5SR - December 13, 2023

Today’s #5SmartReads contributor is Madison T. Clark! She is a full-time freelance writer, part-time college counselor, and founder of the newly launched Grief Cards, a company that makes sympathy cards that don't suck.

This Is For Katie (The Players Tribune)

Katie Meyer was an incredible athlete, a goalie for the ages with the charisma to match. One of those people you see on TV, on social media, and immediately think, "I'd love to hang out with them." Similarly, Naomi Girma is a once in a generation athletic talent, a young woman who's in the early stages of what I hope will be a long and successful professional career.

The two of them were best friends during undergrad and this read is a testament to that. Katie died by suicide in March of 2022 and this essay is Naomi's candid effort to celebrate her friend, to publicly mourn her teammate, to make sure that anyone who was watching the 2023 Women's World Cup - and anyone who watches any of Naomi's games - knows that she's not only playing for herself.

Katie was also recently honored during Stanford’s first return to the championship game since Katie passed away; proof that her legacy will continue to inspire athletes for generations to come.

Hozier, King Of Whatever You Need Him To Be (Harper’s Bazaar)

Confession time: I have a crush on Hozier. Me and approximately a bajillion other people. It's a combination of his singing and his lyrics, yes, but it's also the intensity with which he approaches public-facing conversations, no matter how silly or serious they are. It's the way he tried to do a dramatic jump during a feature song with Noah Kahan, and reminded me of a baby deer getting used to its lanky frame.

Has TikTok fueled this crush? Absolutely. And does the Irish accent bring back fond memories of pub sessions with dear friends in Belfast? Duh. But if you've been sleeping on his work or his musical explorations or the silly interviews he's done in 2023, consider this your inspiration to change that ASAP.

Louise Glück, Nobel Prize-Winning Poet, Dies At 80 (The Guardian)

Louise Glück passed away in October; I’m only just now able to really talk about it. She was a poet, one who was widely celebrated and awarded for her intense devotion to poetry and to storytelling and to speaking candidly about grief.

Her work was also my first in-class affirmation of my decision to study creative writing in undergrad, and continues to lead me back to myself each time I revisit her poems. As she wrote in The Empty Glass:

Was it the sea?
Responding, maybe, to celestial force?
To be safe, I prayed. I tried to be a better person.
If nothing else, I’ll continue trying to be a better person, and I hope we’ll all do the same. What a legacy to leave

Buy Wisely (Steph Ango)

Since entering my thirties, I've found myself returning to thoughts about my part in late stage capitalism. I know I can't change the system, can't overhaul it myself, can't create worldwide equity on my own; I also know that I can control my own actions and behaviors.

This read posed some interesting approaches to perspectives on purchasing, many of which I've found myself considering before whipping out my all-too-available credit card for an online purchase.

Why Gabby Douglas Is Going Back For Round Three At The Olympics (TIME)

I've had a love for women's gymnastics since childhood, further intensified by building a friendship with an incredible gymnast during middle school (and whom I'm still thankful to know today). So while I am a massive Gabby Douglas fan from the general sense, I'm also so excited by what this return to competition means and symbolizes: Women no longer always have to quit successful careers to be at home with biological children.

Medicine has advanced to a point where athletes are (not always, but more often) taken care of to where this level of return is possible. Black women are increasingly visible and celebrated on these international stages. All of these are still imperfect, of course, but my god the growth.

I'm so thankful to women like Douglas, like my childhood friend, for all of their hard work and record breaking and continued dedication to their passions. It inspires a type of hope that I think we could all use.

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