When Even the Little Steps Lead Us to Big Things

I’m currently in the final stages of the editing process for my debut book of poetry.

My editors have been enormously generous with their time, their energy, their feedback, and their space for my work. Poets really are some of the most amazing people. I am abundantly grateful for everything my editors and publisher have been doing for me and for this book. My cover has been designed. I have my table of contents, epigraphs, and dedication completed in the front of the book, and all of my acknowledgements in the back.

The next step is typesetting and starting the process of getting blurbs and reviews in for the back matter. Which is honestly almost more than I can really handle because I never thought I’d be at this place at all, for any of my writing, this soon after graduation, let alone with a manuscript of poetry, but here I am. It’s a feeling, a sensation, that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. And it makes me that much more excited to start working on my next book.

I’m also giddy today because I found out this week that my favorite spot in Oregon (or at least within only a couple hour’s drive), which has been closed since 2020, is opening next month! This spot along the Clackamas River has been a source of almost unlimited inspiration for me. The river, the woods, the campground, the bridges…they’re all magical over there and I have so many story ideas and rough drafts written that were begun after spending days out driving along the Clackamas River.

And next month, I get to go back. For the first time in two years. I could cry, I’m that excited.

Here’s to the upcoming spring and summer months, on this Earth Day.