Q&A with Myself
Which, at this big age, is every day of my life
Welcome! It is delightful to me that perfect strangers (and beloved friends) have stumbled into my weird little corner of the internet. I’m glad you’re here! Because we have some new people, I thought today I would put onto paper something that happens every day of my life- me asking myself a litany of questions, often ones I can’t entirely answer. I hope it gives you a better sense of where I’m coming from and why I do this.
Who are you?
I see we are starting with the hard questions. I am a she/her who is what we like to refer to as “middle aged” which, according to the way my body screams when I wake up every day, feels generous. If I needed to describe myself in one word, it would be “student”. I really enjoy learning and learning about people, and I have a handful of (semi-worthless) degrees to prove it. My “careers” (lol, capitalism) have been everything from caterer (I went to culinary school) to political staffer (never ask me about this era) to lawyer (blink and you missed it!) to teacher (hardest job in the world). These days, I am mostly in the “philanthropy” (quotes because I hate this word) and nonprofit sector.
Where do you live?
I have lived everywhere from Charleston, SC to DC to NYC to SF, but I now live in Los Angeles. I grew up in Central Florida (bless!) about a mile from Disney World. It was weird. Los Angeles is not weird, and I think gets a bad rap because everyone associates it with Real Housewives and vapid superficiality. That is part of it, but only a small part. This city is full of dreamers and storytellers - immigrants, artists, writers, radical activists- and I love what is being rewritten here every day. Besides, it’s fine if everyone doesn’t “get” LA - we are overcrowded already and don’t mind if you stay home.
Why did you start this Substack?
I started this Substack, because I like to noodle with my thoughts and have a place to build community. As you know (or will find out), I don’t only write about books, but all sorts of stories. I find the process of creating (in others, and a little in myself) enlivening and exciting. I try to write a post once a week, but I often fail. When I do write, it’s usually a scribble then an edit in the same day (so, there will be mistakes!). This Substack has no goal (I am terrible at self-promotion) other than to share things with all of you and to recognize the mundane and sublime parts of life. I don’t check stats or followers (so, you can unfollow at any time!!!) and I’m not interested in monetizing.
How/why did you become a reader?
I am an only child (though I do have two pretend sisters and a pretend brother1 that I love very much, but they came later in life for me) and grew up in a rural area. Summers were looooong. My mom used to tell me that if I entertained myself until 4pm, she would play a few rounds of Uno with me. So, I read a lot, and books became friends. Plus, all those Personal Pan Pizzas, amirite??
When do you read/how often/where/how much?
When I am on IG or reading Substacks, this is the question I most want to know. In the last few years, I’ve read about 100 books a year. This year, I am at 125, so will probably reach 150. That is a lot. I become suspicious2 when people are reading that many books (or more!) that they are not really reading/understanding/retaining them. I care how about discussing and digesting what I’m reading, so I try not to rush. So…how all those books?
I don’t have a partner, children and barely have a job! I have a lot of time that is my own.
Sample reading schedule: (maybe) 20 minutes first thing in the morning (though I often don’t wake up in time), 60-90 minutes in the middle of the day/lunch, 60-90 minute end-of-the-day Reading Happy Hour (I might nurse a beer or NA drink and nibble my favorite snack, potato chips), 30-45 minutes before bed. Average total reading time per day: 3 hours. (That’s usually around 150 pages for me.)
My favorite spot to read is my little library room in the photo above (where I will probably die in an earthquake because nothing is secured to the wall, but what a glorious finish, no??).
Do you have a favorite genre, author or publisher? What are your favorite bookstores?
Apocalyptic and speculative fiction is my favorite genre. [As an Angeleno, I am legally obligated to mention astrology at least once, here it comes:] As an Aquarius, my whole life is imagining a better future for humanity, but cynically doubting we will ever get there because as individuals, we kind of suck. So, this genre speaks to me. Authors: I love Jesmyn Ward, Ross Gay, Kiese Laymon, Julia Phillips, Elaine Castillo, Samantha Irby, Mary Oliver - just to name a few. Publishers: I find I read a lot of Riverhead, things that Chris Jackson edits at One World and Milkweed for poetry.
My favorite bookstores are Exile in Bookville in Chicago (on the second floor of a historic building on the Magnificent Mile and FILLED with great employee recs and treasures), the Strand in NYC (I can’t resist those wrapped mystery books, and they can literally find almost anything there), Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle (the space is spectacular and the layout is organized to make finding books easy) and Book & Bottle in St. Pete, FL (this place is so charming, they are so kind, and they are repping queer culture and diverse authors hard in the middle of Ron DeSantis land).
Do you listen to audio books?
I don’t really listen to audio outside of the occasional nonfiction book. I am not an auditory learner and books being read don’t translate well for me. I also love podcasts (somehow, the conversational format helps me focus more), so much of my listening time is reserved for those.
Oh, ok! Tell us your favorite podcasts?
Well, obviously the Stacks with
. Traci has changed my whole bookish life with her pod and the community of friends she’s opened up to me. Getting to know her IRL is truly a dream for me (though she will be mad I am saying this, because she likes me better when I’m mean to her and keeping her on her toes).I am an enormous Vibe Check fan - this podcast speaks to my soul in its mix of high/low, politics/pop culture. Sam/Zach/Saeed modeling friendship every week is a gift.
99% Invisible is a long-running podcast on the hidden design elements of the world. The back episodes are stronger, but I still love it.
Reckon True Stories with Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon aired ten episodes of GENIUS this year. Nerd heaven for readers/writers alike.
When I just want a laugh, I love Keep It! with Louis Virtel and Ira Madison III. They have such a funny dynamic and the show is full of zingers. Louis knows EVERYTHING about film history and Ira is the charming cynic I long to be. I’ve never listened without LOLing.
What else do you do when you’re not reading?
I watch a lot3 of TV and movies (which you’ll hear about if you stay around) and love going to comedy shows (a recent development since moving here). Being active is a big part of my life. I’ve been a runner since I was a kid, and, as is mandated by law in LA County, I love to hike. I also have a great trainer, who married a great trainer, and a delightful gym boyfriend and for an hour on M/W/F, I laugh with the 3 of them while lifting big weights.
Do you have other hobbies?
Hmm…why are you pushing this. Do you think I need more of a life?? I also like to travel? If you follow me on IG, you know I LOVE a bougie hotel.
(This question is from
) I know you travel a lot. What are some favorite places to read when you travel?My absolute favorite place to read is pictured above - a window seat in a Crosby Street Hotel room in NYC on a rainy/snowy day. But, I also love a streetside table in a cafe with a glass of wine and attention 1/2 on the book, 1/2 on the people watching. My favorite hole-up-and-read spot outside of home is Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington state. That’s all you’re getting here. Follow me on IG for the real travel moments.
Also, if you like to travel and also love books, there is no better Instagram to follow then Booked Trips. My friend Jalisa is killing it with her women’s book travel business.
Where do you get book news and information from and who do you talk about books with?
Besides the aforementioned
and and the whole Stacks Pack in general, I love and Fiction Matters’ book club. I participate in the So Many Damn Books book club, which is small but mighty and selects really lively books. And I’m obsessed with Alta Magazine’s CA Book Club.I don’t really “do” Bookstagram, but I do have a lot of book people I enjoy:
annotatewithsara Sara is BRILLIANT and the best close reader I know. And the fun part is - I do get to know her!! We are for real friends! Check out her blog and subscribe to get smarter.
arisbookcorner I got to meet Ari at the New Orleans Book Festival, and we quickly became hi/lo friends because we both like trashy tv and excellent books. Ari is an artful used bookstore comber and reads all sorts of backlist I’ve never been exposed to before. Her IG is a wonderland for me, opening up new nooks and crannies all over the book world.
jcgreen_reads has been so kind to me - introducing me to new people and being a sounding board for feelings4 about the Booker and NBA longlists this season.
deedireads hosts a Booker-of-the-Month book club (we just had the first one on My Friends) which is fantastic.
shelfbyshelf clues me in to lots of backlist and other titles I might miss and is always able to find the best in books.
bernie.lombardi is my go-to for translated lit suggested and all non-US titles.
lupita.reads is the OG and THEE source for Latine writers. Fun fact: we met at a DC Public Library event almost a decade ago (before I knew what bookstagram was) and she made such an impression on me, even then!
There are so many more people I love to go to for book advice and talk, but I’d be remiss not to mention my original bookish friend, Micah. We have not only shared book talk for 20+ years but we once shared an Entertainment Weekly subscription! (RIP, print magazines) A joy of my life is having years of backlist in common with someone. Love ya, Westy.
Because I am so good at talking to myself, this post really got away from me! I have more questions for me, but let’s stop here. I hope this was fun and it gives you a little more background about the person behind these posts. Thanks for giving me someone to imagine on the other end of these missives! I’m glad you stopped by.
They are not imaginary, they are just much younger than me and have different parents. So, it’s not the people who are pretend, it’s the genetics. Regardless, they are stuck with me for life, baby.
Please note, I DEFINITELY have trust issues.
Like…all of them?
Especially BAD feelings about Orbital, haha.
Um hi hello this was a dream. Well actually my true dream is gabbing with you over drinks in some gorgeous locale and then a bunch of dogs come by and we pet them and then we run into Kristen Stewart. But this q&a with you is a close, close second. Thank you for being my friend. I am so grateful!
I will allow this small bit of kindness. 😘😘😘