I often feel like I don't know where to start...

Letters to (and from) the queen's corgis, Oprah's new book club pick and additions to my "currently reading" list.

Here’s what caught my attention this week:

1. I don’t really follow royal family drama, but the death of the longest reigning monarch in British history demands some attention, especially when it brings to light the news that she used to write funny letters in the voices of her corgis. Yep. She wrote letters “from” her dogs, to her relatives (and other dogs). I love this.

2. One of our regular writers at A Very Important Meeting, Lisbeth White, is celebrating the publication of her debut collection of poems: American Sycamore. If you’re in the Port Townsend, WA, area you can catch her reading at Imprint Bookstore on the 25th at 6:30. Congrats Lisbeth!

3. I read a lot more fiction than non-fiction these days. It’s not that I don’t enjoy non-fiction, it just that I often feel like I don’t know where to start. So I was excited to see this list put out by Book Riot. The fact that it starts with Elizabeth Gilbert and Andy Weir sucked me right in, and The Once and Future Witches is at the top of my TBR pile. Bookmarking that page.

4. Heads-up: The New York Times wants to know if you’ve ever tried to meditate, and if so, how it went. It’s interesting to browse through the comments people shared. Makes me curious what the Times intends to do with all that input.

5. If you’re looking to get some writing done before the end of the year, consider joining my upcoming workshop, meeting for 8 Mondays at 1pm PST/ 4pm EST, starting September 26. Each writer will submit twice, up to 5,000 words (20 pages double spaced) with each submission, for positive and constructive feedback (plus a full set of written notes from me). Subscribers of my newsletter get 10% off the enrollment fee of $495. Contact me, leave a comment below, or respond to this email for more info.

6. Oprah announced her new book club pick: That Bird Has My Wings, written by an African American Buddhist man, Jarvis Jay Masters, who has been on death row for 29 years. He’s a PEN Award-winning poet and a student of Pema Chodron. Says Desmond Tutu: “His compelling memoir is a plea for reform, for a common humanity, and I share his hope that this moving story will redouble our efforts to make sure that every child matters.” Amen.

7. Nerd Word of the Week: Velleity ~ a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action. As in: Six-pack abs would be nice, but in truth they are a velleity.

8. This week I added two books to my “currently reading” list: Carrie Soto is Back (because I’ll read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid) and The Mothers by Brit Bennett (because it finally came up on my Libby app).

Happy writing, my friends,

April