Eleanor C. Whitney

Thank you so much for reading and connecting - looking forward to reading your work too!

How a sudden layoff is making me re-examine my relationship to work + "How'd you sleep?" starring a naturopathic doctor in perimenopause

I'm so grateful for The Midst for sharing my recent experience with a sudden lay off and contemplating the choices ahead of me. It's making me reckon the ways I've framed my life around work, even as someone who thought they resisted doing so.
Read more: themidst.substack.com/p/laid-off

Finding Balance Town Hall Recap: A Morongo Basin Conversation on Development in Our Desert Ecosystem Residents from throughout the Morongo Basin gathered in Twentynine Palms to discuss the need to work together for sustainable development.

Proud to have my first piece in The Desert Trumpet, a nonprofit, Hi-Desert news outlet with a mission to increase political engagement and participation. This community town hall recap is a great primer about development and community organizing in the dez!
www.deserttrumpet.org/p/finding-ba...

Celebrating Resilience: Pride Events in the High Desert Promote Culture, Creativity and Community Across the Morongo Basin - Coachella Valley Independent Pride Month events in the high desert will include performances, art shows, open mics and parties—all infused with a sense of community.

I was proud to talk with different members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Hi-Desert about pride and its special importance and relevance this year for my latest article for the Coachella Valley Independent.
Read now: cvindependent.com/2025/06/cele...

Conversations with my 22-year-old inner anarchist Perfectionism, possibility, facing my inner-critic and fighting despair in the face of fear and uncertainty.

"There’s more of us than them. We need to utilize the tools available to us across the spectrum to say no, to make our dissent visible. We need to make protest as normal as breathing. Then we need to go deeper."
Reflecting on being in it for the long haul: eleanorwhitney.substack.com/p/conversati...

Shocking But Not Surprising Strikes Again (and Again) The Caprices of the Oligarchs Shocking but not surprising is a phrase I've often reverted to in the past eight years, for things that are both hideous and predictable, maybe transgressive against the...

If, for example, Trump says nobody is allowed to dance, on penalty of death, he has no legal power to make that declaration and no power to enforce it, but if everyone stops dancing it's as good as if he did. Reporting as though Trump has these powers helps give him those powers.

March forth! Taking action that can bring us hope.

Reflecting on marching forth on March fourth, overcoming psychic sludge, finding places to contribute and resist, why I don’t care about being “cringe,” and my formative time as a high school jazz clarinetist.

Have a read: open.substack.com/pub/eleanorw...

Just a fleeting moment of good hair and joy amidst the horrors in one of my favorite cities.

Trying to put my energy where my values are. Jumped into a big project with my neighbors to clean and revitalize the Flamingo Heights Community Center. In these times, I want to focus on building community and creating spaces for connection. I hope our work will contribute to that.

Sky drama as balm and distraction.

Over a decade of visioning. An annual ritual to create a personal oracle. Channeled a lush, creative life and how to use that energy to fight alongside those more vulnerable and build a world where empathy and justice matter. Feeling grounded and aligned to face the struggles and joys ahead.

Thank you so much! Nice to see you!!

Excellent reporting and explanation of how slashing the federal workforce will impact Joshua Tree National Park. Includes a call script for residents of CA 23 to call our ghoul of a rep and demand he do something. He needs to hear from us loud and clear!

Thank you for the feature @studyhall.bsky.social!

Reflections from a world on fire An article on loss and recovery in Architectural Digest and finding moments of joy and creation during dark days.

A new edition of my monthly-ish newsletter is up, with musings on loss, recovery, the transformative power of desert snow, and my annual writing goals. eleanorwhitney.substack.com/p/reflection...

Snow day in the Mojave.

My Apartment Burned Down 6 Years Ago—These Are the Vital Lessons I’ve Learned Since While LA reckons with loss, I remember what saved me when I experienced the same tragedy

As I witness the staggering loss in Los Angeles, I'm grateful I had the opportunity to reflect on and share what I learned after losing my home in a fire six years ago and the ongoing process of recovery for Architectural Digest.
Thanks for reading: www.architecturaldigest.com/story/my-apa...