussions in block.
on twitter and other socials, i came around to the other side: a chillposting absence of caps.
in general, both methods led to more words on the digital page. in fact, i nearly always sit down to write my edited, properly capitalized pieces on a laptop.
so the other day, i went into my phone settings and did something i should’ve done long ago: i turned off autocapitalization and started writing the newsletter without caps in my notes app.
rather than having to hem and haw and say oh, this is lightly edited, that’s the newsletter format. it’s just uncapped. thank you for letting me figure this out. it’s like every time i write, i have to invent the process from scratch. thankfully, i can now announce:
THE FIRST OF A THREE PART SERIES ON KHADI WILL DROP ON JANUARY 8TH
paid subscriptions made that piece possible. like all my other pieces, it’s late but hopefully good.
i’m looking to gain another 25 paid subscribers so i can work on my next reported piece without worry.
ii. nightcap — the ebay chronicles
in 2018, i was invited by oberlin college’s muslim students association and between jumah and my talk, i wandered into a vintage store on campus where i found a thick, chunky wool cardigan made in ecuador. i balked at the price ($40) but it had three things in it’s favor: 1.) it hit perfectly at the hip, 2.) loose for comfort while not being sloppy, 3.) unique pattern that still was easy to style
i have no idea how old it is. it had fraying on the cuff and some tiny holes by the time i got it, yet it’s stayed distinctly wearable. if anything, it adds to it’s slouchy comfort. the dude abides and all.
you can’t feel it’s comfort over the internet. so three more things worth noting: the long hairy white strands of wool dotting the surface, the rich, chestnut-colored buttons, and the unusual implementation of handwarmer pockets
on one of my nightly jaunts into the depths of ebay, i recognized a distinctive face and name on a very unusual looking cardigan
