Welcome back to Out of Practice! Thanks for being here.
The Spring Equinox was last week, which I didn’t realize until my neighbor wished me a happy first day of spring as I was walking Pheebs. It is certainly a relief to have made it through the winter. HAPPY SPRING, EVERYONE!
This month’s newsletter is on the shorter side (no mini essay), but hopefully I will have some fun updates to share later this spring and summer.
In March S turned 6 and my final WASP’S NEST revision was due. I also finally got my life together. Jk, lol, I wish.
But I have been reading good books, getting lots of fresh air, doing some spring cleaning, and treading water successfully most of the time.
Reading List
Here’s some of what I’ve been reading lately:
The Serviceberry by Robin Wall KimmererIf you’re feeling ground down by capitalism, frustrated by the “illusion of self-sufficiency,” and believe a different world is possible but struggle to visualize it, this book may help ground you and expand your understanding. It certainly did for me.
Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control by Amanda Montei Not a book that told me anything I didn’t already know, but one that put my experience into a greater context that was clarifying and even healing at times. Highly recommend reading this particularly if you have had a complicated relationship to your own “motherhood,” inside or outside the context of marriage.
Shadow Tag by Louise ErdrichMy second Erdrich novel. A banger. I was gripped by the narrative voice, the portrait of a marriage and family in disarray, an exploration of the stories we construct to survive.
Henry Henry by Allen BrattonI was pretty sure this book was deeply for me and also that it would ruin me, and I was right on both counts. I don’t make the comparison to Brideshead Revisited lightly, but it’s truly merited in this case. I will revisit this novel throughout the years and I’m looking forward to the new ways in which I’ll appreciate it in the future.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi ThorpeThis was a pretty buzzy book, so when I picked it up I wasn’t sure if I was going to see what the hype was about or be disappointed. I definitely see the hype! I really fell for Margo, her voice was funny and engaging, and I was deeply moved by the end. Thorpe plays with narrative distance, shifting between first and third person narration for Margo. I’m very interested to see how the adaptation goes.
Nothing Serious by Emily J. SmithI picked this up on its pub day and read it in two sittings. It’s about relationships, it’s about patterns, it’s about losing someone and finding yourself. In her newsletter, Smith writes:
Once There Were Wolves and Migrations by Charlotte McConaghyMigrations is my critique partner Ce’s favorite book so it’s about time I read it. I enjoyed both these books so much, and it was really fun to read them through Ce’s eyes too. McConaghy has a fascinating way of integrating science as she develops her characters, which is definitely relevant to my work in progress. I’m really looking forward to reading McConaghy’s new book, Wild Dark Shore, when my Libby hold comes through.
Writing Progress
So I know I said I was going to be finished with WN in early March, but I meant almost finished, turns out. I’m finessing one last aspect for my editor, and waiting for feedback from authenticity readers before I turn in the final (hopefully) pre-copyedit version of the book.
Writing Goals
Once I turn in this next draft, I’m switching focus back to Campus WIP. On the horizon: a research trip!
Campus WIP is set at a fictionalized version of a college in Southern Maryland, and the main character is a professor of ecology, so I want to get a feel for both of those things on the ground. I’m taking what I learned from my 2022 research trip, though this book is more ambitious in a lot of ways. I’ll write about went into planning this trip after I get back, but check out the link above for some general advice about planning a research trip of your own!
Before You Go
I’m definitely using instagram less these days, but if you want to stay in touch on other platforms you can find me on Bluesky and StoryGraph.
Thanks for reading!
xo K
