hello from LA!

also, some end of the year reading

Thank you for being here! I am a full-time freelance writer. Paid subscriptions allow me to dedicate more time to this work, as well as to pay an editor to help me with this newsletter.

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I realize that things have been quiet around these parts. There are a few reasons for that—the main one being that it is the end of the year and I am tired. Also though, I’m trying to find a balance between providing consistent content for the people who pay for my work, while trying to create a space for myself that allows me to do the kind of writing I love to do without making me beholden to the hustle culture of late-stage capitalism. I want to do something sustainable with this newsletter, something that other people enjoy and value but that doesn’t burn me out.

I don’t know what that looks like yet but I appreciate you all being here with me while I figure it out.

I am in Los Angeles for the week. It’s my favorite city, the place I want to live when I am able to move wherever my heart wants to be. I always feel calm here, like my soul is at peace. My brain feels like it can breathe, too. Maybe that’s because the demands of everyday life don’t follow me here when LA gets to be the place I vacation a few times per year, but it feels deeper than that, if I’m being honest.

I’ll be sending one more newsletter before the end of the year, with my yearly roundup of pitch numbers and income. This year’s roundup will also include my Substack numbers because it’s a great way for me to measure how much I accomplished this year, and I also know how much other people appreciate that kind of transparency

For now, here’s a photo of Orion in last night’s sky.

And here are some things I’ve been reading lately: