Miracle and Wonder
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The first time in my life the cicadas emerged, I was in kindergarten. That spring, recess was a minefield; I was terrified of these creepy creatures, who could land on me with no warning, whose dried husks the boys liked to pick off trees and shove in people’s faces, whose beady eyes and gross bodies were everywhere.
After 17 years underground, the cicadas will soon emerge again. I thought of them last week when I entered the library for an exhilarating 90 seconds, when I rode the C train in New York City and walked across Houston Street in the evening light amid a swarm of strangers. I doubt re-entry will thrill them as much as it has thrilled me.
In addition to re-entering the world, I have re-entered novel writing. Spending an hour every day with my imaginary friends, exploring their decisions and emotions, hesitations and obsessions, is nothing short of miraculous. This work is fascinating, satisfying some weird, hungry part of my problem-solving brain. It’s also grounding; if I spend time every day with my writing, I am happier, a better person in every other arena of my life.
To help you reconnect with your writing practice, I am launching the Summer Writers Club, which starts June 21st. For six weeks you’ll get a weekly email with prompts, short readings, and writing wisdom, all applicable to both fiction and nonfiction. Wherever you are, whatever you write, this structure will help you inhabit the miracle of a regular writing routine, the wonder of dedicated time inside your imagination and memory.
I have always had the capacity to be delighted by the world, but lately the joy is at max volume. I hope yours is too, that at least some of these days offer you miracle and wonder. Keep me posted.
J.
Summer Writers Club kicks off June 21! Every Monday for 6 weeks, you’ll get an email containing writing prompts for fiction and nonfiction, two flash readings (one fiction, one nonfiction), and some of my thoughts on writing technique and practice. You’ll also be invited to share your work with me if you choose. The Summer Writers Club is perfect for those who want to build and maintain their writing practice alongside summer adventures. You’ll get inspired by a wide variety of readings and writing tips that will boost your skills and confidence. If you’d like to make writing part of your summer fun, register now.
Reading Material
I just achieved a major milestone: reading all the books in my house I acquired over the last year but never opened (OK, most of them). This include two successive devourings: Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. If you liked The Vanishing Half and want more Bennett, check out her first novel, The Mothers. I also think everybody should read Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings.
On a smaller scale, I really liked I read from the Atticus Review, about the role of worrying in writing: “What if, instead of trying to make something happen, I just trust what I need will come to me, like magic? Can blind trust work better than worry and effort to bring me what I want in life?” You may have already guessed the answer, but the whole piece is worth a read.
I recently came across this essay entitled The Man at the Top of the Stairs, On Rendering the Inner Life by Steve Almond from the Winter 2020 issue of Ploughshares. It explores the value of our characters’ interiority (with some examination of the classic novel Stoner, which became kind of a thing some years ago), as well as our own. The reverence and wisdom of this piece really caught me. Take a minute to settle into this one.
Oh, and here’s a thing I wrote about having a birthday during a pandemic. Thanks, as always, for reading.
Creative Writing for Teens
If you haven’t figured out your kids’ summer plans yet, there are still spots in the two week-long creative writing classes for teens I’m teaching through the Durham Arts Council, one in-person (July 12-16), one virtual (June 21-25). Perfect for any teen who wants to spend a week writing their brains out and having a good time on the page!
To Go Poem
Speaking of miracles and wonder:
Miracles by Brenda Shaughnessy
Wonder Days by Nomi Stone
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