some delightful things

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. The winner was Seth Werkheiser, the author of Heavy Metal Email, which is geared toward musicians, but helpful for anyone with a newsletter — or who is thinking of starting one. (You should — go check it out!) It was Seth who encouraged me to send this out more often. (Thanks, Seth!) 

As promised, here is a list of things people are thankful for:

1. mountains!

2. biking up hills... and down them

3. frothy chai lattes

4. when my music app actually makes a good recommendation

5. squinty smiles

6. coffee

7. ability to go for walks and to live in a walkable town

8. amazing friends 

9. that I started running at 40 & am able to get out a few times a week & enter races 

10. to be making a living after some pretty lean years not too long ago

11. writing & the ability to take the crazy imaginings of my brain & set them down on a page 

12. water (whether drinking it, watching it tumble over rocks, or gliding through it, it recenters me)

13. family & friends

14. Shell Game: Writers Play with Borrowed Forms (& Caroline Shannon Karasik, who introduced me to the book)

15. chocolate

16. sunsets & sunrises

17. the library & the joy of long-awaited holds coming in

18. people who let you go ahead of them in line at the store when you only have a few things

19. the feeling when you accomplish a goal

20. the sound of rain & being able to sleep in on a rainy day

21. anytime I don’t have a headache or migraine

22. sleep!

23. fried foods (like literally anything fried tastes good)

24. curling up on the couch after a long day

25. a book, song, essay, or poem that makes you feel less alone 

It’s easy to feel alone as winter starts to hit, which can be a tough time. (I know it’s not officially here, but it’s creeping up.) Our energy levels drop. Whether we typically struggle with depression or not, seasonal affective disorder may kick in. Maybe the last thing we feel like doing is writing — and that’s okay. Go easy on yourself. And, since I can’t take off my social worker hat: if you’re struggling, please know you’re not alone. My inbox is always open if you need to talk, need help finding resources, or whatever. 

Reading Recommendations

Online: 

I loved “The Ruins,” a CNF flash on nostalgia and cultural appropriation by Davon Loeb in The Offing

Ditto Mandana Chaffa’s “Identification,” a gorgeous flash hybrid series about identity and immigration, in Shenandoah.  

Books: 

Recently read:  Camille Gomera-Tavarez’s High Spirits, a terrific story collection about a Dominican family that deals with machismo, mental health, family, and identity. 

Currently reading: Deborah Shapiro’s latest novel Consolation, which is stunning. (You can read Jennifer Solheim’s interview with her to hear about the novel’s unconventional path to publication. Also, Deborah is offering free shipping through 12/11!) 

Up next/ preorder alert: I was lucky to get an advance copy of The Sense of Wonder. I’m such a fan of Matthew Salesses and I love basketball, so I’m excited to dive in.

Event recommendation: Shenandoah is hosting a “Border Crossing Narratives” reading on Monday (12/5) at 7:30pm EST, and you can watch Mandana Chaffa read her beautiful piece!

And since it’s social media official, I’m thrilled to share Nora Decter’s novel What’s Not Mine will be published by ECW Press! I lost count of how many times I read the manuscript, but I’ll never tire of Nora’s electric sentences, sense of humor, and sharp observations of the world. And because I’m old and still learning how Instagram stories work, I forgot to say congratulations in my excitement to share the news. So, huge congrats to Nora! I can’t wait for others to meet Bria — y’all are in for a treat. 

Hang in there. Even if it feels like it, I promise you’re not alone. <3