Without You I'm Nothing

The past couple of months have been a whirlwind! In between visits with beloved friends (Tiff, Landis, Jenn Morson, Stephanie Land), attending my youngest child’s art show, seeing my eldest child graduate from college (🤯), selling my next two books (🤗), and voting in the first Dopey Recovery Short Film Festival, I have felt immense gratitude for all of this light in a world that feels at times like it’s collapsing in on itself. My feelings of gratitude are always intertwined with the people I am blessed to know, and that extends to my professional life.

As I’d think any writer would tell you, writing—as a profession—can be brutal. There is, at times, a sense of isolation in the work, so much rejection, continual public judgment of one’s work and value, and a shrinking industry under the continual threat of shrinking attention spans, disappearing media coverage, and AI takeovers. 

Despite all this, I cannot stop writing. I don’t want to stop writing. And none of it would be possible without the community of writers I’ve come to call friends. We have championed each other’s work, had Zoom writing sessions (Looking at you Emily Maloney!), cheered one another on, consoled one another, listened, sometimes commiserated, and given editorial notes or advice. There is a profound kinship among writers, and it’s immeasurable. I wouldn’t be here without the support of other writers.

So, when Karin Gutman reached out and asked if I would participate in a free 4-day virtual salon for memoir writers, I answered with an enthusiastic “Yes!” I am a firm believer in sharing resources and information with other writers. And yes, for FREE.

Created by Karin Gutman, founder of Spirit of Story, the salon, taking place July 7-10, brings together 20+ bestselling authors and literary professionals for conversations about the art of shaping lived experience into story.

We’ll be exploring both the craft of memoir and the deeper questions that arise when we write about our lives.

Across four days, the conversations explore:

• Why Tell This Story: Finding the courage to claim your story

• The Deeper Writer’s Toolbox: Techniques for shaping lived experience into story

• The Messy Middle: Navigating resistance, doubt, and the challenges of the writing process

• Claiming Your Story: Carrying your work forward with clarity and confidence
  

I’ll be speaking on July 8 about the paradox of likability in memoir.

You’ll also hear from writers like my girl Jennifer Pastiloff, Gina Frangello, and Emily Rapp Black .

Every conversation will be available free for 48 hours after it’s released, so be sure to register if you’d like to join us!

The mood in NYC has been delightful. With summer weather (this week’s heat wave notwithstanding!), a mayor who actually seems to care about this city and the people who live here, jubilant Pride Month celebrations, and THE KNICKS, the vibes have felt so positive. Last year was ROUGH, on so many levels, and having some wins and bright spots has boosted my hope supply. 

So tell me something good? I want to hear about anything and everything that has brightened your life lately, no matter how significant. Because it all adds up. Because we need each other. Because without you I’m nothing.

As for my summer, I’ll be busy with edits on STILL A SUSPECT. I am beyond thrilled it found a home at Minotaur, with the brilliant Catherine Richards! In the fall, I’m diving into writing the second book. 💃🏻

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I’ll leave you with this song I can’t get out of my head today!