Hello, brave cadre of participants!

There's currently 25 of you signed up to receive emails about this experiment. I like that number. It's the size of a solid book tour event—small enough that you can really get to know the faces of your fellow attendees, large enough to feel cozy when bundled into a small shop lined with shelves.

I'm Lucy Bellwood, and you're receiving this email because you expressed an interest in The Right Number, a gentle, noncommercial space where your only job is to be yourself.

This session's prompt draws on author Sarah Manguso's concept of the body as "an instrument for memory."

If you're stuck over the next two weeks, feeling talkative or antsy or at a loss, dial (503) 673-6267 and tell me about one of your earliest memories. You'll have three minutes to answer however you’d like after the pre-recorded prompt.

Thank you so much for being here,

Lucy

P.S. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who might like to play along. These things tend to travel best by word of mouth.