Sabbatical update: Went to campus to cry happy sad nostalgic grateful tears at Carolyn Bergquist's retirement. Found a fan letter in my mailbox.

Happy first birthday, CLOSER! It takes a VILLAGE to launch a book into the world, and I am beyond grateful to @regal_house_publishing and all the readers, booksellers, conversation partners, schools, libraries, and book clubs who found their way to CLOSER and helped spread the word.

Find yourself a journal that marries your flash with gorgeous original art. Longtime fan of Flash Frog. Delighted to be in their (virtual) pages. Link here and in bio: https://flash-frog.com/2026/06/01/dont-chase-by-miriam-gershow/

In praise of libraries this morning after a lovely weekend in Cannon Beach for the NW Author Series at the all-volunteer Cannon Beach Library. Duane, one of the volunteers, compared my writing to Spike Lee movies, Shakespeare's tragedies, and Anne Tyler stories. I'll take it!! Libraries are for *everyone* -- authors, readers, kids, adults, vulnerable folks in the community. Speaking of...today is a great day for folks in Eugene to vote yes on our library levy for @euglibrary. Drop your ballot at a drop-off site (too late to mail it in). Ballots due tomorrow 5/19 by 8pm.

Recipe for a perfect mother's day: 1. Getting woken with an almond milk latte and your husband saying "7 minutes till your massage" with the massage table set up in the kitchen. 2. Brunch 3. Your boardgame-averse family agreeing to play Settlers of Catan. Highlight: @eli.bishko pretending to like it. 4. Refusing to think about how few mother's days are left before your kid leaves home. REFUSING TO THINK ABOUT IT. 5. Being happily sent off to your friend's wonderful river house for five days of writing in solitude. I'm a kvetcher by nature. I love a day - and a family - that makes that impossible.

Shhhhhhh. First scraps of a nascent idea.