What if I told you that the woods are not metaphors?
A look into my life & life’s work.
Lovers & friends,
Whew. That’s all I can say. It is 93 degrees in Austin, Texas, and I was in two time zones today. Over the past 6 weeks, I’ve been touring for my new memoir, Pretty and I’m grateful to see people and talk about the work and read from it; I am, but I am so, so tired. Depression is pressing down hard on my chest these days, too, so bear with me.
The thing that has been especially interesting are the trees. But let me tell you more after these messages.
Pretty has gotten some splashy reviews over the past month :) namely with GLAAD, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Star Tribune, Reverie Books, Bay Area Reporter, and many others. Check out all the blurbs here. Tbh, I am most proud of the heartfelt ones I get from readers. <3
I’ve had MANY interviews — with Vogue, Barnes & Noble’s podcast, GLAAD, Split Lip Magazine, Gays Reading podcast, Liberation is Lit podcast, Penguin Random House audio, KOOP 91.5, and many more! Turns out I love to yap.
Pretty has gotten picked for a few book clubs! Thank you to The Little Gay Book Club, Pride in Black ATX, and the Scribble app <3 (I’m ALWAYS down to come talk to a book club. Just contact me.)
Barnes & Noble included Pretty on their Best Reviewed Books of June 2024 list! It is also very cool that Pretty is up on Book Marks, a page I regularly stalk for up-to-date reviews on books I’m thinking of reading.
I’ve got two tour stops left — one in San Antonio, TX with Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson and another in Decatur, GA with Neesha Powell-Ingiabire. Come see me? <3
I’m now represented by The Shipman Agency for speaking engagements. See my cute webpage and book me for fall 2024 readings, workshops, keynotes, etc here.
OK! Now where was I?
Honestly, promoting a memoir has not been easy. Though I am hella grateful for what I have gotten thus far, because a new list, review, interview, social media post comes out every day that your book is *not* on, it’s hard! It’s also hard to feel like a brat (hey Charli XCX) for mentioning it! On one end, it’s quite rewarding to see what you’ve worked hard for come to fruition; publishing a book is not a small deal! On another, you’re annoyed every time you’re in an airport, and you’re feeling defeated when yet another reviewer passes you up because, simply put, you’re not famous enough to command their attention. I put together the frustration of being an author in 2024 more succinctly in this TikTok:
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As you can see, I am not always having a Baja Blast.
But nevertheless, there have been things I’ve really loved over the past few weeks, namely the natural world, and how much more I’ve felt connected to it in passing — while sitting on a train in NYC or walking down a street in Chicago or waiting for a friend to meet me on the pier in San Diego. I’ve been writing the nastiest little poetry — just the worst groupings of sentences and metaphors — but I feel really proud of this tanka. I don’t think it’ll ever get published anywhere, so I’ll copy/paste it here.
Tanka Poetica
What if I told you
the woods are not metaphors;
the dark brown, the prick
ly, repellant and aloof
to human touch. Instead, look.
It’s a bit too simple for the “refined” taste of literary America, but it’s true to how I’ve been feeling. What if I — and other writers — had more time to render a concrete image, to sit and really look at something, rather than being so gogogo about our work? Anyway, I’m looking forward to the quiet I will have in August. (Don’t worry: I’ll still send a newsletter, but it’ll likely be short & sweet). Anyway, what have you looked at lately? What do you do when you are still? Let me know in the comments.
That’s it, for now. Till next time!
Love, Peace, & Chicken Grease,
KB