PUP CUPS, MAGIC ATTICS, AND MATERNAL INSTINCTS

LIFE OF A BOOKMAN

Bookman: 1. a person who has a love of books and especially of reading. 2. a person who is involved in the writing, publishing, or selling of books. Oh, hi that's me!!

Groundhog Husband: The novel The Husbands by Holly Gramazio imagines a world where a new husband comes out of the attic anytime Lauren, the protagonist, sends him up there. I got about halfway through this novel and put it down, mainly because I didn't feel there was anything at stake for our main character. It's still on my nightstand, but I don't think I'll be picking it back up to finish. Did anyone read this? Does anyone disagree? However, if you're a lover of ground-hog day or 50 First Dates, maybe this is your kind of novel!! It's very readable, albeit a revolving door(attic) of a plot.

What I've been writing: So I've been struggling wanting to write Evangeline. I don't know why. I can't make a ton of sense of it, other than Daisy required so much of me, of my writing life, and then didn't sell to a major publisher (the goal). And I started Evangeline so we could sell Daisy with her...to a publisher (the new goal). And I actually think the pressure (or expectation?) has been getting in the way of me WANTING to write. So a few weeks ago, I asked myself, what do I want to sit down and write right now? The first thing that came up was the first story of an episodic, half-true dating memoir (because there are two sides to every story). I've been toying with this book for a while, called DICKSTREP (lol sorry, mom). Memoirs are impossible to sell in the market right now, which I think is why I wanted to start writing it. Because I'm not writing it to get a book deal, it's something that I actually just want to f*cking write. Anyways, I finished the first chapter/episode and was engulfed by my love of writing :)

THEN, over Thanksgiving, I rode this “i love writing” energy and asked what else I've been dying to write but haven't because “it won't sell”? Jackie, my volleyball icon book, came up loud and clear. The problem is that I've been told in no uncertain terms, this book won't sell to publishers. Sports books? Women's sports book? Apparently, not what the market is looking for. So I've been sitting and waiting for someone to see what I see: that this story is INSANE and SEXY and DRAMATIC and INSPIRING (soooo inspiring). That this proposal is a book you want to buy because it's truly a movie-worthy story...and thus, I had my answer. Let's teach myself screenwriting and start adapting the story I've been working on for two years, dying to write but can't get interest in it as a book....so let's write it as a screenplay. And anyways, I've been shoulder deep the last two weeks writing out the first act and 1) this medium is hard, maybe because it's just entirely different and new and 2) I love Jackie and this story so so so much 3) I love writing.

I've spent most of 2025 feeling really undisciplined because I wasn't making real progress on Evangeline. And this last month has made me realize that it wasn't me...and it wasn't Evangeline...it's just that I need a break to write whatever the f*ck I want right now without worrying who will like it, acquire it, buy it, publish it. It's such a trope, but I really did need to get back into the love of creating, not the love of the outcome.

WOMEN’S STUDIES

What gets passed down becomes our history.

My favorite gifts for women who love words, Birdy's 3rd Annual Gift Guide. My friend Pamela graciously included me in her annual gift guide, and I curated some faves for the bookman in your life. You might come for my recommendations, but be sure to stay for my friend Libbie's “Eat My Christmas Stocking” guide. The other wonderful people included in this round-up made for a comprehensive treasure chest of gift ideas for anyone on your list!

How to holiday like a filmmaker. I almost deleted this email from my favorite writer/director/filmmaker Ava Duvernay, and I'm so glad I didn't. It was a lovely, funny, and wise take on how to navigate the holidays, especially family gatherings.

Guillermo de Torro's Frankenstein This movie (which was pretty good!!!) sent me in an absolute RABBIT HOLE on what Mary Shelley, the author of the original book Frankenstein, was actually thinking and meaning when she wrote it. Because all of our “great film adaptations” of her story are by men. But how would a modern woman interpret Shelley if she was making her own movie? That's what I want to know. I stopped by my local book store to get the original, but they didn't have it. So I'm Vespa'ing around today to see who does. I can't shake the feeling that the answer would parallel quite nicely to what reporter Kara Swisher has been saying about the men creating AI; they're obsessed with growing “intelligence” because they can't give birth. I need the think pieces on this feminist interpretation of Frankenstein...if you have one, send it!! So far I've read about 90 academic pages lolol

The Last Invention Speaking of AI, this podcast series is good (and scary??). It recounts the timeline of how we got here, to an arms race in creating general intelligence. I include it here because of the poignancy of how the only time a creature that is less smart, and less powerful has command over something more smart, and more powerful, is a baby. Maternal instincts keep babies in the driver seat. And if we're going to live in a world where artificial intelligence is smarter than us, it would behoove us to grow that intelligence with maternal instincts, who cares about our wellbeing!

Other stray links: I've been rewatching Homeland because omg Claire Danes. What a fantastic first season of TV. I didn't do much “Black Friday” shopping, but I did finally break down and buy Gruns, because so many of the women in my life swear by them? Stay tuned. Mejuri has my favorite ring on sale, which me and two besties own in different colors, grown up friendship rings baby!!

PASS IT ON

Stories are heirlooms. Here's one of mine: I...a grown ass woman...hosted a birthday party for my sweet angel of a dog Skye. Because that's who I've become!!! And I love me!! And most especially, I love Skye.

Jokes aside, Skye's birthday fell on FND: which is a standing weekly dinner date with two of my closest friends in San Francisco, and we knew their kiddos would love a reason to celebrate. We got cupcakes, we got pupcakes (whipcream and bacon, of course) and Skye's boyfriend Goose came! We had wine in plastic cups looking out at the sunset over Golden Gate bridge. It was true joy all around.

Because give me a reason to celebrate, and I will take it.

Woman on xx