1. Daveed Diggs. I don’t have a ton of regrets, but I do rue the fact that I missed the chance to see Hamilton  with its original cast. Last summer my daughters and I–along with millions of others–became obsessed with the Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording, and one of the voices I love the most in those songs is that of Daveed Diggs who plays Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson–AKA  “The Fastest Rapper on Broadway.” (Check out “Guns and Ships”). But this week I got to see Diggs perform with his group Clipping. at The Crocodile here in Seattle, and I may never be the same.  Witness:

   (video courtesy of Mitch Gutierrez)    How is anyone this fast? This talented? I chewed on these questions for the entire hour Diggs held the sold-out crowd in his hands.

2. Contently. Want to make an online writing portfolio in about 10 minutes flat? Check out Contently. It’s free. It’s visually appealing. But most importantly, it’s easy.

3. 13th. Netflix asked director Ava Duvernay to create some original content on any topic she liked. Her pick: Mass incarceration. And in 13th, her 100-minute documentary named after the 13th Amendment of The Constitution, she brings together isolated pieces of our terrible penal history–the advent of private prisons, sentencing inequities (see crack vs. cocaine), three strikes—into one coherent narrative that tells a haunting tale that begins before the Emancipation Proclamation and ends (for now) with Trump egging on his supporters to violently kick a black protester out of one of his rallies. Make sure you also check out the interview Oprah Winfrey did with Duvernay, which gives an interesting peek into Duvernay’s creative process, her interviewing strategies, and the jitters she felt interviewing Angela Davis.

4. Snowshoeing! I went snowshoeing last weekend for the first time. Why did I wait so long? It was so fun and so calming. And I love a sport that is essentially free after the initial investment of the snowshoes. I borrowed a pair from my friend, but I’m definitely going to get a pair of my own.

5. The Props Person at Jane the Virgin. What a thrill it was this week to hear that Writing Is My Drink: A Writer’s Story of Finding her Voice (And a Guide to How You Can Too) had been spotted on the latest episode of Jane the Virgin. I had no idea my book was making a cameo on the show and probably never would’ve known if one of my students hadn’t emailed to tell me. Thank you!