Secrets about my next book 👀
Also, Sounds Like A Cult is back.
Weekly Q&A:
Q: What’s the topic of your new book, and will you continue your podcasts as you write it?
Of course just as I feel like I’ve finally gotten my nonfiction book writing process semi-figured out, I find myself itching to try something completely new. The next goal is to write fiction! I have an idea for a novel about a genius (but flawed) young linguist, who attempts to use her language superpowers to solve a potentially world-ending problem. The genre I have in mind is kind of Emily St. John Mandel-adjacent. Or, to make a cinematic reference, I’m sort of going for a blend of the movies Arrival and Her. So dipping a toe into some SciFi themes, but ultimately literary fiction in my voice. And yes, I plan to continue both shows for at least the next year! Thanks to my wonderful team of editors and coordinators, I think it should be possible :)
Sounds Like A Cult is back this week!
Lace yourselves up for this haunting and twinkle-toed episode covering one of our most consistently requested topics: Ballet! Despite the tutus and baby pink palette, this ruthlessly competitive industry often seems less like a dainty art form and more like a doggone cult. Think about it: Why do we audience members just blindly accept and support an industry helmed by power abusive men, who have absolutely no problem taking little girls away from their families, working them to the bone, and literally starving them, all in pursuit of so-called greatness? Orrrrrr is that take a bit dramatic? To help us figure it out, podcast producer and former ballerina Erika Lantz joins the pod for a deep discush on how culty the ballet world is really. As always, the episode drops on all major platforms at 5am EST!
I’d love your help coining an outro for the Magical Overthinkers pod…
Definitely not me overthinking what to choose as my outro for the Magical Overthinkers podcast. Nope, overthinking has absolutely NOTHING to do with why the show still has no official sign-off yet. Nothing at all!
Jk, I have truly become immobilized by the pressure to think of a perfectly pithy outro for the show, and I’d love your help!!! Here are a couple rough options so far. Please feel free to comment any ideas you think of, even sloppy ones!
Until next time, remember: Think it over, just don’t overthink it.
Until next time, thanks for spiraling with me.
There is still one last spot on my Italy retreat this October :)
I’m hosting another “write and travel with me” experience in Southern Italy this year, and there is still oneeeeee last open slot. Info below, and of course, feel free to comment below if you have any questions about it! It’s a stunning trip, and I’d love to see you there :)
When: Oct 13 - Oct 19, 2024
Where: Naples & the Amalfi Coast
What: We’ll begin our 7-day adventure in Naples, a vibrant city known for its delicious cuisine and rich history. Then, we’ll take a ferry to the picturesque island of Capri, explore the ruins of Pompeii (an ancient city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius), and head to the charming coastal town of Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. Participate in daily writing workshops that pair with the language and landscape, while gallivanting with fellow literature-and-pizza-loving adventurers.
Cost: $3,225
MUSIC: Ooharu by Masakatsu Takagi
I mentioned the other week that I’m newly enchanted by the Botanica genre of music, and this visionary Japanese artist is a master of it. He’s also a filmmaker, so there’s a narrative, cinematic quality to his music. This angelic, chanty tune is from a 10-year-old album, and while the piece only has 32,000 listens on YouTube, all the comments are like, “This song is the reason why I still believe in humanity” and “This song makes me appreciate being alive.”
MOVIE: Challengers
How I adore Luca Guadagnino (best known as the director of Call Me By Your Name). His movies are just such a VIBE. Sexy and bright and odd, like the cinematic equivalent of drinking a pét-nat at your eccentric aunt’s house in the middle of the day. Does that make sense? His latest, starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and former theater kid Mike Faist, is about a love triangle (borderline throuple?) of tennis competitors, and it is damn delightful.
BOOK: Worry by Alexandra Tanner
This is the novel I’ve been most excited to read all year! I picked up a copy from Greedy Reads in Baltimore, when I was there last month and now that I’m finally home from tour, I’m eager to get into it. It’s a story about sisters clumsily navigating life, and while I’m only a few pages in so far, the voice is witty and complicated in just the way I like, and I’m excited to keep going!
UNNECESSARY PURCHASE: Éminance Yuzu Solid Body Oil
If your skin is as nightmarishly parched, crusty, and keratosis pilaris-stricken as mine, may I recommend this scrumptiously rich (but not slimey!) tub of body oil in solid form. It’s got antioxidants and fatty acids! I don’t really know what that means, but it makes my legs soft in a real way, and that’s all I care about.
Wow, thank you for your feedback and good ideas everyone!!!!
First off, saw Challengers for the second time this weekend. So good 🥹 Second, if you decide you don’t want to write fiction (or if you wanna incorporate this into your fiction somehow or just use this as a podcast topic), I’ve been dying for someone to write about the relationship between social media algorithms and language. I notice so much “algorithm-speak” when I’m watching YouTube or TikTok so that creators can stay in the good graces of the algorithm and keep their content monetized. Would love to read your take on this phenomenon, however that take shows up in your creative process!