the heartbeat of the universe
Valorous readers,
This letter includes poetry, mix tapes, and a very important question about dumplings.
Let's start with the poetry. My poem "Ansibles" is among the poems selected for The Heartbeat of the Universe, an anthology of poetry from Asimov's and Analog magazines. It's coming out from Interstellar Press in April, and they're holding a Zoom launch party at 7 PM Eastern time on Thursday, April 4. Here's the registration link--you are invited!
"Ansibles" is dedicated to my dear friend and mathematical collaborator Adriana. By a fortuitous coincidence, I spent last week visiting her, while we put the final touches on a paper (mathematical readers, check the arXiv Tuesday morning!) Adriana's currently working outside of DC, and though we didn't make it to the Mall to see the official rows of cherry trees, I was able to admire some blossoms in passing:
On the Neon Hemlock Kickstarter front, the 2024 series (including North Continent Ribbon!) is fully funded, and they're thinking about stretch goals. The first one is an enamel pin made to look like a mix tape, so I've been thinking about Nakharat songs. I think Rahill's Hesitations has some of the right vibe.
Over at Frivolous Comma, I shared an essay about food and worldbuilding in space opera. This involved picking a few of my most memorable dumpling experiences. I had to leave out the times I bought dumpling wrappers from the Hmong grocery store across the river from my house in Wisconsin. The city streets were built extra-wide to allow for snowdrifts, and I'd walk inside and thread through narrow aisles to the counter at the back of the store. If you showed up early enough, they'd still have rice-noodle wraps with an intensely spicy sauce and trays of incredibly crispy pork.
I hadn't met Gennoveus then, but here's his best demonstration of how good it feels to stretch after a delicious meal:
What's your best dumpling memory?
Yours in expectation,
Ursula.