Task #9: Read an independently published book by a BIPOC author.

[Bonnie G.]

Kelly wrote: "I wanted to mention some independent publishers I didn't see on here! I'm big into horror, so I'm reading After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones, which is published by Dark H..."

Bipoc is black-indigenous-person of color. Carmen Maria Machado is Latina. She is not, however, from Philly. She is from the Lehigh Valley and lives in Brooklyn.

[Kelly]

Because some of the other challenges say POC and this one says BIPOC instead, I assumed that that was meant to specify.

Huh, when did she move out of Philadelphia? She previously lived in Fishtown since 2013. I grew up in the burbs outside Philadelphia regardless so she's local to me. Most of us in PA use Philly/Pittsburgh as shorthand as to whether we are from Eastern or Western PA since the rest of the state is all small towns.

[Bonnie G.]

Kelly wrote: "Because some of the other challenges say POC and this one says BIPOC instead, I assumed that that was meant to specify.

Huh, when did she move out of Philadelphia? She previously lived in Fishtow..."

I lived in Philly for 2 years, in Center City -- I guess I never got the cross-PA solidarity. My ex was from South Whitehall so we went to see family in the Lehigh Valley a lot, and it seemed like such a different world. Also my son went to college in the area, in Lancaster, and it was $80 to take Amtrak to Philly so that made it seem far. All that said, I also lived in North Dakota for 2 years, and anything in the state (or really also in Minnesota) counted as local there since so little ever happens even with the added 200 mile radius, so I get it. Not sure when Carmen Maria Machado moved to Brooklyn, it is at least 5 years because she was here when I moved back in 2018 (That sounded weird. I have a friend who is her neighbor, I am not a stalker!)

[Kelly]

I'll probably just pick a different author now that I know she doesn't live in Philly anymore, so thank you for letting me know! I guess I've been out of the loop for a while oops.

also OMG the fact that your friend is her neighbor is super cool!!

Yeah you are right it is a different world. I've lived all over PA so I guess I just feel a lot of loyalty to the state in general haha. Also that's so much for the Amtrak, that's wild! You can get from NYC from Philly for much cheaper than that! Although I remember the bus being $50 from Indiana County to Pittsburgh despite it only being 30 minutes away, so I guess the more rural areas are just more expensive. That's definitely fair for North Dakota.

[Bonnie G.]

When my son came here for the weeken it was $80 to get to Philly and there was an $8 bus Philly to NYC. crazy is right! Also now I feel bad to have led you away from reading CMM.. Her work is brilliant.

[Kelly]

Oh I definitely plan on reading her work regardless so dont worry! Like I said, I loved her comic The Low, Low Woods, and her appearances on the podcast You're Wrong About, so I'm very excited to read her books too. Would you suggest starting with Her Body and Other Parties, or In The Dream House?

[Bonnie G.]

I absolutely loved In the Dream House but you cannot go wrong with either.