Every summer, I look forward to quality time with my notebooks and/or computer, writing my heart out for Jami Attenberg’s #1000WordsOfSummer initiative. Every day for two weeks, participants write 1,000 words a day, and folks subscribed to Attenberg’s newsletter receive a daily little note of encouragement. For writerly nerdy types, it’s a great time. I love setting myself up in a coffee shop or my library chair for some quality writing time. So today I’ll be talking about books about writing! But first, it’s time for bookish goods.
Bookish Goods
Hobonichi Type Cover A5/A6 Size for 2024 Plan by Natsumehandmade
Bookish journal girlies rejoice! Etsy has so many incredible Hobonichi Techo covers! I love this one that features a favorite of mine, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. $24
New Releases
Everything and Nothing at Once: A Black Man’s Reimagined Soundtrack for the Future by Joél Leon
As a kid in the Bronx, Joél Leon learned that you had to be tough and ignore your gentler emotions to survive. Now, Leon has unlearned those traits of toxic masculinity and is encouraging other Black men to do the same. Everything and Nothing at Once encourages a new form of Black masculinity that uplifts men and their communities.
Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section by Rachel Somerstein
After her own C-section went terribly wrong, Rachel Somerstein was left traumatized both physically and emotionally. To better understand her own experience, Somerstein sets out to learn the history of America’s most common invasive surgery, where it originated, and how it’s used today.
Riot Recommendations
1,000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jamie Attenberg
Every summer, author Jamie Attenberg runs #1000WordsOfSummer, an initiative that encourages participants to write 1,000 words a day for two weeks. Everyday, Attenberg sends out a newsletter cheering everyone on as they strive to reach their word counts. Jamie’s newsletters often include guest authors who share their own advice and encouraging words. Earlier this year, Attenberg put out a companion book, 1,000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. It’s filled to the brim with encouragement and advice from Attenberg and many of her past guest authors. 1,000 Words is the perfect pick me up for anyone struggling with a writing project. Attenberg is here cheering you on, helping you to meet your goals.
Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses
Craft in the Real World re-examines the traditional writing workshop, giving writers, teachers, and students different ways that fiction workshops can be reimagined. Salesses details how the traditional workshop typically consists of a student sitting silently as their peers give feedback on their work. He describes how this process was developed by western white men for other western white men. But that’s not what today’s classrooms look like anymore, so Salesses gives readers several ideas for how a fiction workshop can function best for its students. All writers aren’t the same, so why should their workshops be? Craft in the Real World is a must-read resource for any teacher or student participating in fiction workshops.
You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @KDWinchester, on TikTok @KendraWinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra