goodbye summer
Hello!
Besides the heatwave we are experiencing in the Northeast, summer is beginning to feel like a fading memory. I have started back teaching at the local university. One kid is back at college, and the others in into their fall schedules. This summer was intense! My one son was in a professional Shakespeare show, which meant daily rehearsals. I taught my usually international students (online), and for some crazy scheduling reason, I found myself leading early morning book clubs on To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at the same time. I am looking forward to a much more regular schedule this fall.
I plan to wrap up edits on my novel. I am also writing a book proposal with a friend. And I am reading and meditating daily. I also just sent a bucket of poop to Cologuard for cancer screening! (yay 50!).
I just read Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. It is a perfect novella. If you are looking for something deep and moving but readable in a night, this is it. Thanks to Jenn Fischer for sending it my way.
No recipes to share this month; I am eating BLTs with tomatoes from the garden, homemade salsa, vinegary salad, and cinnamon toast every morning
The best movie I watched this month was Alice (1988). An amazing, surrealist version of Alice in Wonderland, this film feels as dark as the book seems when I read it.
What are you looking forward to this fall? Any recommendations to share? Send them my way!
xo,
Amy
I wanted to share a few virtual classes I am leading this fall.
Syllabus (online)
Join me for an interactive and generative 2-hour workshop on Thursday, September 28, 6-8 EST. We will discuss the idea of the autodidact’s syllabus and why we might want to create one for each season. We will dive into the components of the syllabus and learn how to create as specific or open document as each student needs. A syllabus is a container, much like a vision board, but with actionable steps, including objectives, timelines, resources, and evaluation techniques. If this sounds too goal-oriented or intense, please know the structure is open to every iteration. You can be as literal or ephemeral based on YOUR needs.
Class time will be devoted to brainstorming, sharing resources, and writing our syllabus. You will leave with a complete (or nearly complete) working document to help you articulate and carry out your intentions for the next few months. This is one of my favorite exercises! I hope you will join us!
Lit Witches: Crafting Subversive Narratives with Allison Ellis at Hugo House (online)
The witch archetype abounds in literature. From self-identifying mythical witches to self-reliant female protagonists in the works of Ariel Gore, Maryse Condé, Elissa Washuta, and others, witches serve as subversive shapeshifting badasses, mirroring ideas around feminism, domesticity, power, and social change. We'll analyze across the canon while building our own definitions. Expect to delve deep into the art and craft of creating witchy narratives and come away with at least two new stories, essays, or longer scenes.
Let’s Build a House at Hugo House (online)
Are you fascinated by houses and what goes on inside them? In this class, we will survey depictions of homes in literature while considering how rooms can work in our writing. This generative class will help build domestic spaces in your work, whether you're working on scenes for a novel or personal spaces in memoir. Expect discussion of a wide range of texts, in-class generation, and to leave class with blueprints for essays, short stories, and scenes.
