An update on my novel 😲
And my favorite culty show right now.
Weekly Q&A:
Q: What culty shows or documentaries are you watching right now?
A: The new season of Welcome to Plathville on Max! I find this reality series, which follows the splintering of a fundamentalist Christian family, so much more compelling than the Duggar series, which is clearly just lifestyle evangelism. The Plaths’ show is comparatively messier and more raw, as it follows some of the kids’ rebellion against their strict, sheltered upbringings and the fallout of all that. I missed a few seasons, but just started the new one that came out last month. Despite feeling rather conflicted about the voyeuristic, potentially exploitative nature of reality shows like this, I have to admit I’m hooked (for now). Also looking forward to seeing what Hulu’s “The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives” is like when it comes out in September.
Do you have a Q you’d like me to A in a future newsletter? Leave it in a comment below:
This week on Sounds Like A Cult…
Speaking of lifestyle evangelism… Tomorrow’s episode of Sounds Like A Cult features an interview with Tia Levings, a former Christian fundamentalist and survivor of church-sanctioned domestic violence. Tia is also the author of the brand new memoir A Well-Trained Wife. She joined to discuss the ever-so-common culty practice of recruiting church kids to go on white savior vacations all under the guise of bringing Sky Daddy and ultimate nepo kid Jesus into the lives of people who most certainly never asked for that. Many thanks to all the listeners who submitted call-ins for this episode! It drops first thing tomorrow morning.
Just 2 1/2 more weeks until the deadline to sign up for Italy!
Come write and travel with me and a group of fellow nerdy adventurers in Southern Italy this October! There is simply no way you’ll regret it! The deadline to register is August 24. Info, pricing, and RSVP details below.
The Age of Magical Overthinking was a LA Times bestseller last week 🤯
It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that this odd, cross-genre book about thought spirals made any bestseller list ever, much less that it’s still getting traction almost four months after publication. Woah, typing that is bananas, I can’t believe it’s been that long. Anyway, I don’t know how to thank everyone who’s read the book so far and spread the word. There is absolutely nothing about my background that suggests I should be a person who gets to write books for a living, and I feel ridiculously lucky every day that I get to do this.
I’m about to start outlining my novel, and I need your book recommendations.
Indeed, I am pivoting genres. I’ve started talking about this a litttttttle bit at my live events, but for my next book, I feel highly compelled to embark upon the challenge of writing fiction. In the spirit of avoiding any type of pigeonholing or stagnation as a writer, it just feels like right time. I don’t want to give away the story, which I have mostly ironed out, but what I’ll say for now is that the genre is plot-driven literary fiction with a mild SciFi flavor, and the protagonist is a linguistics genius. This isn’t normally a genre I read, and I want to kind of see who is doing this well, so I’m putting together a list of books to check out, including Emily St. John Mandel’s Sea of Tranquility, Ted Chang’s Stories of Your Life and Others, and the brand new book Hum by Helen Phillips. Any other fantastic reads in this category y’all can suggest?? Please let me know in the comments below!
A weekly roundup of books, podcasts, TV shows, tchotchkes, and anything else I’m currently “cult following.”
Book: Sociopath
I finally started this newish memoir by diagnosed sociopath and PhD Patric Gagne, and it is riveting to catch this kind of glimpse into an unfeeling mind. I think I want to invite the author on my Magical Overthinkers podcast for an episode titled “Overthinking About Sociopaths.” Would you be into that?
YouTube: Caroline Winkler
Because I just moved, all I can really think about these days is home decor, and I have promptly become obsessed with this charming interior design YouTuber. She has chic taste and a clever wit. A fun watch for the aesthetically inclined!
Activity: Clothing Swap brunch
I’ve thrown three of these now, just had another last weekend, and they are such a delight. You just invite your friends to bring gently used clothing items to casually trade over mimosas and bagels (or whatever nosh and libations you like) on a random Sunday at like 2pm. Then you donate all the leftovers to Goodwill. I got a new turtleneck sweater, baby blue top, and two dresses—and I got to get rid of a bunch of stuff I was no longer using. So eco-friendly! So chill and social! Highly recommend!
Unnecessary Purchase: Magical Overthinker hat
Not to shamelessly self-promote, but I can say with utter sincerity that everyone I know who has bought this hat says it’s their new favorite. It is comfortable, flattering on every head, and yields a guaranteed compliment every time you wear! This is a confirmed fact!
Never Let Me Go is the GOAT of literary fiction with a sci fi twist IMHO. Can't wait to read what you come up with!
The Ministry of Time MUST be on your list if this is the genre you're pursuing!!!