Things I Loved in July and Looking Ahead
Monthly Digest | July 2024
Hello and welcome to Notes from the Town Hermit, a haven for the overthinkers and deep-feelers who search for reasons why life should be worth living. These letters are a labour of love, so if you have the means and want to sponsor my writing, please upgrade.
PLEASE NOTE: this letter may be truncated by your email provider. Open on a browser or in the app to read the whole thing.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Are you a writer of Asian descent? Take advantage of this publishing opportunity, hosted by Yours Truly: Asian Writers’ Collective. Subscribe to find and read more work by Asian authors!
BORING HOUSEKEEPING: I’ve created a separate section for these monthly digests. If you’re overwhelmed by multiple emails, you can now opt out of all except this one. These posts will always have a list of everything I have sent out throughout the month. Click the button to manage your subscription and under “Notifications,” simply toggle to the emails you’d like to receive from me.
Special Mentions
Thank you to
, , and for recommending Notes from the Town Hermit to your readers.Thank you,
for becoming a paid Inkling! And also a very, very special thank you, , for also upgrading even through many trials and battles with ogres. Your friendship and generosity mean the world to me.
Dear Inklings,
Is it just me, or does everybody get more sluggish in the middle of summer? I’ve also been on the edge of a cold for a couple weeks. Please, dear lord, don’t let me get sick again. I swear, the balance between wanting to have a life and not wanting to be confined to bed with deathly illness is so thin, I could be a tightrope walker.
This month, we melted from the California heat, took a day trip up to Los Angeles to see godsisters, and took part in a local nonprofit’s biggest volunteer event of the year. It’s been a full month.
Also, a happy reminder that the Lord of the Rings reading challenge will take place in September! It’s going to be amazing. There’s a separate section for it, so you can opt in or out as you choose.
In this post, I share three TV shows I enjoyed—it was a TV series month. With paid members, I talk about what I’ve been up to instead of writing, my plans for the next two months, and how things are going with my editor.
For Everyone
For Paid Inklings
Fiction
Elsewhere
I was honoured that my piece, “Home in the Spaces Between,” was featured by
for their July round-up of excellent BIPOC writing, along with , , , and . Take a look here, and check out the other talented writers.
I was also asked to guest post for
’s awesome Lord of the Rings publication, which was such an honour! I love Josh’s newsletter. The essay I wrote here is also part of the first post for my LOTR reading challenge in September, so if you want a preview of what it’s going to be like, take a look:
Finally, the short story co-written with my late son, Ren, “The World Dies First” was featured by
on Top in Fiction. I’m grateful to Erica for highlighting fiction writers on a platform that favours nonfiction.
(* indicates a reread/rewatch)
📺 A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Poppy Cogan, 2024). So.. I binged this in one night, staying up way too late, and regretting my life choices the next morning. I never read the book this series was based on, so I can’t compare the two. But a story about a murder mystery, featuring sister relationships, adorable friend groups, and a double twist? It was a fun watch.
🎧 Harry Potter and the Sacred Text (Vanessa Zoltan & Casper Ter Kuile, 2016-present). I don’t really consider myself a Harry Potter fan, but I do enjoy this podcast. It’s engaging, and invites listeners to look at the text in new ways, then connect it with their own lives. That’s how I approach my book reviews here, so I’m getting some inspiration from this! They discuss each chapter through the lens of one theme.
💻 Busy Toddler (Susie Allison). I lived off of Susie’s Instagram when E was a toddler for the creative and low-cost activity ideas. Now that we are transitioning to partial homeschooling and El is needing more stimulation, I’m back on her site for ideas on how to keep the little one occupied while teaching the older one. Ah, the juggling. Autumn will be interesting, that’s for sure.
📺 The Legend of Zhen Huan (Zheng Xiaolong, 2011)*. This historical Chinese show of political intrigue and drama tells the story of Zhen Huan’s rise to power as the Empress Dowager Chongqing, mother of the famous Qianlong Emperor. A young, innocent concubine, Zhen Huan learns that to survive the scheming and backstabbing in the palace, she must use all her wits. I like this series for its focus on the cleverness of women, on Zhen Huan rather than her more famous son; I especially love Zhen Huan’s unwavering friendship with Shen Meizhuang, her childhood companion and fellow concubine. This plays in the background while I cross-stitch or fold laundry.
📺 The Killing Kind (Zara Hayes & Jonathan Stewart, 2023). You know what? I’m going confess that I’m unabashedly biased toward anything with precious Irish Muffin, Colin Morgan, in it. Anyways, this is a perfectly bingeable mini-series about a male stalker in the style of a reverse Fatal Attraction. I didn’t binge it, having grown into my big girl responsibilities, but I very much enjoyed watching sweet Colin playing a stalker psychopath.
🛒 Fancy Embroidery Scissors (Amazon). I wish this wasn’t on Amazon, but sigh. I’ve been using my bulky everyday scissors for my cross-stitching projects for years. They work, and no, I didn’t need fancy little scissors, but these are so sharp and compact. Snipping thread has never been more enjoyable. Also, this hilarious Amazon review tipped me over: “Take it from me -- YOU NEED THESE SCISSORS!! Not only do all women deserve a bit of pampering in the midst of these awful times, a small spot of gleaming silver (or gold) to make up for the dreariness and privation -- we need good tools, sharp tools to get our work done. And these little scissors do both. Go forth and treat yourself (or someone you love). You deserve it!”
📽️ How to Write Short Stories (Brandon Sanderson/Mary Robinette Kowal, 2020). I am not a YouTube-watcher. It took
weeks to get me to watch this lecture, even though she said it would change my life. We’ll see about life-changing, but anyways, it’s super good. Like, I-can’t-believe-this-is-available-for-free good. Mary breaks down the short story structure and walks you through it step by step. By the end of the 45 minutes, you’ll have written a 250-word piece of flash fiction (or if you’re Brandon Sanderson, 650 words). Amazing.
Articles I enjoyed reading lately-
Beautiful essays by
who wrote about identity and refusing to be boxed into one, with on writing through her husband’s rare and incurable disease. and ’s reflection on death, memory, and celebration through life’s hills and valleys. wrote a deeply personal piece about his writing journey and coming out as trans, and shared one of the most beautiful love stories about her friendship with Kate which had me going, “Wow.” never fails to crack me open with her writing, but this one about wanting to be good enough for her mother is heartbreakingly exquisite. posted an essay listing the reasons to stay alive, reminding me of the times Ren and I used to create such lists when life felt overwhelming.In culture and society,
wonders if her Asian culture made her depressed, wonders about “the more the merrier” attitude toward friendships, and discusses the nuances of human nature explored in Inside Out 2. thinks we should worry more about how closely we watch each other than the big tech companies.On Substack and writing,
’s interview with on her Substack journey resonated with me a lot in many ways as I’ve been reflecting on my own. gives his suggestions for how to self-promote without selling your soul. ’s points about why Substack posts aren’t the same as writing a book are why I’m still going to publish my books after serialisation (hint: it’s about art form and ownership). shares thoughts and advice on best writing practices and mindsets around submitting your work.
