Everyone I Love Came to Amsterdam and Now They’re Gone and I’m Sad
July 5, 2022
Welp, It’s two weeks since my Midsommar Night’s Dream, Alice in Wonderland, Garden of Earthly Delights summer solstice party happened and I don’t know what to do with myself. I spent so much time and energy dreaming about and planning this party and everyone came (everyone came!!) and it was a dream come true, but now everyone is gone and I honestly do not know what to do with myself.
What I am supposed to be doing is writing my novel. I have the idea, I have the characters, I have a 3-act-structure in mind but all I’ve been able to do so far is buy several new notebooks and a fancy green pen and do absolutely zero writing so far. How does one write a novel? Does anyone really know?
Mostly I just keep getting lost in the memories and daydreams of my party. I’m laughing at how when it was time to cut the cake I was like, no way I can’t cut the cake, that’s way too much pageantry for me, I can’t stand the spotlight, and everyone was like, um, since when you are literally wearing horns and your hair is an epic rat’s nest and you are walking around carrying your own microphone. Some of you will understand this though. It’s like wanting to write deeply personal things for all the world to read but then screaming on Twitter no one must ever look at me.
Anyway, I did have a really lovely meeting with Charlotte and Tiemen at the American Book Center today to brainstorm ideas for how we can collaborate on future salon-style author events like the one I did with Jami Attenberg this past Spring. I loved meeting with them both, they were so kind and generous with their ideas and time and as I walked home through the Vondelpark on this perfect July summer day my mind started percolating with visions of my Gertrude Stein of Amsterdam aspirations. Authors, if you are coming to Amsterdam get in touch! Also, who wants to move in with me and write my novel with me? The bakery in my neighborhood has the best Appelflaps in Amsterdam.
xoxo
