Notes from a Brief Respite

grief workshops, podcast vids, upcoming events and me exhaling on the east coast with my boy for a few glorious days

oh, hi! i’m in the car for a change!

Good afternoon! This week’s newsletter is of lighter fare THANK GOD. The shit has been HEAVY lately and this newsletter is NOT (entirely!) about grief, death or near death. This month has been so dense with emotional landmines that I’m taking this moment to recalibrate with some previews + housekeeping + announcements.

I flew Archer’s ballot out to him when I was in Boston over the weekend. This will be his first election and one can never be too careful when it comes to ensuring ballots are received. And, yeah, it also happened to be parent’s weekend at his college (something I did not experience last year because I dropped him off at school) but something I was always going to do this year because I did not move him in. I will write a longer form essay about this past weekend and the feelings I was not expecting to have but for now, here is a photo of what it feels like to realize your child is a grown-up … mostly.

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Claire Bidwell Smith and I are (once again!) co-teaching THE LIVING GAZE: a virtual grief writing workshop. And you can read more about it/sign up to join us, here.

Join us for a 3-week online program centered around writing about grief and loss. This experience is open to people who simply want to write to process and also those who are working towards books and publishing. Writing about loss gives us the opportunity to explore our stories and ourselves in profound ways. This program will teach you how to unlock your story, encourage you to write honestly about yourself and your experience, and provide powerful tools to develop a true and lasting writing practice.

Thursdays, November 7th, 14th, and 21st

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm PT / 4:00 - 6:00 pm ET
Course Fee: $299

*Optional 2-hour bonus workshop on December 5th: Path to Publishing (additional fee)

**I offer one-on-one memoir coaching for those who want to work one-on-one after the workshop. Spots are limited and information will be sent post-workshop if that is of interest.

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Next month you can find me…

• Reading at Caitlin Jemma’s record release party on November 21st at Scribble here in LA. The event is hosted by YOU’RE GOING TO DIE (YG2D) a non-profit bringing diverse communities creatively into the conversation of grief, loss and our shared mortality, inspiring a more connected and meaningful experience of being alive. YG2D hosts weekly podcasts, open mics, concerts, workshops and prison, hospice and cancer patient programs. To find more about the work YG2D does, go here.

• Annnnnd a few days later (November 23rd), I will be joining some of my favorite writers at friend and colleague, Meghan Riordan Jarvis’ first annual Grieftastic Book Fair ALSO here in LA at the Luxe Hotel. I’m thrilled to be moderating a panel and will have books on hand as well. (ED: GRIEF PEOPLE ARE THE FUCKIN BEST PEOPLE, you guys. NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO LIVE IT UP like those who are unafraid to talk about death and that is a fact! So even though it might not sound like it, SHIT IS GONNA POP OFF at the Grieftastic bookfair, my dudes! ) Grieftastic coincides with END WELL which I had the privilege of attending last year and highly recommend.

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New Sex & the Single Mom column will drop next week with accompanying zoom link. Last month my ex-boyfriend (“Jake” in All Of This) joined and I HAD NO IDEA what to expect and it was actually really lovely so I’m excited to continue to do this! No idea who my special guest will be next week BUT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT GRIEF AS AN APHRODISIAC, BABY!

*Monthly zooms are a perk of being a paid subscriber so THANK YOU ALL for your paid subscriptions to the braid! YOU ARE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

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My Podcast, NO SHAME just released her third episode featuring Lyz Lenz , author of This American Ex-Wife who is my FUCKING GIRL. I loved every minute of this episode. Lyz writes the MUST READ substack, Men Yell at Me, and if you aren’t already subscribed to her newsletter, well… you probably already are.

Last week’s episode featured Diablo Cody who I also love SO VERY MUCH/ has a must read substack that she cowrites with Jenny Mollen that you should also subscribe to immediately!

And this is an excerpt from Chelsie Diane’s episode. ALSO MY FUCKING GIRL. SO MANY AMAZING WOMEN FUCKING SHIT UP RIGHT NOW WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE. (My producer, Sarah is making these amazing videos and they bring me so much joy!)

If you are listening to NO SHAME and are enjoying what you hear, please subscribe, share with friends and if you have a moment, leave a review!

This podcast is an investment/labor of love from ALL INVOLVED at the moment (as in none of us are making any money from it!) and the hope is that we can start turning a profit and keep recording episodes forever!

To support the pod all you have to do is click subscribe! BOOM and THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! We have recorded so many incredible episodes I can’t wait to share with you and I will be continuing to record through the year with THE MOST AMAZING WOMEN WHOSE WISDOM WILL ENRICH YOUR LIVES. (It certainly has mine!)

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Thank you all for reading, supporting and being the most incredible community in the whole wide world. The braid turns two in a couple weeks and your support of this newsletter quite literally keeps the lights on for me. Thank you, thank you. I love you!