Footnotes:: May
Expanding the boundaries of Fantasia
May has been a month of new boundaries.
We spent the first two weeks of the month in Mallorca. This shocked nearly everyone we know who lives in the US.
“Two weeks?” they said. “As in fourteen days for a vacation?”
This does not computer for Americans, most of whom get ten paid days off work annually, if they’re lucky. For reference, the last time B and I took more than ten days off for a trip was our honeymoon, nearly nine years ago. When we visit family in the US, we nearly always work part of the time.
But this holiday was a complete break, and I pushed work away with one pre-scheduled call with students for the Your Writing Year Intensive, and nothing else required of me.
It was delicious. I read nearly eight books in fourteen days and had a massive influx of ideas. Whenever I step away, whether that’s our holiday break in December, or any other retreat from my usual schedule, this is when the real thinking and dreaming happens.
When was the last time you got some time away? I realize this is a luxury for many, with work, family, and other life commitments. Our holiday was only possible due to a very reasonably priced rental house we shared with friends, cooking all our meals but two at home. If you can get creative and make it happen, it’s so worth it.
Speaking of creativity…
One of the biggest discoveries of the holiday was how much I’ve wanted to expand the boundaries of Fantasia here. I hope you’ve seen the film, The Neverending Story? I had a slightly bumpy ride getting to the end of it as a child — the first time, in the theater, I was so horrified at the loss of Artax, the horse, in the Swamps of Sadness, that my mother had to pull me out of the theater. It wasn’t until several years later that we watched it at school and I learned a wonderful lesson:
"‘The more wishes you make, the more beautiful Fantasia will become."
- The Childlike Empress, The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende
If you haven’t read the book, or seen the film, here is the critical exchange between Bastian and the Childlike Empress. (With subtitles here)
My wishes to make Book Alchemy more beautiful, are to include a wider realm of creativity and craft. And, as the Childlike Empress requests for herself, we have a new name: Book (& Craft) Alchemy.
Going forward, I’ll share from the overlap between writing and making craft. Our language reveals how closely woven together these worlds are:
We spin a tale
There is (hopefully) a common thread running through a story
The best stories have themes that knit them together
With revision, we may unpick a sentence or an entire scene
And I’m barely warming up here. In addition, there are so many lessons the making crafts can teach us about writing craft. I don’t see this discussed widely, so I’m very excited to share these ideas here.
In addition, I’ll be exploring craft and writing construction through a slow read of a novel I fell in live with again on this holiday: Possession, by A.S. Byatt. I’m already preparing for us to begin that project in September.
If you have wishes for what I share in the coming months, please do let me know in the comments.
And now, on to the roundup!
Favorite books from May:
Possession, A.S. Byatt. Obvious to mention it again, but it was one of my very favorite reads from May. I first read it in my twenties, and had an entirely different experience reading it in my late forties, and you can read more thoughts on my holiday re-read here.
I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself,
. I very much enjoyed her first book, so this one has been saved up for a holiday and I was absolutely in love with this book from page one. I am always up for a forty-something narrator breaking rules and doing it her way — it’s one of my top reading kinks — and this book felt like a delicious ride on a Paris bicycle, with a baguette in my basket, wind in my hair. If you can’t take a holiday, but really need one, this book is your best bet.Night Swimmers, Roisin Maguire. Another book set with the pandemic and lockdown creating tension, as MacNicol’s memoir does, but in this case the setting is entirely different: a small seaside town in Northern Ireland. We see the world through a very salty fifty-year-old resident of the town, as well as via the lost city father, grieving the loss of his infant daughter and stranded when lockdown shuts down the world. I devoured it in two days. It’s got everything I love: strong middle-aged female central character, cold-water swimming, an ugly dog, reflection and redemption, and even a bit of quilting. Magic.
The Golden Thread, Kassia St. Clair. You guessed it — textile history once again. Despite my having read multiple books on the topic, one which appeared in April’s roundup, this one still fascinated and added new insight to the subject. St. Clair brings us through the traditional fabrics like cotton, linen, and wool, but added expanded thoughts about man-made fabrics, effectively balancing the benefits of various cloths with the environmental and social impact throughout the book. Those obsessed with lace will very much enjoy a solid chapter on that art form.
I had an unusually delicious reading month, so honorable mentions also go to:
The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (I very much enjoyed the audio while knitting)
Ghost Wall, Sarah Moss. (Most Americans don’t know her - get in there!)
Novelist as Vocation, Haruki Marukami (Writer with the best boundaries ever)
You may have missed:
New Creative Adventures: May Members Live
In this member’s live, we go into the big changes and upcoming projects for Book Alchemy, including the closure of the Secret Library and expanding topics to more creative practices.
Not yet a member?
Upgrade your subscription and get access to this live, bonus workshops, and all posts:
Other excellent reads for your attention:
Given my excitement about reading kink, this post about creating a personal canon from Bea at
had me in St. Theresa level ecstasy and I’m getting on this immediately.Querying for agents?
has done us all a massive service by sharing the query package that landed her an agent, with loads of thoughtful commentary.Thinking about reading some doorstopper books this summer (or winter, for the southern hemisphere folks)?
has helpful thoughts on sticking with truly massive books.Anyone getting bullied by their inner critic who feels alone will be comforted by
’s vulnerable and moving post on besting her mean inner voice.The Secret Library is nearly over! We have two more episodes before THE END.
Catch up on the season so far here 👈 before we say goodbye to the show in June.
I’ve removed the paywall on this post for the next week, in honor of the book birthday for Writing through Fear, my second book.
Included as an extra treat is a mini video tour of my Scrivener set-up.
If you enjoy it, consider upgrading to get more posts with tutorials.
What wishes do you have as we leave May?
What are you hoping to build as part of your creative life in the next month?
What would you like to see in the expanded Book (& Craft) Alchemy?
We’re building this community together, and I can’t wait to hear what your creative projects are at the moment.
Lots of love from here, where I’ve onto the sleeves of a sweater, and have two delicious pieces of fabric washed and ready to press and cut, alongside my slow reads and writing. It’s the best workbasket I can imagine.
xx,
Caroline
Love the name change and the exploration of crafts. I never could do anything particularly crafty, but working with Jamie Ridler opened that up for me and now I love fooling around with paints and collage. It isn't, by any stretch, "art" nor do I ask it to be. I love how fiddling with glue and watercolor takes my brain into a whole other place. In the most magical way, it feeds my writing side. (Speaking of which, thanks very much for the mention!)
Ooh, juicy books! I loved Glynnis MacNicol’s first book too! Such a breath of fresh perspective. I have Kassia St. Clair’s The Secret Lives of Color, which is fun to dip into, even though I was sold on your description of the Golden Thread before I recognized the name.