That's my philosophy too. I got it from advising doctoral students in academia: you always want to supervise a bunch of students at different stages of the PhD process. Now it's natural to me to have several WIPs that are nowhere near each other in terms of completion. "Control the work." Well said!

So excited to find more Granta Writers Workshop alums on this platform. I need the intellectual sunshine, motivation, ambition, accomplishments, etc. What a group. Honored to be part of it. Together, we'll change the literary world!

This has been a hard week.

I watched "Driving Miss Daisy" & liked it enough. Beautifully acted (J Tandy ftw) maybe conventional but w/in those bounds, really good. Then I watched "Do The Right Thing" and I was like, WOW, award committees really can't recognize greatness when greatness is flashing headlights at their face.

Best nonfiction books read in 2025: "Girl in a Band" by Kim Gordon, "How We Fight For Our Lives" by Saeed Jones and "I Used To Be Charming" by Eve Babitz. Also: "Stay True" by Hua Hsu and "Once A Dancer" by Allegra Kent. Special mention to "When News Breaks" by Carol Lin.

Best novels read in 2025: three-way tie for "Colored Television" by Danzy Senna, "The Ice Palace" by Tarjei Vesaas and "Plainsong" by Kent Haruf.

Best books I read in 2025, coming up! We'll start with best poetry collection: "Something About Living" by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.

Really happy with how the past few months have turned out: a project I completed, new projects I've started or breathed new life in, new people in my life better aligned with my long-term goals, a strengthened friendship, improved health, and solid momentum going into 2026. Work ahead, but grateful.

I made a Bsky account to stay in touch with my fellow Granta Workshop alums, and I've got to say for my first post that I really like it here!