Amy Makechnie's Blog, page 8

"YES you buy a new pair of cleats!!!"

Hello friends!

I hope you had a wonderful father’s day. I’m thankful for good men. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re amongst the best. Thank you for supporting this woman’s (my) writing.

Here are ten things so lit…and my favorite one might be the last because of how it made me feel (remember: they might not remember what you did or what you taught, but they’ll remember how you made them feel).

But don’t scroll too fast, there’s good stuff in-between, too!

I’m fairly obsessed with THIS HAND DRAWN DAD MAP by Isaac Dushku (he has tons of maps, for mom, too!) I attempted my own and will show you next week!

Writing a short story, poem, memoir, fiction, or narrative non-fiction? These SCENE MAGIC questions will help you get to the finish line! AND, Kelcey’s hand-drawn pictures are to drool over…

“Confidence doesn't always come from believing in yourself today. It often stems from recalling the obstacles you overcame yesterday. A history of resilience can silence self-doubt—challenges conquered are clues to hidden strengths. Past progress is proof of future potential.” by , my italics added (note he did not say past perfection, but progress…)

Which reminds me of a forever-favorite article: “The bottom line: if you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family’s positive moments and your ability to bounce back from the difficult ones. That act alone may increase the odds that your family will thrive for many generations to come.” THE STORIES THAT BIND US (Bruce Feiler, NYT)

Helping Our Boys Why Boys Today Struggle with Human Connection (Ruth Whippman, NYT) When it comes to developing spaces and skills for boys to make friends, we have a long way to go.

I’ll always be her dad. After reading this NYT Modern Love article, I immediately subscribed to ’s newsletter. I love her writing, and I always cry. Read this and weep, reflections from Kiki’s dad, Eric ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ and then after the weeping, seek those who suffer. We need one another.

Love Jane Eyre as much as I do? If you are writing a sweeping, coming-of-age tale yourself, watch pro-teacher show us how!

Okay, this might be a weird but mighty important one: GET BLOODWORK DONE. I just had five vials of blood taken from me so the lab can test all sorts of things like estrogen, testosterone, estradiol, and lipids. As we get older, estrogen starts to drop and YOU NEED IT (bones, muscles, brain, energy….) Estrogen is so lit ️‍🔥

Um, this resonates with me: “Women artists… they made their art on the back porch, they made it on top of the washing machine, they made it next to the kitchen sink, and they made it anywhere they could, for the hour and a half while their kid was taking a nap, and for the two hours while they were at the play group. They made it in between…. There was no time… for the ritual of getting into your work! You just snapped into that taking 10 minutes and making 3 lines on your drawing or whatever was possible.” by

Last week I asked the question: “I’m 49 years old, do I buy the new pair of soccer cleats?” I’ve had an internal debate with self. Soccer is HARD on the body and every summer I say it’s my last. Then, I received an email from Mia:

“YES you buy a new pair of cleats!!! When I was a kid, I thought that you stopped learning once your brain stopped growing. I was TERRIFIED that I wouldn't be able to learn everything I wanted to before then. Then I learned about Georgia O'Keeffe, who learned new techniques and tackled new ways of painting very late in life. It's never too late, and never slow down! Keep growing and developing your passion! 49 is such a YOUNG age. Georgia started studying aerial view painting at 73. That's TWENTY FOUR whole years away from you. Totally keep going and going and going. You really never have to stop until you literally die. <3”

By the way? Mia is 16-years-old. I love her for this answer. Many times I have told myself, “I’m going to do such-and-such until I truly can’t anymore. I’m going to do this until I die,” but sometimes I forget my own knowing or conviction. Sometimes I start to doubt or think I’m “too old” or the time has passed me by or “it’s too late.”

False.

Tell yourself a different story.

It’s never too late. Full stop.

Thank you, Mia. From all of us.

xoxo

Amy

Thank you for reading. Please consider pre-ordering THE MCNIFFICENTS in paperback. I will send hugs and kisses through time and space - they will be the real deal; not AI generated!!!

p.s. HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY TO GUINEVERE ST CLAIR. Guinevere was my first novel, published in June 2018. Thank you, Maine librarian Amy Hand for this great REEL, and to Iowa for hosting me in August to celebrate Guinevere being their “One Book Community Read.” It makes me so happy that Guinevere is being read!

p.p.s. On the topic of “never too late,” writer often interviews “mid-life” women about writing later in life. It’s a good kick in the pants! WRITE.

Thoreau went to see the ocean - and shipwrecks

Henry David Thoreau went to Cape Cod to get a better look at the ocean - “which, we are told, covers more than two thirds of the globe, but of which a man who lives a few miles inland may never see any trace.”

He arrived two years after his years at Walden Pond, in October 1849, New England’s best month - “I never saw an autumnal landscape so beautifully painted as this was. It was like the richest rug imaginable spread over an uneven surface…”

I discovered this book at the little house on the Cape last week. Had I ever known Thoreau went to Cape Cod? I associate him so much with Walden - the only required reading in school - that I had either forgotten or never knew it in the first place. Either way, it was a delightful discovery!

We stayed where Thoreau did, in Eastham, and followed his route (by car and bike) to Provincetown (23 miles by road, 27 by wandering foot?).

Side note: if you ever have the chance to rent an e-bike, DO IT!!!! Long distances are oh so much more enjoyable, especially when you can pull right up behind your husband who is not on an e-bike and gleefully holler, chop chop!

The book begins with Thoreau’s writings of shipwrecks as he observed the dead being pulled from the watery deep (which he purposely and hurriedly went to observe).

I LOVE this idea (not necessarily the dead bodies and shipwrecks part) of following your curiosities, learning what you don’t yet know, and then writing it down. Who knows? Our enthusiasms could very well turn into the next book!

Have you ever had a teacher or a friend that speaks so enthusiastically about a subject that you can’t help but be excited, too? I mean, Catherine of Aragon’s (Henry VIII’s first and banished wife) birthday is on our family calendar due to my oldest daughter’s GREAT passion and enthusiasm! (it’s June 24, btw).

Thoreau’s Cape Cod enthusiasm and dry observations are striking and evocative (and I only just scratched the surface of this book) - and surprisingly funny. He is such a superb observer of the smallest things (like sand!), with the ability to focus his attention and stay there until he has the right words.

I admit, I’m jealous. And want to throw my smart phone into the ocean. I have allowed it to make me incredibly distractible and unfocused.

I shudder to imagine Thoreau watching Tik Tok videos as he walked the along seashores of the Atlantic. Instead he focuses, and describes the land’s sandiness:

The plowed fields of the Cape look white and yellow, like a mixture of salt and Indian meal. This is called soil.

Windmills looked like -

huge wounded birds, trailing a wing or a leg.

Thoreau’s hand drawn map:

“I have spent, in all, about three weeks on the Cape; walked from Eastham to Provincetown twice on the Atlantic side, and once on the Bay side also…but having come so fresh to the sea, I have got but little salted.”

I’m inspired to be curious and enthusiastic about the world, the “unwearied and illimitable ocean,” and the people around me.

Did you know? The etymology of the word enthusiastic is Greek for “possessed by a God”; a person believing he or she is divinely inspired (kindof love that).

On a more personal note -

Curiosity, and an enthusiastic interest led me to Laura and James, who inspired the characters of Vienna and Jed in my first novel, The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair.

I’m thinking a lot about Laura these days. She died this month, at the age of 51 from complications of a brain event that occurred when she was just 22-years-old and deprived her of oxygen for too long. When she woke up, she remembered nothing after the age of thirteen (she was married with two small children).

I’m thankful to Laura’s husband, James, who spent so much time with me, telling me their story, including so many personal details of the brain event and aftermath, all the anguish, suffering, and hope. The way I was led to the story, and James’ willingness to lay it all for me never felt coincidental - and it led to much more curiosities and learning about the brain.

There are illimitable things to be fascinated by in this world.

Thoreau went to the ocean to observe how the land meets the sea. His Cape Cod writings didn’t gain much appreciation until after his death (at the young age of 44!) but they have lasted, 150 years later…

“His is still the best book about the best part of the Cape - that great unbroken outer beach that runs from Eastham to Provincetown, and that still looks almost exactly the way Thoreau saw it when he walked it a hundred and fifty years ago.”

-Robert Richardson, from the foreward:

I hope you will enthusiastically go to the places that call to you. And then tell us about it. Write it down.

Amy

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. Thank you for subscribing!

Last Words:

Read: You can read Thoreau’s Cape Cod for FREE, HERE~

Thoreau for Kids: I want to buy all of these books, including the journal

Reading: Beach Read by Emily Henry

Eating: Cherries are in season! I love them so much I buy whole bags and consume quickly (potassium, fiber, Vitamin C, anti-oxidants!)

Playing: Summer soccer…I need a new pair of cleats. Do I buy a new pair at age 49??? I can’t seem to hang up this sport…

Pre-order: On August 6th, The McNifficents is out in paperback! Pre-orders are a really big deal and I REALLY appreciate your order and/or review.

Writing to You From Cape Cod

Hello friends,

Last night we drove to Cape Cod.

Nauset Light Beach

After dropping our bags, we raced to the beach to catch the sunset (passing a large BEWARE OF SHARKS sign; they like shallow-swimming seals), sunk our feet into the smooth perfect sand and let out a long exhale…

This amazingness has occurred after an incredibly crazy May (I know you can relate) because a few weeks ago, my friend Lindsay, sat next to me with her phone calendar open and said, “I want you and G to go to the cape June 3-7. You’re going to stay at our house.”

She was very serious and began sending me long texts of where the keys were located, what the wifi password was, and where to get the best fish and chips.

My first reaction was hesitation. Lindsay looked me in the eye and said, “Listen. If you can’t go when this is literally being being handed to you, that’s a problem.”

Don’t you love blunt friends?

SO WE DROVE AWAY, leaving three teenagers, two young adults, one grandfather, and two miniature schnauzers at home…(I have a good hunch that those teenagers and young adults are thrilled with the arrangement.)

I left a big calendar on the fridge, but I am not the mom that plans ahead and leaves frozen casseroles in the freezer. I’m more of a toss-those-kids-in-the-deep-end of the kitchen and let them cook. This skill, my mother repeatedly told me growing up, is how one truly gains self-esteem “being capable and knowing how to do things!”

While leaving, the darlings yelled after us,

Don’t look at your phone while driving! Drive slowly! Don’t speed! Wear sunscreen! Eat an apple!

They mock me in the best ways.

And so we are here, where the most pressing question of the day is: what will I read?

Yep, I still travel with too many books; no kindle for me…yet?

I’ve never read an Emily Henry book and Beach Read seems an obvious ocean escape choice. Lief Enger’s Peace Like a River is one of my most favorite books of all time, I Cheerfully Refuse comes highly recommended. One of Us is Lying is a good comp title for my latest work-in-progress, while Righteous Warriors will aid my spiritual study. I’m super psyched to read Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s new release The New Menopause (NY Times Bestseller the last four weeks), and I brought the picture book The Boy Whose Head Was Filled With Stars, a story about Edwin Hubble and the telescope. I have since encountered a beach house full of books including a large collection of Dog Man by Dav Pilkey who has the best author bio ever:

What should I choose and what are you reading? I always love to hear.

Leave a comment

Whether by sand, train, or a house full of kids and dogs…may you find some reading time this week. And may we be and have the most generous friends who give you their house keys (thank you, Lindsay and Mel!)

Yours in reading by the seashore with seashells, sharks, and seals,

Amy 🏖️

p.s. The tongue twister “She sells seashells on the sea shore” was inspired by Mary Anning, who lived in Dorset and collected shells and fossils from the beach, which she could identify, and sold to make a living.

p.p.s. In two months, THE MCNIFFICENTS releases in paperback! Get your copy now.

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Our Awe-inspiring, Astonishing Brains

Dear Brain,

How do I love thee. You are amazing and astounding - also confusing and confounding.

I’m no brain expert, but I want to be. I’m here to briefly extol this amazing powerhouse of an organ, and to recommend some brainy books for your next reading pleasure.

Below are some brain pictures of my Anatomy & Physiology teaching days.

I’ll ease us in and start with the skull. Isn’t it so beautiful? So protective, so ingeniously designed, the perfect illustration of “form follows function”:

my trusty writing companion

If you want to educate yourself, students (or kids) about the brain, I suggest starting with play-doh. “Learning while doing” is so effective. Look at anatomy textbooks or google “brain” and form the brain structures. Even pre-k kids can do this! Use all of the colors, rolling up little balls of orange or red or blue to form the pituitary gland, for instance. Then you can move on to researching the physiology (what each part does).

one student’s particularly neat work

During Covid, when teaching online (with much more downtime), I painted anatomy and turned them into stickers:

doesn’t everyone want a letter sealed with a kidney?

In college (with my sister by my side!) we were lucky enough to work on human cadavers. In high school, I taught with sheep brains, which are quite similar to human brains. These are VERY preserved. Our brains are not this color, nor quite so…bouncy and spongey feeling…

See the shiny outer layer peeled off? That’s the dura mater “tough mother”

Kids will be so grossed out and first and proclaim I CANNOT LOOK AT THAT, SMELL THAT, TOUCH THAT…and by the end of class, they’re wearing gloves and cutting with scalpels, saying WOW. The shiny outer layer of the brain is called the “dura mater,” a German word that translates to “tough mother,” because of how tough and impenetrable it is to disease and foreign substances.

There’s the form and function, and then there’s the mind.

How incredible is it that our thinking patterns can grow ACTUAL NEURAL PATHWAYS? And once those are formed, they will inform the way we think and act next time.

Hypothetically, when you’re running to the bathroom thinking I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE IT, the pelvic floor specialist might hypothetically say: stop, breathe, and think I am fine, I will walk to the bathroom and have complete control of when I go. Otherwise, we’re reinforcing the feeling of PANIC, decreasing our odds of making it to the bathroom.

Hypothetically, I’m here to tell you that harnessing this thinking at least HELPS.

My son, Nelson, sent me As a Man Thinketh (one hour and free on Spotify). We have been having many spirited discussions about thought and action.

“Act the Way You Want to Feel” so often works. It’s empowering.

It’s not being fake; I’ve been amazed at how I can change the way I want to feel by the power of thought.

I didn’t have that “mental toughness” at age 13 trying to high jump at the district meet. I couldn’t get control of my brain and totally freaked myself out.

It takes years and years. We’re all in training.

But the more we practice, the more those neurons make connections until we are just like that dura mater - one “tough mother.”

Then there are the homeostatic imbalances: when something goes wrong and no amount of “mental toughness” is going to keep your brain from glitching.

It is ALS Awareness month. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, affecting the nerve cells so you can no longer walk, talk and eventually, breathe.

More than anything, Golden wants his dad to be okay

Our friend, Eric, died from ALS in 2017. When he could no longer control his muscles, he still had complete control over his mind. He chose to live with an extraordinary grace. I’ll always remember how he was the calm guiding the rest of us through the storm.

Will we ever have a cure? I hope so.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy some reading on the brain. The more you dive in, the more you may want to keep diving. The brain is endlessly fascinating.

Recommended Books for Brain Appreciation…ALS Fiction:

Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie (can Golden win the soccer championship AND save his dad?)

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova (a marriage between two brilliant musicians reconciled by a devastating diagnosis)

When Something Goes Wrong With the Brain1 Fiction:

The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie (a brain injury leaves a mother unable to remember her daughter, Guinevere)

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (the cost of professional football on black bodies, written in verse)

Still Alice by Lisa Genova (the end still haunts me)

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan (memoir, instant NYTimes bestseller, and Netflix show. A medical mystery and exploration of madness)

Neurodiversity:

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan (I love how Riordan wrote this as a kind of love letter to his son who has ADHD - and it was a superpower)

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla (Neurodivergent Maudie spends an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad?)

SO GOOD Brainy Non-Fiction:

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Dr. Norman Doidge (this book changed my writing life in many ways…)

Menopause by Dr. Marie Clare-Haver (yes, menopause GREATLY affects the brain!)

The Brain and Poetry:

The Brain's Lectionary: Psalms & Observations by who writes The Lovely Brains Newsletter (a collection of astonishing poetry encompassing art, science, and the spiritual while recovering from a traumatic brain injury)

Have a “brainy” book to add? Please comment…

Leave a comment

Another day, another post…psychology, self-help, and mindset!

Yours in building a better brain,

Amy 🧠

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. Thank you for reading!

School and Library Visits

Want to get brainy and bookish with me? Please be in touch or tell a friend…

can travel with bodies, brains and books

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And Finally…

Favorite Brain Tik-Tok-er: Dr. Amen (short, concise, science-backed brain tips)

Reading: Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

Watching: Just watched American Fiction. As a reader and writer, you’ll enjoy

Snacking on: Pistachios (brain health!)

Running: Loving my Saucony Triumphs (on sale; move for brain health!)

The Brain and Mental Health: Enter the Simon Kids Book Giveaway!

1

The definition of “homeostatic imbalance”

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The Stories We Tell Ourselves...

A few nights ago I dreamed of writing a letter. The letter was addressed to a graduation speaker whose job it is to kick a leather ball filled with air for a living. This is obviously very important work and keeps our society from spiraling into an abyss of terribleness.1 I’m sure you’ve heard all about it by now.

I woke up still writing the letter in my head, super annoyed at the twisting and conflating of education, Christianity, and “the role of women” - and furthered annoyed that I had let his comments get to me. Because that’s a choice (see Seth Godin below).

I didn’t write a letter. Many other women have responded oh so wonderfully. I thank them 🙏

Instead, I got up, taught a class, read, went for a run, walked the dogs, planted nine tomato plants, and visited a middle school. I encouraged these young students (the majority of whom were girls) to learn, read, and write their stories.

Anyway. Here are ten things so lit-(erary) and otherwise.

I find ghostwriting so interesting. Did the ghost write this part in The Heir and the Spare- or did Prince Harry? “– I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow.” Author Jennifer Weiner on voice and Harry’s Ghost.

I’m not SUPER ANNOYED that I pre-ordered this book and now it’s 50% off because I can be happy for YOU to order it. Dr. Mary Clare Haver’s AMAZING book on Menopause is half off (but not for long)!2

“…just when you're about to give up…IT happens. All of IT. Everything you want. Don’t give up. Until the stars align for you, keep telling and writing your story.” Praying out loud works in storytelling, too. A fantastic read by with analysis of Eat, Pray, Love: “I need an answer. Please. Tell me what to do.” I used this literary device in Ten Thousand Tries when Golden remembers Messi pointing to the sky like a prayer.

I want to open a bookstore like “I guess what I’m saying is this—let’s all do all the good we can. Let’s read all the books we can. Let’s talk about them with our friends. Let’s wander through aisles—at my bookstore, or at someone else’s—and know that someone put those books there for you to find. That books matter, because they last, and because they are direct connections between your brain and someone else’s…How long do any of us have on this planet? We don’t know. Take what is for you and leave the rest, just like the books on the shelf. It’s not about the ones you don’t love, it’s about the ones you do.”

Teachers deserve only the best, but especially at the end of the school year. TikTok-er and middle school teacher Gabe Dannenbring never fails to make me laugh. “Did you throw that across the room? Yeah, maybe let’s not do that.”

The daffodils are waning, but my heart beats on for The Daffodils by Williams Wordsworth (my favorite poem, and the only one I have memorized):

For oft, when on my couch I lie/ In vacant or in pensive mood/ They flash upon that inward eye/ Which is the bliss of solitude;/ And then my heart with pleasure fills,/ And dances with the daffodils.

Do Less: Do one thing really well. Stop stretching yourself so thin trying to do it all. Focus on what matters most to you, and double down on that. Not only will you feel better, you will be able to find more energy and time to devote to it, instead of spreading that out across so many other places. I needed to read this. Thank you, (the bomb-diggity author coach)

“It is not raining now, but it rained all day-a rain scented with lilacs. I like all kinds of weather and I like rainy days-soft, misty, rainy days when the Wind Woman just shakes the tops of the spruces gently; and wild, tempestuous, streaming rainy days.” -Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

My world is scented with lilacs - but it is fleeting - stop and smell the lilacs

I was so happy to read this email I may have shed a tear 😊 The McNifficents was chosen as New Hampshire’s 2024 Great Reads for Kids selection and will be featured at the New Hampshire booth at this year’s National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. on Sat., August 24th. Yippee! Please consider pre-ordering the paperback for yourself, classroom, or anyone else. Only $8.99! As always, I’m happy to send a signed book plate…

The Power - and Empowerment - of Story: Your problem isn’t the outside world. Your problem is the story you’re telling yourself about the outside world. And that story is a choice. If you aren’t happy with the story, tell yourself another story. Period. -Seth Godin

Love, Amy (who struggles to use only one spring-time emoji) 🌻🌱💐🌺🌿🌈🐣🐇🐞👒🐥

p.s. It’s ALS Awareness Month! You might enjoy this book.

School Visits

I was in Bedford, New Hampshire yesterday for a middle school visit. How amazing is this LITERARY mural? A retired teacher comes in after school and paints with interested kids, how cool is that?

Interested in a school visit? I’m your girl! Be in touch.

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. Thank you for reading, and please share!

1

I’m not often sarcastic, only sometimes.

2

I am not an Amazon affiliate. If you can buy local, that’s the bestest, of course!

mothers in the books we love...

Happy Tuesday, book lovers!

I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day in whatever way you celebrated or remembered. Perhaps you were happy, perhaps you were sad. I understand; there are many emotions there.

Is motherhood a “genre”? There’s no other book I’d rather read more than one with a strong and central mother figure. I’m not holding up Scarlet O’Hara as the pinnacle of motherhood, but what an intriguing creature; how she’s transfixed us. Contrast her with Melanie Hamilton and you’ve got quite the study (if you haven’t read and then watched GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell, please rectify this situation. Yes, I know of it’s “problematic” optics. That’s why you should read it).

Here are some of my favorite books with strong, matriarchal roles (“favorite” is underselling it. I love love love these books!)

read any of these???

Favorite books with strong mother figures:

GLITTER AND GLUE by Kelly Corrigan (my favorite memoir about a mother and daughter)

BATTLE HYMN OF THE TIGER MOTHER by Amy Chua (controversial, and a great read)

THE BONESETTER’S DAUGHTER by Amy Tan (my favorite of Tan’s books! A tumultuous mother-daughter relationship finds a way…)

THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett (I love how Skeeter’s mom rallies for her, but it is also Skeeter’s beloved maid and mother-figure, Constantine, that shaped much of her life)

THE UNFORGETTABLE GUINEVERE ST CLAIR by Amy Makechnie (I loved writing this story and asking - who is the mother figure? Gaysie or Vienna?)

OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout (In this Pulitzer prize winning book, Olive can be so unlikeable and obtuse. So why do we like her so much?)

Favorite books about women who step into the role of mother:

CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese (Orphaned at birth, an unlikely mother and father step in…a favorite of all-time story)

THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L. Stedman (historical fiction that will rip your heart out and challenge your ethics! Would you give the baby back???)

THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE by Alan Bradley (the mother is missing , but her presence is felt everywhere. I adore young Flavia de Luce, “an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison”)

Ann Patchett recommends the memoir Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love by Laura Dern and mom, Dianne Ladd. Forward by Reese Witherspoon. Ann says the greatest gift we can give our moms is to pay attention to them. Ask them questions. (Who knows, it might turn into a book!)

My daughter Brynne recommends household favorite, BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL by Robert McCloskey (featuring TWO mothers: the bear and the human!)

Do you have a favorite book that highlights a mother (for better or for worse??)

Leave a comment

I love the women who “mother.”

You are so powerful, and absolutely irreplaceable.

Know that. It’s true.

Amy 🐝

The older two kids have been replaced by yapping dogs…kidding…!

a little more…

Read THIS about Julia Ward Howe, who, in the 1870’s after two terrible wars, decided we needed a Mothers’ Day (apostrophe plural) - not to encourage people to be nice to their mothers - but to empower women to get involved in politics to change society and END WARS.

Bono talked about his mother Iris in THIS CONVERSATION. His mother died when he was 14-years-old and after that, his very Irish-Catholic/Protestant family of three (Bono, brother, and father) never spoke of Iris again. Bono’s been singing to her ever since, and wrote about her in his book SURRENDER. Just beautiful (doesn’t Bono’s accent makes everything better?)

HEADSTRONG by Rachel Swaby (a gift from my mother and on my TBR pile; “Fifty-two inspiring and insightful profiles of history’s brightest female scientists.” yes, please.)

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. Please share this post and feel Amy’s undying gratitude.

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#10 What to Read

Hello friends,

March and April were filled with some terrific middle grade reads, one adult fiction book (Ally Condie’s first!), and an astoundingly good, pulitzer-prize winning novel via audiobook.

The nice thing about middle grade books (target age is 8-12) is that not only are they great literature, but fast reads.

Drumroll…

HELLO UNIVERSE by Erin Entrada Kelly (Newbery Award) Virgil, Valencia, and Kaori are all in need of finding their inner hero “bayani” (hero), which happens through a harrowing adventure and only when they work together. Hopeful, fast-paced, an everyone-should-read-middle-grade-book! (and totally got me on an Erin kick).

WE DREAM OF SPACE by Erin Entrada Kelly (Newbery Honor Book) It’s January 1986 and three siblings are struggling. They’re also getting ready to watch the space shuttle Challenger launch on live tv during school.

In 1986 I was in fifth grade sitting in Mrs. McChesney’s class in Omaha Nebraska.

The mission was broadcast live, but relatively few people watched the launch. Most adults were at work and there was no social media.

But there was a notable exception: America school children. 73 seconds after lift out, when we were literally cheering, the shuttle exploded. How in the world would Erin pull this story off? She did it so well 💫 I loved this book!

FEATHERS by Jacqueline Woodson (Newbery Nominee): "Hope is the thing with feathers," starts the poem Frannie is reading in school…also fast paced and hopeful.

KEEPING PACE by Laurie Morrison. A coming-of-age story about two former best friends who have become aggressively competitive. So when summer comes around and there's a half-marathon to train for, the race is on! Morrison (also a middle-school teacher) writes with a voice that is true and real.

ISABEL IN BLOOM by Mae Respicio: Told in verse (amazing), Isabel is a Filipina-American girl coming to the United States after being separated from her mother for five years after her mother left to work as a nanny five years ago (a common scenario). New everything, it is a joy to watch Isabel bloom.

THE LOST LIBRARY by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass: A slim and charming mystery told by a ghost librarian, an aging and beautiful cat, and a young boy named Evan. This reads like a love letter to books, libraries, and second chances.

Adult Fiction:

THE UNWEDDING by Ally Condie: A murder mystery at a beautiful resort meets a woman wading through the thick of grief after a divorce. This is Ally Condie's first adult novel and I hope she keeps them coming. Out June 2024!

DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver (Pulitzer Prize): "Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose." Incredible writing and social commentary told as a coming-of-age story within the foster care system and mountains of southern Appalachia. This was an audiobook listen (21 hours!) by an incredible narrator Charlie Thurston, who totally nailed the voice of Demon who will be forever southern-cursing in my head (be prepared for a lot of language that is very true to character). Your heart will break for Demon, a kid with extraordinary heart and talent, who consistently gets the short end of the stick in life.

David Copperfield was Kingsolver’s inspiration for this story, for all the lost boys who can’t imagine leaving their home behind, no matter how “cursed” it may be. I attempted to listen to David Copperfield (33 hours!), but wasn’t feeling it. Perhaps someday.

Have you read any of these? Thoughts? What are you reading now?

Amy

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Launching:

The McNifficents launches in paperback on August 6th. Get it while it’s hot 😊 (and only $8.99!). Save your receipt, fun swag coming…

School Visits:

Would you like a school visit this spring or fall? Be in touch! I’ll be visiting three New Hampshire schools this month, and am flying to Iowa in August to celebrate GUINEVERE! Meeting students is the best part of this job <3

The Other Stuff:

NOT Eating: Okay, y’all. You read it here. I’m no longer bringing Diet Coke, Goldfish or potato chips home from the grocery story. I’ve been refraining for two months and shockingly…feel less tired (& my pants fit better). Sigh. Why can’t I just Goldfish through life?

Listening: Mel Robinson and Dr. Mary Haver on menopause Don’t think you need to listen? YOU NEED TO LISTEN. You’re probably already in perimenopause…

Watched: Hunt for the Wilderpeople on Netflix. We all loved this!

Watching: Ripley on Netflix. An excellent psychological thriller (TY )

Finished: Latest manuscript (which you already knew! Still recovering from the sprint. Below is my daughter, Cope, giving me feedback. Isn’t she a doll? She says, “this is my favorite book of yours yet!” I cry.

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. Please subscribe!

declare your intentions; watch the world rally ⭐

Hello friends,

Every Tuesday for the last year+, I’ve published a Substack post.

But I could not do that this past Tuesday, April 30th, because I had thrown down the gauntlet on Tuesday, April 23rd, declaring I HAD TO FINISH THE BOOK.

And wow, you really came through for me.

Several times this week I was asked in person, email, and texts did you finish the book?

YOU’RE SUCH GOOD COACHES!

I work VERY WELL with deadlines and outer accountability and highly recommend declaring your intentions to the world; watch the people rally.

A warning:

As with all good intentions, things will go awry.

I could give you many good reasons why I had not finished by Tuesday, April 30th, the day I was due to publish a post.

Such as:

Two kids came home from college. One of them showed up with a puppy.

Really. Dear daughter drove all the way home from Utah and bought a puppy in Kansas. Surprise, Mom! And now she’s home for the summer (which I’m truly happy about). With a puppy. You’d be so impressed by how chill I was in the moment.

There were many other good reasons I did not finish by April 30. They were REALLY GOOD REASONS, but it doesn’t matter. This we know: There is always always a good reason.

And I’m telling you, you must push through. Find the way.

You might need the people:

Declare your intention to the world. Watch the people rally.

I kept thinking of you asking, did you finish your book?

SO I DID.

Two hours ago I wrote:

a screen shot of my Google doc. we did it.

THANK YOU for being my accountability.

I adore you for it.

Yours in finishing school,

Amy 💛

p.s: the house is A DISASTER

p.p.s. next week I’ve got a WHOLE BUNCH of books to recommend!!!

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Thank you for reading Lit With Amy Makechnie!

I'm finishing the book

Happy World Book Day!

maybe I’ll do my nails after I finish the book…I’d like to report I showered this morning.

I’m celebrating this day by FINISHING my latest work-in-progress.

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Today is the day. By the end of the week. At the latest.

Which is what I’ve been saying since January.

February at the latest.

Where did March to?

Last Friday, April 19th, at the latest.

These are all self-imposed deadlines, by the way.

Which might be part of the problem.

I’m nothing if not an unrealistic? optimist. RIGHT?

But now I really really must finish and ship this work.

And so this message is short.

To wish you a Happy World Book Day: a glorious day to celebrate books (that get written; get it done!)

Thank you for being my accountability.

And thank you for loving books.

Yours in finishing school,

Amy 💛

p.s. if you want to bring me joy, tell me what you’re reading. I’ll read next week!

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Thank you for reading Lit With Amy Makechnie. Please subscribe as Amy can use all available accountability at the moment

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Ten Things so Lit 🔥

“I'm really trying my best to act like a person, but I have a lot of what my kids call ‘issues’. I don't do well in crowds, I don't do well with stress, I have a very hard time processing impressions. I get easily overwhelmed.” But then internationally-bestselling author Fredrik Backman was able to get on stage and do THIS. “Earlier that day I had nosebleeds and migraines, just before going on stage I lost all feeling in my face and hands, because my brain reads stress as fear. I'm working on all this, I really am.” Inspiring.

Readers and writers need to eat! May I suggest The Wedge Salad. Am I right? Skip the bacon if you like…but why would you do that???

“Productivity in the long run doesn’t always look productive in the short run. And so it pays to keep your eyes on the horizon, knowing good ideas sometimes take time.” writes good stuff.

This could be you! The winner of this worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House receives an advance and offer of representation. Get your children’s-young adult manuscripts submitted by June. LET’S GO.

“Make it shorter, Make it more appealing, How could it apply to more people?" Writing feedback via James Clear newsletter

The MIGHTY HEART is truly a wonder. How to turn heart anatomy into a picture book? HELP (seeking your input!)

The backpack we carry for too long. Print (drawn by author ), fill it up and then LET THOSE THINGS GO. Thank you, Brad.

“If you love a book, talk about it! If you love a story, let other people know!” A persistent teacher’s impassioned email to author Tommy Orange who dropped everything to visit this classroom in the Bronx (hoping my NYTimes gift link works)

This is a real sign listing towns in Maine from ’s friend Peter Ralston. “Friendship is a real town not so very far from where we live, and yes, friendship is here, wherever we are.”

Read ‘s post on what we can learn from the fearlessness of teenagers and creativity and be SUPER INSPIRED (I am)!

Kelcey Ervick

May you find and discover many more things so lit this week!

Amy ☔

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