The Art of Anchoring Your Writing

This week's candlelit close reading of Even After Everything

Happy new year and happy Epiphany! I hope you’re going gently into the new. I certainly am, after being sick through Christmas and just getting myself back online, so this letter is coming to you later than planned and thanking you for your grace.

Today we’re continuing our Candlelit Close Reading of Even After Everything—join us if you like! You can read about what we’re covering in our winter seasonal intensive and our reading rhythms here. Anyone can become a paid subscriber, and you can cancel anytime.

We’re starting with a close look at chapter 5 “Remembering Your Death, Trying for Life”—one of the weirdest chapters yet! It’s got dust metaphors, menstrual cycles, menstrual cycle metaphors, and more. And for this very reason, we’re talking about how to tether your work to the real world. Also in this letter:

• Wordplay and how to do it

• Real talk about reconstructing memory and telling the truth in personal narrative