Letters From the Back Roads

      This newsletter was originally sent on July 31, 2026 Each month, I share new essays, books, and stories from the road. 📬 Want these updates in your inbox? Subscribe here . View in browser   a.d. elliott - Take the Back Roads Art and Other Odd Adventures Exploring Roads, Reading Stories, Honoring Heroes. July’s Roads: Sacred Places, Difficult Books, and Stories Worth Finding Hello, friends! July has been a slightly unusual month. I have wandered through sacred places, wrestled with ancient philosophers, revisited the documents that built a nation, finally finished a Russian novel that seemed determined to defeat me, and discovered an unexpected number of independently published books. At first glance, it all feels rather scattered. Looking back, however, I think July’s stories shared a common question: What deserves to be remembered? On the Back Roads This month at Take the Back Roads , I returned to several sacred places—and reconsidered what it means to conti...