A real-live, in-person literary event
Plus: what I'm reading
I confess I missed last week’s missive because, well, life is really…something right now.
The good news is I have a foster cat who is incredibly sweet, as cuddly as it gets, and follows me around the house constantly asking to hang out. Given that she was found by herself in a dangerous part of town at 8 or 9 months old, having not eaten for days and sick with an infection, then been juggled to several foster care situations, she’s remarkably at ease and insatiably curious. She’s a tiny, resilient ray of silver sunshine.
A Friday reading
I’ve mentioned previously that I host a reading series for Portland writers through the People’s Colloquium. The next reading will take place at 7pm this Friday, November 22 at Up Up Books.
This one is extra special because not one, but two of my writing teachers will be reading, alongside four fantastic local writers.
If you’re in the area, come! Should you need a bribe to leave the house when it’s this dark and rainy, know that there will be wine, fancy snacks, and great conversations with people who love words.
What I’m reading
I’ve been indulging in a lot of escapist literature the past couple of months. I want to share some of my favorite reads (some of which aren’t all that escapist, but which are enjoyable, informative, and interesting. They’re all very different, except that three of them are set in England.
The Fox in his Henhouse by Constance Remillard
Two years ago now, I connected with Constance Remillard through a Facebook group looking for critique partners. I had no idea how lucky I was. Constance’s name is apt, becuase she has been a constant supporter, a commiserator, a deliverer of keenly insightful feedback, and an all-around stellar writing friend, even though we’ve never met in person. Hers was the first historical romance novel I read, and it opened my mind up to the possibilities of the sub-genre. Fox is edgy and intelligently written with complex, realistic characters and a gripping story set in moody Cumberland. I like to say it’s a romance novel for people who don’t like romance novels.
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
For years, I’ve been searching for mythological retellings that are on par with Madeline Miller’s work. She is magic, so it’s been difficult. I’ve started and quickly stopped probably a dozen retellings of various mythologies. When I found Clytemnestra, I was thrilled. Finally! The narrative is engrossing and Clytemnestra is a complex, unapologetic character who’s been overlooked and villainized.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
I did it. I finally read it. I was ready to love this novel as all fancy, literary readers of historical fiction do. It was challenging, but not in the ways literature usually is. The first pages were fantastic and so much of the writing was brilliant, funny, unique. I could have gone for a little more setting and actual names instead of pronouns to reduce confusion, but overall it’s superb writing. Though I knew a fair amount about the Tudors, I found that I learned plenty and enjoyed the realistic details about life in 16th century England.
Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
I’ve avoided reading the the Poldark series because, while I loved the TV show, it’s quite broody and depressing. However, I gave book one a try and found it to be very different. It’s not sunshine and unicorns, but Ross is a much more sympathetic character and things don’t always seem hopeless. The novel feels like a saga of Cornwall and all the people living in it. It’s a time and place with great struggle, but also great community. I encourage you to read if you want general pleasantness that’s not boring.
Keep hoping, keep reading, keep learning.