July 2026

Hello Friends, summer is in full swing now. I hope you are enjoying whatever you enjoy doing the most during this time of year. I live in a part of the US where over half the people who have homes here bug out for cooler climates, but the heat dome seems to be the world’s convection oven right now. Although, it snowed in Montana a few weeks ago, so…you know, climate change. 

July 4th was the 250th birthday of the United States. Like all holidays, the holiday season seems to start sooner than we like and last well past the actual day, AND we all have to pretend that the terrible thing the crazy uncle said was just fine and we shouldn’t “make a scene” or whatever. I can’t help noticing that this year, in particular, because it is a big birthday that has its own name, the Semiquincentennial, there has been even more sugarcoating and looking the other way going on. It feels as though everyone decides that on certain days of the year, the old adage that ignorance is bliss should be a way of life instead of a nonsensical trite phrase. 

I know that the victors write the history and all of that, but here’s a crazy notion, maybe they shouldn’t. Maybe, just maybe, history should be written by the people who actually lived it. I was way too old when I first encountered Howard Zinn’s The People’s History. Sure, I was only seven when it first came out, but the fact that I didn’t come across it until I was out of college seems like a problem. If you have not read it, you should. It isn’t easy reading, but it is important. 

The fact is, history, real history, ugly history matters. It matters NOT so that we will feel guilty about the things people who look like us, or people who are in our family tree did, but so that we feel empathy for the people who had the terrible things done to them. If we know the names of the victims, then maybe we will think about them and put ourselves in the shoes of their loved ones who have to go through the trauma. We don’t need to know the names of the vile people who commit a mass shooting, but we do want to know about the people who didn’t vote to stop those guns from being so easy to get in the first place. If we simply list the total number of people killed in WWI, then we don’t learn anything about WHY there was a war and what it meant for the next generation and how it directly led to WWII. I looked it up, and it turns out that nearly 15 million people were killed. My guess is that every person reading this is directly affected by something that happened in WWI. That number takes into account both the fighting forces and the civilians caught in the crossfire. It is that second part we often forget about.

I do my best to make sure that I read at least one non-fiction book out of every 5 books I read. To be fair, not all of them are looking at things through a long-view historical lens. Some of them are very much about the “now,” but they rely on facts, and data, and the ugly truth. Ignorance is not bliss. Sure, for a few minutes or days or weeks, you might want to take a vacation from the ick. I get it. I think we should listen to music and watch sports, and go to plays, and take naps, but we need to make sure that we check back in and pay attention, and continue to tell the truth, because the real adage, the true adage, is that if we don’t study history, we are doomed to repeat it.

Notes From My Headphones

This month, I really went deep into my singer/songwriter collection. Book six is going to lean heavily on that kind of introspective stuff. Even the love songs from singer/songwriters just have an extra kick. Ingrid Michaelson’s Be OK album will feature in the book, and has been playing on a loop in my brain and on my music player. Her first album, Girls and Boys, features a beautiful song called “The Way I Am.” Which I love, love, love so much. Her voice is so smooth. By the time Regardless of You is over, there will be a sing-along. If anyone knows Ms. Michaelson, please put me in touch with her; I would LOVE to have permission to print the lyrics. 

Oddly enough, on the total other end of the vocal pleasantry spectrum, gravel-voiced Tom Waits has really been inspiring. His album Bone Machine is my favorite. The name is actually spot on. It rattles me every time I listen. It features a song that The Ramones went on to cover called “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.” Both versions are really amazing, all because Waits wrote some of the most gut-punchy lyrics ever. He growls, “Seems that folks turn into things that they never want. The only thing to live for is today.” Man. So good. Considering that Walt graduates from college in this book, this song will play a huge part in his journey. 

Notes From My Bookshelf

I picked up an ARC from NetGalley called United States of Oligarchy: How America's Wealthiest Ally with Dictators, Weaken the U.S., and Destroy Democracy by Casey Michel. It comes out in August, and I think you should all put it on your to-read lists. This needs to be required reading for all people in the United States. Really, it should be required reading for all people in the world. Michel is clear-headed and well-researched. There is clearly an agenda, but it isn't actually political. I defy anyone to read this and still think that all these billionaires are heroes.

Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future by Jason F. Stanley is a quick read. It certainly isn’t fun, but it is important. He sings Zinn’s praises at the end, which only makes sense because this book exists inside the Zinnverse of truth-telling historians. 

I also picked up the graphic novel Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden. It is creative non-fiction and tells the true story of the titular characters, who managed to maintain full lives as a couple in 19th-century Vermont. It is an epic love story as well as a testament to the bravery of some people in the face of bigotry. I have never, ever been disappointed by Tillie Walden. She is one of my favorite working graphic novelists. 

Notes From My Keyboard

I saw the draft cover of Jane, book four of The Austen Chronicles, since you last heard from me. It is really amazing. As a subscriber, you will get a sneak peek at it before anyone else. Stay tuned.

I also got the typeset back on Jane. That means we are really, really close to getting an ARC in your hands. Hopefully, you will have that by August. The book is due out in October, and I am so excited for you to read it. I cried a few times reading it again.

I am also working hard on book six. I am fast approaching the 20K word mark. Walt and Winnie are about to head out on a road trip, and some old friends will show up. Then, just as Jane did in Persuasion, there will be a time jump, and we will catch up with them and see how things are going. Spoiler alert, not great. If they were, there wouldn’t be a book, would there? 

I was invited to work with a youth writing group at my local bookstore, Copperfish Books. These kids were so incredibly talented and engaged. They wrote longhand, illustrated their own work (by hand), were not remotely interested in any AI augmentation, and were brilliant in every way. They asked such great questions, and they had big ideas. It was such a great time. The future is bright. 

If you missed me on Booking It! With Johna. You can watch it here. It was a great talk. She was a great host. You should subscribe to her channel.