Happy New Year and V-day, and welcome to the 3,000 years of January, following inauguration day. I’ve been neck deep in illustrating a multimedia bonanza of a theatrical performance about escaping the Florida panhandle and unable to even fathom “writing when I don’t have time to write,” cuz my whole mind has been inside the lovely but intense swarm of animating my own work.
First, some good news.
If you’re in the Seattle area, my play, which I wrote in 2018 - about the unlikely circumstance of a global pandemic that is largely ignored at first and inordinately impacts individuals who live in rural lower economic areas - is going to be LIVE (with animations and free lollipops for everyone!) on MONDAY FEBRUARY 24TH at 7pm at WEST OF LENIN. Watch some fun promos I made for it HERE and HERE.
Tickets are pay what you can, HERE.I’ve had some wonderful folks on my literary interview podcast, Totally Biased Reviews. I feel so lucky to host this podcast and have the chance to chat with really incredible writers, every week.
I talked to Mark J Williams about his really beautiful LGBTQIA+ travel guide, Out in the World.
Dale Bridges and I discussed his fun noir novel, The Mean Reds and the importance of journalists.
And Alyssa Ages talked about her book, Secrets of Giants, processing grief and transitions through heavy lifting, and strength training for everyone as we age, and specifically women.
Soon, I’ll be posting more from our next season, including interviews with Ronit Plank, Em J Parsley, Gina Frangello, and many more. If you know someone with a book, a play, a music album, or a made thing, pitch me at parleylit@gmail.com
My incredible mentor, Lidia Yuknavitch, published another stunning memoir, Reading the Waves. I love it. Read it. It’s a balm and an opportunity and a beautiful story.
I had the opportunity to chat with truly incredible people for an article I’m working on, including Amethysta Herrick who writes and produces podcasts for Gender Identity Today, Ashley Brundage, who is the Founder and CEO of Empowering Differences, and BeBe Deluxe, a phenomenal musician in Jacksonville, Florida. I love the work they’re doing, and I bet you will, too.
Now, to the increased relentless crises we are facing as humans since January…
I don’t think I’m alone in whomping between feeling choked and stunned into stillness then totally lit on fire and zooming into action. It’s a minute by minute swing. It’s hard not to catastrophize sometimes. I’m at risk. My kids are at risk. My friends and loved ones are at risk. You’re probably at risk. Thousands of super smart people have offered advice, analyses, and hot takes on this profoundly shitty moment in history. I don’t have much to add except: I often feel like the only thing in the world I can handle is the totally soothing but LOUD snores of the pug my family recently adopted from a Texas rescue. When that happens, I’m trying to give myself permission to make incremental moves that actually cause me to experience joy. Like doing more art. Like pitching articles that will give really cool people a good reason to spend a half hour chatting with me about their lives and work. Or interviewing authors. Or learning how to pitch my memoir and graphic novel. Or lifting really heavy weights. Or taking videos of my dogs howling at ambulance sirens while feeling like, yeah, I get it yall, I’m howling on the inside, too.
Give yourself permission, when you can, for the small, bright leans in your day.
xo