so much is possible.

a note on LA, art, & AWP | + lists, links, recs <3

bougainvillea//LA.

Dear friends, 

My trip to Los Angeles was magical. I was technically there for the AWP Conference,* but I was also there to see some of my dearest friends and to experience a city I’ve been daydreaming about since childhood. The week was full of things I love: interesting panels featuring writers who are making it work; good cocktails & vegan food; stunning plant-life & a hearty number of street cats & also many good dogs; the easiest hangs with some of my favorite humans; reading my own work** at a lovely community event & getting really positive feedback; tipping well at the strip club; meetings that take me seriously as a screenwriter; my friends in the biz teaching me how to actually do that; belly laughs; kitsch & camp & trash; hours on patios; feeling like so much is possible….Despite all we’re up against, feeling like making art is not only possible but is actually ‘as crucial as bread.’*** 

I could say so much more, but I returned at 2am early Monday and have been playing catch up all week, so this note will be brief. I’m sharing pictures and a few more anecdotes below—click that upgrade button to see more. 

Also below: podcast recs, articles re: the state of the university, three book recs, reflections on the new Andrea Gibson documentary, and much more! 

Thank you for being here, I love you. <3 

love & solidarity,

raechel 

*as a working-class person, I really like to be transparent about money: part of the reason I was able to take this trip is because my job pays (partially) for academic conference travel.

**I’ll be sharing what I read in the newsletter next week. <3

***this is a little nod to Judith Butler and Simone Weil. 

Reading.