May was a blur. It can be summed up like this: migraine, had the MOST fun at Sunday afternoon karaoke with Ms. Emily McCombs and Ms. Louise Hung—celebrating Emily’s birthday (one week early because her actual birthday fell on Mother’s Day, or what I like to call Mother’s Birthday, but I digress), finished my novel and sent it to my agent, Mother’s Day, allergies, elementary school book fair duty for two weeks, migraine, bad allergies, youngest child turned seven, horrible allergies, avoiding the news because everyone has lost their damn mind, migraine, more allergies, and lots of reading and listening to music to escape the malaise caused by all of the above.
As I have done for four and a half decades (from the age of four because I started early and I have been here a looooonnnggggggg time), I escape the discomfort, pain, and anxiety of reality (see: the world) through art, especially books (and music).
I didn’t write much in May, but it’s a new month (or eleven days into one). I have three new projects that I am excited about (because why live in the dystopian horror of reality when you can create a whole other life in another body with other problems?) that will hopefully see the light of day at some point (rather than sit in development purgatory or revision hell).
Why am I overusing parentheses? I don’t know. I have heard it’s a Gen X thing. (Maybe it is. Maybe we were conditioned to diminish our thoughts by putting everything in parentheses. Or maybe it’s just me.)
The whole point of this was to say hi/hello/this is what I’ve been doing with my time and, hey, here are some books you might want to read and music you may want to listen to because we need art more than ever. And expect a bunch of Ask Erins to drop the next few weeks because my inbox has been BUSY!
For your reading pleasure…..
Amerikaland (Danny Goodman)
Animal (Patricia Grifasi)
)Killer Amidst Killers (Billy Jensen)
The Light Eaters (Zoë Schlanger)
)Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Rufi Thorpe)
One Perfect Couple (Ruth Ware)
Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification (Melissa Petro)
Volume 0 (BOTM’s new lit mag)
For your listening pleasure….
(some of it’s old; some of it’s new; some I have shared before—but whatever, you need good tunes for summer)
Your turn….
What have you read or listened to lately that makes your world better?
I love this (and not only bc my May was also filled with awful migraines + allergies) (and also not only bc I also like to diminish my own thoughts by use of parentheses). A huge congratulations on finishing your novel!! A someday dream of mine ... maybe after another nonfiction project ... can't wait to read it!
Long time listener, first time caller. May was a big month indeed! May is my birth-month too so it was a bit of fun for me. Sad to hear you're struggling with allergies now that spring has sprung in the northern hemisphere (here in Australia we started winter on 1st June, weird, I know. Even our seasons start on different days to yours!). I think I could possibly be able to help you with your allergies though. My dad invented a natural hay fever remedy using his knowledge as a certified aromatherapist and also taking inspiration from the Bible. I'm not sure how easy or costly it would be to send you a sample but I really really hope I can help you out. My dad called this aromatherapy blend "Immune Booster" but it's more of an immune regulator because it helps reduce allergy symptoms as well as protection from colds and flu. I'm trying to go viral with the Immune Booster because it can help soooooooo many people. I've already seen it change heaps of people's lives and I'm super excited to share the love. Check out the Aromatherapy Clinic Immune Booster and let me know if I can help out at all. I hope you have an awesome June! ^.^