It’s the global gathering of the Tortured Poet’s Society, and yours truly has been a member since I was sixteen when I went to a writing camp at Simon’s Rock College. I put an orange streak in my hair, started wearing sarongs, and made word collages that I stuck to my Chemistry lab composition notebook.
I have so much to say this month, that I am here to share my thoughts with all of you (since my spouse is really tired of me waking him up at 2AM for these conversations).
So we’ll start with the obvious first:
The Letters we Keep has been out in Amazon First Reads since April first and so many of you seem to like it! It’s been an orange banner bestseller since day one, and I am so appreciative of all of you. The official release date is May 1, and if you’re in the Philly area, I’m doing an event with Morgan Elizabeth at Doylestown Bookshop! Come say hello, friends.
Secondly, I am launching a summer writing workshop for a small group of writers! It will be a 7 week semester with weekly zooms, a private discord, and texts included. You’ll have homework and goals, and the opportunity to read and critique each other’s work. It’s only for 18+ authors interested in YA/Adult Romance in the US/CAN at this time.
Please note that I understand how the fee can be prohibitive for some. I wish I could teach for free but if I’m choosing between consulting and teaching, I had to make an economic decision.
1 cohort is already full, so sign up with the link while you can!
Okay, now for the things that I CANNOT STOP TALKING ABOUT.
Part of my goals for 2024 included reading more nonfiction across different forms of media. Thanks to the incredibly inspiring individuals in my PhD program, and my friends who are infinitely smarter than I am (looking at you, Sierra Simone), here are some of the articles/books/media that have been on my mind.
We’ll start with IF BOOKS COULD KILL, a subscription based podcast by two individuals who worked in human rights. I cringe at the “liberal centrist” labels, and I don’t agree with everything they say, but the DEI part 1 and part 2 episodes were incredible.
In partnership with this podcast, I also read an article in the Atlantic about DEI statements in the workplace.
I agree with a few sentiments in this article, but my biggest gripe is that after the SC ruling, after colleges remove race conscious practices, we’re trying to justify the elimination of DEI practices in the workplace, too. The DEI episodes in the podcast affirm this.
One my favorite books that I read this year was THE ARGONAUTS by Maggie Nelson. It’s part biography, part poetry, part theory, all heart. I am so looking forward to Maggie’s next book, and you can read about Maggie’s genius in The New Yorker.
Lithub had an article that came out that made me ENRAGED. I’m only linking it because I want to support Lithub, and I think this conversation around mass consumption, quality vs quantity requires nuance. First, the author makes a good point about AI, and brings up a topic I whole-heartedly agree in: we need to pay people in publishing more, and hire hire resources for each book that is ejected into the world.
But remember: The people who are often determining quality are cis-gendered, able bodied, white male individuals. Romance wouldn’t even be a part of this discussion. However, so many publishers are funded by hedge funds now. Who is making the decision regarding books to support/promote? How are those decisions being made?
And last but not least, after years of resisting, I have finally signed up for Spotify. Yours truly was an Apple Music girly, but everyone keeps telling me to make the switch, so here I am. I also have a Shakespeare trilogy music playlist if you’re in the mood for a listen! I’ll be adding more songs from Marriage and Masti as we get closer to May 15 when I’ll be making some announcements.
Thanks for reading the bonus newsletter content, friends! Stay tuned for May 1st when The Letters we Keep is finally out in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audio!
Hugs,
Nisha