Lately I have conducted myself in the usual way, which is to say I save every email about Viking River Cruises to Antarctica and file them mentally under the heading of “maybe?” (They cost…so much money, but maybe not, but it is a long-held ambition of mine, or perhaps better said a dream or desire, to go to Antarctica, and this seems more and more urgent, if I actually want to see it.) I water the garden and photograph the garden and spend time every morning and evening hugging Paul, as per his preference.

We had a massive spring storm yesterday—really, it spanned two days, including yesterday and the day before. But yesterday we got the thunder, and two separate hail storms. The second so furious and protracted that the ground briefly looked like it was covered in snow, or littered with plum blossoms, either of which I would have enjoyed. (I enjoyed the hail as well.)

Now we’re getting a much-needed respite from the previous week’s heat wave. It won’t last, but I can pretend it will last. I can enjoy it. Which is either a healthy approach to life, or a compartmentalization. Or both.

Also, let me give you some information about my book tour for End of the World House next month! I have been holding off waiting for a tour graphic, but we added some stuff at the last minute, and now I’m getting nervous that I should let people know that it’s happening. So I’ll share the graphic when it’s ready, and give you this hopefully comprehensive preview now:

Tuesday April 19: Book launch!

• At 12:20pm MT / 3:20pm ET (note: MT is effectively PT in Arizona right now) I’ll be doing an Instagram Live with Drew Broussard and The Golden Notebook!  I saw Drew refer to this as “tea-time” and I love that. It’s going to be great!
• That evening at 6:30pm MT, I’ll be LIVE in conversation with Kalani Pickhart at Changing Hands in downtown Phoenix! This will be SO much fun; please join us if you can PHX friends! Info & registration here.
• Also, at some point this day I’ll go sign books at Antigone Books, for Tucson locals!

Wednesday April 20

• I’m THRILLED to be doing a virtual event with Lynn Steger Strong for The Strand Book Store at 4pm MT / 7pm ET! Info at the link!

Thursday April 21

• I’m excited to be talking with Robin Kall of Reading with Robin for an Instagram Live at 12:20pm MT / 3:20pm ET! I love talking with Robin, and this should be great fun!

Sunday April 24

• Very excited to say I will be live at the LA Times Festival of Books for a panel on “The Intersection of Art and Story” with Grace D. Li and Shruti Swamy. We’re on at 3:3opm!

Monday April 25

• A live event at the mothership, Powell’s City of Books in Portland! I’ll be talking to Meaghan O’Connell at 7pm PT! Come see us, Portland!

Wednesday April 27 

• One last live event in my hometown of Seattle! At 7:30pm PT, I’ll be in conversation with Ruth Joffre at Town Hall Seattle! VERY excited about this one! Books will be sold by my beloved Third Place Books!

Thursday May 12

• And last but not at all least, I will be doing a virtual event with Kristen Arnett at Harvard Bookstore on May 12! Full details still to come, but this will be SO much fun!

That is it for now. I am losing my mind but only just a little bit; I’m kind of skating by on a cloud of pollen and purpose, though thankfully the pollen count is a touch lower today after the storm.

I look forward to seeing people at live and virtual events! It’s wild to know I’ll be traveling again; it’s wild to publish a book; it’s wild to be alive.