Hello!
Welcome back to the monthly installment of what’s-up-with-E! Thanks for tuning in, lots to discuss. Let’s get right to it.
First things first: Beta Readers!
As promised, the time has come for me to begin the beta-reading phase! I am currently seeking readers in my intended audience (YA fantasy/horror fans, preferably between the ages of 15-19) to read the first draft of the book! If you or someone you know fits into this category and would like to read and provide feedback on my manuscript, please shoot me an email by the end of the day this Thursday, August 22.
I’m putting together a group of only 5-8 readers at this stage, so that I’m not overwhelmed by too much feedback, so space is a bit limited at this stage. If you’re eager to read what I’ve written, hold fast! With a bit of luck, we’ll be moving into the publishing phase soon enough :)
Braving the Storm at Artscape
Earlier this month, my dear friend Anj came to town and their visit happened to coincide with the annual Artscape festival in Baltimore. This festival is awesome - sponsored by MICA (among others) the festival highlights local art and artisans of all backgrounds, and it takes place right in my backyard! As we walked around the festival, we saw sculptures and installations all over, kids playing games in the street, live music, and tons of small markets with artisans selling everything from pottery to paintings to soaps to honey and more. (I swear I’m not sponsored, I just stan Artscape.)
Anj and I met up with a few other friends, and after about an hour and a half of braving the searing August sun, we escaped into the air-conditioned oasis of MICA, where we putzed around the indoor market and bought a few trinkets. It was there, sitting around a table, half-dazed and dehydrated, that everyone’s phone began to buzz violently, warning us that a storm was imminent. The situation was life-threatening, the notification read. We were to take shelter and under no circumstances were we to travel or move, with the exception of an emergency.
My friends and I made eye contact with each other, the decision already made. Nobody wanted to be trapped here for who knows how long, so we stood, said our goodbyes quickly, and began to rush home. As we walked, the wind began to pick up. Things began to blow wildly around the streets. For whatever reason, I had written the phrase “life-threatening” off as dramatic when I’d read it, but walking home, trash and sand and broken glass beginning to take flight around me, I began to wonder if we’d made an incredibly rash choice thinking we could be the exception.
We were a block from my apartment when the sky Hillary Duffed. We ran the final block home, the rain nearly washing us away, and by the time we got to my apartment we were soaked to the bone. Our hearts beating wildly, we ran into my apartment and toweled off before getting cozy. I can’t think of a dramatic way to the end the story, but what an unexpected, adrenaline-filled adventure! What do you think–should I go on I Survived…?”
Fresh Fruit
This summer, I’ve frequented my local orchard: Larriland Farms. Nearly once a week, Lily (the seven-year-old I am a one-to-one for) and I visited the orchard to pick whatever was ripening that week. It’s hard to put into words what popping blackberries straight from the bush into my mouth made me feel–gratitude, connection, abundance, wonder, and joy all make up slices of the pie. I think what I’m trying to say is I forgot that the earth is a nourishing place, too, and picking fruit reminded me that sometimes, you just have to go back to the basics to remember what it’s all about.
Booooooks
Read four more books this month! Here’s my thoughts on each:
A Wellness Check by Bri Gonzalez: This poetry collection was brilliant. What Gonzalez does with language, the way they’re able to make it bend in every way was so powerful. Throughout the collection, I found myself in awe of how Bri challenged just about every convention of poetry and storytelling to communicate their experience with neurodivergence and bipolar. Not to mention this is a debut collection by a budding writer! If you choose to buy one book on this list, let it be this one!
Down the Drain by Julia Fox: Good god, this girl. Julia Fox, if you don’t know, is a Hollywood starlet, model, and internet fashionista who you may know from her breakout role in Uncut Gems. Her memoir chronicles her immigration from Italy to the US, then back to Italy as a teenager, and her subsequent desertion of her family and rise to fame. She’s a recovering heroin addict and ex-dominatrix who lost nearly everyone dear to her before becoming a mother. Her story is harrowing, compelling, and throughout all of it I wanted to whack her upside the head and be like “Julia, stop.” But she doesn’t. Ever. Still, somehow, she won me over. I don’t think I loved this book, but I love Julia. P.S. Fox is the Julia from Charli XCX’s “360”, if you’re familiar!
In the Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado: Oh, boy. August was a month of heavy reads. I need to lighten it up in September. This book was brilliantly written, though it too was harrowing, heart-wrenching, and downright sickening at times. The book explores Machado’s abusive relationship with her ex-lover through vignettes in a truly postmodern patchwork style of writing. Loved the style, but I had a hard time making it through the story because it was so dark. Still, I absolutely recommend it. In fact, I think I’d go so far to say this is a must-read.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang: Kuang is a brilliant writer with a gift for writing fast-paced, whip-smart satire. I loved this book not only for its wit, but also because it challenged me. There were times I found myself questioning the bitterness of the narrator or wanting to say “hey wait, not all white people–” and then stopping to interrogate why I felt defensive. The text pinned me into questioning my own identity, and while I can’t say the experience was entirely comfortable, I do think this is what one form of good writing does. Definitely recommend.
Alright, I’ve yapped enough. Happy blue supermoon everybody. Astrologers are saying this one’s a big one, which means don’t do anything crazy til Wednesday because emotions are amplified right now and nobody’s making rational choices. Wish I’d gotten that memo a week ago (IYKYK), but so it goes.
Oh - and if you’re waiting for an email back from me, expect one this week! I’ve been working like a dog these past few weeks, but I’m getting caught up now, so I’ll be responding shortly!
Hope everyone is well! Send me an update if you’d like (I would love to hear from you!) & as always, thanks for reading!
Until soon,
E