The When and Where of Reading & Generosity as a Practice

My family is in the thick of carline mornings, both parents working, cusp of fall. I find myself so grateful for the access to books, texts, reading recommendations—especially digital and audio, especially via library apps like Libby. I’m always listening to a novel on audiobook, now (Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie at the moment, Piranesi by Susannah Clarke and Witch King by Martha Wells before that, and all The Murderbot Diaries this summer!), and podcasts accompany me when I walk or do the dishes, laundry. I love reading something just before bed—James Tate, lately (highly recommend his Selected Poems), but that quiet time solely with a book is rather rare. Of course there’s the kind of neurodivergent attention which does WELL doing multiple things (hello folks who knit and sew during tv, lectures, audiobooking), so I’m happy to accommodate my busy life with audio.

Although my job right now is writing faculty tutor at Wake Tech Community College here in North Carolina, I have a kind and supportive boss who secured grant money for me to lead a (free for students!) Friday creative writing workshop, and that begins today. I’m really grateful for this—the job, the workshop. Community-making. Academia is a mess right now, and it’s hard inside and outside traditional professor jobs. I think I’m—well, really happy working at Wake, and having time for Of Poetry Podcast (Fall guests & episodes include Sebastian Paramo, Nicholas Molbert, Emilie Menzel, Jay Ward, Molly Peacock and Dana Delibovi, Carolyn Oliver, Abbie Kiefer, Violeta Garcia-Mendoza, and Sarah Carey!) and Moist Poetry Journal. We’re just wrapping up our Deep Summer publishing period at Moist, and you should check out these lovely poems, including three new visual poems by poet and collagist Sarah J. Sloat, whose work I love!

Some folks in the literary community who continually impress me with their generosity include David Naimon, host of Between the Covers podcast. I’m currently listening to his interview with Sri Lankan writer Vadra Chandrasekera, and it is blowing my mind. Since my very literary PhD ( 17C literature, theology, philosophy), I have had more time to read (recreationally at all!) widely across genres, and what a time we are living in for science fiction and fantasy! I love that David makes space for all genres on his podcast, from poetry to sci-fi to translation. David really models that we read best with each other, in a community where all are welcome.

I also love what Bob Sykora and Chris Corlew are doing over at The Line Break podcast—you could not find two warmer or more generous readers of poetry. If you love basketball, you’ll be excited for the end of every podcast (I listen and let the delight of the foreign language wash over me!).

I hope you are all finding time for words, language, and reading in community. Happy nearly-September!

Han