Getting Back Into Routines, Finding Joy in Writing and Talking Books, and Looking Forward to Fall (Readings?)

Three Hall Siblings in One Space/Time: Mike, Chuck, and Me (missing oldest brother Don)

Getting Back into Routines

My older brother and his family flew home Tuesday morning, and after a great visit, Glenn and I are settling back into our slower, two-person routines—watching birds and butterflies, giving our two cats and the garden attention, going to book club, and a staggering amount of laundry and grocery shopping to catch up on.

I am also catching up on e-mail and other correspondence, so if you’re missing something from me, please ping me and let me know. It is possible things have slipped through the cracks! As covid levels are ticking back up, I’m extremely grateful to have been able to visit with my parents and my older brother this year after so many years of not seeing each other. Zoom and phone calls are not the real thing, though they are better than nothing.

Tiger Swallowtail butterfly on pink verbena in my garden

Finding Joy in Just Writing and Talking Books

After book club on Wednesday where we discussed the poetry book Our Dark Academia (in case you’re following along with the book club) among other things, I remember feeling a moment thinking about taking joy in talking about books and just writing for fun, not worrying about publishing or marketing or any of that stuff.

I think I got exhausted from the first few months of my sixth book coming out, plus AWP and all that accompanies that, and it was nice to remember that appreciating poetry is kind of its own reward, and that there are simple things that give us joy: visiting with family and friends, walking through a field of lavender, watching butterflies, and writing poetry among them.  I’m not particularly good at slowing down and having moments of peace and joy, I actually had a book as a teen called When I Relax I Feel Guilty, so this week was a bit of a revelation. Then I wrote two poems (I hadn’t written in a little while) and didn’t worry about updating any spreadsheets or submitting or rejection—I just enjoyed writing them.

Looking Forward to Fall (Readings?)

Having taken a brief break from promoting the book (because summertime in Seattle—the whole Pacific Northwest is a rough time for readings unless you’re part of a conference or an MFA residency because everyone just wants to be outside), I am now planning and thinking about the fall—doing more readings for Flare, Corona, doing a “PR for Poets” talk and Q & A with Kelli Agodon over Zoom for her Two Sylvias Daily Muse subscribers. (Here is a link to subscribe—it costs money, but there are free Zoom talks included—Kelli did a poetry generating workshop last month and she’s got speakers like Maggie Smith lined up and a cool newsletter among other things.) I may even run an independent class (I’ve been asked to do it—I just need to figure out what to teach and how to do it online in the best way). It turns out I really like the human connection aspect of doing readings in person again, and I’m actually looking forward to it. Plus, autumn is my best time in terms of energy—the air’s a little colder, the long summer days shorten a little, my favorite foods are in season—and it also seems to be a time when people want to read more and buy books, maybe? Anyway, look for more information on upcoming events coming soon!

I also want to plan to celebrate some things—including Glenn’s graduation with his master’s degree, which he got entirely during the pandemic at Pepperdine University—because I’m realizing it’s important to celebrate things, to take time to feel joy, to do things that make you feel happy. It’s also important to prioritize spending time with people you love. It’s all about balance—the world may pressure us to prioritize everything but resting, catching up with friends, celebrating, wandering through proverbial lavender fields (or actual ones)—but in order to build mental and physical health, creative energy, and a semblance of happiness, we need to prioritize them. Giving yourself time to dream, or do a puzzle, or redo your bookshelves, or read a book you’ve been wanting to get to “just for fun.”  As we head into August, which can be an anxiety-provoking month, the heat, the back-to-school expectations, the knowledge that summer is almost at an end—take a day off from work, or just a weekend morning, to do whatever brings you joy—and plan something you love for September, so you have more to look forward to.