Lou Barrett - Writer

My childhood friend came to visit last week and we saw Damien Rice on Friday.

It was surreal sitting next to each other in that theater to see an artist we’d scream to in my mom’s PT Cruiser when we were 15, what feels like a lifetime ago.

She’s a mom to two beautiful girls who’s she’s fought like hell to protect and help them thrive, and I couldn’t be more proud of the mother and woman she’s become.

In our 17 years of friendship, we’ve been through so many breakups, hairstyles, apartments, states, etc.

And I feel like I can speak for both of us when I say that we are in the best place in our lives. We both sobbed like good Cancer moons during this full circle moment, and I felt like the last 17 years flashed before my eyes.

This year has been a rough one, and the 48 hours with Natalie was such a beautiful way to start bringing a close to this year.

Started on a low, but we’re ending in a high baby!

LOCATION CHANGE FOR NOVEMBER’S WRITERS GOTTA WRITE

We’ll now be doing Eli Tea Bar on November 18th and the Lonesome Rose on Clark after.

Pasting the text from my other post and deleting that one so no one gets confused about where or when we’re meeting in September haha:

Are you a writer like myself who barely ever writes cuz you have a job or a job and a publishing company and feelings so where is the time?

Me too! In an attempt to both write more and build more community in Chicago, I’m starting these informal writing meetups.

Might host some at my place for a cozy vibe at some point, but for now, we’re doing coffee shops and cafes! Open to location suggestions for future ones.

Always followed by dinner so that we can talk each other’s ears off after sitting silently next to each other for hours clacking away.

Why Saturdays, you might ask? I don’t drink and don’t go out! Plus I got a day job. This is when I have the energy and time to write, and I imagine other 9-5er creatives like me would like something to do on a Saturday night that isn’t alcohol centered.

Bring your laptop, bring your notebook, bring your ideas! See you in November👩🏻‍💻