Since 2017, I have written a popular lifestyle column called Living Madly. The column appeared in every issue of Merrimack Valley Magazine from January 2017 until December 2021, when the magazine ceased publication. Beginning in January 2022, Living Madly has been published on the third Thursday of each month in the online magazine RichardHowe.com.
The column’s name was inspired by a line in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road:
. . .the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars. . .
Some of my recent favorite Living Madly columns include those about the winter solstice; one of my favorite local hiking spots; the reasons why handwritten letters are still relevant; the Portuguese concept of Saudade; interesting words; the 1990s television show Northern Exposure; the two-faced Roman god, Janus; and the cultural significance of traditional women’s work, such as sewing and embroidery.
I enjoy writing essays, so the column is usually fun to write. Judging by the emails I receive, I think that readers enjoy it too.
ENP
Emilie-Noelle Provost 