Nearly Not April Nearly Monthly News
Hello! It's April (barely).
I'll admit, if not for Twitter, I probably would have missed the fact that this particular April marks the 10th Anniversary of the premiere of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I'm not sure whether I can't believe it's been so long, or that it's only been ten years since we were all crammed into Jenni Powell's apartment trying to shoot 50 pages a day.
As a writer, director, and co-executive producer on the series, I lived, breathed, slept, and ate all things LBD for nearly two years. I'm still incredibly proud of what our team made and cherish the friendships that continue to this day. It really was one of those shows that caught lightening in a bottle: the right people on the right project at the right moment to shine.
For the most past, we were even smart enough to realize and appreciate it at the time.
If you aren't familiar with the show, I can't transport you back to 2012, but over the next year, Ashley Clements, who played Lizzie, is hosting The Look Back Diaries, re-watching the entire series, alongside some special guests.
On to the news!
From my Desk
My latest short story, Requiem for a Dollface, is up on the Uncanny website and also available in audio, read by Erika Ensign. Reader response so far has been gratifying:
Nebula-finalist Eugenia Triantafyllou said: "Okay go read this flash story now! Toy Story but make it horror noir while keeping the heart 👀."
While John Rogers, creator of Leverage, wrote what I hope will someday be a blurb for my novel: "First, congrats on the story getting published. Second, what is wrong with you?"
No matter what your opinion of my sanity, if you like the story, please spread the word! You can also look forward to new short fiction coming in May. (More details in the next newsletter.)
Looking all the way ahead to fall: this September I'll be a special guest instructor on the Writing Excuses Retreat and Cruise aboard the Liberty of the Seas as it sails the Western Caribbean. If you'd like to join us, register here.
What I'm Reading and Watching
TV
My friend Zelda pointed me toward City of Ghosts, a beautiful animated series on Netflix about a group of kids who talk to ghosts and learn about the history of different Los Angeles neighborhoods. It's a great example of television that doesn't just show diverse faces, but that embraces the authenticity of taking place in a diverse world.
Moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, friend of the nearly monthly news (and Lizzie Bennet Diaries production designer) Katie Moest, turned me onto Is it Cake, also on Netflix. If this show sounds like the unholy lovechild of The Great British Baking Show and an Instragram meme... well, it is. But somehow, it manages to capture the wholesomeness of the former and combine it with the wow-factor of the later. Host Mikey Day brings an appropriate combination of wonder and incredulity to the entire situation.
Books
A glowing review by Alasdair Stewart, in his (Hugo-finalist) newsletter, The Full Lid enticed me to pick up Iron Widow, first in a series by Xiran Jay Zhao. This best-seller is rightly being recognized with all of the awards nominations this year, and belongs at the top of every "If you liked The Hunger Games, You'll Love..." listicle there is.
From the Cutting Room Floor of the Duolingo Dystopia
This month, Duolingo Yiddish got really judgey about bedding.
Caption: Vikram from Duolingo says: "Every normal person likes the cool side of the pillow; Sender is not normal," in Yiddish and English.
And That's the Nearly Monthly News!
I hope this April has treated you well. If it hasn't, hope that when you look back on it in ten years you'll be able to say, "Wow, things are so much better now." Questions? Comments? Drop me a line! Otherwise, I'll see you in May.