Between the furor over the novel “American Dirt” (which has relevance to my writing a southern story set in slave times) and a truly depressing Twitter thread about the compromise and demise of the SDNY, I felt sunken today and tired.

Had my Thursday writing class, though, and throughout the afternoon continued to reshape the opening of my novel, making it sharper, I hope, with fewer extraneous details.

I had already ordered “American Dirt” when I read this damning review.

After all, Oprah had recommended it and the last two of her picks that I read were really good (Colson Whitehead and Ta Nehisi-Coates — both historic fiction set in slave times). I will want to read “American Dirt,” just like I wanted to read “The Help.” To see for myself.

But! Since some of the outrage has to do with disproportionate advances and super hyped promotion for white authors (and not just cultural appropriation, savior stances, violence porn, and lack of credulity in the work itself), I took note and ordered a novel by a Mexican writer. I will read it first.

The best news I can come up with for today is that the Gaslit Nation women, Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa, have endorsed Elizabeth Warren.

notes: the gravemarker was photographed in Charleston, SC; the chicken wire profile was an art installation in the hotel that K and I stayed in in a Rome this past spring; this hooded figure came from Natl Geo; dotted moon is from a quilt. I wish I could remember where the front facing woman photo came from but I can’t. The vertical row of crosses came from a quilt.