Dog Days of August

“He was visiting his mother and had stepped out for a smoke. It was a warm dry summer day, there was deep shade from the courtyard trees, the rose trellis was in bloom, and the air was as sweet as city air can get. I hadn’t been near a person smoking in a long time, and rather than being unpleasant the smell filled me with nostalgia. Cars packed with teens, college all-nighters, drugs, rock, cocktails, sex. I wouldn’t have minded if he’d blown the smoke right in my face rather than deliberately over his shoulder." 

— Sigrid Nunez

Hello Writers! We’re deep in the dog days of August. We hope you’ve had lovely and productive summers, filled with large and small blocks of writing time, astute observations that you’ve woven into essays, savory dishes that you’ve incorporated into short stories, fragrant scents that you have gifted your characters, leisurely walks that have helped you resolve writing challenges, and the occasional short nap. We’ve been writing, editing and playing with a family member’s new puppy, adopted this August and called (appropriately enough) Augie. Our workshops resume after Labor Day and we’re excited to return to teaching. All classes will continue to be held via Zoom. Have you registered yet?

We’re thrilled to share that we’re launching a new series called Writers at Work. Every month, we will interview a member of our community and share their thoughts on writing and getting published. See our first Q&A with Sarah Gundle in the Writers @ Work page on this site.

Readings: Every month, we share a special list of essays, stories and books that will keep you happily absorbed and set you up to write your own great work. For more, check out Reading Recommendations on Sweet Lab.

Katherine Heiny, Early Morning Riser (novel)

Sahar Mustafa, The Beauty of Your Face (novel)

Sigrid Nunez, What Are You Going Through (novel)

Ann Patchett, Flight Plan (essay) 

Anthony Veasna So, Afterparties (short story collection)

Christie Tate, Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life (memoir)