Good year generally, but no novel finished / published yet, sigh. Working on it. Twenty-five years as a writer, three novels drafted, and no published novel yet, but I swear, I’m trying. I think they’re getting better.
Still need to find a publisher for the new cookbook too (or self-publish, but I want to take a solid stab at finding a publisher first — sending out proposals very shortly).
Other than that, this is what I’ve published (skipping listing the readings and teachings, because that’s a lot and no one needs to read all that), and I mostly plan to keep doing more of the same.
Looking this over, I’m reminded that I mostly only published short stories / essays where someone asked me for them — I was busy enough with those (and trying to write cookbook / novel), that I didn’t really generate any short stories / essays and submit them on my own. I want to do more of that next year — be a little more proactive and thoughtful about what I produce, rather than merely reactive.
That said, I really appreciated when people asked me for stories / essays — please keep doing that!
Also, I appreciated being asked to write stories for both a dystopia and a utopia in 2017. After the political fallout of the election, I think I needed both to stare into the abyss, and to reach for the stars.
I’m thinking of starting a monthly newsletter in 2018. Maybe a podcast. Cooking videos. A serial novel. (Jack of all trades, master of none, that’s me. Mary Anne the Infinitely Distractible.) We’ll see.
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January – December 2017: Regular guest on Writing Excuses podcast
“Nimoy and Spock, Reflections and Farewells,” reprinted in Speculative Fiction 2015: The Year’s Best Online Reviews, Essays, and Commentary
January 2017: Jaggery #9, Winter 2017
February 1, 2017: “From Oak Park to D.C.,” Wednesday Journal
March 21, 2017: “What Price Diversity?,” Wednesday Journal
April 11, 2017: “After Pulse,” Riksha Magazine
Spring / Summer 2017: Chapters for Ellen Kushner’s Tremontaine at Serial Box
June 2017: Joined XPrize Advisory Council
June 2017: Invisible 3, co-edited with Jim Hines
July 2017, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow,” XPrize anthology
July 2017: Joined Museum of Science and Industry’s Department of Next Strategic Task Force
August 2017: Jaggery #10, Summer 2017
September 21, 2017: “Hammer in the Dark,” “Women of Color in Speculative Fiction Roundtable,” Mithila Review
October 13, 2017, 7-9 p.m.: “Solidarity and Survivorship” at Oak Park Arts League, opening exhibit, featuring my Perennial casting (plaster, flora, poetry)
December 2017, “Farewell,” Welcome to Dystopia
December 2017: Started Serendib Kitchen (http://serendibkitchen.com) blog and FB group.
forthcoming, “Hearth,” XPrize Future of Housing project
forthcoming 2017, Perennial: A Garden Romance
forthcoming February 2018, Survivor: an anthology of SF/F stories about trauma
forthcoming July 2018, “A Beautiful Façade,” in George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards volume, Low Chicago
forthcoming, “Moon Maid,” George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards volume, TBD
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