SARA RAUCH is the author of What Shines from It: Stories and the autobiographical essay XO (forthcoming). Her fiction and essays have appeared in Paper Darts, Hobart, Split Lip, So to Speak, Qu, Lunch Ticket, and other literary magazines, as well as in the anthologies Dear John, I Love Jane; Best Lesbian Romance 2014; and She’s Lost Control. She has covered books for Bustle, BitchMedia, Curve Magazine, Lambda Literary, The Rumpus, and more. In 2012, she founded the literary magazine Cactus Heart, which ran through 2016. She holds an MFA from Pacific University. Sara teaches writing at Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop and Grub Street and also works as an independent editor and manuscript consultant. She lives with her family in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
My current favorite things to read are: the Sunday New York Times, The Beautiful Indifference by Sarah Hall, Jim Harrison’s “Becoming,” Jane Hirshfield’s “On the Beach,” text messages from my friend Kate, and Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan.
My current favorite thing to watch is: …I’m not much of a TV/movie watcher, so in general I only watch things well after release, but my husband and I are currently making our way through Downton Abbey and enjoying it quite a bit. Before that, I loved The Queen’s Gambit, and prior to that, Pose, and prior to that, Mad Men.
My current favorite thing to listen to is: For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver.
My current state of mind is: preoccupied.
My current chemical romance involves: coffee! I gave up cigarettes in my twenties and drugs, alcohol, and social media in my thirties; I like to joke that caffeine is the only addiction I’ve got left. Coffee forever!
My current words of wisdom are: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”—James Baldwin
My current mode of transportation is: a black 2007 Toyota Corolla that I refuse to trade for a newer model. I far prefer walking.
My current favorite fast food item is: Dunkin Donuts coffee while my kids eat frosted donuts with sprinkles.
My current workout routine consists of: …um, thinking about working out? I’m only partially kidding on this one, but I aim for 10,000 steps a day, one morning run and one sweaty yoga session per week. Some weeks I’m much more successful than others.
My current regrettable decision involves: eating dairy. (Why does it have to taste so good?
My current hopes and dreams are: that I’ll be able to keep writing, and (mostly) enjoying the process for the foreseeable future. That my kids will grow up to be thoughtful, engaged citizens. Also, I’d love to see more city-wide composting programs, more sidewalks, better public transportation, and the reemergence of bookmobiles.
My current projects and hobbies include: two new novel/las; trying (somewhat successfully) to be a better gardener; making collages; daydreaming; studying Zen; baking banana bread with my kids.
Sara Rauch is online at sararauch.com.
Brian Alan Ellis runs House of Vlad Press, and is the author of several books, including Sad Laughter (Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2018) and Hobbies You Enjoy (serialized daily on Instagram: @hobbiesyouenjoy). His writing has appeared at Juked, Hobart, Fanzine, Monkeybicycle, Electric Literature, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, X-R-A-Y, Heavy Feather Review, and Yes Poetry, among other places. He lives in Florida.
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