A quick note about my upcoming book: In Defense of Dabbling is available for preorder now! And here’s the thing: preorders mean everything to an author. To wit: if every single person on this mailing list preordered just one copy, this book would likely make the bestseller list. That’s how powerful you are!
So, if you are able, please preorder In Defense of Dabbling (all purchase options are listed at the bottom of this email). For the record, this book makes a great gift: it’ll inspire you and/or your loved one to create more self-compassion, self-transcendence, and even joy for the coming year.
Thanks so much!
One of the most common questions we get about our living situation is why we chose Bath as our other/future home. To be clear, Bath is a charming and beautiful enough city that it is its own reason for relocating here — but there’s another reason we chose Bath: it’s relatively central to all of my in-laws, while still also being a relatively easy train ride to London. My partner Marcus has family in Gloucestershire (about an hour away) and Bristol (about 20 minutes away), but the majority of his family is in the coastal county of Cornwall (3 hours south — not a short drive, but considerably shorter than the 5 hours to London).
I’ve not shared much about Marcus, other than that he’s English. He was born in the Midlands, but when he was still a child, he, his mother, and his siblings moved to Cornwall, where much of his mother’s family lived (and still continues to live). Cornwall is a pretty singular place: it’s considered one of the Celtic nations, and definitely has a cultural identity over and above a British one. And while Marcus is not technically Cornish, because he spent most of his youth there, he certainly considers Cornwall home, and identifies as Cornish in most ways.
I’ve written before about the way that no matter how much time I spend away, Trinidad will always be home to me. But last weekend, we roadtripped down to Cornwall, and I realized the same is true for Marcus: as soon as we crossed the county line, Marcus almost visibly exhaled. The Cornish coast is where Marcus feels most Marcus. It’s where the food is the most familiar, and where the wind of the ocean and the voices of the people call him home.
I get it, man.
The video at the top of this post gives you a glimpse into our time there. And my wish for us this week: may we exhale, wherever we are, because it feels like home.
music: the celtic flavour by alysha sheldon via epidemicsound.com
are you in houston? come dabble with me!
If you’re in Houston, have I got some fun for you:
Always wanted to dabble in ceramics, but never got around to it? Want to celebrate In Defense of Dabbling before it even hits the stores? Join me for a PRE-LAUNCH DABBLING PARTY at my wonderful, magical pottery!
Come celebrate with me at HTX Clay on the evening of TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH -- I'll tell you all about my new book coming out, we'll get a lesson in handbuilding clay (I've never handbuilt, so I'll be as amateur at it as you are!), have some bubbly and the best part -- you'll get a signed copy of In Defense of Dabbling! Also, at the end of it, you'll have a ceramic souvenir that you made with your own hands.
In fact, bring a friend and make an evening of it! It will be an intimate evening, but spots are still available!
please don’t forget to grab a copy of my new book!
Have you pre-ordered In Defense of Dabbling yet? Please do — I’m really excited about this one: it will guide you to creating your own self-transcendent life.
You/can preorder the book in several ways:
Preorder on Amazon. (BTW — even though the official launch date is September 23rd, rumour has it that Amazon has already started shipping — so if you can’t wait, this is your best bet!)
Preorder from your favourite local bookstore. Obviously, I love supporting independent booksellers, and I promise you, local bookstores will love you for supporting them. Find a local bookstore by clicking on the button below, and then clicking “Choose a Bookstore” on the top right of the page that appears:
Preorder a signed, personalized copy from Blue Willow Bookshop. Blue Willow is my local bookseller, and if you order from them, I’ll run over and sign it before they ship it out to you! Just be sure to add a note on checkout about who you’d like me to make out the inscription to. Also, they ship internationally, so that’s a plus!
am I coming to your town?
The In Defense of Dabbling book tour has been announced! Scroll to the bottom of this page to see all the dates and bookstores I’ll be visiting. And if I’m coming to your neighbourhood, please come see me — and bring a friend!
If you enjoyed this post, please let me know with a comment, below, or give it a heart and feel free to share it with friends who you think might enjoy it. It’s a quick, easy way to support my work, and I’d be deeply grateful.
