E.B.'s Notes & News: November 2023 🍁🍂🐢
Notes & News: November 2023
There are a lot of hard things about right now: the cold mornings getting colder, the dark nights getting darker earlier, the fact that yet another mass shooting happened with an automatic weapon and nothing was done to prevent it despite warning signs, not to mention everything in Israel and Gaza and how we are likely on the brink of World War III... you know, casual horrific things. A lot of people are struggling and suffering right now. Clearly I am not on top of my game considering how late you all are getting this newsletter tonight. (I know this is coming to you after midnight but I haven't gone to sleep yet so technically the first Friday of the month is not over???)
But I am trying to remind myself about good things too, no matter how small or silly they might seem, because you have to find moments of joy when you can. As the weather has gotten cooler, I was excited to unpack all my scarves again and buy a couple new sweaters. Seymour and Richie and I have some gone on some beautiful and bright classic autumn-in-New-England walks in the woods. I've been reading a lot (see below) because I am spending more time curled up under blankets. There are apple cider donuts. There are people and organizations doing good work. Try to look out for the good things, even if it seems hard sometimes. They are still there under it all, I promise.
Anyway, as always, below you can find what I've been writing, reading, some important causes, my upcoming events, and the many fantastic things my friends and pets have been doing since I last emailed. All good things.
xoxo,
E.B.
People & Places to Support:
It's so hard to even know where to start with Israel and Gaza. I asked friends for some recommended organizations, and here is what they suggested:
American Red Cross is helping people in both Israel and Gaza. Write "Middle East Humanitarian Crisis" in the memo line of your donation and funds will go to both sides.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has also been working in Gaza and Israel for years and is supporting all those impacted.
Human Rights Watch––if you haven't already, watch this video of Tirana Hassan, executive director of the HRW, addressing the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights.
HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) is helping refugees in both Israel and Gaza.
Women Wage Peace in Israel and Women of the Sun in Palestine are two groups of women who have been collaborating to fight for peace.
Squash Bond provides space for Jewish and Arab youth to play sports together, facilitating collaboration and connection.
Writing Notes & News:
A few exciting things relating to Good Grief! First, Good Grief was featured in a recent issue of American Funeral Director magazine. Seriously! I am not making this up! This is something straight out of this Six Feet Under fan's dreams. The article about my book is across from a full page add for a casket-making company. Thanks to journalist Sharon Verbeten for taking the time to interview me and write the piece. You can read the article here and see how it looks in the print magazine itself here.
Second, I was interviewed by Darlene Woodward (of Pant the Town Pet Photography) for One Last Network's podcast in an episode called "The Art of Good Grief." You can listen to the episode here, or wherever else you like to listen to your podcasts. Thanks, Darlene, for taking the time to read Good Grief and speak with me about it, and thanks to the incredible Fran Weil (of Perfect Paws Pet Ministry) for introducing us in the first place!
And, finally, you may remember last summer I did an event with The Order of the Good Death, where I was in conversation with Cat Warren, author of What the Dog Knows. Well now The Order is having a Memento Mori Market, where they are auctioning off many exciting and cool items, including a special package that includes a personalized and signed copy of Good Grief alongside a custom pet portrait drawn by illustrator and artist Landis Blair. Go browse the offerings today! Bidding starts November 10th! A bit more about the auction:
The Memento Mori Market gives you the opportunity to bid on unforgettable death positive experiences for you and your loved ones to enjoy while supporting a good cause. This auction benefits The Good Death Fellowship which is a grant program that supports the people and organizations creating the future of death. You can learn more about the fellowship program and past fellows on our website. Please consider making a donation in support of The Good Death Fellowship at orderofthegooddeath.com/donate. Questions or issues? Email Ericka at ericka@orderofthegooddeath.com.
Plus, the 10th Non-Fiction about Non-Humans interview went up on Fiction Advocate at the end of October! This interview is with Rosanna Xia, author of California Against the Sea, which was published this fall by Heyday Books. I was introduced to Rosanna by Marthine Satris (fellow Wellesley alum!) who always keeps me in the know about the coolest animal and nature authors from Heyday. Check it out! Rosanna is awesome! Don't believe me? Believe Marthine! Plus, you can find all the past Non-Fiction about Non-Human interviews at this link here.
Events Notes & News:
My upcoming events are below, but be sure to check the events page on my website for the most up-to-date information, plus links to recordings of some of my previous events.
UPCOMING 2023 EVENTS:
NOTE: all events are in person unless labeled ***VIRTUAL***
Wednesday 11/15/23, 7pm EST: I will be participating in Literary Death Match at The Brattle Theatre! I’ll be competing against the great Aube Rey Lescure, the amazing Desmond Hall, and the fantastic JD Debris, and being judged by the visionary Nell Scovell (creator of Sabrina the Teenage Witch!!!!!), the brilliant Kellie Carter Jackson, and the hilarious Ken Reid. More info can be found here.
Sunday 11/19/23, 11:30am EST: The Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester is hosting an three-week-long author series, featuring your truly on 11/19, Liz Kinchen, author of Light in Bandaged Places, on 11/26, and Julie Carrick Dalton, author of The Last Beekeeper, on 12/3. Books will be available for sale courtesy of BOOK ENDS Winchester!
Reading Notes & News:
As I said above, I've been spending more time curled up under blankets which means more time for reading!
Since I last emailed you, I finally finished Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby and Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. I read about two different kinds of countries: Holiday Country by Inci Atrek (novel out on 1/9/24, stay tuned for my interview with Inci forthcoming in the Chicago Review of Books!) and Gator Country by Rebecca Renner (nonfiction book out on 11/14/23, stay tuned for my Non-Fiction about Non-Humans interview with Rebecca in January). Plus, I read The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez for my dark books book club. (Trust me, it was very dark.)
I've also been listening to a lot more audio books as I drive to and from Wellesley: Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman, Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, and currently listening to Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver, which was written right after 9/11 but honestly feels extremely timely still in 2023.
Friend Notes & News:
Look at all these amazing things my friends have been doing!!!!!
Melissa Weihmayer had her very first paper published in the Journal of Refugee Studies! So happy for you, Melissa! Check it out, everyone: Multilevel Governance ‘from Above’: Analysing Colombia’s System of Co-Responsibility for Responding to Internal Displacement.
Congratulations to Rachel Barenbaum for Atomic Anna making the long list for the Massachusetts Book Award!
Kea Krause has two different pieces included as notables in The Best American Food Writing 2023 and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023 because of course she does!
Allison "She'll Always Be Ms. Broadwater to Me" Boggess was named TEACHER OF THE YEAR at her middle school!
Annie Harnett has a new novel in the works! The Road to Tender Hearts is coming out in 2025!
Kate Broad's novel Greenwich is also coming out in 2025! Represented by Jade Wong-Baxter at Frances Goldin Literary Agency and to be edited by Wellesley alum Claire Cheek!
Please Write: A Novel in Letters by J. Wynn Rousuck comes out on 11/7/23!
Frankie de la Cretaz wrote an opinion piece for CNN about why there are so few openly gay male athletes in professional sports!
Molly McCaul interviewed Martin Johnson of Boys Like Girls for Vanyaland!
And Tatiana Johnson-Boria's Nocturne in Joy is officially out! I just got my preordered copy today, and it's already being written up in the Boston Globe, so you know it's going to be good!
Menagerie Notes & News:
Annnnnd...... we are down to two pigeons. Maybe I need to stop sending pigeon updates, because it's getting sad. The baby pigeon I wrote about in the October 2023 newsletter did not make it. George and Lucille were not sitting on the nest for some reason, and on one of those first cold nights at the end of October, we think the little guy wasn't kept warm enough and she/he didn't survive the night. Of course Richie and I are both feeling like we should have tried more to intervene and help the baby along, though our philosophy with the pigeons reproducing was to let nature take the wheel. I guess we did. We are learning that animal husbandry is a very different thing than keeping pets.
And then, not long after that, I was feeding the pigeons one Saturday morning and George, our lone remaining female pigeon, snuck around behind me and out the crack in the open door and flew off. She has yet to return, and at this point, we don't think she is coming back. So now I am feeling terrible that my negligence put her in danger, and also I'm just embarrassed that our pigeon numbers have dwindled so much. The current stats are:
We've had eight pigeons total, five were adopted (Bert, Ernie, Lieutenant Dan, George, and Lucille) and three were born at the house (Murray, and the two unnamed babies born while we were in Japan).
Of those eight pigeons, four have flown away (Ernie, Lieutenant Dan, George, and Murray) and two have died (the two unnamed babies).
Our remaining pigeons (Bert and Lucille) are both males and now spend all their time cooing angrily and glaring at each other.
So here we are. We may get more pigeons and maybe try to find new female mates for Bert and Lucille, but, man keeping pigeons is hard, and even more heartbreaking in a way I didn't even realize when I wrote this essay for Salon last summer. We need to spend some time thinking about if we are up for the challenge. Who knew when I was writing Good Grief I would get so much experience with ambiguous loss thanks to a small flock of pigeons?
Anyway, can you spot Seymour in the photo above?