Full Sag Harbor set here
I’ve been thinking a little bit about Tayari Jones lately. I’ve never met her in person, though I’ve known her a little bit online for years. (We’ve emailed a few times. There have been tweets. Etc.) Her blog has been really informative and helpful to me. I have read The Untelling, and thought it was fantastic, very subtle and emotionally intelligent, but have not yet read her new book, Silver Sparrow. (Someone who works at the bookstore loves it, and put a nice note about it next to the display, so I’m sure it’s good.)
But what really impresses me about her is just how much that woman has her shit together in terms of being a Professional Writer. She’s a successful academic, she writes all kinds of things that inspire and educate people, and she always seems to be getting residencies and fellowships and all the goodies that everyone else wants.
And watching her ramp up for the launch of this new book has really blown me away. That woman owns her personal narrative, and she has this way of getting people invested in her projects in this really positive, substantive way. (As opposed to those who do it in a cult of personality kind of way, which always kind of grosses me out.) Plus she’s doing something like thirty readings in the new few months alone to promote her book. Thirty readings in a summer! I might do thirty over the course of a year. You have to believe you have something important to say to do that many readings. Confidence is so inspiring.
I just think she’s a good model for all of the aspiring writers out there, and even those of us who have been doing it for a little while. She puts in the work, and she gets results. She makes it seem like she was born to do this.
Related: her She Writes blog.
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I got back from Sag Harbor, I did not want to come back. Understatement. Let’s try this again. I DID NOT WANT TO COME BACK. I had a really nice time with Stefan and Rosie, both of whom I love dearly. The house we stayed in was beautiful, inside and out, with all these charming little nooks and lots of flowers and cheerful birds. The weather was perfect, and the air felt so clean and soft against my skin. Rosie cooked us amazing food: a shrimp boil one night, and the most perfect rosemary-sea salt biscuits ever for breakfast one day. We took early morning walks and sunned ourselves on the beach. We had deep literary talks. We made some decisions. One night I drank too much bourbon and told a few humiliating stories about myself and I tried to do a cartwheel and failed, and the next day Stefan told me I had a “stargasm” because I was oohing and ahhing over the stars so much. Now my skin feels really soft from the fresh air.
I mean, whatever, it was awesome.
But I’m back to work now. I’m freelancing and working on the new book. Kate’s book is coming out next week, and Stefan’s book the week after, and I’m looking forward to celebrating with them, but beyond that I’m going to try and keep my head down, looking at this goddamned computer.
