You Know What We Call That?

Listen to Your Body

All right, so boom: I was so hype about being back in Chicago as a sort of full circle moment that I had put all these grand plans in my head to catch up with all kinds of folks who deeply impacted my time in the city when I was just a baby writer who quit her fancy IT job to be an artist. As the trip got closer, the list got cut by A LOT in terms of who I’d be able to see and what I’d be able to do while I was there. Now mind you, I was in town to teach for the amazing Story Studio Chicago as part of their dynamic StoryBoard Conference and Festival. The schedule was packed with what turned out to be excellent workshop days with a generous and talented group of memoir and personal essay writers, engaging social activities coordinated by the always poppin’ Ananda Lima, and opportunities to connect with the Chicago literary community with panels and craft talks. And this ain’t even counting the beautiful night of storytelling that was You’re Being Ridiculous, where I got to share one of the stories from my memoir collection (Thank you so much, Jeremy Owens for inviting me!). Did you read all that? Yeah. That’s a lot, right? And lest you forget, NEWBORN (Zaria isn’t considered a newborn anymore, so it’s more like INFANT, which even though we’re getting more sleep, we ain’t really getting more sleep, however the hell that works out).

Anyway, by the time I got to Chicago, and got into the groove of the affirming and abundant week of writers being all writerly and lovely, that list of folks I wanted to see got even smaller. Not because I didn’t want to connect but because I grossly underestimated my capacity and have learned from all sorts of people who love me (many of them in Chicago) that listening to your body is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

So, the week in Chicago was most definitely a full circle moment, marking exactly twenty years to the month since I quit that fancy IT job to be a writer, but it was also an opportunity to really see myself as the person I am now versus who I was then. I’ve learned A LOT about myself and who I want to be in the world since that fateful summer of 2005, and the most beautifullest thing about returning to Chicago is that so many of the people who love me really see me for me and always want what’s best for me, whether they get a chance to see me or not. You what I mean?

I wish that kind of love for all of you.

Parking Garage or Parking Structure?

Does anyone else say “Parking Structure” instead of “Parking Garage?” I realized that most folks use “garage,” which I ain’t mad at but I’m trying to figure out why I say “structure” to mean multi-level, enclosed parking and only think of garages as the single and two-car variety behind and beside houses. Is it a Midwest thing? A Milwaukee thing? Somebody tell me something!

Speaking of structures though, I’m teaching a workshop on the hermit crab essay structure for my loves at The Porch! It’s been a minute since I’ve taught an online get-down with them and I miss them all the time so it feels really, really good to be sharing this offering. Interested in the Hermit Crab essay structure? Don’t know what the Hermit Crab essay structure is? Know what the Hermit Crab structure is but been nervous about trying it? COME THRUUUUUUUUUUU!

REGISTER HERE

Pictures!

Just a few selfies and what not from my time in Chicago (not at all every amazingly dope person I connected with but a pretty decent photo set nonetheless!). So much gratitude for the staff and board at Story Studio Chicago (Jess, Rebecca, Sara, Jen, Greg, Lisa, Angie, Mikayla, Ananda, Jill, and Beth!) and the incredibly talented faculty (The Dream Team: Garrard Conley, Deesha Philyaw, Maggie Smith, and Rufi Thorpe!) who showed up and showed out with me! And to the You’re Being Ridiculous line-up (Elizabeth Gomez, Adrienne Gunn, Archy Jamjun, Rebecca Makkai, Stirling McLaughlin, Delilah & Danielle Orizaba, and Jeremy Owens) WE DID THAT! What an amazing week! Love y’all!