In August 2024, when I was in the throes of writing what became Escape Velocity: How One 70-Year-Old Push-Pulled Her Way Out of Her Too-Much-Not-Enough Family (70 Micro-Memoirs, 70 Words Each), I watched Estelle Erasmus’s interview with Beth Ann Fennelly, author of Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs, and imagined myself in that frame discussing my own work someday.
Well, someday is today. Enjoy! And much gratitude to Estelle for the honor.
Read more details about this interview on Estelle’s podcast page.
If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing (about 32 minutes) right now, here’s a short (1:25) clip about the book’s genesis:
And here are images of three excerpts I shared. This one was my choice. It sets the stage for understanding the push-pull family dynamic. Illustrations by Anna Hall.
Estelle selected these two (#26 and #55), which frame one of the key recurring storylines.
One of my favorite parts of the podcast was the opportunity to share the details of collaborating with Anna Hall—how we met, how we worked together, how we decided on the images. SO fun! That segment runs from about 20:30 to 25:30.
Finally, Estelle asked me to read #67, which follows directly a scene at my mother’s deathbed.
Toward the end, Estelle noted the nuance and breadth of my undertaking from a narrative as well as craft perspective: “There’s just so much to it and I recommend everyone get it because you just need to make sure that you’re seeing what aging and wisdom can do for someone.”
Aging and wisdom. Yes! I’ll take it.
Thanks for being here! Please share, restack, comment below, subscribe, stay connected! And if you read the book, or have already read it, I would be eternally grateful if you would write a review on Amazon. I have just seven. Wouldn’t it be good to get to seventy?!
To order Escape Velocity, go to 227 Press, here. For complete info and links, please visit my website.
BOSTON LOCALS! I’m going to be MORTIFIED (again!), Friday, July 24, MORTIFIED BOSTON at the WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. 7:00 pm. I’ll be reading from my fifth-grade diary. Get tickets here!
August 20: Newtonville Books, Newton: Panel discussion with Maida Korte, fellow Lesley MFA-er, whose memoir, Gutted: How an Old House Remodeled Me, just released; and Nancy Bernhard, author of The Double Standard Sporting House. Details TBA.
September 18, 6:00 pm: Books on the Square bookstore in Providence, Rhode Island, in conversation with author Ethan Gilsdorf. Details to come soon!
Future podcast: On June 9, I recorded an interview with the phenomenal Ronit Plank, of the Let’s Talk Memoir podcast. What an interesting and wide-ranging conversation! I’ll link it here in the fall when it airs. If you don’t know Ronit’s work or her Substack, please check it out.
Escape Velocity was honored as a Finalist in the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Memoirs/Other) category, one of seven books recognized alongside this year’s winner!
On June 7, I enjoyed a rich conversation with Alison Cupp Relyea at the Rye Free Reading Room, my hometown. Deep thanks to Alison and everyone who came out! Here’s the online version of Laura Schiller’s feature article, which appeared in the May 22 Rye Record.
May 13: Featured on Jodi Sh. Doff’s new wacky, wonderful series called “Short Attention Span Reader,” where she judges a book by its cover and riffs with the book’s author. So fun! Be sure to subscribe to Jodi’s Substack, “Only the Jodi: Life as a Sober, Aging, Dementia Caregiver.” Good stuff, always.
For more, visit the Media page on my website.
Thanks for reading! Hope you’re enjoying my Substack, where I post my musings every Friday. I’m keeping a free subscription option for the foreseeable future, but I’d be grateful if you’d lend your support by subscribing ($7/month or $70/year) and sharing.
Much more on my website!
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