Updates & Musings

All the recommendations and thoughts no one asked for

Feb 21, 2026

Hello from Minneapolis! We just got six inches of snow in our neighborhood and “first spring” is over. Minnesotans are still packing food, paying rents, and doing what we can to support our neighbors. If you are able, I highly suggest following beyond beurre blanc. She is here on Substack and on Instagram. A Minneapolis food writer, Kirstie posts mutual aid requests just about every day even as she is undergoing breast cancer treatment. Her commitment to supporting community inspires me, and she makes it really easy to pitch in. Thanks for all you do, Kirstie!

Updates

My fourth cohort of The Mother Writer at The Loft Literary Center is underway and is as magical and grounding as ever. I’ve got a really special group of women who join me each week to write and share work. In fact, one of the members, Tricia, published a beautiful poem she wrote in our first class session on her Substack. You can read it here: Soft Spot. I’ll be taking the summer off from teaching, but plan to offer the course again in Fall. If you’re local to the Twin Cities and are looking for a positive space to connect with other moms who write or are interested in writing, please keep a lookout for the class listing!
My piece “There is No Time for Mom Guilt” was published in Literary Hub this month. I’ve been a Lit Hub super fan for many years, and I was so excited to appear in their Letter From Minnesota series alongside forty-three other Minnesota writers and in such a moment. The response to my essay has been really wonderful, and I am so appreciative of everyone who has read my piece and shared their thoughts with me.

Things I’ve Loved Lately

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I know, I know, I didn’t have a 1000-page Western on my winter Bingo card either, but here we are. I’d been hearing about this cowboy epic for many months and when it finally came through on Libby, I dove in without knowing anything about it. I wasn’t very far when I started urging my husband to get the audiobook (his preferred way to read). Sometimes he would play the book on our speaker and we would all listen to it. By then, I had finished the book, and I loved dipping back into it. The audiobook performer was absolutely incredible, too. Once my husband finished the book, we talked about it for a long, long time. An epic book makes for an epic impromptu book club. We loved the multilayered approach to masculinity, the depth of the characters, and the vivid imagery that made the post-Civil War west feel palpably dangerous and real.
Heart the Lover by Lily King. I loved Writers and Lovers, so I knew I would love this book, but I really, really loved it. It’s the kind of book I inhale and the kind of book I want to write. Ultra specific and detailed on a sentence level, full of deep and changing relationships, characters who hold us fast to the page.
Can This Love Be Translated? This was a truly delightful K-drama starring Go Youn-jung and Kim Seon-ho. I’m obsessed with Kim Seon-ho and his dimples, and this show was really sweet. And also really weird. In a great way. Highly recommend. My favorite show of all time stars Kim Seon-ho, and is also on Netflix. Hometown Cha Cha Cha. Simply perfection.
The Devil’s Plan. This is a Korean competition series where the contestants participate in board games. Sounds like a snooze, I know. It isn’t. It’s endearing and heartfelt, a great window into Korean culture, and it’ll make you want to dust off your Backgammon board. I especially loved watching deep friendships and rivalries form amongst the players over the course of the games. They also live together throughout the filming on a very strange set. I’ve only seen the first season, but I’m looking forward to watching the second one soon.
Heated Rivalry. Yes, I’m one of the straight women who loved the show. I actually watched it twice because it made me so happy. I’ve thought a little about why I loved this show so much, and I think it’s because of a few things. First of all, I find the leads’ acting skills impressive. I believe their love and I also find them adorable. I love that the story centers queer happiness, not trauma. I also think I enjoy watching a fuller spectrum of what masculinity can be––there is toughness and competitiveness, yes, but there is also softness, tenderness, and quiet happiness. It feels real. I am also wayyy impressed with Connor Storrie’s Russian skills. My favorite scene is his four-page monologue in Russian. So, there you have it! I wish I could take credit for the protest sign below. I saw this originally on Reddit.
Greek Yogurt Waffles––recipe by Yummy Toddler Food. Gummy Bear (this is my three-year-old son’s internet nickname) loves them and helps me make them once a week. I like them because they have a good amount of eggs and greek yogurt in them, so it gives Gummy Bear more protein power than the typical waffle recipe. They also freeze super well so you can make a double batch. I stick ours straight into the toaster without thawing and it works great. We slather them in butter and jam and have them every morning for breakfast.
Painting with Gummy Bear! I dug out my watercolors and started painting again recently and it feels so good. Sometimes GB watches, sometimes he plays on his own across the room, and sometimes he asks to join in. It’s been fun to see what he creates and I like the fact that he gets to watch me make something, too. He knows that I am a writer and a storyteller, and I like showing him other aspects of my creative life, too.
Dining out to help local restaurants impacted by ICE. We hit one of our favorite spots on Eat Street recently––Quang’s. I recommend the Ribeye Pho, the Rice Paper Eggrolls, and the Bún Cha Giò, though you can’t go wrong with anything!
Kamik Snobuster Boots for Toddlers. Made by a Canadian company, these boots are completely waterproof with a removable wool liner. They’re at a good price point, too. These are perfect for jumping in freezing, slushy puddles. Necessary for a Minnesota spring!