Anything Is Possible (especially in a gold power suit)

The Body, Brain, and Books: Eleven Questions with writer Elle Griffin

Welcome to another edition of The Body, Brain, & Books. If you enjoy reading these quick, insightful interviews brimming with wisdom and hope, please subscribe to Beyond!

Elle Griffin

writes The Elysian, a newsletter thinking through a better capitalism, democracy, and humanity, and utopian fiction bringing it to life. 

1. What are you reading now?

• Tower of Dawn, the sixth book of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas

• The Idea of a European Superstate by Glyn Morgan

• The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen (for the second time)

2. What are your most beloved books from your youth? Did you ever hide any from your parents?

I remember The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle being one of my favorite books as a child. I also read a lot of The Boxcar Children and The Babysitters Club. This was before YA got really good (or maybe before I knew the category existed?) Nothing racy enough to hide!

3. What’s your favorite book to reread? 

I rarely reread books. Though I do read all of my books on my Kindle app and I excessively highlight them so I can refer back to important points later. I also take notes on those highlights and save them to my Notes app with tags for various subjects (like #capitalism or #democracy). I may not reread books, but I refer back to my notes on them quite frequently.

4. What’s an article of clothing that makes you feel most like you?

I love fashion, I was even a fashion merchandising major in school! So perhaps it's no surprise that I have a gold power suit—it’s a crop top with a blazer and pants—that I'm absolutely obsessed with. It comes out for every single fancy occasion and makes me feel like anything's possible.

5. What’s the best piece of wisdom you've encountered recently?

"There's only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing." -Aristotle

I've never struggled with my confidence until I decided to write my newsletter for a living, then I started second-guessing everything I wrote, wondering if it was good enough. That's when this quote popped up on my phone and reminded me that I'd much rather do something, say something, and be something!! That's the point (and power!) of being a writer!

6. Tell me about any special relationship you’ve had with an animal, domestic or wild?

I can't say that I've ever had a special relationship with an animal?

7. What's one thing you are happy worked out differently than you expected?

I was hired to launch a Substack publication, then the publication was closed and I was laid off three months later. That was the moment I decided to write for myself. I would never have gone full-time with my newsletter if it weren't for that moment, and I'm so grateful it happened early on so I didn't spend years writing for someone else, when I could have been writing for myself!

8. Singing in the shower or dancing in the kitchen? Or another favorite way your body expresses itself?

Definitely both! I take singing lessons and love to spend my spare time singing and dancing!

9. What are your hopes for yourself?

I hope that I can spend my days in research and contemplation. I hope that I can better my craft as a writer and artist. I hope that my ideas reach people in positions of leadership who can use them. I hope that my work inspires the next generation to be dreamers instead of doomers.

10. What’s a kindness that changed your life?

A Catholic nun once taught me my Buddhist mantra and it has stayed with me to this day.

11. What’s a guiding force in your life?

Beauty.

Meet me in the comment section

Do you love fashion? If so, what’s your gold power suit? Do you hope to inspire others? Do you highlight favorite passages in books and then refer back to the notes?

Tell me in the comments!