A Reluctant Freedom in the Killerpuppytails World
Hey there hoi there
It’s been a bit of an depressing month, this May.
At the beginning of the month, I got laid off. It wasn’t really unexpected, but I was hoping for another month before I had to go. And it wasn’t until the week following my layoff that I realized how much burnout I was holding. So I’ve spend the past two and a half weeks pretty much flattened, feeling the exhaustion I wouldn’t let myself feel over the past few years.
I’m trying to look at the bright side, which is that I can do more events with my writing communities. I’ve start attending Cat Rambo’s Wednesday writing games again, and I’m looking forward to joining Clarion or SFWA writing dates when they come up. Hopefully I’ll also start a project I had in mind, to narrate some of my own work and put it up on my website.
But as much as I am glad I have the time again, and glad to have the time to rest, this wasn’t the way I wanted to achieve it.
Always forward, I guess.
Some Writing News
I’m very happy to announce that my story Tigers for Sale will be reprinted/rebroadcast at Escape Pod later this year! I don’t yet know who will be narrating it, so I’m looking forward to that reveal. I’ll let you know.
I’m also going to be on a panel at WisCon 2025 this evening! It’s fully virtual this year and it’s “pay what you can,” so I encourage you to join us if you have time. I’m going to be talking about Magic Systems with Guests of Honor Naomi Kritzer and Andrea Hairston, along with Priya Sridhar and moderator Genevieve Clovis. I expect it’ll be a fun panel!
Stuff I’ve Read
I haven't been talking much about the amazing work I've been reading, so here's a quick selection -
Short stories:
Laser Eyes Ain’t Everything by Effie Seiberg
The Last Time Gladys Howled at the Moon by Jennifer Hudak (who is really shining this year; highly recommend all her other 2025 work too)
Handsomest Gentlest by M. R. Robinson
Novels
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
The Book of Love by Kelly Link
Nonfiction
And Now, The Best Part
Here’s a Very Attentive Puppy for your enjoyment.
With love and weirdness,
~Risa