2024 Q1 - Storytelling as Communion
3-5 min. read / 5 min. listen
I may be un-religious, but…
I do feel there is a sort of spiritual and profoundly human core to storytelling. Like, not just in the craft of story-making and story-sharing itself, but in a broader sense: it’s like stories craft the human identity and engagement with stories is communion. Stories are how our brains most prefer things. Stories make things make sense. I’m starting to think maybe I can do anything with the right story to help me.
I started jogging recently. I always hated strenuous, sweaty, prolonged exertion. Turns out I may have listened to the wrong story. 2024 kicked off for me with an exercise tip: when you run, don’t think of it and bouncing up and down as you flee for your life; rather, pick up one leg and lean forward till you have to use that leg to stop you from face-planting the pavement. Then do it again with the other leg. Then came another tip: you don’t have to go fast, just go steady. I tried it. I surprised myself. I didn’t totally hate it. I put in earbuds. I layered up in tights and a hoodie and went out around magic hour. I listened to some Audie-nominated audiobooks… and I fell in love.
Not with running. With falling forward steadily while listening to audiobooks. Liking a different story put me in touch with my body (quite literally with my heart), and it felt more like communion, like community: being human, hanging out with art, visiting other storytellers.
Speaking of Audies and community, I went to my first Audies and it was fantastic! Fun, spirited, and smooth, the ceremony itself hit all the right notes, and getting to see so many people I admire — some in person for the first time (or in a long time) — was beautiful.
And also, beautiful was *I* …you just can’t tell from my pictures. 😅 { Grinning face with sweat emoji } I thought I snapped a few cute shots early in the festivities… then promptly forgot about taking more for most of the night. I’m in lots of other people’s photos, but failed to capture much of my own. I did not realize this until the day after when everyone’s Instagram photos looked so glam! So cute! And my several fails were… not going to be posted on Instagram.
So I saved them for the newsletter! 😆 { laughing face emoji } And now it’s time for the breakdown. Q1 in review:
🎧 Audiobooks 🎧
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Awards:
EL DEAFO awarded the 2024 Odyssey Award and
listed as one of ALSC’s Notable Children’s Recordings of 2024
Releases:
Recorded/Recording:
Cultivation Fantasy
Nonfiction about writing
Queer Nonfiction
Romance short story
Queer graphic novel
Phantasmagorical roman à clef
Aro/Ace romance
🎬 Film & TV 🎬
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working on a short film
Thanks for spending time with me and sharing my celebrations again this quarter! Much love!
🖤🤎❤🧡💛💚💙💜 { progress rainbow heart emojis }
Cheers!
Nicky
2023 archive: Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1
