I like your style. I've only seen occasional re-tweets of yours from walter. Just read your seasons piece and enjoyed it. We might be similar in age, I really related to it. Keep on writing any way you want, you've struck a chord with me.
Hey Amanda! I enjoy the colorfu; dispatches like The Closeup Agency. Whether it is long-form, tweets, or micro-blogs, I enjoy your perspective on situations and encounters, and how you observe people on a deep level. I also enjoy the personal diary-influenced pieces written in the 2nd person. I find a lot of it to be relatable. :) PS So looking forward to Flamingo Road!
As a butterfly net that can catch young and old, high and low, I would love to read your recommendations (a little as AIR MAIL does) -- books, music, products -- health, beauty, fashion, furniture, Vermont Country Store finds, fast cars, dive bars, awesome rides) and authors authors, magazines, flowers, elements, essences.... und so weiter.
Thank you, Louise!! This is such a great idea. I truly appreciate it. I am kind of a butterfly net! I'm going to put my essay about your book up here, too; I just have a few little tweaks I want to make to it. (I also replied to your restack, but I am not entirely sure how this works, so reposting here...)
Hi Amanda, first - I love that image you chose for the autumnal equinox... The Lady of Shalott. Just perfect.
Second - I also enjoyed your Tina essay, and the Hand Models essay, very much! I am a fan of you sharing more narrative essays. I know they take a while to craft; I'm personally open and happy to read things that are "off the top." For me, the more personal - about your own life, observations, etc. - the more enjoyable. I'm less interested in factual, reporting pieces as I can get those things many places. What is interesting to me is *your* unique voice and takes on life as a contemporary woman writer who has her foot in a few worlds - cosmopolitan, rural, and in-between. THAT is interesting.
Also: updates, shares, inspirations, photos, workshops, whathaveyous...all great to send out on Substack, IMO. I've been blogging since 2002 and I go through phases: sometimes travel pieces, sometimes music, sometimes astrology, sometimes philosophical, sometimes art. I don't need to tell you that what readers love is YOU - your essence and the transmission of your spirit that comes thru the words. There are LOTS and LOTS of writers - and not so many that are connected to their souls and bodies in non-pretentious ways. I'm personally thrilled to know you are out there as I find most voices are trying too hard or stuck in their cultural bubble. BE FREE.
Third - I grew up with pennyroyal tea; your title warms the heart.
Fourth - yes, to Bach flower remedies and all other remedies. I'm currently taking a blend of the Bach flower essences and have found them particularly powerful over the years; check out Desert Flower Essences, too, for a slightly different variety, with blends, etc.
Fifth - wishing you and Walter and co. a wonderful fall season. Glad you're out there and looking fwd to the next County Highway.
Thank you for this lovely, heartfelt note, Erin, for the suggestions, and for the encouragement to be free! The reminder is always appreciated, as the world does not always make it easy these days. Thank you, too ,for subscribing to County Highway—the second issue should be arriving soon, if it hasn’t already. I’d love to hear more about your experience with flower essences. I believe they really work. Thank you again for this, for being here and for reading my work and Walter’s. xAmanda
PS: I will check out Desert Flower Essences, and I am so glad you love the painting! It's one of my favorites too. Happy Fall!
Anything that seems important or interesting to you that is too long for Twitter. I'm all about variety and not one that would care if you mix things up as the mood strikes.
I'm looking forward to your Las Vegas book. Since I turned 21, it has been an important city to me. In the 90's, I treated Las Vegas as a bit of an oasis, for when I needed solitude. I used to take the train to the Union Plaza and that was my hotel. I'd study for finals there, free write, or just contemplate at a lazy table of low-stakes blackjack. I loved how the dealers had their nationality on their name tags. Lost a lot of the magic for me once they raised the roof on Freemont Street and shut down the train. I still go back, but stay on the strip to avoid the sense of loss. I think of it as a home away from home and believe that it reflects the core of America more than any other city we have.
On that note, I'm relatively new here and read that you'd written articles about Vegas before - is there anywhere that links to them all?
Hello Mark, It's so great to connect with you here, and thank you for your kind words about my Vegas book. I love that you came to Las Vegas for solitude; I don't think that many people would understand that, but I do. It is a wonderful place to be alone among a crowd. I also agree with you that it reflects the core of America--it's really why I'm writing about it. My Las Vegas articles aren't gathered in one place right now as my website is under construction, but the main ones are easy to find. There's one that was published in The Believer ("The People of Las Vegas"), one about the shooting in California Sunday Magazine ("What Happened in Vegas") and several others about the shooting on the New Yorker website. Those are the main ones, and then some smaller pieces here and there. I can also send them to you if you send me a DM on Twitter. In this note (on Substack), there's also a link to sign up for updates on my book, if you're so inclined. Thanks for being here, and for your interest in my work! I do appreciate it.
Hi Amanda! Write what you like. I have no doubt the long-form pieces take time. I think it’s too much on a writer to make every post an essay or a feature. I think all the ideas you present are great. They allow you to post with more frequency, and I think it would be a lot easier and fun to sustain the site. For your consideration, check out what Laura Kennedy does on her site—Peak Notions. I like it a lot, and I have thought this is something you could do well. Laura has a good mix of different pieces, plus some vehicles that foster a community around her writing. When I was on Twitter, I enjoyed your Tweets. l would love to see you using Notes the same way. It will likely attract more subscribers, too. As always, I look forward to your work—wherever it’s published.
Thank you so much for these suggestions, my friend! And for the general words of support. I'll definitely check out Laura's Substack--I haven't heard of her and now I'm interested to see what she's doing. Good idea about Notes, too.
I’m a free subscriber to Pennyroyal so I’m not sure how much say I have here. You showed up on my radar only in the last year or so and I became a fan instantly. Your writing really resonates with me. It’s pleasantly down to earth and sophisticated at the same time. It reaches well below the surface no matter the subject and asks us to explore things more intimately and spiritually. I’m interested in whatever you produce so I’ll defer to you and your paid subscribers to their preferences.
To shamelessly score a couple brownie points...I’ve been a follower of you on X and Instagram (love the photos) since learning of you and am a subscriber to the best publication on earth, County Highway.
Thank you for this kind note! I allow free subscribers to comment, too. :) I'm glad to have you as a reader here and we are thrilled to have you at County Highway as well. I'll look for you on social media. I'm so glad you like the photos! Perhaps I'll post some and do a photo essay here....
Amanda, the question posed is rattling around in what’s left of my brain. The picture you shared of the serious little girl in a blazer wanting office supplies for Christmas is the perfect image of the serious way you approach your craft. A determined, well organized and skilled perfectionist. It’s partially why your writing is so precise in my opinion. I love and appreciate that. The other side to your writing that I see is a visceral kindness that often explodes into the paper. I may be completely off but I see a desire to help heal and bring peace of mind to others in your work both physically and spiritually. That is a gift and a calling. Sorry for the monologue but it’s how my mind works. A direct answer to the question would be that I would love to hear more about the emotions that drive your life and work in a diary fashion. An exploration of emotion behind the seriousness of the little girl in the blazer. The highs, the lows, the struggles, the successes and the joy and pain of life. Emotions are universal and fascinating.
Thank you so much for this lovely note, Dave!! I truly appreciate it and your support of my work in general. Thanks for the suggestions, too. I think I will do some diary entries and see where they go....
Dispatches please. And combo plates like this one. I read your NYT pieces and follow here precisely because you call it Pennyroyal would love to hear why.
I like your style. I've only seen occasional re-tweets of yours from walter. Just read your seasons piece and enjoyed it. We might be similar in age, I really related to it. Keep on writing any way you want, you've struck a chord with me.
Hey Amanda! I enjoy the colorfu; dispatches like The Closeup Agency. Whether it is long-form, tweets, or micro-blogs, I enjoy your perspective on situations and encounters, and how you observe people on a deep level. I also enjoy the personal diary-influenced pieces written in the 2nd person. I find a lot of it to be relatable. :) PS So looking forward to Flamingo Road!
As a butterfly net that can catch young and old, high and low, I would love to read your recommendations (a little as AIR MAIL does) -- books, music, products -- health, beauty, fashion, furniture, Vermont Country Store finds, fast cars, dive bars, awesome rides) and authors authors, magazines, flowers, elements, essences.... und so weiter.
Thank you, Louise!! This is such a great idea. I truly appreciate it. I am kind of a butterfly net! I'm going to put my essay about your book up here, too; I just have a few little tweaks I want to make to it. (I also replied to your restack, but I am not entirely sure how this works, so reposting here...)
Hi Amanda, first - I love that image you chose for the autumnal equinox... The Lady of Shalott. Just perfect.
Second - I also enjoyed your Tina essay, and the Hand Models essay, very much! I am a fan of you sharing more narrative essays. I know they take a while to craft; I'm personally open and happy to read things that are "off the top." For me, the more personal - about your own life, observations, etc. - the more enjoyable. I'm less interested in factual, reporting pieces as I can get those things many places. What is interesting to me is *your* unique voice and takes on life as a contemporary woman writer who has her foot in a few worlds - cosmopolitan, rural, and in-between. THAT is interesting.
Also: updates, shares, inspirations, photos, workshops, whathaveyous...all great to send out on Substack, IMO. I've been blogging since 2002 and I go through phases: sometimes travel pieces, sometimes music, sometimes astrology, sometimes philosophical, sometimes art. I don't need to tell you that what readers love is YOU - your essence and the transmission of your spirit that comes thru the words. There are LOTS and LOTS of writers - and not so many that are connected to their souls and bodies in non-pretentious ways. I'm personally thrilled to know you are out there as I find most voices are trying too hard or stuck in their cultural bubble. BE FREE.
Third - I grew up with pennyroyal tea; your title warms the heart.
Fourth - yes, to Bach flower remedies and all other remedies. I'm currently taking a blend of the Bach flower essences and have found them particularly powerful over the years; check out Desert Flower Essences, too, for a slightly different variety, with blends, etc.
Fifth - wishing you and Walter and co. a wonderful fall season. Glad you're out there and looking fwd to the next County Highway.
Oh Erin, I replied on your restack. Let me know if you don't see it. Actually, I'll just repost...
Thank you for this lovely, heartfelt note, Erin, for the suggestions, and for the encouragement to be free! The reminder is always appreciated, as the world does not always make it easy these days. Thank you, too ,for subscribing to County Highway—the second issue should be arriving soon, if it hasn’t already. I’d love to hear more about your experience with flower essences. I believe they really work. Thank you again for this, for being here and for reading my work and Walter’s. xAmanda
PS: I will check out Desert Flower Essences, and I am so glad you love the painting! It's one of my favorites too. Happy Fall!
Anything that seems important or interesting to you that is too long for Twitter. I'm all about variety and not one that would care if you mix things up as the mood strikes.
I'm looking forward to your Las Vegas book. Since I turned 21, it has been an important city to me. In the 90's, I treated Las Vegas as a bit of an oasis, for when I needed solitude. I used to take the train to the Union Plaza and that was my hotel. I'd study for finals there, free write, or just contemplate at a lazy table of low-stakes blackjack. I loved how the dealers had their nationality on their name tags. Lost a lot of the magic for me once they raised the roof on Freemont Street and shut down the train. I still go back, but stay on the strip to avoid the sense of loss. I think of it as a home away from home and believe that it reflects the core of America more than any other city we have.
On that note, I'm relatively new here and read that you'd written articles about Vegas before - is there anywhere that links to them all?
Hello Mark, It's so great to connect with you here, and thank you for your kind words about my Vegas book. I love that you came to Las Vegas for solitude; I don't think that many people would understand that, but I do. It is a wonderful place to be alone among a crowd. I also agree with you that it reflects the core of America--it's really why I'm writing about it. My Las Vegas articles aren't gathered in one place right now as my website is under construction, but the main ones are easy to find. There's one that was published in The Believer ("The People of Las Vegas"), one about the shooting in California Sunday Magazine ("What Happened in Vegas") and several others about the shooting on the New Yorker website. Those are the main ones, and then some smaller pieces here and there. I can also send them to you if you send me a DM on Twitter. In this note (on Substack), there's also a link to sign up for updates on my book, if you're so inclined. Thanks for being here, and for your interest in my work! I do appreciate it.
Thank you! Exactly - there is no better place I've found to be alone in a crowd. The world comes to Vegas, and Vegas attempts to become the world.
U2's recent performance at the front of the Plaza to record a video for Atomic City has made me a little homesick for that home away from home.
I'm already signed up for the book updates and this should give me enough to go on to find your Vegas articles - will DM you if I have any trouble.
Hi Amanda! Write what you like. I have no doubt the long-form pieces take time. I think it’s too much on a writer to make every post an essay or a feature. I think all the ideas you present are great. They allow you to post with more frequency, and I think it would be a lot easier and fun to sustain the site. For your consideration, check out what Laura Kennedy does on her site—Peak Notions. I like it a lot, and I have thought this is something you could do well. Laura has a good mix of different pieces, plus some vehicles that foster a community around her writing. When I was on Twitter, I enjoyed your Tweets. l would love to see you using Notes the same way. It will likely attract more subscribers, too. As always, I look forward to your work—wherever it’s published.
Thank you so much for these suggestions, my friend! And for the general words of support. I'll definitely check out Laura's Substack--I haven't heard of her and now I'm interested to see what she's doing. Good idea about Notes, too.
I’m a free subscriber to Pennyroyal so I’m not sure how much say I have here. You showed up on my radar only in the last year or so and I became a fan instantly. Your writing really resonates with me. It’s pleasantly down to earth and sophisticated at the same time. It reaches well below the surface no matter the subject and asks us to explore things more intimately and spiritually. I’m interested in whatever you produce so I’ll defer to you and your paid subscribers to their preferences.
To shamelessly score a couple brownie points...I’ve been a follower of you on X and Instagram (love the photos) since learning of you and am a subscriber to the best publication on earth, County Highway.
Best of luck going forward.
Thank you for this kind note! I allow free subscribers to comment, too. :) I'm glad to have you as a reader here and we are thrilled to have you at County Highway as well. I'll look for you on social media. I'm so glad you like the photos! Perhaps I'll post some and do a photo essay here....
Okay I’ve done it. I’m now a subscriber.
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it.
Couldnt have said it better myself. All of this.
Amanda, the question posed is rattling around in what’s left of my brain. The picture you shared of the serious little girl in a blazer wanting office supplies for Christmas is the perfect image of the serious way you approach your craft. A determined, well organized and skilled perfectionist. It’s partially why your writing is so precise in my opinion. I love and appreciate that. The other side to your writing that I see is a visceral kindness that often explodes into the paper. I may be completely off but I see a desire to help heal and bring peace of mind to others in your work both physically and spiritually. That is a gift and a calling. Sorry for the monologue but it’s how my mind works. A direct answer to the question would be that I would love to hear more about the emotions that drive your life and work in a diary fashion. An exploration of emotion behind the seriousness of the little girl in the blazer. The highs, the lows, the struggles, the successes and the joy and pain of life. Emotions are universal and fascinating.
Thank you so much for this lovely note, Dave!! I truly appreciate it and your support of my work in general. Thanks for the suggestions, too. I think I will do some diary entries and see where they go....
You are welcome. I really appreciate you and Walter and I have learned a lot from both of you.
We both appreciate you as well!
Dispatches please. And combo plates like this one. I read your NYT pieces and follow here precisely because you call it Pennyroyal would love to hear why.
Thank you for your reply, Angela! I'm going to write a piece explaining the name Pennyroyal soon.
I think Im interested in diary type entries. I really like your tweets so maybe extended versions of that lol
Kinda weird but I think of you whenever I'm in Vegas. So looking forward to your book!
Thank you for being the first to answer here! I appreciate it. And for being excited about my book. Are you in Vegas often?
Yes I'm from Southern California so I'm there about three times a year