Hi, I’m Haley! Book midwife (editor) and author. Hello to new subscribers and welcome all to another edition of This Week’s Miscellany. TWM is full of my favorite things from around the web, typically trending literary.
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Savannah Writers Weekend
I usually compile links to the best things I read each week to share with you. Instead, this time I want to share about a wonderful writers weekend I just returned home from. Think of it like an old school blog post.
I’ve been part of a writers mastermind group for a few years now. We’ve been meaning to all get together for a writers weekend for ages and somehow the stars aligned and we rented an AirBnB in Savannah, GA and made travel plans for the end of January. I overcame my old companion Severe Driving Anxiety by listening to a good audiobook on the way.
It’s been several years since I visited Savannah and even longer since I’ve been there on an overnight trip. I remember loving it but I had forgotten just how much.
Canopy roads, Spanish moss, live oaks, Victorian homes, historic squares and green spaces, amazing restaurants, coffee shops oozing charm and quirkiness, the energy of a college town, and remarkably friendly residents—Savannah has it all. Add three of my favorite women and it made for an incredible time.
We ate food I’ll be dreaming about for weeks and had good conversations over many cups of coffee. We wandered around a couple of bookstores including one with several cats who liked sleeping in the window.
We went to a beautiful mass at the cathedral.
But the highlight was a tour of Flannery O’Connor’s Childhood Home which is now a museum. The house was purchased by four English professors who were, as the legend goes, out drinking when they hear Flannery’s house was up for sale. They made an offer immediately before even talking to their wives and then spent years renovating the house to bring it back to what it looked like in the first half of the 20th century.
I know quite a bit about Flannery O’Connor, but this tour was excellent and I learned so much. It was amazing to see her baby carriage and other historical objects from the O’Connor’s lives in Savannah before they briefly moved to Atlanta and then to Milledgeville after Flannery’s father died.
Because I’m wrapping up a read of all 200 of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, I was particularly interested in stories about Flannery sitting in her bathtub reading Grimm’s aloud to the young ladies her mother Regina would invite over. If they were too scared by the dark stories she hoped they wouldn’t ever come over again and if they loved them, they passed they test and could be friends.
But the most moving part of the tour was looking out of Flannery’s parents’ bedroom window, just above Flannery’s crib, to see the cathedral just across the square. Baby Flannery would wake up to a view of the church’s beautiful towers and there’s something so symbolic about that considering how integral her faith was to everything she wrote.
I am so grateful for nourishing time discussing good books, publishing, the writing life, work we love, raising children, and faith with other women I admire so much.
I would happily stay in Savannah a month (in full disclosure, probably forever—what a city!), but this was just what I needed to fill my cup. Now back to daily life without staying up til midnight talking in a Victorian AirBnB and 20 coffee shops in walking distance.
Reading
I listened to two audiobooks on my drive. One I haven’t quite finished yet but I am confident I can recommend it anyway because it’s brilliant. Both are middle grade recent releases and I enjoyed them so much:
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri
You may remember that I have told everyone I know to read Nayeri’s book Everything Sad Is Untrue. This book is about a boy on the silk road who work for a merchant and it is fantastic. Everything Sad Is Untrue is still my favorite but Samir is a glorious read.
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
I am only 2/3 of the way through this book and have cried three times. Another middle grade with a fantastic male protagonist. Maybe it’s all in my head, but it seems to me that the majority of the middle grade protagonists these days are female and while I love a good female protagonist, we need good male protagonists, too! This one has a contemporary setting and it’s heartbreaking and hilarious and just everything a middle grade should be including full of ancient mythology references.
Come to Belgium and Germany!
My husband and I are leading our second pilgrimage with Fr. Harrison Ayre, a trip that he’s been dreaming up for several years. Beautiful abbeys, amazing breweries, daily Mass and a small group of pilgrims (capping the trip at 30). We only have five spots left, so hurry! Last year’s pilgrimage to Scotland with Fr. Harrison was an experience I’ll treasure forever (and half of our pilgrims from that trip are already signed up for Belgium, so I’m not the only one who found it life-changing!)
You can check out the registration page: Heavenly Hops Pilgrimage with Fr. Harrison Ayre to Belgium and Germany.
Or listen to us share all about the details with Fr. Harrison on his podcast.
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Wishing you all a wonderful week! And a huge thank you to Catherine, Mary Anne, Carissa, Rosemary, and Amy for upgrading to a paid subscription. This is a reader-supported newsletter so if you enjoy getting these emails, please consider supporting this Substack by upgrading to a paid subscription with the button below.
Thanks for reading!
Haley
(Editor of Word on Fire Spark, Author, Former Podcaster)
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I completely agree with you about Savannah, Haley. I've only visited Savannah once in my life, but if I could choose anywhere in the world to settle down forever, that city would be on the short list. Also, I second your motion that there are not enough MG male protagonists. Same thing in teen/YA. Hoping that the novel I'm working on now will be something that tween and teen boys can enjoy.
We are going to Savannah next month and have plans to visit Flannery O’Connor’s house/museum too! I’m so excited! Do you have any specific restaurant & bookstore recommendations?