Erika

Hi guys!

I'm so late on this - and I'm gonna start off on the right foot by not feeling bad about it.

Because I'm here to feel good.

I lived in Chicago for about 8 years after college, doing theater, waiting tables, working as a standardized patient and lots of other weird things, and, finally, writing.

I moved to the Bay Area almost three years ago now, and my writing has been suffering ever since. NO! I'm working on it. Anyway, I'm here to read and hear about what you're reading.

I sometimes write for an online film magazine called Bright Wall/Dark Room. You should subscribe. It's fun. I most recently wrote a series of essays about the final episodes of Mad Men. (I've been recovering emotionally since then.) I asked to write about Magic Mike XXL for the end-of-the-year issue, but like four other writers beat me to it ;)

I also love: watching/thinking/talking about TV (historically a lame hobby, but to me TV is art right now); reading (seriously probably the thing I love most); musical theater (seriously love this too but somehow don't have a lot of it in my life); making weird shit with people I can laugh with (also need more of this); drinking iced tea with nowhere to be,

Reading status: I was sick for a full week right before the holiday, and kind of fell off the reading train at that point. I haven't been able to get into anything since. I started Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, thinking it'd be an easy page turner, but...it was too scary to read in bed. Not usually an issue for me, but I'll go ahead and trust my gut on that one.

Five books, in no particular order and not necessarily permanent:

1. the Emily of New Moon series (L.M. Montgomery)
I read these at least once a year. This year I noticed something HUGE that I hadn't caught before.

2. Another Country (James Baldwin)
The most beautiful and honest writer. Helps me get close to knowing things I can never truly know.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
This book hypnotizes me. How does she do that with the child's voice but the adult's perspective but not really but but but....

4. Nicholas & Alexandra (Robert K. Massie)
Nonfiction and almost impossible to believe.

5. Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)
Deliciously creepy with a couple of great gasp moments. I love when books make me gasp.

*bonus short story: "Black Box" by Jennifer Egan
**also love Kazuo Ishiguro, Chekhov, Fun Home was revelatory, Murakami short stories, Saunders short stories, Joan Didion, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Stephen Sondheim writing about how he works, The Great Gatsby, Hollywood history, loved All the Light We Cannot See, you know--Shakespeare...I'm open

Glad to be on board!

Erika