Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, I Thought You Were My Friend

I've never been a conspiracy theorist—mostly because it's hard to imagine a group of people keeping a juicy secret for decades, let alone centuries. (Knight of Templar to girl in a 12th century bar: "If I told you I protect the hidden bloodline of Jesus Christ, would you hold it against me? Wait, hang on... [clears throat] If I told you that you had a beautiful body...") 

Still, the increasing surveillance and infiltration by data-collecting devices is admittedly beginning to spook me. I'm sure you've all experienced some version of the situation where you mention something to a friend or family member in face-to-face conversation (ex: "When's the last time you saw a grown man wearing overalls?") and then, an hour later, an ad for that topic of conversation pops up on Facebook or Google or a random site. You weren't even on your phone—but it was listening.

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Recently, I discovered that our perky little robo-vacuum cleaner, affectionately named “Toad” by my son, might also be spying on us. According to an article about a WIFI flaw in robotic vacuum cleaners: “Since the vacuum has WiFi, a webcam with night vision, and smartphone-controlled navigation, an attacker could secretly spy on the owner and even use the vacuum as a ‘microphone on wheels' for maximum surveillance potential.” That is freaky, and not in the good way.

So I'll be deactivating Benedict Toad. Sorry to see the little fellow go. Who will get charmingly tangled up with my laptop cord now? Time for our cats to step up and earn their 18 hours of daily sleep around here. 

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What's new with me

This month, I'm excited to share a new essay of mine that Lit Hub just published: MTA Versus MFA: On Trains as Writing Spaces. For those of you unfamiliar with the MTA (i.e. non-New Yorkers), it's the department that oversees all public transportation in the state of New York. And MFAs, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, are Masters of Fine Arts graduate programs (in this instance, creative writing programs). Yes, you know a title is good when you have to explain it... 

If you like the idea of writing on trains, or are curious about how it works, or just like to click on photos of trains chugging along a verdant landscape, today is your day.

MTA Versus MFA: On Trains as Writing Spaces


Reading List

Bright Dead Things: Poems by Ada Limon

Despite the title, there's a strange and hard-earned optimism at play in these wonderful poems. I was reminded at times of Frank O'Hara's poems; there's the same urgency and honesty, as well as a fearless, forthright lyricism. Here's a link to the first poem, “How to Triumph Like a Girl”.

Sabrina by Nick Drnaso

The first graphic novel nominated for the Man Booker Prize, Sabrina reproduces the alienation of modern life with startling, creepy accuracy. While there's a compelling mystery that keeps thing moving along (no spoilers, don't worry), the smart, unflinching examination of public vs private life was, for me, the most fascinating part of the story.   

The 100 Million Books Chrome Extension

Technically, this isn't a book—it's a browser extension. But it leads to books that, thanks to its random book generator, I'm now reading (or soon to start). Think of it like spinning a literary roulette wheel. It's a fantastic alternative to mindlessly scrolling through social media (oh hello!)  

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Goodbye

Creepy Beekeepers Need Not Apply

It's been just over a year since my short story collection was released, and as much as I'd like to reflect on the experience in depth, I've been increasingly distracted today. This morning, the battery on my bluetooth headphones abruptly died, and on impulse I decided not to take them out of my ears. Maybe I was feeling anti-social and wanted some visual buffer? Whatever the reason, I was startled to discover that when you keep headphones in but don't listen to music, it radically amplifies all of the internal sounds you normally never notice. Or put another way, for the first time I could hear all of the weird and gross noises I was making. 

Suddenly my day was full of weary little sighs, percussive grunts, effortful pug-like snorts, mall fountain stomach gurgles, and worst of all, a grotesque litany of chewing sounds. You think Dolby Surround Sound is impressive? Try eating a Chipotle chorizo burrito while wearing headphones. I sounded liked the cave troll in The Fellowship of the Ring—if he were wearing braces and had a blazing sinus infection.      

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But I digress...

Publishing the book was an incredible experience. The national tour was a lot of fun, visiting friends across the country was a treat, and I loved participating in readings... even the odd ones, like a group reading that was took place not in a brewery, as I'd expected, but in a home brewery/ amateur beekeeper supply store, where I read to listeners casually sipping pale ale while rows of stark white beekeeper suits lurked behind them. 

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Listen up

Since the book's publication, I've been hard at work on a novel. It's challenging to write a novel, particularly when your time is limited, and so I went on the Writerly podcast with the co-host and bestselling author Danielle Trussonito talk about my daily practice of micro-writing, i.e. writing for 35 minutes on the train to work every morning. 

We had such a good time (we shared a single mic, duet-style) that we decided to record a second episode about my transition from book editor to writer. Technically that's the topic, though really it's about the sometimes helpful, sometimes harmful relationship between editing and writing. (Plus, I share the one thing that, as an editor, almost guaranteed that I would reject a manuscript.)

If, after you listen to both episodes, you still want to hear more from me, here are other interviews and podcasts I've done. 

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Reading List

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Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong 

Yes, I am way behind on this one, as Vuong's book of poetry came out a couple years ago, and won at least a dozen prizes, including the 2016 Whiting Award. I'm just glad I finally started it. It is staggeringly good. Warning: it's powerful and haunting, not the kind of book you can read all at once. I read a few poems a night, then lay there in a daze.

 
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Belly Up: Stories by Rita Bullwinkel

I was on a panel with Rita in the spring, just before Belly Up came out. She read one of the stories from the collection and it was so weird and brilliant, so off-putting and darkly funny, that I still think about it. The New York Times Book Review raved that the book is "full of squirmy pleasures."  

 
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Goodbye