This past month, I migrated this newsletter to a new platform, submitted the final draft of my manuscript for my next book, and finished teaching a class on food writing. It was a doozy, but it was also my plan to do a lot all at once. Since turning in my manuscript, too, I’ve felt reinvigorated in writing about food (the book was sucking this energy up—to good effect, I think). This was reflected in the month’s essays.

Exciting new project: Members are collaborating on a collective global Google map of restaurant recommendations to help with research while traveling, focusing on veg-friendly spots—access the link via the Discord or the Members page. We have over 50 spots on there already. I always make a map before each trip for which I gather intel from various food folks in different places; this is a way to give everyone that kind of starting point.

A note about August: I’ll be sending out one piece on Mondays for the next five weeks—the newsletter is taking summer Fridays—all about the things I do to keep myself motivated and focused: from corny affirmations to writing tips to my to-do list philosophy to how I actually make a living. These will all have paywalls quite high up, so if you’d like to be sure you’re included, become a member. I’ll also be launching a new fall workshop called The Self-Edit, and members will get their customary 25% off.

For these next few weeks, I’ll be focused on an exciting assignment that requires a lot of very focused reading and getting an editorial plan in motion for the new publication I’m launching this fall—a 40th birthday present to myself of a new work challenge. I won’t just be sipping drinks on the beach, but I won’t not be doing that.

Here’s a recap of the last month: