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I seem to begin most of my messages these days with a form of “I hope you are hanging in there” or “I hope you are well in these challenging times.” And I hope both of those sentiments are true for you as well.
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I have been working to support my mental and physical health in this coming year. One thing I tried was a vision board (see above). I am not visually gifted (see above), but the process is good for me. It’s something that I’m not “good at” already, something tangible to work with, something that is meditative because it means seeing or hearing what calls out to me. I wanted to see what words I wanted to remember this year.
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There are many many circles. I love circles. I will take a bowl over a plate most days. I will take a spoon over a fork most days. (There’s an essay in there somewhere.) Green and blue are some of my favorite colors, reminding me of the ocean and the forest, two of my favorite places in nature.
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At the very bottom of the vision board, there’s a picture of a lightning bolt striking a mountain. I included that to remind myself of how rare this is, a book publication. And I’m reminded of what my friend Tea told me: it’s a miracle that there are so very many books in the world, because the amount of work that goes into each one is amazing. I’m not just talking about the writing, though that’s a lot, but the production, design, publicity, marketing, and more that I probably still don’t know about. A lot of work.
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Another thing that I am doing is trying to strengthen my community through acts of care. One of my friends created this great zine (printable) about how to build community through everyday small acts. I’ve been printing them off and putting them in Little Free Libraries, including my own. The scholar Tressie McMillam Cotton has spoken about the need for rebuilding connectivity in resistance. I’ve brought meals to friends who are struggling. I sign petitions and donate where I can. I speak at gatherings, at government meetings. I send cards to friends and family. These are small acts, but they also help me to feel like I am not powerless. And they help to repair the community and connectivity that feels damaged, especially now.
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Many years ago a colleague told me that I reminded her of a duck—placidly gliding along the surface of the water, but paddling like mad underneath. That was pretty true then, and it’s true now. There’s not much that appears on the surface, and for those who follow me on social media, I am posting much less there. But underneath the surface, there is indeed much paddling happening.
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Review copies of A Place For What We Lose are out, and still being sent out. It is an interesting time in the life of the author and of the book. Something like speaking into a darkened theater when you have no idea how the audience is receiving your performance. But I have gotten some lovely hints here and there that it is being well-received.
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And in the life of the book, it’s also a time when there are placid glidings visible and a ton of paddling happening beneath. Lately I’ve been working with the publicity and marketing team from my press—a small but mighty group of lovely people to help make this writer’s dreams come true. They tell me that the book is headed to the printer soon.
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I’m finalizing the first wave of the book tour, focused largely in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll announce the events with more notice here and on my author website, so stay tuned.
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I also wanted to announce my next few events, if you are here in the Seattle area:
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On Saturday February 21st, I’ll be reading from the book at the Puyallup Valley JACL Day of Remembrance. There will be several chances to hear me read in the 10AM-12PM time, so if you arrive after 10AM, don’t worry—chances are you’ll get to hear from me. I’ll also have special postcards there for people to take home and preorder.
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And I’ll be helping friends launch their books in March!
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Watch this space and my author website for more details about upcoming events! I can’t wait to tell you about the launch events coming up in late April and May.
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Thanks for reading. I should have more musings and resources next month!
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What I’m reading right now
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Tartufo, Kira Jane Buxton (perfect for these times—it’s super funny)
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What I’ve been rewatching or watching
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The West Wing (I know. I know.)
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What I’ve been reading lately
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Love Radio and This Could Be Forever, Ebony LaDelle (really well done YA)
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Crown City, Naomi Hirahara (out this month!)
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Ballot, Anjali Enjeti (out this month)
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The Celebrants, Steven Rowley
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Sweet Bean Paste, Durian Sakegawa
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For an archive of my past newsletters, please visit my archive page.
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