Hopes for the New Year

 Happy New Year, everyone!

Nearly two weeks into 2026, and I just learn that Wendell Berry has a new novel out - since October! Joy! How was this not on the top of my Christmas list? How did I miss this?  It's backordered now, but I've reserved a copy. 

Let me tell you, I have been disconnected from news that matters to me for some time. Unfortunately, I hear too much disturbing news on the national and local front, but I haven't kept up with news in arts and culture, or rather, that small niche of arts and culture that appeals to me. 

One of my new year's resolutions is to seek more reliable sources of information for my news of the world and the good, creative people in it - and to avoid social media and its commentators. Although there are real reasons for outrage over the travesty that is American politics, engaging - or even just observing - the outrage on social media is unhealthy, even if outrage is the appropriate response. Of course, social media is a big part of the problem. Although I signed up as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, it has now become a morass of clickbait and advertising, both of which are often false or misleading. 

Additionally, random scrolling has lessened my reading - not just my reading time, but my attention span. I'm just like a teenager! (Other than my gray hair, wrinkles, and saggy body . . .)

Woe! I am often a hypocrite! I tell my students to read real news, but I myself have fallen out of the practice since we moved.  Sadly, this is largely because I let my subscription to the WSJ lapse.  My kids tired of me telling them about something I read in the WSJ.   I don't know if the WSJ would have highlighted a new Wendell Berry book, although they should have. 

What I really miss is going to the library and seeing what's on the "What's New" shelf and picking up the new book review magazines to browse.  So perhaps another resolution - more trips to the library - or at least read more real books.

The library is not far from our house - less than 10 minutes. But my first two visits were not especially pleasant. The layout is rather broken up and not welcoming - the stairs are hidden, the reading rooms are all tucked away in corners, the division of genres is not intuitive - meaning I don't know where the books I typically like (fiction, theology, children's lit, lit crit, books of interest) are.  Also, there are a lot of people who haven't bathed recently using the reading chairs as nap spots. I didn't feel like I could let my 11 year old out of my sight. 

I haven't been back since late summer. Thus, I haven't been keeping up on what's new, although much of it is dregs.

However, thanks to blogs, I now know there is a new Catlett family novel out. I used my Bookshop credit to purchase it, because Wendell Berry would appreciate avoiding Amazon, and avoiding Amazon is another resolution.  This helps with my bigger goal of shopping less in general. We still need some things for the house - the basement and the sunroom remain sparsely furnished, but after Christmas, I need a break from shopping. I finally made all of my returns - almost every time buying something new, unfortunately. The cure is to not go into the shops at all. 

In addition to resolutions to shop less and to read real books and real news more, I'm of course telling myself to eat less, exercise more, worry less, sleep more, write more, pray more, and connect with family and friends more. 

I just need more hours in the day and more will power! Or more grace...

I know I make the same resolutions every year, and I know that I rarely keep them - or I wouldn't have to recommit. I don't even need to look back at last year's resolutions, as I used to sometimes do, because they are always about the same. Nonetheless, I will continue to appreciate the habit of using this time of year to do an examination of conscience for the year - which reminds me that I also need to get to confession. I meant to go the other day, but the line was too long! This was an issue in Texas, too. A good thing for the church, a bad thing for my soul.

So here's to starting over and trying again to be the person we are called to be! And oh, happy failures that remind us of our need to be redeemed! And to the hope that springs anew even in the bleak midwinter that by grace we will someday have that glory.