october in review
dogs in costumes, fran lebowitz, sapphic novels, etc...
Hey! You’re here. Thank you!
How are you holding up? It’s rough out here. I don’t have anything new to say about it except wow it’s rough out here. Just remember the body keeps the goddamn score so be good to yours if you can. Whatever that looks like. Drink another cup of coffee. Find the furthest point in the distance and stare at it for thirty seconds. Play that one song. Don’t forget we live in a world with a dog Halloween parade so that has to count for something.
If parades aren’t really accessible to you due to your various neuroses and phobias (Dunkin), just go the park and sniff some leaves. Your blood pressure will go down, guaranteed.
Anyway, this is all to say that it’s rough out here and I’m just a girl on the other side of a computer saying I hope you are being gentle with yourself.
Here’s a little round up of how October looked in my world.
Favorite Read
The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden - If this is news to you, you really have not been paying attention! I already mooned about this book here and on my instagram. I truly cannot stop thinking about this novel. I recommend going in knowing almost nothing. A highly trusted friend (
!!) told me I should read it and purposefully told me almost nothing else which made for a thrilling reading experience. It’s all-consuming in the best way and the only rule is you have to come talk to me when you finish it. It is quite *ahem* open door as romance readers say so just know that and that’s all I am going to say!One Bright Glimmer
Close readers of this newsletter know I’m a massive Fran Lebowitz fan and devotee. Ever since I saw her in the documentary The Booksellers, I’ve hung on her every furious word.
Earlier this month, Rebecca and I had the chance to hear her speak at UMass Amherst. This was our second time seeing her live and it was everything we could hope. The best part though? In the signing line after the event we were behind a family - a mother and two teenagers who became Fran fans when they watched Pretend It’s a City on Netflix as a family during the pandemic. One of the teens was anxiously holding onto a friendship bracelet she was planning to gift to Fran. Already I was obsessed with the concept of this giddy teen gifting a friendship bracelet to the grumpiest writer in America. And that was before I saw that the bracelet had the words FUCK YOU spelled out in little white beads. This family was right in front of us in line so I got to see for myself when Fran smiled and put that bracelet right on her wrist just above her shiny gold cufflinks. Oh and she signed a pack of cigarettes for us. Marlboro Lights, her favorites, obviously.
They say don’t meet your heroes, but I was not disappointed.
Book I’m Looking Forward To:
Usually I use this space to spotlight a new release out in the coming month, but because of the wee election coming up in America, publishing seems to have hit the brakes on any big releases in the month of November.
So I am going to take a moment to tell you about a book out in ~ eight months ~ that I think you should pre-order RIGHT NOW. Seriously, stop reading this nonsense and go pre-order it.
That book is The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. I have so much to say about this book, but for now please know that it changed my life and I think it could change yours too.
If you don’t want to hear about why this bookselling lesbian is obsessed with this weirdo New England queer epic then unfollow me now because I am not going to be quiet about it and that’s a promise.
Oh and here’s the perfect cover:
Feelers and words girls and tender New Englanders, this one is for us.
Biggest Surprise
Rebecca celebrated her birthday this month and we basked in the autumnal glory of her birth month. Of course she was born in the best month of the year, of course she was! The one thing she really wanted to do for her birthday was ride something called the Mountain Coaster. Picture a roller coaster slapped on the side of a mountain in the middle of Western Mass. Readers, we did it. And guess what? I loved it too. Don’t get me wrong, I fully expected to pee my pants, but riding down that mountain on a clear October day, the trees blazing around us, my sweetie ahead of me, was everything. Surprised by joy, let me tell you. Oh and I did not in fact pee my pants!! I just laughed and laughed and laughed.
I’m still learning:
How to be kind to myself and others in a world like this. Please know I don’t think be kind is the solution in a world as cruel as this one. The idea that just being nice will really fix anything feels empty and toxic. But also, maybe be nice to yourself and others? Tip the barista extra. Tell someone their dog is the cutest dog you’ve ever seen (a lie because you have seen Yaya & Dunkin), pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru line. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Forgive yourself. I’m writing all this down in hopes that maybe I can do it myself. We are all we have.
I love you. I’m so glad you are here.
Love,
Rosamond
I bought The Safekeep on your recommendation (and no other info), and it was every bit as good as you promised. Holy cow did I love that book. Thank you!
Thank you for this. The election anxiety is real here in Pennsylvania. I just enjoyed a pumpkin spice latte and a long walk. I blue heron flew in front of me in all her glory. Safekeep is on hold!