6 Writing-Adjacent Things and a Query

My dad wrote a book!

Friends!

I don’t have a full newsletter in me this week—my kids have a four-day weekend for Eid, so I’m putting together little pieces of work time and trying to transition to a slightly slower summer mode (it doesn’t always come easy!)

So in no particular order, six things that might be worth your time and attention today.

1. My Coolest Project Yet

Let me introduce you to my dad—the legendary Paul Clancy. For the past several years, I’ve been working on anthologizing fifty years of his poetry, song lyrics, and art into a single volume. And it’s finally out!

This might be the coolest project I’ve ever worked on—I’d love for you to pick up a copy, or give one to any of the poets, hippies, or wanderers in your life.

This gorgeous cover was designed by none other than Jim Baker

From the back cover:
Ask yourself: “but how the heck did it get this way?” Pondering Minds is the multifaceted, weird, and genre-transcending brainchild of New York-born, Austin-based musician and poet Paul Clancy. At once a tale of his travails hitchhiking across the United States in the late 1970s and a chronicle of late-night subway rides away from ten dollar rooms in Hoboken, Clancy’s memoirs reveal a cross-section of American life and love at the tail end of a freewheeling era. This unique collection of fifty years of songs, poems, art, and original journal entries exchanges the grit of the road for backyard encounters with squirrels, opinions about rocks, and an exposition on the Problem of Stupid Heads today. Whether you too were a hippie now in search of nostalgia for bygone days, or are a budding songwriter or poet looking for inspiration, Pondering Minds will leave you asking of a former world hidden just a scratch beneath the surface, “where the heck did it go?”

My dad, his book, and his grand dad’s Martin guitar.

2 and 3. Supporting Independent Artists is Fun

I sent myself this postcard reading “No Is a Complete Sentence” from a printmaker in Cornwall because I thought it was an important reminder to add to my work space. Isn’t it gorgeous? You can send one to yourself too.

AND What’s cuter than a cat reading a book? A graphic of your cat reading your book. I was unreasonably excited to commission this for my dad’s book.

Art is fun! It makes your life happier! Support artists who are doing fun things!

4. The Kids Might be Alright After All

My son had his middle school orientation today (ahhh!!!). Applying to NYC middle schools is more complicated than applying to grad school was back in my day. Cy was accepted into a really great creative writing program that he’s really excited (but a bit nervous) about.

His homework for the summer? Learn to write in cursive, because all of their journal entries will be in cursive—not printed or typed. Read anything you want, because great readers become great writers, and keep a notebook nearby to jot down ideas of what might make great stories.

Homework for parents? Read The Gift of Failure and to stop putting so much pressure on our kids.

I couldn’t love any of this more.

5. University Presses Need Our Support

As you’re writing your fall syllabi, this Bluesky thread from an editor at Duke University Press about the state of university publishing is worth your attention. University presses need our support, or they’ll die. Instead of assigning a pdf, consider encouraging your students to buy whole books! Most publishers these days are simultaneously releasing paperbacks and hardcovers, so assign the $17.99 book and order a few hardcover editions for your library to put on reserve.

6. The Creepiest Thing You’ll Read This Week

On a less optimistic note… this is worth reading til the very end - it’s a Black Mirror episode and your friend’s worst ex-boyfriend wrapped up in one ChatGPT exchange.

QUERY!

I’m about to spend a month in Europe, and I need a summer reading list. What are you reading that I should read? In particular—

• fiction, especially any series that let me hang out in the same world/with the same folks for a while;

• non-fiction, especially that have a strong storyline (one of my clients is looking for examples of books that are organized around a narrative, so you’ll be helping her too!)

• anything else that you haven’t stopped thinking about.

Comment, email me, let me know on Slack!

xoxo

Kelly

What’s going on around here

Important announcement! For the first time in three years, the Friday writers’ room will be closed for the summer after the June 20th session. Watch this space for an announcement about it’s grand reopening and an end-of-summer writing sprint.

Editing: It’s been a busy summer so far! We’re closed to new projects through mid-August. Look out for announcements about getting on our fall editing calendar, the fall writers’ circles, and more!