Hello, dear friends,
Recently, I heard in a sermon a new definition of the word crisis as applied to a particular moment. From the ancient Greek, it is not just a terrible moment of danger and catastrophe; it is a decisive moment, one in which the choices we make have critical consequences. As the government of my country continues its war-making, using my tax dollars (and yours, if you live in the US), consider what power you have and what decisions you will make in this crisis moment. I’m thinking every day about what work my writing does, the witness of the word, but I also know it is not and cannot be enough. May we all consider what we can do where we are with what we have, and may our writing and reading encourage action.
In this issue
The Imaginary Novelist Writes
I was lucky, lucky, lucky to spend the last two weeks at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts at a writing residency. I got a frankly unbelievable amount of writing done, revising one novel, finishing another, writing stories and poems—but the most important thing to me was the connections I made there. I don’t have words for how special it was to be surrounded by so many writers, musicians, and visual artists, thinking deeply about the meaning of making art in these times. I’m really excited about the project I launched while there, and hope to (in several years, probably) share more with you when it sees the light of day.
The Imaginary Novelist Reads
I haven’t managed to read as many literary publications as I’d like to share here, but I have been reading some incredible books:
Whale Aria, by Rajiv Mohabir: This incredibly lyrical poetry collection is actually about whales. I assumed it would be whales as metaphor, and sometimes it is, but as often, it is just meditations on whales. I ate this up like a whale eating krill.
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson: I know I’m late to the party with this one, but, God, what a life-affirming, beautiful novel. Reading this was like the moment in an ordinary day, in your kitchen, when the light hits the wall just so and you think you’ve seen grace.
Burns, by SG Huerta: An amazing collection with acrobatic language and form and heart-rending poems—I’ve long believed that no one writes about grieving like SG and this collection proves it further.
The Imaginary Novelist Publishes
I’ve put out a handful of new works in the two months since I put this together last:
“Commitment,” short fiction in JAKE
“Debts,” short fiction in Southeast Review
Two poems in pictura journal
“Revelations, baby!” poetry in electric pink
And some more exciting work coming in the next month!
Thanks for reading this far! I’m excited to see where this newsletter takes me; feel free to share with a friend, reply if you’d like, and let me know what you think!