The Good Light

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth — written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

Hey all,

The new Andrea Gibson doc is streaming on Apple TV, as you’ve maybe heard. Do yourselves all a favor and actually watch it:

Then listen to this beautiful conversation with their wife, Meg Falley:

One thing Meg says regarding Andrea watching the doc itself before their death is:

“I really think that will help people.”

I do think this is correct.

I also adored this Why Won’t You Date Me with Tig Notaro (Andrea’s friend and a co-producer on the doc, who’s also briefly in it) …

Long ago, a year after her infamous year, I wrote this profile of Tig for BuzzFeed …

(If you want instead, here’s a PDF version on my site, which still has our great photos.)

I’ve said but I’ve really appreciated listening to Tig’s podcast Handsome this year especially, as the hosts have tackled some heavier stuff …

Here again was my reflection after Andrea Gibson’s death, this summer:

I was very sad to learn yesterday morning of the passing of another very inspiring genius: Alice Wong.

Like many, I’m sighing extra heavily noticing this was her last Bluesky post …

I was merely a parasocial type admirer of Alice Wong’s. Those who knew her better are sharing various powerful memorials of her online …

I did per this lovely suggestion donate monthly to the above — if any others want to join me in doing so (in Alice’s honor).

If you’re not familiar with Alice Wong’s work already, I encourage you to learn more. Read anything she wrote, truly, listen to any podcast she did, including her own from back when … Start anywhere, go from there. To add to the chorus of others saying versions of this: Alice Wong was an all-time great.

I sense I’ll write more later but in brief: I especially appreciated following her on social media back when AKOMP was first publishing and I felt immensely intimidated as an author with a book out in the (psychiatric) disability space. The wisdom Alice Wong shared, it was a light for me, as it has been for many others. As it will continue to be. I’m forever grateful.

It’s been a heavy few days, in some senses. What’s Helping Today: Those few especially bright lights, like Alice Wong and like Andrea Gibson, who show us how to approach this project called life itself with such bravery and determination and grace.

Can’t say it better than Alice: Don’t let the bastards grind you down.

Last evening, as a group of trans and queer locals gathered here at my home, a totally random and unseasonably late thunderstorm passed through, including a few bright flashes of lightning. (If you’ve watched the doc above and listened to the WCDHT episode with Meg … you’ll get why this was pretty fucking awesome.)

⚡️,
Sandy

p.s. What’s Helping Today: Like many, I am infatuated with this new Rosalía album … Here was fun analysis:

p.p.s. After long consideration, I’m finally offering individual manuscript consultations for fellow nonfiction writers. Learn more about working with me here:

p.p.p.s. This is in addition to the revision-focused master class I’m teaching next March …

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