what counts

I went for a run this morning and felt so peaceful and happy afterwards as I ambled around the Japanese garden. Someone set the bridge on fire so it’s boarded up, forcing me to change my usual circuit. Today I spotted two Great Blue Herons and stopped mid-meadow to photograph a few flame-colored trees. Then I got home and realized I’d forgotten to put on my pedometer—so no credit for the 10K steps I took before 10am. And that’s okay! I have to stop measuring everything I do. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve worked on a novel. Yesterday I got the final pass for Book 4 and just added one sentence to preserve continuity with Book 5. I’m thinking about working on the prequel but I’ve been focused on my apartment lately. Yesterday contractors came and did a great job fixing up my office. This morning I see a couple of issues that weren’t addressed but it just felt so good to have people I trusted working efficiently and professionally. The other contractors I managed to reach haven’t even gotten back to me with their bids so I’m sticking with the crew that came yesterday. I thought I could afford to do both bathrooms this fall but will just focus on the guest bathroom for now. It could take up to a month to gut the room and replace the tub with a walk-in shower but at least I can still use the master bathroom. I leave next week for Scotland and have made some plans but my days will mostly be open.  Make space…that has been a theme for me this fall. It’s not like I have anything planned—I just want room, space to dream, time to explore. I’ve been burrowing, which is easy when the weather turns cool, but will go see Eve Ewing tomorrow evening to hear her talk about the stage adaptation of her poetry book 1919. This weekend is Open House Chicago so I might tour some of the historic churches in my neighborhood. Took a Hyde Park architecture walking tour last weekend. I’m not a total hermit but it’s tempting…

SAY HER NAME has been taken off the shelves in a county in TN and another county is resisting a challenge to A PLACE INSIDE OF ME. I heard from Hendersonville parents and a school principal recently—all expressing their love for my book and determination to push back against book banners. Our #BannedBooksWeek panel last month was recorded by the ACLU of VA—you can watch a captioned clip here. It’s frustrating to have titles meant to empower young readers pulled off the shelves but I’m very grateful for all the folks on the front lines fighting to ensure kids keep their right to read. That’s what counts.