annemarie’s blog
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creative space
A thing I’ve known about myself for a long time is that I am a limited resource. I love to do lists, categorizing things, and thinking about process, so I’ve got a solid working theory on how to do stuff. A lot of people look at my life – real or social media – and…
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just thinking
Twitter reminded me yesterday that one of the worst things to do is fall prey to despair. I’m really good at it, though; I usually freeze and give up in the face of danger, as opposed to fight or flee. But in the case of this particular catastrophe of ecological destruction, that isn’t helpful. I…
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we suck
I am so afraid, all of the time. I have three kids and I don’t think they’re going to get to have anything resembling the life I have. Definitely not a life like my parents’. We are all fucked. I have this little fantasy of my old age that I can’t bring myself to write…
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like a rock
My neck has been a real jerk since my birthday six weeks ago. I’ve been trying to keep doing all my usual stuff in spite of it, because I know from my back issues that not using it just makes it worse, but it’s not getting better either. So I went to physio yesterday. It…
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cozy stories
I’m on a cozy mystery kick lately. My top three: Agatha Christie (the master), Miss Fisher, and Flavia de Luce. I like them because I can read them really quickly, and they tick one of my favourite boxes: “wasting” a big chunk of time on a book. Since I learned to read I have loved…
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earth day
It’s a deep breath, this time between the never ending impossible frost and the scorching oven. I inhale it deeply, and it makes me sneeze, the uncovered rotten leaves, the new pollen, the smell of wet dirt. The frozen air hurt my lungs and made me cough. The baking air will make me sweat. But…
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ideas
I’m on hiatus from novel-writing these days. I’m struggling a lot with the system of publishing; it seems like there are so many people trying to get in that there is no room for people like me with no connections and no previous distinction. I write okay short stories but not award-winning ones, so I…
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memory
I drove down Academy in our ready-for-baby four-door beige sedan listening to Peter Gabriel as loud as I could stand it, crying. I thought, this will be the last time I can do this. Ever. I remember laughing when the tall ristretto hazelnut latte kicked in and we could see it kick in for the…
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news
I don’t have any query news. Poor Imogen is languishing, waiting to hear back from various people about how she’s “not a great fit” or whatever. But I do have other news: I’ve started another novel! I’m quite excited about it. The feel for this one is summer, beachy, and gay af. Very different from…
Got any book recommendations?