Last weekend, I returned to New York for the first time in one year and nine months--the first time since moving back to the West Coast. I knew that because of the baggage I left behind and the loss I had experienced there that I needed a solid reason for my first return trip. That… Continue reading New York was a Dream, a Memory, and a Haunting
Category: Writerly
Writing is Religion
Ever since this past winter when I read Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus, I've been thinking a lot about absurdism. In his book, Camus argues that life is meaningless, there is no god, etc. Once a person leaves religion and is left with this hopelessness, the question Camus poses is: should a person kill herself in… Continue reading Writing is Religion
My Queer Agenda
This past Saturday, I taught my first workshop at a small writing conference outside of Seattle. I had a lot of anxiety around it because I’ve never felt comfortable with the idea of me teaching others. Give a reading, yes. Speak on a panel, sure. Host an event, absolutely. Bestow wisdom on others, not so… Continue reading My Queer Agenda
What is PNW Literature?
I've been asking myself that a lot since returning home to Washington last summer. My first book, Siblings and Other Disappointments, is my most characteristically Pacific Northwest. It's hard to imagine my characters' stories being lived in other small towns, near other mountains and rivers, across other agriculturally dependent landscapes. But perhaps that is what every… Continue reading What is PNW Literature?
Hanging With My Idol and Reading in My Hometown: A Dispatch From My Latest Book Tour Events
My book has been out for almost six months, and I still can't believe how fast the time has gone by since I held that first copy in my hands. 2017 has gifted me with two memorable bookstore events that were equally special but in very different ways. I chose to spend my thirtieth birthday… Continue reading Hanging With My Idol and Reading in My Hometown: A Dispatch From My Latest Book Tour Events
