Otters and other beautiful things
ft.Gemma Higgins
Gemma Higgins is the kind of person who’ll send people otters in the post to express her love.
“There’s something about otters. I love the way they hold hands when they’re sleeping so they don’t fall apart. So when I send someone an otter in the post, it’s my way of saying I’ve got your hand and I’m here for you,” she says.
She’s also the kind of person who’ll make you laugh your guts out because of her quick wit.
And her newsletter—Rosé Hand Files—offers the best of both worlds. Since Gemma loved to write satire, this was her excuse to answer ridiculous questions over a glass of wine. At the same time, she also wanted her readers to feel connected and hold on to the words she brewed over a different rosé each week.
Here’s what she says about her newsletter:
Think of it as a ‘pants left in wash’-coloured ode to Nick‘s Red. Just without the profundity or eloquence. Your deepest (or shallowest) life questions answered. Poorly. Most likely after a glass or two of Côtes de Provence. The RoséHandFiles: yet another newsletter you didn’t ask for.
In a nutshell, the modern-day agony aunt.
But what began as a silly and satirical newsletter soon saw readers come in with questions so deep that Gemma needed to sit with these questions for days—and sometimes weeks—together before she attempted to answer them. And it was no easy task.
‘Dear RHF,’ begins every question in this newsletter.
And Gemma will not have the slightest idea what kind of question it’ll turn out to be. Some days, it’s as simple as asking her to pick between the Country and the Western. While other days, the questions reflect the pain someone is experiencing.
“Sometimes, people don’t want to hear a solution. They just want to be heard,” she said.
This conversation is raw, personal, and all sorts of beautiful <3
I did not ask her about experiments she runs with her newsletter or even the beloved ‘what do you consider a newsletter sin?’.
Because when she began answering how the newsletter changed her life, I knew that’d give me everything I needed to know.
Hit the play button below to tune in to episode #12 on The Newsletter Nerd Show.
Check it out on Apple Podcasts here.
Reading Room is the part of the show where the guest chooses to read out one of their newsletter editions.
And this—like the questions Gemma receives—can surprise you, because you never know what it’ll leave you with - a smile, tears, or goose pimples. When Gemma read out what she calls ‘What is Love?’, it left me with all these three things.
“Oh. This is actually nice to read out loud” she exclaimed after she finished reading. You’ve got to hear it yourself to see why.
Time Stamp: Head to 39:08 on the podcast to check out the reading
In this final segment of the show, I asked Gemma four questions that she answered with a Yes or No. If she said yes, the llama accompanying each question in the graphic below will turn green. And if she said no, well, it turns red.
Off you go then.
Time Stamp: Head to 50:00 on the podcast to enjoy the complete experience 🥁
With that, we’ve wrapped up today’s episode on The Newsletter Nerd Show.
Don’t forget to say hi to Gemma here and check out her newsletter here.
And as always, please hit that reply button to let me if you want to see yourself or someone you know on the show.
Thank you for being here <3
Until the next episode,
Akshaya
The Newsletter Nerd Show gets better because of your feedback!
What did you think of this episode?
👍