Welcome!

In which I explain the title.

Hello there!

I’m Sara. Welcome to Seeing Sh*t in Books, my newsletter.

Why Seeing Sh*t in Books?

The Origin Story

One night, my good friend and fellow literary PhD candidate, Sarah, and I were talking literature and life over a pitcher of white wine sangria in New York City. In an attempt to describe what we do as literary scholars, what came out of my mouth was, “We’re just seeing shit in books, really.”

It’s still the simplest way I can describe literary scholarship: you read a book, and you start to see shit in it. Interesting shit. The kind of shit that makes you think more about the book, see it in a new light. See it in multiple new lights. And, suddenly, that book is a multiverse of inspiration and endless amusement. Best of all, when you find someone else who loves seeing shit in books, the fun and meaning and all the things that make life worth living increase exponentially.

(It’s also the most fun way I know to learn how to be a critical thinker, which some folks think is a dying art.)

I still see shit in books all the time, though I left academia for life as a freelance writer. As many of you know, I’m learning not just to see shit in books but how to make shit into a book. It’s a historical fiction set in 1539 at Durham Cathedral in England. There are monks. Destruction of a saint’s shrine. Three childhood friends who have grievances. 

My Invitation to You

Let’s see shit in books together. Let’s talk about making shit into books. Sometimes, I’ll be talking about my writing process. Often, I’ll be talking about a piece of literature I love. I’ll share reading and writing recs. I plan to host some authors for Q&As. And I’ll invite you to share the shit you see in books, too. I want us to have that whole exponential joy thing. 

Oh, and because I’m also obsessed with K-pop (among other things), you’ll get a dose of “The K-pop Prescription” every week: a song to make you feel better about life, no matter what kind of shit you’re seeing, or making, or going through.

This Week’s Dose of K-Pop: ATEEZ, “Answer”

Shout out to my first K-pop friend, Ann, who recommended this song. We met at a Stray Kids concert in Atlanta, and this was one of the many songs she loves by ATEEZ. I now love it, too, especially when I need to feel uplifted but want a different flavor than power ballad.

Love y’all,

Sara

P.S. If you think anyone else might like to see shit in books, do share. The more of us there are, the more there is to discover, learn, and love.