the carrier bag theory of writing
the start of PARAKEET, visits to Minneapolis and Paris, and one year of this writing Substack
Hello friends! This is Ursula Fan Club, where I write on a weekly-ish basis about what I’m writing, reading, and seeing in the world. If you’re interested in speculative fiction, climate, ancestral stuff, textiles, living in a human body, and balancing a creative practice with whatever this is *waves wildly around*, you’ll probably like it here.
This last week was an ultimate test of the resiliency of my daily writing commitment of 30 minutes each day. I had a work trip to Minneapolis, followed by a work trip to Paris, with long shoot days when I was out the door by 6am and back in my hotel at 10pm. There is extreme loss, upheaval and all manners of impending doom in the world besides. Last year, any one of these things would have snuffed out my writing routine easily.
Now, I’m resourced differently. I took my writing with me in the form of my two journals and I protected my 30 minutes each day, no matter where I was. Hotel, plane, or a coffeeshop. Morning, afternoon, or evening. Wherever there was spare time with a table, a fold-out tray, or a knee in front of me, I wrote and I felt so much better for it. It brought me back to myself. I carried my words with me, collecting the nuts and seeds of my experience to feed my story. My trip became fuel for my writing, not a drain. (If you picked up on my not-so-subtle reference to Ursula’s “Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction,” good on you!)
In other news, PARAKEET, my year-long writing intensive hosted by Beth Pickens, kicked off right before my work trip. Whatever doubt I harbored in committing to this intense program melted away in the first five minutes of our Zoom orientation and the rightness of PARAKEET for me in this moment has been confirmed, quietly and assuredly, day after day. Reading Beth’s book, Make Your Art No Matter What, has also been grounding and life affirming. There’s much more I want to say about PARAKEET, but more on that later.
By an extra touch of *kismet,* Beth paired me with another writer in the program who happens to live in Minneapolis. I have never been to Minnesota before and have no reason, personal or professional, to return anytime soon, but this match was made the morning I flew out to Minneapolis. C and I met up for lunch and a chilly lake walk (pond hockey!) and felt an instant deep bond over our shared interests, even though our book projects are quite different. I also made a pilgrimage to Louise Erdrich’s Birchbark Books; it was perfect and I bought more books than could reasonably fit in my suitcase. I made it work anyhow.
Then, I skipped on over to Paris and spent my last day there stomping around bookstores and eating as much bread and dairy as my Jewish tummy could possibly handle.
This moment—a trip that was filled with many writerly things; this start of PARAKEET; this growing of my writing community—marks the one year anniversary of this writing Substack, my re-commitment to my writing practice, and happily, my birthday. I reread my first post and can see both the nervousness and excitement of starting something new. My doubt sitting alongside my confidence and trust in myself. Anyway, if you’ve just joined me here or you’ve been along for the ride, thank you for reading, for your comments, and your encouragement. So eager to see what 2025 brings.
What I’m writing
The opening chapter to my book. I’m focusing on plot and momentum right now; the character development is an afterthought and the prose is, shall we say, lacking. But I’m surprising myself with the thriller-ness of it and am excited to find out what happens next!
What I read
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis. A gorgeous little parable to read on a midwinter night.
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. This book is so weird and I loved it. Here’s to reading more weird books in 2025.
What I’m reading
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. This is a personal recommendation from Beth for me and my book; more on that another time. It has one of the best opening paragraphs of any book I’ve ever read and I’m gobbling it up like a bowl of juicy blackberries.
Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth Pickens. Starting Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs for book club.
A helpful thing
On the opening night of PARAKEET, Beth invited us to imagine the two people we are writing for: the first person is you as a young person who dreamed of being a writer; the second person is you at the end of your life who already knows everything you have written.
This guidance rang deep inside me like a bell. Were you that kid who dreamed of being a writer, too? What would she imagine your writing to look like now? And for that older, accomplished version of yourself, what do you hope she can look back on? What regrets does she have? What different choices would she have made instead?
Happy birthday! and here's to great opening paragraphs. I'm buying that book on that recommendation alone!
Drooling over the Le Guin in French! Happy Birthday friend, it's been such a pleasure to read your substack this past year!