3 pieces of media currently keeping me sane
I tried writing a newsletter but it turned into a listicle instead. Enjoy!
Dearest gentle readers,
I am writing to you from the living room of my parents’ house, where my husband and I have been living for the past six months. I know what you’re thinking: moving in with your parents as newlyweds? genius. foolproof. sexy.
I can confirm that it has been none of those things, but honestly? It hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. Actually, it’s been sort of adorable to watch my dad and my husband become best friends.
I won’t lie to you: the last few months have been hard, and not just because I’m an almost-30-year-old married woman living in my childhood bedroom. I was recently diagnosed with “chronic migraine without aura,” which isn’t nearly as fun as it sounds. It basically equates to me getting a headache every single day, having absolutely no social life, and worrying that the few remaining friends I do have are mad at me because I never leave the house.
It’s also made work difficult. Most of my career equates to either sitting in front of a computer writing or lying horizontally and squinting at my phone screen while I make silly little videos about The Vampire Diaries for TikTok. Both of these activities require me to stare at a screen, which is not recommended for those who get migraines.
One might think that this development would prompt me to turn off my phone/ computer and go outside to touch some grass. Instead, I have purchased chic little clear-framed blue light glasses and am praying that they will solve all my problems. (They won’t).
What does any of this have to do with the contents of my newsletter? In truth I don’t actually know. I’ve spent so long writing in the voice of a 16-year-old girl discovering a hidden magical world that I have forgotten how to write like myself. This newsletter is an attempt to do that. This morning, I basically opened Substack and started typing and thought, let’s just see what comes out.
Soul of Shadow (the book written in the voice of the aforementioned 16-year-old) comes out in just over a month, and I’ve been so busy with prepping for its release and Generally Feeling Anxious™ that I have become a sort of hurricane of stress. But today, on a dreary Friday where the sky over Chicago can’t seem to decide if it wants to rain or not, I shall take a moment to catalogue the pieces of media that are keeping me sane amidst it all. (This is a personal list—no one has paid me to be featured. (No one pays a writer for anything.))
1. The Seek Treatment podcast
Seek Treatment is a podcast hosted by the two funniest comedians on the face of the planet, Catherine Cohen and Pat Regan. They say it’s a podcast about “boys, sex, fucking, dating, and love,” but I say it’s an instant antidote to pain and suffering.
Some of the most relatable sentences I’ve ever heard in my life have come from this podcast. A few examples:
“I’ve been tired my whole life. I WILL figure out a way not to be tired before I leave this plane of existence. No doctor will tell me what’s wrong, but this CANNOT be the human experience.” - Patrick Owen Regan (Cappuccino)
“All interesting women have migraines.” - Catherine Cohen (Cappuccino) (extremely relatable)
I started listening to Seek Treatment back in 2018, just after graduating college and starting my first-ever Real Adult Job™. To say that Cat and Pat have raised me is only a mild exaggeration. Their chaos has carried me through my twenties (the youngest age on Earth) and they truly feel like the best friends I’ve never met. Every time I hear Pat’s laugh, I gain three years back onto my life.
2. “What We Do in the Shadows”
This has to be the funniest TV show I’ve ever seen, and I’m not just saying that because it involves vampires (though I do, famously, love vampires). It had been on my radar to check out for some time now, and then a song by Matt Berry (who plays Laszlo, the vampire on the far left in the above picture) started trending on TikTok, and I decided it was time to finally take the plunge. I’m so glad I did. Every episode has me laughing out loud alone in my parents’ living room.
3. Ryn Weaver’s music
I have had Ryn Weaver’s first album, The Fool, on repeat for approximately seven years straight. Yesterday, she announced that she will be releasing her first new single in ten years, “Odin St,” and I damn near lost my mind.
You’ve probably heard Ryn’s song “Pierre” before, as it blew up on TikTok back in the day and has been a social media staple ever since. But if you haven’t listened to the rest of the album before, you simply must. It is a perfect, no-skips masterpiece, and has been the soundtrack to not only my life but many of the books I’ve written. Especially How to Hide in Plain Sight.
My all-time favorite songs by Ryn are: “Octahate,” “The Fool,” and, of course, “Pierre”. If you’re in the mood to ugly cry, “Reasons Not to Die” is a beautiful gut-punch.
And now… some book news!!!
I’m very excited to share that I am doing a ~VERY SHORT~ book tour to celebrate Soul of Shadow’s launch!! There will be two stops: New York City and Chicago.
New York City - Monday, July 28, 6 pm - feeling like the luckiest girl alive because the legendary Chloe Gong will be joining me for a Q&A at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square to celebrate Soul’s release. Get your tickets here.
Chicago - Thursday, July 31, 6 pm - join me for a signing at my childhood bookstore aka the place I learned to love reading, The Book Stall in Winnetka, IL. Get your tickets here.
If you can’t attend either of these events but are still hoping to get a signed copy of Soul of Shadow - never fear!!! The Ripped Bodice, Brooklyn’s romance bookstore, is hosting a signed preorder campaign on their website. These are not stickers or tip-ins - all copies will be signed and personalized by yours truly. Order your copy here.
Lastly, some audiobook links for you:
The Sunken City audiobook is currently 75% off! Shop the sale here.
Listen to a free 5-minute sample from the Soul of Shadow audiobook, read by the immensely talented Emily Pike Stewart.
That’s all for now!
Love,
Emma <3