It has been a week. The news cycle continues to be a horror show, so we all have this extra layer of angst when we were already angsty enough with our regular lives. This is a very strange time to be a human being. I’m lucky to have so many wonderful human beings in my life who keep me sane.
Quote of the week:
“Although I am typically a loner in daily life, my consciousness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty and justice has preserved me from feeling isolated.” —Albert Einstein
What I’m reading:
I’m just about to finish The Most by Jessica Anthony. It’s about a 1950s housewife who goes for a swim in her apartment complex’s pool and doesn’t want to get out. Such a weird and delightful little story.
What I’m listening to:
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. I’d never heard of this book before and am so glad I discovered it. It has “Handmaid’s Tale” and “Silo” vibes. Really good.
What I’m watching:
White Lotus Season 3. Loving it so far. I have a couple episodes left in the Senna limited series. It’s about Ayrton Senna, arguably one of the best F1 drivers of all time. He died in a crash in 1994.
Writing news:
I had some last-minute edits for Woman on the Verge, and just got a bunch of notes from my literary agent on my 2026 novel (which is due to my publisher in a month, so I have to get moving). Working on back-to-back novels while living through a constitutional crisis/democratic collapse, having a full-time job, training for a marathon, and being a single mom is not something I would recommend. It’s been a very hectic time.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- 44% of all single-family home purchases in 2023 were from private investors. I think it’s about time to eat the rich
- From 2016-2021, we globally consumed over 75% of what we did for the entire 20th century
- Penicillin was first called “mold juice”
- All mammals get goosebumps
What I’m grateful for:
- My daughter’s nightly song-and-dance performances
- A half-marathon PR! I was hoping to PR the Ventura Half by a few minutes, but was feeling really off on race day. I managed an 8-second PR. I’ll take it
- A little getaway (to Ventura) with my boyfriend. We rarely get consecutive days together so this was nice
- A redemptive long run today. Every other week, I doubt my ability to run Boston in April, but I think I’ll make it
- Making progress on a big work project that is taking up A LOT of time
- My literary agent, Margaret Riley King. She puts so much time into reading my work and gives such thorough and thoughtful feedback. I have some big edits ahead of me, but the book will be better
Snapshots:
From top to bottom: Post-half marathon selfie—very sweaty, wearing my daughter’s heart necklace she gave me for good luck; watching my dog sleep peacefully calms me on stressful work days; been chasing lots of trains lately; long runs during Cali winters are my favorite.
