Mountains Beyond Mountains

Hey y’all,

It seems stupid and frivolous to be talking about made-up stories when there is so much pain right now. Atlanta has been under curfew for days, and my sister-in-law shares videos of protest marches on the street outside her home. Hopefully the powers that be will take note this time… (PSA: Elections are happening in a lot of places right now. Vote!)

But this morning, I went walking, and one of my neighbors set two buckets of sidewalk chalk in their driveway, with rhyming instructions to brighten our city. And when I shared my latest story with a friend yesterday, she said she was glad for it. So I’m putting it here.

Jolichanga’s Fury doesn’t really have anything to do with what’s going on now, except in that it’s about courage, and love, and change. It takes place in the not-quite-Himalayas, and it’s on the longer side. It is, I think, mostly happy, but you can decide that for yourself.

I hope you’re all doing well — even (especially) if that means a little civil disobedience.

Body Bound

Hi everyone!

I hope you and your families are all doing well. Whether you’re locked in your apartment or taking care of patients or helping keep grocery stores open, thank you, and I hope this little handful of a story brings you some joy.

Body Bound is featured today on fresh.ink (which will email you a short story every day if you sign up). It’s an oldie of mine, and super short.

I hope you like it, and stay safe!

It’s her birthday!

p.s. Shout-out to the amazing woman at PetSmart who brought a new collar to the car when Murphy’s broke yesterday!

Get out there!

Hey everybody!

I hope you’re doing well in this surreal, scary time. I never thought the pandemic apocalypse would have such nice weather and reliable Petco delivery. Hats off to healthcare workers on the front lines of this, and essential workers, and my Petco delivery driver. We’re thinking about you.

If you’re like me, excited for the next human interaction via Zoom, and fantasizing about your next great adventure, you should watch an episode of “The Horn.” It’s about Air Zermatt’s search and rescue team on the Matterhorn. The heights make my palms sweat, and the rescues they pull off may just make you forget that you’re supposed to stay six feet away from everyone!

In writing-related quarantine news, the magazine fresh.ink is worth a look. It’s free, and you can read online, download the app, or subscribe and get a story to your inbox every day. They curate stories that have already been published, so they’re only sharing the best. (Exciting disclaimer — if the internet doesn’t collapse, fresh.ink is publishing a story of mine at the end of April.)

And when you get sick of watching, reading, and boredom-eating, the 100 pushup challenge is both entertaining and painful! I did the Day 1 workout yesterday, and my upper body is very sad (yet getting so swole). Anybody think we’ll all stay out of trouble and be able to do 100 in a row in 6 weeks? My dogs are skeptical, but at least they have a variety of dog treats to nibble.

Stay safe & well, everyone!

Other People’s Clothing

Happy leap-year weekend, everyone! I hope the end of February is good wherever you are.

In Atlanta, we’ve got America’s best marathon runners racing tomorrow in the Olympic marathon trials, and I’m psyched to go cheer on some of my favorite athletes. I’ve also been watching Netflix’s “Love is Blind,” which is eye-bleedingly trashy and delightful, and ordering face masks on Amazon so I can ward off COVID-19.

In even more exciting news, the underwear story is out at Maudlin House! It’s wacky, weird, and fun, if I do say so myself. I hope you enjoy it!

 

Learning to Count

Hey, y’all!

It’s February, which can be a kind of cold, dreary time, but so far we’ve had lots of Valentine’s Day candy, snow in Atlanta, and I’ve got two stories coming out! I hope your February is at least as good.

“Counting to Sixty” came out today in the Eckleburg Review. Issue 21 (filled with stories that are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud while you also feel a little nostalgic/heartsick/bruised) is available for $5 with the coupon code “ContributorXO!” (If you’re looking for a hard copy because you’re old school like that, they’ll be available on March 1.)

Expect another email from me in a week or two. Maudlin House is publishing a crazy little story featuring an underwear thief. I honestly don’t know what to say about it, except that you’ll be able to read it yourself.

I hope you’re finishing the last of your Valentine’s Day chocolate, because the Easter Bunny is coming with more!