I love reading about writers’ routines in this diaristic format when it’s not couched as advice ... having read enough of these, the unifying takeaway is clearly “ok so different shit works for everybody?” except that in These Times, you absolutely must put your phone in a drawer
I've also gone thru different iterations of taking iMessage on/off computer... I find it mostly doesn't distract me too much during the day when it's on computer versus literally holding phone in hands (dangerous). I'm at my best when I have no idea where my phone is whatsoever.
over ice with a splash of cashew milk (ideal) or sugar free oat (fine). if we have whole milk in the house... maybe that, but rarely. I think I load my coffee up with enough ice that whatever minimal dairy is in there stays pretty cold throughout the day but I also know this is net bad for me in some way or another
forager project or silk. imo cashew is the best of the non dairy milks... oat is getting too sugary for me, almond and soy are gross, coconut has too aggressive a flavor. also cashew milk easy to use as dairy milk substitute (similar texture) and good amount of protein
i like cashew milk but haven’t bought it since before the only brands were way too watery to not split in coffee. i like soy milk but agree about coconut and oat. almond tastes like nothing to me
ok u already drink it cold to begin with, that actually explains everything right off the bat. this coffee sounds good, which means it can't possibly be bad for u 👍
the PNW really is perfect for a writing life, especially this time of the year with the weather shifting over from crisp autumn to rainy mid-40s days. hope the area treats you well :)
The assumed skills of Scrabble (knowing a lot of words, reading a lot, being an English major) have never served me in a game of Scrabble. Crosswords are more fun and chess has a steeper learning curve ime!
hi fran magazine, big fan. two questions: 1. what are you writing and 2. do you find that the stuff you brought to read is influencing what/how you're writing
1. I am working on a novella about Antarctica that I started last year but "started in earnest" this past summer on a different residency. 2. on that residency, I brought 50% books for research/50% books for fun and wound up doing a pretty even split of both. this time I just brought books for fun just to recapture the "joy of reading". but! a lot of them are formalistically quite inspiring or at least educational in my writing
Excellent Women!!!! One of my absolute favorite books--I hope you liked it. To me it is like the world's most understated Pride and Prejudice retelling (when Everard Bone says he'd like to marry a sensible woman right after calling her sensible...!) And I go to too many talks in my life as a graduate student that remind me of the scene where they go to hear the paper at the Learned Society.
What were the specifics of the 2019–2020 oatmeal breakfast?
A rec from BDM over at Notebook. I think she got me onto Barbara Pym; I'd like to read more now. I found the writing a little warmer than my beloved Spark and also reminiscent a little of Iris Murdoch. I love the Learned Society.
2019-2020 oatmeal breakfast was 1/3 cup oatmeal, 2/3rd cup oat milk, then post-microwave, I added almond butter, a bit of jam (something red... strawberry/raspberry), some greek yogurt, and a handful of chia seeds. These days I am prone to throwing a few chocolate chips on but only when we have them.
If you're looking for a portable and easy way to improve your Scrabble/word game/puzzle solving skills I highly rec Q-less. Has helped me be a lot more daring with my word choices and also made me realize I know more words than I think. And you can play it by yourself so you never "lose."
Creation Lake is a real hoot! Not in a "twisty-turny" way, more in a "wow, interesting choice to use all your Neanderthal research on a spy novel" way.
this is basically serving 19th century vibes honey 🔥☕️ and i’m sipping it !!
i'm really laughing clare
this!!!
"If I get on my computer before I start reading, I never start reading." now aint that the truth !!!!
Gotta read Pale Fire bro that shit goes
Fran please let us know if you think Pale Fire is worth it because I too have been staring at an unread copy for uhhh a while
everyone I know who has read it says it rocks... I think it's certainly more than worth it, it just always gets lost in the shuffle
I love reading about writers’ routines in this diaristic format when it’s not couched as advice ... having read enough of these, the unifying takeaway is clearly “ok so different shit works for everybody?” except that in These Times, you absolutely must put your phone in a drawer
glad you liked the Aira 🫶
I've also gone thru different iterations of taking iMessage on/off computer... I find it mostly doesn't distract me too much during the day when it's on computer versus literally holding phone in hands (dangerous). I'm at my best when I have no idea where my phone is whatsoever.
Loving these Quick Bites.
January Andrews vibe…
take it back..
But you have your own Gus Everett!
the way you’ve really taken to a simple, quiet life in Washington state 😍
I'm feeling so humbled
fran how do u take your coffee. asking specifically bc 3-4 hours sip time is way tougher with cream in the cup in my exp.
over ice with a splash of cashew milk (ideal) or sugar free oat (fine). if we have whole milk in the house... maybe that, but rarely. I think I load my coffee up with enough ice that whatever minimal dairy is in there stays pretty cold throughout the day but I also know this is net bad for me in some way or another
cashew milk is an insane vibe to me. like what brand
forager project or silk. imo cashew is the best of the non dairy milks... oat is getting too sugary for me, almond and soy are gross, coconut has too aggressive a flavor. also cashew milk easy to use as dairy milk substitute (similar texture) and good amount of protein
i like cashew milk but haven’t bought it since before the only brands were way too watery to not split in coffee. i like soy milk but agree about coconut and oat. almond tastes like nothing to me
ok u already drink it cold to begin with, that actually explains everything right off the bat. this coffee sounds good, which means it can't possibly be bad for u 👍
the PNW really is perfect for a writing life, especially this time of the year with the weather shifting over from crisp autumn to rainy mid-40s days. hope the area treats you well :)
Thank you!!!
The assumed skills of Scrabble (knowing a lot of words, reading a lot, being an English major) have never served me in a game of Scrabble. Crosswords are more fun and chess has a steeper learning curve ime!
I should get back into chess, though I am learning what I enjoy/loathe about Scrabble is the part left to chance.
i consider running as exercise, to me, to be a form of self harm but truly i could not be happier for the true runners among us
I wish I wasn't like this, trust me...
hi fran magazine, big fan. two questions: 1. what are you writing and 2. do you find that the stuff you brought to read is influencing what/how you're writing
thanks, i'll hang up and listen
1. I am working on a novella about Antarctica that I started last year but "started in earnest" this past summer on a different residency. 2. on that residency, I brought 50% books for research/50% books for fun and wound up doing a pretty even split of both. this time I just brought books for fun just to recapture the "joy of reading". but! a lot of them are formalistically quite inspiring or at least educational in my writing
Loved and Missed 🫶 maybe my fave book I read this year so far….
it’s so lovely
Excellent Women!!!! One of my absolute favorite books--I hope you liked it. To me it is like the world's most understated Pride and Prejudice retelling (when Everard Bone says he'd like to marry a sensible woman right after calling her sensible...!) And I go to too many talks in my life as a graduate student that remind me of the scene where they go to hear the paper at the Learned Society.
What were the specifics of the 2019–2020 oatmeal breakfast?
A rec from BDM over at Notebook. I think she got me onto Barbara Pym; I'd like to read more now. I found the writing a little warmer than my beloved Spark and also reminiscent a little of Iris Murdoch. I love the Learned Society.
2019-2020 oatmeal breakfast was 1/3 cup oatmeal, 2/3rd cup oat milk, then post-microwave, I added almond butter, a bit of jam (something red... strawberry/raspberry), some greek yogurt, and a handful of chia seeds. These days I am prone to throwing a few chocolate chips on but only when we have them.
If you're looking for a portable and easy way to improve your Scrabble/word game/puzzle solving skills I highly rec Q-less. Has helped me be a lot more daring with my word choices and also made me realize I know more words than I think. And you can play it by yourself so you never "lose."
noted 📝📝📝
Creation Lake is a real hoot! Not in a "twisty-turny" way, more in a "wow, interesting choice to use all your Neanderthal research on a spy novel" way.
friends and loved ones who have read are pretty split down the middle of it... but I tend to like her and I am looking forward to it!!
I'm known to pour a cup of coffee at 7:30 and eventually finish it after lunch.
Exactly