Save the dates! My book tour :)
Plus, an amazing podcast rec, and some crucial writing advice.
Weekly Q&A:
Q: How do you kill your darlings when writing?
A: This question is referring to cutting parts of a piece that you’re really attached to but that aren’t serving the piece overall! Ugh, it’s so painful. But I’ve definitely gotten better about it. You have to! There was once a time when I found it nearly impossible to butcher a draft I liked, either because I was proud of some pretty sentences I’d strung together or sentimental about a personal anecdote. I think this resistance to cutting was partially out of sunk cost fallacy (“I put so much work into these lines, I can’t just ax them!”), but also a lack of faith in my skills as a writer, like I was afraid I’d never be able to come up with anything better than what I already had. As time goes on, I’m able to become less precious about my drafts and more utilitarian about what will be healthiest for the piece (whether it’s an article or a whole book), as opposed to what will make me feel good. Cliché but true, you gotta just trust the process, trust your editors and writing group peers, trust yourself to keep getting better through iteration!
Save the date: The Age of Magical Overthinking book tour!
A teaser just for you newsletter subscribers. Here are the dates and locales! Full announcement coming soon :)
April 9: Los Angeles, CA — Barnes & Noble at The Grove, in conversation with Pauline Chalamet
April 11: NYC, NY — The Strand, in conversation with Molly Ringwald (tickets here)
April 12: Brooklyn, NY — Littlefield, “The Big Magical Cult Show” feat. Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes (ticket link coming soon)
April 13: Boston, MA — wbur cityspace, “The Big Magical Cult Show” feat. Sasha Sagan (tickets here)
April 15: Washington DC — Solid State Books
April 16: Philadelphia, PA — Underground Arts, “The Big Magical Cult Show” feat. Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip (ticket link coming soon)
April 17: Portland, OR — Powell’s Books, in conversation with Chelsea Bieker
NPR’s Marketplace interviewed me about the “cult” of this ‘80s department store…
…and “classic” American corporate environments in general. Marketplace’s January film club pick was a 1983 documentary called “The Store” about the origin story of Neiman Marcus, which is apparently a rather culty tale. Read my conversation about it below!
This cool linguistics TikTokker gave Wordslut a shoutout.
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I already felt overwhelmed by the challenge of condensing the field of feminist sociolinguistics into a single 250-page book, so the gift of translating these complex ideas into a 60-second TikTok? Kudos. I’m not on TikTok, but Harvard linguist @etymologynerd seems like a wonderful follow if you are. He’s got some very cool graphics on IG as well :)
A weekly roundup of books, podcasts, TV shows, tchotchkes, and anything else I’m currently “cult following.”
PODCAST: THE RETRIEVALS
This unbelievably compelling, haunting series topped the best podcasts charts last year for a reason. With nuance, complexity, and a sort of matter-of-fact empathy, it documents the horrors of the egg donation system, including personal stories from the women in question whose pain was totally dismissed. It’s one of those “shocking but not exactly surprising” stories of women’s bodies and the medical establishment that tackles some pretty fascinating, thorny themes. The show was recommended to me by Koa Beck, the author of White Feminism, whose taste in exquisitely reported podcasts never misses!
UNNECESSARY PURCHASE: ”OVERTHINKER” NEON SIGN
I ordered a custom neon sign on Etsy the other week that says “overthinker” in blinding magenta letters, and I think I’m gonna use it as a backdrop piece when recording my new podcast. It was only like $150, which I think is pretty affordable for a custom piece, and it shipped lickety-split. This vendor also makes little desktop neon signs, and I just think they’re so cute. Is this basic of me?? I can’t tell.
NECESSARY PURCHASE: LUNYA WASHABLE SILK EYE MASK
Fifty bucks for a sleep mask is insane, I know, but this one is GURTHY, comfy, made of washable silk, and doesn’t slip off!!! Or at least not as easily as other eye masks. All I know is that I bought it for Casey as a holiday gift and have stolen it pretty much every night since then lol. Looks like I’ll be buying another one.
ENGAGEMENT RING: WEDDING RING STORE
Some folks have been asking me where I bought the engagement rings I got for me and Casey—they feature a sun design that interlocks on a moonstone and are also engraved on the inside. I got them from this jewelry maker in Ukraine who sells on Etsy! He has so many stunning designs that look like something an elf queen would wear. This is the exact one I purchased from him. We only put them on for special occasions because they’re a little chunky for everyday wear, but I’m so glad we have them—they’re very special!
I wish you were coming to Denver, would love to meet you
OMG I just got tickets, I may be skipping around Costco!