Dear readers, I am pausing paid subscriptions until September 1 to give myself some space to finish my novel (for reals this time) and decide what's next for this little newsletter of mine.
Damptown Almanac has been in continuous publication for three and a half years. In that time, I’ve picked up 180 subscribers and written nearly 90 posts. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, and we’ve ruminated a whole awful lot. It’s been glorious, honestly.
You’ve been here for me in a way that’s been transformative to me as a writer and a person. Thank you!
All that to say, I’m not quitting this project! This newsletter is a bright little light in my life, and I’m sure I won’t be able to stay away very long. Plus, I have so many ideas for what’s next, and I can’t wait to share them here.
It’s time to take a beat and chart my course. I’d like to get some essays and ideas backlogged for Damptown Almanac, and my gut is telling me that it’s time to get this novel out into the world. I’m so excited to share it with you!
The creative life is a wild one because you really are making it up as you go along. I’ve so enjoyed feeling my way through these three and a half years with you by my side! But add in a day job, three kids, a chronic illness (or two), existential dread, encroaching fascism… and sometimes the pressure mounts and I forget this is something I get to do, not something I have to do.
Writing this newsletter is an awesome privilege I never want to take for granted.
I still plan to write some new essays for you over these warmer months (I couldn’t stop if I tried), but they will come out when they’re ready. I’ll also re-post some old favorites you may have missed, and I’m planning on a few polls to help direct my future focus. I hope to return to you in the fall rejuvenated and excited for our next adventure together.
If you are also someone who walks the creative path, I’d love to hear more about how you make space for new work to come into being and new directions to reveal themselves.
Have a glorious summer, take care of your neighbors and yourselves, and eat all of the ice cream you can get your hands on.
I love you!
Shawna
Good luck with your book!!