Here’s my August 19 newsletter. To receive my latest articles, favorite religion reads and other updates in your inbox each Saturday, sign-up here. 

August feels like it’s flying by, which is awesome (I have a visit home and an excellent professional conference coming up) and horrifying (I have a visit home and an excellent professional conference coming up and several projects to finish before I go.) I’m struggling to make the most of every work day as I stare nervously at the clock.

As deadline anxieties threaten to overwhelm me, I try to break my schedule into helpful chunks. One hour for drafting, 30 minutes for an interview, 10 minutes to eat a bowl of cereal from the work pantry.

I find that my best articles come from many hours of research and a much smaller amount of time spent on writing. When I agonize over every sentence, I end up with a final project that’s formal and awkward, rather than a strong, concise overview of something that matters.

Wish me luck with my speed writing! And happy eclipse weekend!

FRESH OFF THE PRESS FROM ME

Faith leaders call for peace in the aftermath of Charlottesville protesting

TOP RELIGION READS

How church leaders in Charlottesville prepared for white supremacists, The New Yorker

The Smithsonian gets religion, Tablet

Between swimming and s’mores, young Muslim campers learn to cope with rising hate, NPR

Expect the apocalypse? Shower in your clothes? Real religious traditions for the solar eclipse, The Washington Post

JUST FOR FUN

Here’s a random tweet that made me smile. Through further research, I deduced that this astronaut has given talks on faith and science before, making him the perfect fit for my newsletter.