Nellie, right now.

Updated May 1, 2023

Doing 💪

Touching grass

I've done a ton of writing recently. I've finished an MFA. I've stared for hours at screens.

And now, though I have lots more writing to do, I feel I first need to tend to my own garden (in this case, literally).

Thinking about 🌿

Forgetfulness

I forget lots. And I'm beginning to wonder whether that's less of a weakness than I thought.

"What one seems to want in art, in experiencing it, is the same thing that is necessary for its creation, a self-forgetful, perfectly useless concentration" (Elizabeth Bishop).

Writing ✍️

Finishing a book about Noah's Ark, climate change and other constructed realities

Just finished the the final year of my MFA at Ohio State, which also means it's also the year I draft/finish my two book manuscripts (my promise to myself when I enrolled in the program). This one is about 75% there, but there are days it feels like it'll never be done. Onward!

Reading 📖

Books about prairie dogs

Also: Thanks to the efforts of fabulous archivists (and a grad student who came in clutch), I'm slowly wending my way through Florence Merriam Bailey's journals of her time traveling through Texas and New Mexico. Bailey was a naturalist and ornithologist and her writings are a delight to read (if a little difficult to decipher).

Also: Stephen Markley's novel Ohio.

Recommending 👍

Focusmate

For those of us who have difficulty settling into tasks—even the ones we want to do—Focusmate is life-changing. Basically, the service pairs you with a partner to work with for a set amount of time. You tell your buddy your goals for the session, then you both work silently, then you meet back up at the end to talk through how it went. Simple concept, but...man, does it work.