Hello dear readers! Unfortunately, I missed Sunday Reads this week because I’ve been SO SLEEPY. It’s probably a remnant of the yearly reboot that always happens around finals, even though I’m not in school anymore. My body is like “Ok, too much information and wear and tear, time to restart and update!” Only, I still have work and writing to do, so it’s kind of a problem. I’ve been pushing through and drinking a lot of black tea. The much-needed winter break is in sight, and I will get a couple blissful weeks of sleep, Netflix, and time with my family. I did read a bit this week, and I finished Leslie Jamison’s fabulous essay collection The Empathy Exams. If you’ve been following the literary scene, you’ve probably already read it, but I’ve been slowly plugging through it since taking her workshop at the writing program I did in Paris in July. I know that’s a long time, but I’ve sort of read it between other things and over Chipotle during my lunch breaks. It is raw, funny, insightful, and unlike anything I’ve ever read. She writes on a variety of topics, from the fetishization of female pain, to the rare Morgellon’s Disease, to being punched in the nose by a mugger. The essays all center on the themes of empathy (duh), and the physical body’s relationship to one’s emotionality. They are gorgeous, and I can hear her energetic, slightly raspy voice in every one of them. A must read, especially for young female writers. You can read an interview Leslie did with The Paris Review here.

I also guest starred in my pretty little sister’s YouTube video. She posts every week, and you can check the video here. She’s gonna be big y’all, don’t you want to say you knew her when?

I wish you a week filled with Christmas movies, caffeine, and lots of sleep. We’re nearly there, y’all!

Love and theatre,

-K