Read before summer ends

What's Up?

I know how much you love summer, buddy. It's not over yet, even if you did max out your credit cards on that trip to your new favorite place and the visit to a city you don't love as much as you used to. Now that you're finally home, relax. Settle into your familiar routines of work and play. You're always hanging out with new people, but you're craving some quiet time alone. Allow it.

Tell me more about your memories of fall. You've never mentioned autumn before, or maybe I forgot. I'm sorry I can't always give you the attention you deserve. Life, as you of all people know, is distracting. Thank you for taking the time to check in. Let's show each other our favorite cozy socks, sit by the rooftop fire pit. Do you want a hot toddy? Serve me a double shot of Bailey's on the rocks :P

I finished my debut short story book Halve It and just have to complete the final revision pass. My dream cover notes and references have been sent to the artist. It's going to be a real book people can hold in their hands. I'm really excited about it! The team at Blue Forge Press is incredible. It will be out in late November. I hope to do some promotional things for it but have no clue where to start. Do you have any ideas?

I also started as an associate editor at Elizabeth Ellen's Hobart. It's such an awesome magazine that features really vulnerable and exciting writing. Everyone who edits for them is super cool and has a unique perspective. My favorite part is checking in with what the other editors are publishing and seeing how our different perspectives can fit together in surprising ways. I missed working at a digital magazine so much. I've started asking writers I admire to send me work and looking through submissions people have sent in the past year or so, which has been fun.

The first writers I've been lucky to work with will be published each Monday in September, which will be an interesting series of five poets (Max Stone, Lily Sadighmehr, David San Miguel, MICHAEL CHANG, and Eric Subpar) writing about the search for meaning & what it feels like to reach from within the self to another. Other exciting series coming together in my little brain & my email inbox for the next few months, too. So stoked! If you want to submit something, please do -- I'm excited to see what you're working on.

Speaking of exciting, I'm in the Cuties of Contemporary Literature anthology from dream boy book club that's coming out next week! One of my absolute favorite presses and such a special book. Much thanks to superstar EIC Jonathan Blake Fostar's vision and kindness. I'm also participating in Humanities at Play: Celebrating Northern Nevada Pride with Landline Poetry on September 3. It's a virtual reading with an awesome format and cool readers. Thrilled!

Other than that, I've just been going on adventures with the angels just like you. It makes me so happy to see you happy. I hope when this note in a bottle washes up at your feet you smile. Write a response, stuff it in the bottle, and throw it back before the summer ends.

I'll always be proud of you,

Joe

P.S. If you liked that French Cafe on the Hill, we should check out the French Steakhouse

P.P.S. We'll go to the Container Store & walk around the mall soon.