Tag Archives: email

Emails I Always Open

poetry, reading, , ,

Email IconMy inbox has gotten quite cluttered with messages from various organizations and companies who seem to take the more is better approach. So, in the interest of my own less is better approach for 2020, I have been busy unsubscribing.

I find it annoying, in this digital age, that I have to wait ten days for some of them to process. After all, they were able to sign me up without a waiting period. I understand that they schedule emails ahead, but there should be some process for removing emails globally at the moment the request is made.

There are three emails, however, that I usually open right away:

  1. Austin Kleon’s weekly email covers books, music, poetry, and creativity. Browse the archives and then subscribe. 
  2. Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings newsletter brings her incredible writing to my inbox. Her best of 2019 offers seemingly a lifetime of reading as she weaves her observations around the words and ideas of so many others. And, in the interest of transparency, I am a sustaining supporter.
  3. Poem-A-Day from the Academy of American Poets features contemporary and classic poets.

I would love to hear what others feel is important enough to actually receive as an email?

Update: I went back to cleaning out email and there was Lady Carnarvon’s blog post reminder. She is the current mistress of Highclere Castle, otherwise known as Downton Abbey. It is a fun glimpse into a different world.

When Email is Your Friend

reading, thinking out loud, Uncategorized

I wrote earlier this year about letting email drift a bit as it could be a productivity killer. But, this morning, as I looked through my email inbox, I realized it could also be my friend. Late last year, I spent time culling: unsubscribing from some old lists and vendor emails. What is left are a handful of informative and interesting subscriptions with links to news and commentary both in the field of education and technology as well as the wider world. I found myself spending time in my inbox exploring rather than replying, and it was a reminder that, managed well, email can be your friend.

One newsletter I particularly enjoy is How We Get to Next with Steven Johnson. The writing is fresh; the topics are fascinating. This month, their guest curator is Florence Okoye, founder of AfroFutures_UK, a British-based collective that focuses on how Afrofuturism envisions the future. I wasn’t familiar with the term and am eager to explore Okoye’s reading list.

I understand that I could access these materials without email by using my Feedly account, but by getting the newsletter, I am reminded to do so. I use Feedly for everything; I use email for the really important stuff.