Fall. Break.

It’s fall break, which really only means Monday and Tuesday are off from my university, but still, it’s a break. To me, it’s like halftime of my semester-long series of book events, and halftime is an important time to rest and regroup. My graphic memoir, The Keeper, came out 2 weeks ago, but the events started two weeks before that, and since then, I’ve traveled to Xavier University (Cincinnati), Ball State University (Muncie, IN), Arizona State University, and one at home: Indiana University South Bend. And we had a book party at home (with a very hilarious cake fail—see below for photos from the last month).

My goal amid the madness of these travels on top of teaching has been to be present and enjoy it. It’s easy to get stressed about the NEXT thing and not enjoy the thing itself, but I’ve managed to truly enjoy all of the events. I love road trips and plane trips where I’m just able to chill out. I love experiencing different landscapes and climates (like Arizona) and even hotels. I love meeting people and talking about my book and Title IX and sports and writing and art.

But talking about writing and art is not the same as writing and making art. In Arizona, the event organizer, Dr. Victoria Jackson, who is also a long-distance runner, was telling me how she gets very cranky when she doesn’t get to run every day. (And she runs like 8-13 miles!) That’s how I feel when I’m always talking about art/writing and not actually doing it. Even creating this little newsletter makes me feel better.

Later this week, I head to Central Michigan University, then back to Cincinnati (where I’m from, where much of the book/my life took place), for a bookstore launch at Joseph Beth, then Kentucky for the KY Bookfair and other events. Then a few MORE events will take me to the end of November. (You can see them all here on my webpage.)

But for now, a break. A book, a sketch, a bite of candy corn. The sound of rain.

Scenes from Xavier U, Ball State U, Arizona State U, IU South Bend