Everyone keeps asking how I am and the answer is tired. The answer is good, but tired. The answer is that my students apparently did not know the words “terse” or “curt” until I used them to describe Raymond Carver’s prose. They liked “Cathedral,” though— had more to say about it than I had time to let them discuss. The answer is that earlier today in the office S and J were asking themselves if what we do has any point or future and I said, don’t look at me. I said, I’ve wondered that abstractly for a long time and very acutely all last year and now at least I’m salaried while I wonder it.

The book came out on the second day of school. I did an event at Skylight, where I have been celebrating book launches for almost exactly a decade now (!). That weekend I drove up north and spent the day bumming around Montecito before an event at Godmothers. Before we started they set me up in a green room with a charcuterie platter, a pot of freshly brewed tea and a bottle of sparkling water. I had changed into my dress in the car a few minutes beforehand. I felt silly and lucky and in and out of place. At my Skylight event AJ said something along the lines of, you seem very comfortable with all of this.

Yeah, I guess I am, I said. I guess the thing is that I’ve been doing it for a long time now.

A few more events coming up! Two in the Bay and one in NYC. I’ll be speaking and reading as part of:

Generation Women: Wins and Losses

Friday, October 16, 8:15 pm

Lost Church, San Francisco

We’re pleased to once again welcome Generation Women, a live multigenerational storytelling series. One woman or nonbinary performer in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s+ will share an original true story on the theme of “Wins & Losses,” whether personal, professional, psychological, or completely enigmatic. Founded by author Georgia Clark in New York City in 2017, the mission of Generation Women is to amplify underheard voices and create space for intergenerational connection and community. Featuring S.C. Bandreddi, Alexandra Romanoff, Kate Schatz, Bora Reed, Dashka Slater, and Sandra Jackson-Opoku. Hosted by writer, editor, and curator Samantha Schoech. Doors at 7:30pm.

The steamy romance of a universal basic income

Saturday October 17, 6:00 pm

Local Economy, Oakland

Alexandra Romanoff's Big Fan is a romance novel in which a political strategist falls for her teenage pop star crush — and spends the book trying to get him to endorse a universal basic income campaign. It's been called "Highbrow/Brilliant" by New York Magazine and praised by Vogue and EW.

​It's also, quietly, one of the best pop-culture arguments for guaranteed income in recent memory. The novel takes the policy seriously and portrays its political challenges honestly. That's what author and advocate (and Local Economy member!) Natalie Foster has spent the last decade doing, too.

​She wrote The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy, the full case for why guaranteed income, healthcare, housing, and care are economic rights, not charity, and what it would take to win them.

​Hosted by buzzy publisher 831 Stories, Romanoff and Foster's conversation will deliver romance and policy.

and finally… RomCon!

Saturday, October 24

Industry City, Brooklyn

Introducing the first annual RomCon from 831 Stories: A full day of romance panels, Q&As, book signings, exclusive merch, and tons of surprises. Hundreds of romance readers, writers, and thinkers will come together for inspired discussion, bonding, and pure, unfettered fandom.

Featuring Brooke Averick, Upasna Barath, Hannah Brown, Regina Black, Sarah MacLean, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Casey McQuiston, Nikki Payne, Alexandra Romanoff, Julia Turshen, Rebekah Weatherspoon, and more.