Books and Circuses

This weekend was the National Book Fest and I got there at ten so I could see Daniel Nayeri. 

I got to the room a bit early and so saw the tail end of Lauren Tarshis's interview, including the audience portion where a kid asked, "Which book were you least excited to write and which book was your editor least excited about?" This was a standout question. Applause young child. Tarshis said that sometimes she would be very excited about something and her editor would say hmm, let's come back to that. But for her part, she found the more research she did for something, the more she would find interesting things, and then she would get excited. 

Nayeri was on a panel with Caroline Brewer with moderator Monica Valentine. They talked about working with illustrators, and crafting stories, and how folktales have always been a mix of people entertaining but also sending a subtle message. 

Then I went up to the ballroom for Kate McKinnon who was in conversation with Amna Nawaz. McKinnon thanked us all for being there and not at the car race. She also talked about being introverted and weird but also dramatic, and how her parents had really supported that.

Great kid questions continued as one kid asked, "What do you do about a block?" The answer was to set small goals to try to climb away from the self doubt that might be holding you back. And another kid asked what do you do for self care? Gardening was the answer. 

After lunch, I went to see Traci Chee and Gabi Burton in conversation with Ashley Dickerson. They talked about reflecting on power. And the things characters might not know they can take or even wish for. 

Then Randy Ribay and Liselle Sambury were in converywith Destinee Hodge. They talked about using fiction to talk about bits of history. 

Then Roshani Chokshi and I.V. Marie in conversation with Ofelia Montelongo and they tallked about how sometimes the self insert character isn't the strongest one, it's the one who wants to know when they'll get fed. 

 And then Jennifer Lynn Barnes was in conversation with Sarah Y. Kim. She said being a writer means being able to buy pretty notebooks. And that she uses her notebooks for brainstorming, and making lists of the things she loves, along with the things her research has told her make successful stories and figures out ways to combine them. 

It was all so much fun. Keep an eye out on Library of Congress's page for videos of the sessions.

Then I won tickets to Circus Vasquez and dragged a friend out to see it with me. Seeing a circus as an old(er) person is amazing because now you're like, oh I hope that move doesn't come back to haunt her later. I hope that thing isn't hurting their teeth. But there was singing, dancing, hula hooping, balancing, tight rope walking, spinning through the air, flipping and other amazing feats of skill and talent.  It was a fun time. 

The Crime Chicken and the Crime Egg

I'm well aware that some of the takes about DC being a crime ridden den of iniquity are bait. But DC is currently in an overlapping state of people claiming that things are out of control, and therefore shampoo in the drug store has to be locked up. And therefore we need a teen curfew, and to restrict teens shopping in supermarkets. And therefore we need armed National Guard to patrol the streets and hang out in metro stations.

Never mind that crime stats indicate crime is overall going down. Never mind that shampoo is not locked up at the grocery store. One of the drug stores I frequent has a security guard, and everything on the lower level (which you can only access by stairs or a very slow elevator) is locked up, except the antihistamines. The drug store two blocks over locks up the antihistamines. Since I shop off antihistamines a lot, I go to the one where I don't have to ring the bell and wait for an employee who is always grumpy they have to do this, to unlock for me. 

But anyway, the stores are saying they have to do this because of the crime. Not because it gives them clearer data on people's buying decisions, since they can track the shelf opening and closing. Not because they can do things like lock some things up at one store and others and another and compare and contrast. 

People used to like to point out the story about the one drug store near the hockey arena that got robbed four times. Except, it turns out that was an inside job. 

So my point is this is a chicken and egg situation. They are all claiming the crime came first. But really, they are just doing what they want to, and blaming the need for it on crime. And here's the other thing, my friends who live in states that are not DC. You might think this can't happen where you are. And I'm going to point you to Minnesota and Mississippi where it already is. 

The Sounds are Different

I was up this past weekend visiting family in Connecticut. Small towns and other suburbs are always interesting because everything is so close together that things should be walkable, but the sidewalks disappear so clearly they don't really expect you to walk. 

But I noticed when at my relative's house that the trains sound different. I can't quite come up with how to describe it but it's almost squeakier.

Some people suggested it might be the Acela, but I remember when the Acela started, and it isn't that. I've heard the Acela many times. (Also that particular stretch of Connecticut rail is between two level crossings, so they can't really go that fast, express train or not.) 

The horn sounded the same to me, and someone else not local agreed with me that it sounded different. It didn't sound different to me when I was up there two years ago, so the change would be super recent. 

If you happen to have a theory, I'd be thrilled to hear it. 

But my actual point is that revisiting things, places, and people is a little like this. Some things are just the same. Some things have changed. Some things are familiar but different. And all of this is why we revisit things. To see which category they fall into. And also because we enjoy these people, places, and things. 

In "Maybe Happy Ending" they sing that "a trip should not end like it began" which I have always loved. 

May you revisit something new this week, even if it is a fave taco place. 

Rain Delay

I went to take in some tennis as part of the DC tennis tournament last weekend. I had originally meant to buy a ticket for one session this weekend but forgot and it sold out so I opted for a quiet weekend. As it turned out, there was a lot of shuffling Sunday because there was rain predicted, and even with only three finals left to go, they needed to get through them and the awards ceremonies, and get everyone packed up and away. 

The day before they announced they would open doors earlier and try running the men's doubles final and the women's singles at overlapping times, to essentially increase the chance they could get through both without pushing the men's too late. 

I often joke that real sports continue on in the rain, but hard courts are slippy enough without rain. Plus in summer, rain often also means thunder and lightening, so really everyone should shelter. 

The thing about the rain delay is, they can't just peek out and be like, it stopped, let's go. They have to take off the rain cover, check all the equipment, sometimes bring out dryers and vacuums to get the court back into play shape. 

And of course the players might have hopped in the shower or opted for another wait around activity that requires sometime to get redressed and court ready.

And sometimes the storm doesn't pass as quickly as expected. 

Some days are like that too. Something pops up and blocks or delays the plan you had and you have to say, okay, maybe I'll just hang on the couch today. Get some reading done. Plan to do all the things another day. 

Hadestown: The Musical

I saw the live capture of "Hadestown: The Musical" Sunday during what was initially going to be a 5 day run in theaters. It has now been extended.  Since I reviewed the live show, I'm just going to make a list of things I like and didn't here. 

Love: Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page (on a ruptured achilles, shout out to the costume designer for that sparkly leg brace), Amber Gray, Andre De Shields, Reeve Carney, and the West End Fates. Also the workers and band were all great. 

Dislike: A few of the photography/editing choices I was less a fan of. Overall, you can see what you need to see. But some moments where they zoom in, you lose the things the rest of the cast is doing. 

Love: Being able to see it again, you catch so many little things. It is a delight. 

Love: Also, there are a few great photography choices, including panning to the audience in key moments. There's one bit where Persephone scoffs at the audience and the audience reacting to that was delightful. 

Love: a pro shot. Is it as good as seeing it live? No. Is it cheaper and simpler if you live somewhere that is not one of the few places currently running a live performance right now? Absolutely. Will it help you decide if "Hadestown" is your jam? Absolutely. Can you go in knowing nothing about the show? Yes. (I would maybe recommend skimming the wiki summary of the Orpheus and Eurydice story. But you do you.)

I'm not sure this is a dislike, so much as an I want even more. I would love a live capture of the original London cast. I know that's greedy. 

Romance Book Blast

Hello there! Today (July 28th, 2026 in case you are reading this on a different day) is Romance Book Blast. Over 950 authors have made their romances free in ebook forms. Including my Repeated Burn which you can find on the short reads page.

If you need a few or a few hundred more romances, there are lots of choices. Go forth and get ready to read! www.romancebooklovers.com Also, as of early this morning Amazon was still working on the price match, so please double check that if Amazon is your purveyor of choice.

Now vs. Later

Some days it's really tough to think long term.  Right now I have a trip coming up and I want to take a new knitting project on the trip with me.  Except, I haven't finished the last three projects I'm working on.  Two are sweaters that are bulky and not great travel projects.  Though both would be super helpful in my cold cold office. One is a sock weight shawl where I've finished the colorwork, though it is lace.  

But I want to start a new thing.  Except then I'd have four unfinished projects.  Sometimes it's hard to figure out how much I'm being distracted by startitis.  Projects are always shiny and new when you haven't started.  

And I don't really have a need for two new sweaters right now.  But also if I don't finish them I won't have them when there is more sweater weather in the forecast.  One of my stalwart sweaters is getting raggedy from how much I wear it, so some more in the rotation would be good.  I seem to wear out my cardigans faster, so need more of those in my closet.  But also, this shawl I want to start is so cute.  

I've often said knitting is a fun hobby for me.  Except for gifts I try not to attach deadlines to it.  It was one of the reasons I stopped test knitting.  Getting to see new patterns early was fun, but it also made knitting work.  And I have work.  I have lots of work.  I needed fun.  

But even my fun has limits.  Having too many projects going makes it feel like work again, weighing down on me.  

And sometimes I have to think big picture.  If I pick an in progress project to finish then it will be done, and starting another will feel fun. Even if I have to put off that fun for a little.

We Need to Talk About AI

I don't use AI to write. AI has in fact illegally used me to write. Sure, sometimes the entitity hosting my words have permission, but I haven't and they are my words. For me drafting is fun. I love the surprise when a few stray plot bits coalesce. I love when characters says things I didn't consciously know they were going to say. But if I wanted to read something someone else wrote, there are literally already more books out there than I could read in this lifetime. 

People keep saying things like well it's too late, the technology exists. And sure. And look, we've bundled just about all code together under that AI umbrella. But can I think of uses for AI? Sure? Are any of them have a computer report news for me or write stories for me instead of actual people with the ability to create context and nuance? No.

It's interesting because we've been using a version of what we are now calling AI to closed caption live TV. To caption videos on social media. And for a while it sucked. And then it got so good. And now it sucks again. It's almost like claiming the software needs no human intervention has made it worse. 

And of course it's proponents always want to toss to the side the water needed. As if we hadn't already learned that sucking up all the water from various places had terrible effects. 

But the other thing that's happening is, it's made me think harder about blogging. I love chatting with the internet. I love telling stories. But I am more and more aware that I am feeding the LLM machines every time I do. That no matter what copyright notices, or do not copy texts I put on my site, it's all feeding the machine. And while I like talking on the internet too much to stop, I may have to really think hard about where to dedicate my energy. 

7 Things About Staying Cool When It's Stupid Hot

I like heat. I even like humidity. (Dry air send my throat, eyes, nasal passages into a panic.) I also like watching tennis which around here happens in the dead heat of summer. My favorite social media comment ever was a guy yelling at the tournament account that they shouldn't hold tennis tournaments when it's going to rain. And well, we really need that rain when the heat index is triple digits. 

1. Be in the AC is the obvious option. But sure you might need to run errands, watch a sporting match of some sort, mow the lawn, or have an outdoor job. 

2. Hydrate. I know. Everyone says this. But all the extra things your body needs to do during extreme weather need liquid.

3. Be a shade seeker. Know where the shade is, whether it's the shadier side of the street to walk down, the shadiest spot to leave your car, the shadiest spot to wait for the bus, find the shade. You can also carry an umbrella or wear a large brim hat and create some of your own shade. If you do, be mindful of others. Being poked when it's stupid hot is harder to handle. 

4. Take breaks. You may have a great vantage that just happens to be in full sun right now. Plan out a break that takes you to a cool spot. Sip water, snack, watch from the concourse a bit. If you are out running errands and the stores you are hitting are not sufficiently cool, stop in at a cooling center or library (or combo cooling center library). Know where these things are along your route.

5. Natural fibers are really breathable. Athletic type clothes may also have sweat wicking capabilities. If you are somewhere you cannot alter your clothes, just keep this in mind and plan for breaks as much as you can. 

6. Know the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/

Dizzy is bad and means you need to take steps now. Heart racing is bad and means you may need medical attention. Don't worry about being embarrassed, I promise if you pass out you will be more embarrassed. 

7. Think of heat like staying up all night. You can do it, but it takes effort. Small breaks help if you can't get longer breaks. And missing some of the fun is worth it to avoid missing the rest because you had to go to the ER instead. 

Bid on Me (and other things)!

It is the Romancing the Vote auction, raising funds for voting rights here in the US and I have two items I am going to get a little long winded about, even though they already have descriptions. 

First, I love quotes. I used to have a box of index cards, just with quotes from various books I loved on them. And last auction I felt bad about not being able to offer international shipping, so tried to think of a thing I could make that would be easily transportable. And so I came up with ten quotes, from various different books, and doodled a little something to go along with it and put it on a postcard. You can send them to your friends, mail them to yourself, hoard them for the hard days, or decorate your fridge. 

Also, I may roll out some incentives on Bluesky to pump up the bidding since this is all for such a good cause. Like maybe a winner's choice postcard added. 

The second option is a stack of three books - a bridesmaid book bundle. One is by me, it's Undercover Bridesmaid. One is by Susie Dumond who also happens to be a DC based author, and one is by Katy Birchall. I have read both and I love them. And these three books are all set in different cities with very different characters but they all feature a secret professional bridesmaid. I think it's such a cool example of how different authors can take the same thing and create three totally different stories. They are all romances, so I can promise each has a happy ending even if their are varying degrees of heartache in them. Also, I can obviously sign and/or personalized my book, if the winner chooses. That one I am sticking to US because sorry, shipping sucks. 

Ripped Bodice Bingo Suggestions

Note: I am, of course, going to include my books in this.  I skipped a few I don't have suggestions for. 

Character smells like fresh cut grass

Song Lyrics:  Oh hello, both I Belong to You and Presented with Love would work for this.  

I Hate Everyone But You: Zomromcom by Olivia Dade

National Park:  Hello again, I Belong to You fits here as well, with Rock Creek Park.  Of Kings and Queens also mentions the Mall. 

Heatwave: Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley

Dual Timeline: Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare

Canoe: Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar

TRB Summer 2026 Author: Shirlene Obuobi's Between Friends and Lovers would work this, or you could wait til July for the new one. 

Florist: Hello, both Aloha to You and Of Kings and Queens have brief appearances of the same florist.  

Middle child: 

Cover has an old house on it: Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann, A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeepig by Sangu Mandanna

Soccer/World Cup: I confess, I have not read a lot of recent soccer romance, but I did enjoy Rebecca Crowley's Crossing Hearts. 

Rodeo:  Huge fan of Kari Lynn Dell here, especially Tangled in Texas.  

Podcaster - Back After This by Linda Holmes is really more women's fiction, but does have a pro podcaster.  Same with Regina Black's August Lane. 

Wedding Party:  Hello again, we have Undercover Bridesmaid. 

Royal Title in the Title - Oh hello, we have Of Kings and Queens

Don't Fall in Love with Me - Andrea Tang's To The Death would work well here. 

End of summer deadline - Jodi McAlister's An Academic Affair has multiple deadlines, but as they are academics, end of summer, is definitely part of it.  Also, Get Over it April Avans by Ashley Herring Blake.  

Single Parent - One in a Million by Beverley Kendall

Happy reading!

Tara Kennedy

Note: If you are reading this outside of your work hours, feel free to hold off response until work hours.

"A Fine Madness" from Wooly Mammoth at the Hamiltonian

Content note: discussions of pandemics 

"A Fine Madness" in being staged in multiple locations across DC. I saw it at the Hamiltonian Gallery on U Street. 

"A Fine Madness" is technically a one person show, although it is interactive, so the audience is part of the show, to the extent they wish. 

The show is a few things. It's a little bit autobiographical. It's a little bit reflective. It's a little bit nerdy as it talks about space and ties that together with reflections on viruses and pandemics. It's basically an amazing night. They handed us a pencil to fill out some things. (Sidenote as a super reader, watching a bunch of adults be handed a paper that says fill this part out now, fill this part out later, and seeing who follows directions can be it's own fun.)

I ended up using my pencil to write down a few lines that spoke to me. 

The show I saw was in the Hamiltonion, a long narrow space. The lighting and sound were helpful. At one point I realized that Weaks had altered his outfit and I was amazed because I hadn't noticed when it had happened. 

I went alone and had a great time, but I think it's also a great show to see with a friend or two so you can talk about it later. 

Two Sales

Happy Kings bad, but Lei pretty day, or as it is more commonly known, King Kamehameha Day. As newsletter subscribers already know, my two books that mention King Kamehameha Day are on sale. Aloha to You has a very brief mention as Adriana does a whirlwind of lei making. 

Of Kings and Queens has much of the action taking place on King Kamehameha Day. 

Aloha to You is a little bit snarky dude, anxious but sunshiny girl. And Of Kings and Queens is more of a jump into bed fast, figure out they have an uncomfortable connection later type situation. 

Universal links:

Aloha to You Link: https://books2read.com/u/4XZnd6 

Of Kings and Queens link: https://books2read.com/u/bQAPVv 

Print is not on sale, but links here:

And in print: https://bookshop.org/books/aloha-to-you/9781393545323 and https://bit.ly/3MoW0pT. 

It is an Honor

The Tony's were last night, and not all my faves won. Sure, very many of my faves were up against each other. One could also argue that I have too many faves for someone who has not yet seen these particular shows. 

But in the end, just being nominated is an honor. There were only six eligible musicals this year and the nominations don't even fully reflect that. 

Don't get me wrong winning is cool of course. But also, if you think too hard about how the best play doesn't have any of the best actors, well, it's a bit of a brain teaser. 

As a viewer, I always like seeing multiple shows win. But in the end, the odds of even getting a show on Broadway are incredible. Getting nominated for a Tony is just icing on the cake. 

One Sentence Tony Descriptions

It is the Tony's this Sunday and so we revive the annual tradition of me describing Tony nominated plays and musicals in a single sentence, aka badly. It should be said, I tend to amuse myself describing them so succinctly you can't really tell what it's about. But these are great works, and trust that I have been scouring interviews with everyone, and and so excited to see more of what this season has to offer. 

The Balusters - Have you ever been to a neighborhood association meeting. It's like that but dramatic.

Giant - Ronald Dahl decides if he should apologize for seeming anti-Semitic. 

Liberation - A women reflects on her mother's feminism. 

Little Bear Ridge Road - Death cleaning but dramatic.

The Lost Boys - When you move to a new town and it turns out they have a lot of vampires. But now with singing!

Schmigadoon! - A couples retreat gets very real (or surreal) when the couple stumbles into a fictional town where people sing their feelings, and apparently they can't leave until they find their true love. 

Titaníque - What if Celine Dion decided to tell you what really happened on the Titanic. 

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)- The bride's sister has to pick up her future brother-in-law's estranged son at the airport on her way to get the wedding cake. 

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman - A sad salesman reflects on his life and then dies. (It's not a spoiler, it's in the title.)

Becky Shaw - A very terrible blind date. 

Every Brilliant Thing - Creating a list of things worth living for. 

Fallen Angels - Two women get very drunk waiting to see an ex neither of their husbands know about. 

Oedipus - Imagine Oedipus running for election except, he might have this teeny, tiny, secret. 

Cats: The Jellicle Ball - What if when they say cats they just mean cool people, and then they say ball, they mean ballroom..

Ragtime - The American Dream in the early 1900's has flaws.

Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show - Car trouble can lead you to the most fascinating discoveries. 

"Aguardiente" at Gala Hispanic Theater.

I am currently editing a novel that has taken much longer than expected to edit. So a musical about trying to finish a musical is both entirely on point, and perhaps something I am not in the best place to analyze. 

Aguardiente is primarily in Spanish. I do speak some Spanish, but not enough to keep up with a musical. There were captions, so I was following along quite well, but when a few people cracked up at one character's name, I realized I had missed something. (I figured it out.) All of this is to say I have thoughts about the show. But I am aware that things that didn't quite seem clear to me may well be a cultural skill issue on my part, and less a fault of the show. 

This is a lot of setup to say I had a great time. Aguardiente is about two writers trying to finish a show about Latinx people, dealing with funding issues, competing requests for time and story ideas. And in the shower within the show Azuquita and Anis eventually decide leave their small town for New York where they have different experiences, and ultimately make different choices about what the city has taught them. 

There are references to pop songs, to arts funding cuts, especially for shows about people speaking Spanish, and TikTok trends. There were a ton of songs, a huge number of costume changes (I counted six separate costumes for the ensemble and they charge into and out of them multiple times. The main characters had about four each.) The dancing was incredible. 

Sometimes with musicals there's a weird sense of time. When you spend three minutes on one big feeling in song, you skip through and jump cut ahead a lot to get through the rest of the plot. 

But I had a great time. And I loved the themes even if the themes of how hard it is to write in the current times was maybe very timely. 

Also, show out to the Dinner and a Show Newsletter that highlighted this show. It had fallen off my radar, despite being at my closest theater. 

Gaithersburg Book Festival

I went to the Gaithersburg Book Festival this weekend, and bought more books than I planned. (I always think I am less susceptible to paper books and then I remember I can give them as gifts and well, things escalate.)

I decided to not set an alarm. Well, Friday night me decided not to set an alarm. A prior me had set one, but put it at 8pm not 8am so it was not very helpful. But while there were people speaking at 10am I wanted to see there were also people speaking at 4pm I wanted to see. And so I went. Chatted with folks. Got food. Watched a panel. Bought books. Got some iced tea. Watched another panel. Took a look at the growing shuttle line to get back to metro and decided it was time to go home. It was a great day. 

Happy AANHPI Month

It is Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage month here in the US.  I've been writing about this for years, and each year it gets a little easier to find titles to talk about.  I'm a big fan of reading diversely.  Different genres, sure, but different viewpoints and perspectives also.  No, that doesn't mean you need to read books by or about anyone who thinks you or the people you love shouldn't exist.  But authors of different races, ethnicities, sexualities, immigration statuses, continents of origin, these are all ways that change the frames we use to see the world.  

I shared a few titles with my newsletter folks, you can read (and even subscribe) here.  But let's talk where to find reads.  

Pacific Islanders in Publishing is a great resource.  

I also maintain a list of Hawaiian writers, which of course includes me.  

We Need Diverse Books has an incredible list of resources for finding diverse books of all kinds, including Asian American.  

And one of the things I think it's helpful to know is that diversifying your reading list is hard at first.  But as you find authors and stories you love, all your recommendations start to shift, and it gets easier.  So it's a little bit of work up front, but it gets easier.  

Scheduled: Nothing

As the weather gets warmer I get so excited about the increase of things to do an see that sometimes I forget to have a day or two where I can just be. Or play silly phone games. Hang with my cat. Knit. Read. Just kind of be. Where the plan is no plan.

Productivity is great but what if sometimes I didn't focus on that. Sometimes creatives call this filling the well, and yes, that too. But I think sometimes naming it a thing that ties it to being productive again, even in the future, sort of takes away from the relaxing and not being productive. Yes, rest is a key part of productivity. But also restung is not just the precursor to working again. Rest is also rest. 

Books!

This past weekend was Independent Bookstore Day and Local Yarn Store Day (the weekend before Maryland Sheep and Wool too, someone hates my wallet). I roped a friend into doing the DC Bookstore Crawl with me. I had, because I apparently like to stack a day, also planned a vet appointment for my cat. So we did that in the morning and then headed out around lunch for books and yarn. The DC area is really having an independent bookstore moment right now. I can remember when hitting six stores (the minimum for the book crawl prize) would have involved at least two suburbs. And I know friends elsewhere often still have to drive two hours to get to an indie, much less a romance and other genre friendly one. 

So we started with Bold Fork, the cookbook and food book store. They also has some ice cream and drinks from some partners outside, along with a deal where you could take your receipt to two other local businesses for a discount.

Then we went to Lost City, where the romance is upstairs. This day involved more stairs than I remembered. 

After Lost City we went to Looped Yarn Works which was not officially participating in LYS day, but they are my LYS, so got some yarn. 

Then we stopped in Second Story which continues to have a wide selection of used books. Fantom Comics is right nearby but also involves stairs. 

Then we took a brief tea break before heading to East City. We made a bad transit choice, going above ground forgetting there was an event of sorts in DC that evening so more people than usual downtown (even though the event was actually closer to where we'd been before, people are weird). But we made it. And shopped a little there. Stopped in at Labyrinth Games to admire some things. And then to Little City, which I had ridiculously not been to yet. Little City was our sixth stop, so in addition to the prize wheel, we also got our totes. (Many of the stores ran out of the official prize totes, but offered up another tote, which was fine by me.)

And then we ended at Loyalty, where I found a lonely looking Independent Bookstore Edition of a book along with some other goodies. 

It was a lot of fun, if a bit exhausting. I find in spring I always sort of walk around a bit more (though not usually quite this much) and remember all these cute places that I love visiting. It's also so great to see stores packed full of bookish people. I hope the booksellers are recovered. 

I also took advantage of Libro FM's audiobook sale, so my TBR is good for at least a few days. 

End of an Era?

It was an odd year to be a Caps fan. After they exceeded expectations last year, they of course got rewarded with higher expectations, and did not quite live up to them. There's a business adage about under promising and over delivering, and it's because if you say it will be done Friday, but deliver Thursday, people will be pleasantly surprised. They sort of never talk about how next time, they will just subtract a day from whatever you say, that you can only under promise so much, before people expect constant over delivering. 

Each season is of course it's own thing. And then a player or three gets injured. Folks leave in the summer. And the calendar provides a different number of matchups. Plus of course the Olympics meant that the calendar was hard this year. Less breaks, less rest all the way through. 

And, as happens when you are an athlete of a certain age, they started talking about Ovechkin as old, despite the numbers he was putting up. As a person of a certain age, I am aware that age will make itself felt in recovery, in rebound, in speed loss. 

And then at the trade deadline, the Caps traded away two key players. Clearly they were planning for future seasons, not the one we were still playing. And, as Ovie has said in interviews, as a player that's hard. If you have twenty games left to play, but management already thinks you can't win, it's hard to play hard. To risk your body for that. 

I know we are closer to the post-Ovie part of the Caps than not. I hope he gets to finish out however he would like. 

Relative Risk

Wikipedia has an entry on relative Risk that I find fascinating. We all, for very good historical and biological reasons, factor in our own experience when calculating risk. So sure, there's research and evidence, but you also are gonna say, nope, I got food poisoning last time I went there, so never again.

It also means when something happens near you, in a place you visit all the time, you discard it as an outlier. And when the same kind of thing happens somewhere you don't go, you assume you can personally avoid such risk by continuing to not go there. 

It does also mean that when talking with people who live three neighborhoods over, you are sometimes doing different calculations. And you find yourself trying convince them that your calculation is the correct one. 

But of course that's where the relative part comes in. If I have no contrary experience somewhere, the new article or that one time my friend went there, seems more objective.

And someone else trying to convince me something else seems less credible. But when it's my neighborhood, or one I frequent, I feel more certain of my own experience. But may have more trouble convincing folks who have only seen it on the news. 

Being a Fan

I went to a men's college basketball game earlier this year (My sports superstitions for basketball are basically non-existent unlike other sports.) It reminded me of a story.

I went to a family wedding up in Connecticut. As we arrived at the reception, the person next to me grabbed my arm and said, "Oh my God that's Geno. Look, it's Geno!"

I said, very sincerely, "I don't know who that is l,but I am very excited for you."

"I'm going to talk to him," he said.

"Go for it," I said. 

We later found out that a relative at the wedding, who worked at UConn, had been in conversation with Geno Auriemma who was helping a kid find a spot for their own wedding reception. So relative said, oh you can stop by our family's reception and see if you like the set up. Little did they know they made other guest's day and possibly even year. 

Being a fan of things is fun. Other people being fans of things, even when they are things I am not deeply into, is so much fun. Half the fun of all the "Heated Rivalry" discourse has been watching people go all in, comparing books to show, making fan edits, discussing their favorite scenes.

Being excited about things is great stuff. Being excited about books, or sports, and/or books about sports is so wonderful. 

Be a fan of things. 

Tara Kennedy

Note: If you are reading this outside of your work hours, feel free to hold off response until work hours.

The Power of No

There is a thing people say about how the word no is a complete sentence. As in, no I will not be doing that. Or no, if you do that, I will not be applauding you or supporting you. It of course doesn't mean you always get your way. There are moments when it is useful to be in brainstorm mode. To say, oh great idea but what if we did this instead. If everyone is trying to figure out where to eat dinner, then just saying no is not helpful. (Unless you are saying, no, I'm going home.) No to Chinese but yes to Mexican is helpful.

But there are times when the no itself is important. No, I do not approve that message. No, I am not okay with this. No I will not tell this person about your great idea. No. No. No.

No, of course, does not always mean you get your way. But showing up to say, no it still powerful and important. When we are taught history the focus is often on what the people with the most power did. And that sometimes elides the complicated discussions they were having, and the people outside the room who had thoughts and feelings too.

Even when the powers that be continue on with their choices, joining with others to say no is useful. It reminds them you are watching. It reminds others who though they were the only one who hated it, that they are not alone. And it can help move later decisions in different directions. 

"As You Like It" at the Folger Shakespeare Theater

"As You Like It" is one of Shakespeare's comedies, which basically means everyone doesn't die at the end. It uses two setting the court and the forest of Arden where folks who have been banished from court have gone to hang out. Basically there's a disgraced Duke, the younger son of a deceased Duke, whose brother has refused to look after him, and then we add the daughter of a disgraced Duke, and her cousin who refused to let her lovely cousin be banished without her. There's some disguising oneself as a man, since two women wandering a forest seems a bit unsafe. And by the end there's been love, betrayal, redemption, and a little revenge. 

This particular production, in a theater where one might have to walk by the US Capitol building to enter, used the duality of DC. The Capitol building representing the court, the federal DC, the place where decisions are made. And the more loved in parts of the city, with street murals, and people, Black people in particular, trying to live and support each other with the resources they have. 

Folger has used DC as it's setting before, and I always enjoy seeing how they do it. The cast was wonderful. The costume design was fabulous and there was one pair of boots in particular that I personally want. 

They commissioned some original songs for the show (yes, music, almost like a musical!) that added to the sense of community a merriment. All in all, it was a great time.

Note: I saw a masked performance. They were allowing food and drink in the theater, so masking was not consistent among patrons. 

"Safety Not Guaranteed" at Signature Theater

Content note: discussions of grief

There was a movie version of this first. I have not watched it, though I am now intrigued. I basically read the description of the show, which boiled down to a classified ad seeking a time travelling partner and including the titular line, safety not guaranteed, and I was in. 

The cast is only six, plus the band, and there are a few moments where the cast interacts directly with the band, either using them as extras or demanding musical responses

 All musicals use a little hand waving as far as the other cast members pausing or even participating while one character sings their deep thoughts. 

Here the characters grab microphones, utilize mic stands. They are rocking with the band. 

So, what's it about. Someone forwards an ad seeking a time travelling partner to a magazine in Seattle. One lead reporter and two interns decide to go to the small town mentioned in the ad to interview the guy who placed it. Each of them end of making connections and revisiting the choices that led them all there in this town. 

The songs are powerful at times goofy and earnest at others. There is one song about how the world is full of mostly jagholes. 

The cast was great. The band was great. 

Also, special shout out to the costume designer, in addition to distinct clothes for each character, there is an incredible moment that I don't want to spoil to much, but let's just say the character's jacket lights up. It is delightful. 

It is fun goofy, and emotional show. 

Note: I saw a masked matinee. 

"Inherit the Wind" at Arena Stage

Content note: off stage death. 

We read "Inherit the Wind" in high school and I adored it. I described it to a coworker as a story about a teacher who gets in trouble for teaching Biology, which is both true and taking a side. The program note mentions that the show is talking about bigger issues than who is right and who is wrong. So me taking a side in the court case is sort of beside the point. The case in the play has an obvious real world basis. But of course the play looks at both the case but also the town. How a small town tried to both show up and show off for the reporters and famous people drawn to this case that has garnered national attention.

I had last seen Rebecca Madeira, who plays Rachel, in "A Wrinkle in Time" so I was pleased they incorporated singing into it. The original play has only Rachel as a main canonically female character. The show made use of a non-binary actor, and also some gender bent casting as well as color conscious casting. The ensemble players played children, adults, and folks of multiple genders. "Gilmore Girls" fans will recognize Dakin Matthews, who is playing Harrison. 

The case at the center of the story is about a science teacher who teaches about Darwin's theory of evolution in a state where such teaching is banned. The case garners national attention, and a former presidential candidate, and a well known city defense attorney each come to town to provide prosection and defense.

The play is obviously sadly timely. And of course the themes of outsiders coming to help decide the fate of what happens to one teacher in a small town, and the way the magnified attention makes everyone feel like they can't just work it out is of course a problem that spans generations. 

While I don't agree that there isn't a right and wrong side for this case, I do love and understand a good metaphor. I understand the broader themes and even if my favorite two lines happen to be Mr. Drummond's.

I often talk about conversation plays, though of course all good shows should engender conversation. This one is based on true events. But the play was written in 1950's, a generation or so later. It was in fact written during another time when certain things being said out loud in a classroom were considered a concern. 

The direction allowed for gestures and movement. Some characters walked up into the aisles. If you like watching the actor not speaking, it is fun. And it helps remind the audience, this isn't just about the people yelling. The play starts and ends with two playful kids running around. 

Jersey Rant

Note: Longtime readers know I normally don't discuss hockey on the internet while the season is in progress due to various superstitions. But given recent trades, Capitals management appears to think the season is over. So, here we are.  Now I recognize that hockey jerseys have to accomplish multiple things. They need to look cool on a hanger, or more likely these days, in a thumbnail in the online store. So the color, the design, the logo, the front is very important. The thing is, once the game starts, everyone's leaning over their sticks to play, and I the viewer can only see the back. The back has a prominent number and name, so the referee and linespeople can easily identify offenders. 

But what happens is often the back is white with one contrast color stripe along the sleeve. Or black, with one contrast color stripe across the sleeve. And I do not know who anybody is. Canada and Switzerland played each other and I only know who won because of the box score in the corner. Sure one team was red with white letters and one was white with red letters, but the only reason I now know that Canada had on white is because I later saw Canada's dark jersey and it had black stripes which would have been very useful to me on the light jersey. (They were wearing black shorts, but so was Switzerland.) 

And you might be thinking Tara, this is maybe a once every for years problem, and I will point you to the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadians. On a TV that is less than wall sized, even their logos are hard to tell apart on overhead shots because they are both round red things. (Yes they are very distinct when held stationary side by side. Do you know how often hockey players are stationary?)

So, hockey jersey designers, I implore you, think of the backs, or even the sides, when coming up with something the viewer at home can latch on to to tell the teams apart. 

Lucy Darling

I went to see the Lucy Darling show at the Warner Theater on Friday. I'm not going to do a full theater style review, in part because it's a variety show, and it changes a little every night since it's audience driven. I had somewhat jokingly described it to my coworkers as she's a magician and comedian who makes fun of the audience. 

First, Lucy was just coming off 48 hours of vocal rest, so her voice was a little different than normal. Mark was there with her. It was a lot of fun. The audience clearly had a lot of fans who had either been to prior shows, or possibly just watched every possible video on the internet. 

My friend and I sat in the orchestra, but far enough back that we did not hope to become part of the show. It also meant it was fun to people watch who had clearly dressed to be in the show. There were a few interactions I can wait to see how they get edited for the internet. 

I definitely think if you have seen the videos and thought, I want 90 minutes of that, the show will absolutely deliver. I know Lucy/Carisa has been working non-stop for a bit. I hope the vocal thing clears up quickly. 

"Operation Mincemeat" at the Golden Theater

Content note: Contextually appropriate use of Nazi imagery. 

I will get to the show, though the TL:DR is that I loved it and it was worth the journey and the expense.

I came to "Operation Mincemeat" in an unusual way for a theoretical Broadway watcher. I had seen the #Ham4Ham performance, I had seen the Olivier's performance, and I was a little meh. I'd even seen a performance of "Dear Bill" and been like, well, this is nice. And scoffed at the people typing in the comments, "It makes more sense in context." (It does, in fact, have more emotional punch in context. This is however true of just about any good musical song.)  Funnily enough, I watched a Max Kylemenko video where he spent a day with the cast and it was exactly the kind of weird behind the scenes stuff that I love and I was like, I should look into this musical some more. I discovered that the entire cast album was available, and and did my cast album listen while I scanned through the plot summary. And I fell in deep. I scoured the internet for interviews. I watched the writer/creators early videos from when they were developing the songs. I became obsessed. 

When I decided to see "Hadestown" I put myself on a timeout from the cast albums, and "Operation Mincemeat" became the replacement cast album. I debated trying to stuff it into my Hadestown trip and then decided to plan a separate trip. 

Figuring the original cast having now played these roles in multiple theaters, having made it through an award season in the UK and here, might be seeking a rest soon, but wanting to avoid peak winter holiday tourist season I picked end of January. In a year that ends in six. 

Some of you might remember the last time I went to New York the last weekend in January in a year that ended in six. (Blog here. But basically, it snowed so much they shut down Broadway. Fortunately after I had seen my planned show.)

Snow appeared in the forecast for my January trip, but it wasn't supposed to start until late Saturday, so probably wouldn't accumulate until after I was on the train back. I shared this plan with multiple people who gave me varying looks of, oh, well, I look forward to hearing how that works out for you. By Thursday the totals were looking dire, and one friend texted me, you have to stay in New York if you do this, travelling back after the show is ridiculous. By that point I had gone from thinking the journey back in the weather would be a fun adventure, to maybe this is not the kind of adventure I wish for. I was too tired, and still a little bit sad about going to rearrange things Thursday night, so decided to do it first thing Friday. And Friday I woke up to Amtrak having cancelled my trip. Telecharge very kindly let me rebook my show ticket. And I picked a new weekend in February.

Now yes, I know snow happens in February too. But I was trying to see the original cast, and this was their last weekend of performances. I know the American recruits are amazing. But I wanted this. 

So when I checked the weather at the start of the week and saw snow, I had an unusual reaction for me. I thought, really. Fortunately it shifted just enough into Sunday that I was, fingers crossed going to be fully back home before there was a drop. But school kids, call me! I can be bribed. 

Also, I failed to check the Olympics schedule when I made my plans, so I really appreciate the gold medal men's hockey game being scheduled after my return. It was really very kind of the Olympics.

So, the show. It is amazing. It is funnier in person. (The cast album is pretty funny.) Do I think most musicals are best if you go in cold? Sure. But live theater is still amazing. Even when you've listened to it enough that you've figured out all the character switches, watching them do it, is amazing. 

Sorry, here are the basics. The Allied forces need the German troops to move off of Sicily so they can use Sicily to launch their big win the war plan. The plan the British devise, Operation Mincemeat, is to plant a dead body with some secret war plans involving Sardinia. The troops on Sicily will go to Sardinia to check it out and voila!

The show uses five actors to play eighty some characters. There are several songs where they switch character mid song. A friend of mine pointed out that "Come From Away" does this. I feel like Mincemeat does this at a eleven. But yes. The show also explores privilege, the way that war changed opportunities for women, and the sort of goofiness of some of the things that were happening. 

I am a person who is well-versed in World War II stuff, and didn't really feel like I needed more, but once again, if you sing to me, I can be bought. 

As I said this was the last weekend for the original cast, but it's been running in the West End happily without the original cast. I feel sure whatever cast you see will be amazing. I already want to see it again.

Edited to add theater name and to correct typos.

Sports

The thing about sports is there is no such thing as a foregone conclusion. Sure everyone will claim they can tell. But sports betting would not exist if sports was actually predictable. We hold and watch competitions because both the expected and unexpected can be amazing to witness. 

Writing or many creative pursuits can be like that. You set targets and goals and some days you show up and are a star who exceeded expectations. And some days, not so much. You try to practice and learn your best conditions so wherever possible you have more good days than bad. But some days it snows in the middle of your half pipe competition or someone nudges you off the short track and you just don't know. Even on the publishing side you'll hear stories of trains full of books falling into lakes or covers that got banned by one of the stores or some rave going viral. Wildly unpredictable things happen every day. You show up as ready as you can be for what happens next. 

Sale!

Newsletter readers got this news first, but Clear as Ice is currently on sale as in the US and Canada as part of the Lovers and Haters sale. Clear as Ice is the story that you might remember started here on the blog as part of #Hockeyfiction. Sienna is no stranger to social media. When she unwittingly starts something claiming there are no Asian Americans in hockey, and then discovers there is one on her hometown team, she knows it’s up to her to make amends. And given her new no dating this year rule, she won’t have any trouble keeping things professional. Al is used to people acting like he’s the first or only Asian American in hockey. As the Domes’ season moves towards the playoffs, he knows how to keep focused just on hockey. Even as Sienna turns out to be more than he expected in so many ways. Kobo link is here: https://bit.ly/3pvCSeS If you prefer other vendors, other links are below. Zon: https://amzn.to/3AxKDr4 Apple: https://apple.co/3PtQZMx Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/mvXreX Bookshop link: https://bookshop.org/books/clear-as-ice/9798201254728

It's That Time of Year

Aka 7 Things About the Olympics

1. Let's get some disclaimers out of the way. Borders are arbitrary. Gender is not binary. The Olympics are very arbitrary about what counts as actually breaking the rules vs not. The countries that are allowed vs. banned is not consistent. But I enjoy some of the pretense that the Olympics claim to be, and hope they will be someday. Basically they are imperfect, and yes, very little is perfect, but also they need to change more and faster than they have been. 

2. Opening ceremonies are delightfully weird in that way that seems so cringe when it's your country until someone else makes fun of it, and you are like actually that cultural dance is wonderful, and the dancing statues had a context, thank you very much. The only thing more delightfully weird than an opening ceremony, is a closing.

2. I personally am a little bit sore from waking in snow. (Okay it was snow-crete.) So the incredible work and dedication to race down a mountain, or across one, or around a rink, and maybe to toss in a flip is amazing. 

3. People like to pretend sports are a break, a respite from reality. But even if sports didn't involve people, the reality is there. There's an athlete from Minneapolis who is competing while her town is under attack. There are skiiers and skaters seeing the effects of climate change. 

4. I love every ridiculous stat they cite. No country with three syllables has ever won two consecutive medals in ski ballet. (Not a real event currently.)

5. I love every weird attempt to jack up the emotion in every hardship story. Jack, when you were diagnosed with seasonal allergies, did you think your athletic career was over? 

Yes, but then I discovered snow sports, Susie, and my life was changed. 

6. I love judging the country outfits. It amuses me how serious about cold some countries are, versus the ones that are like, will a puffy hat be enough? Also seeing which secondary and tertiary colors some countries adopt. And the athletes that are the lone competitor for their country. 

7. Also, people talk about Superbowl ads, but I confess I love judging the Olympic ads. They attempt to be heartwarming and sometimes are. 

Changes in the News

We subscribed to The Washington Post growing up. I remember discovering that there were columnists who appeared in metro, style, and sports, some of them twice a week. Determining their rhythms. Learning which movie critic aligned with my tastes. When I got old enough to plan my weekend around the going out guide. Their incredibly knowledgeable books section that covered stuff that wasn't just literary or a bestseller. 

I had a friend working at the Post when it got bought by a billionaire. She was laid off a few years later with almost her whole team. As they slowly shrank the metro section down, as their popular sports columnists left for the sports channel, and they made minimal efforts to grow their replacements to the same stature. 

The Post has slowly changed. And certainly the rise of the internet and the changing ad scape mean all news sites are grappling with change. But to me it seemed the higher ups assumed that having Washington in the name was locality enough. Of course this meant to find out what was actually happening in the city where I lived I had to turn to other news sources, like WTOP, the 51st, Washington City Paper, and City Cast. And so I had less time for the Post because the Post stopped serving what I wanted. 

It's hard not to wonder if like Twitter this wasn't an intentional death blow to a thing that had provided clear eyed reporting of many goings on.

Or perhaps, the signs were already there when an award winning journalist saved a key revelation for his book rather than his newspaper column. 

I am sorry for all the incredible people who lost their jobs this week.

The State of Things

I've been staying away from current events of late because the firehose of news is sometimes a lot and I don't like dwelling on it.  But I received a newsletter from a local business speaking out about the state violence in Minnesota and found myself a little peeved that this particular business had sort of never mentioned the National Guard being activated in DC.  I find I talk to several people who don't realize that I commute most days with or past the National Guard.  That the National Guard and the Park Police patrolled streets along with the local police and knocked on doors and proudly arrested literal hundreds of our neighbors.  And yes, some of the most obvious and egregious stuff has seemed to slow.  The unhoused gentleman who hangs out near where I board the metro is back in place (though much of his stuff was trashed by the police and various federal forces who placed him under a psychiatric hold for choosing to live outside.  

Now, certainly, I understand many eyes are turned towards Minnesota as they rightly should be. Goodness knows I have been tracking the news in Minnesota, checking in with Minnesota friends, donating where I can.  But I also know that the things happening here, even if they seem less bad or more benign are equally deserving of attention and pushback.  Local people, even some in the suburbs sometimes fall into the trap that DC folks deserve the mistreatment we get because we aren't a state, as if she forgot to mail in our statehood application.  As if we haven't asked multiple times to be a state, through the appropriate channels and been ignored.  They left us a federal enclave intentionally.  Because they enjoy holding power over a mostly brown, mostly liberal city.

Anyway, some days I seek joy where I can find it.  But it doesn't mean I've forgotten about all the figurative and literal ice we are digging out from under.  

2025 Reading Tally

Once again, I gather together all the reading data.  It's always interesting the things it tells me.  Here's last year if you want to compare other years. Commuting means my audiobook consumption has been very different this year  
Read: 223
DNF'd: 22
I read 205 different authors, 97 of whom that were new to me.  Oldest book was from 1993.  103 of them were from 2025.  115 of them were audiobooks.  Top authors included KD Casey and Jodi McAlister. 69 books were part of a series.  6 rereads.  109 were library books.  One was a play.  Top genre was romance.  January and March were top months with 21 reads each.  
It was a good year of reading.  

Mislaid Plans

In late fall I decided I needed something to look forward to, so booked myself a little mini-day trip to New York to see a show. I belatedly realized I had picked the same weekend as BroadwayCon and thought about extending my stay, but ended up choosing not to. 

The things I had not properly remembered were that, ten years ago it snowed like hell on BroadwayCon weekend and well, we were due for a repeat. 

When I first saw the forecast for snow I figured, this will probably change, I like snow, I really want to see the show, and with the cast having announced they are leaving now, new tickets will be hard to come by, plus, I know people in New York so if I get stranded I have options. 

And then the forecast basically shifted so that the storm was going to be at it's worst right during my train back. A train that has a crew change in Philadelphia. And well, after I told like six people I was just gonna go for it and see what happened, I started to feel like would I consider other people who decided to go somewhere during the worst of the snow/sleet absolute fools? And since the answer was yes, maybe I should not be a fool. Intentionally at least. I had a little bit of concern that if I cancelled it would then not snow, but I reminded myself, I was not actually in charge of the weather. I was just in charge of making decisions for myself. 

So I did a little what would be a good other day to go research, and then had a weird issue where my bank card wouldn't work so I called it a night.

And woke up Friday morning to discover that Amtrak had cancelled my trip, and so was offering me free rebooking. And Telecharge kindly let me buy a new ticket and refunded my original one.

And so instead I braved the cold and got breakfast tacos and pastries with a friend and then settled into the couch with my cat and my knitting. It was not the adventure I had planned for myself. But there was reading, and baking. And I listened to the cast album to get my remote Broadway feels in. 

Complaints

I reached out to my (non-voting) representative this week to express my frustration.

Separately I emailed a large chain to let them know a recent business decision they had made to offer a service that provided less expertise, but one imagines is also cheaper for them. 

I don't always expect everything I complain about to be addressed. Sometimes I just don't want to let it pass. Corporations are going to make business decisions I don't like. But I always want them to know I noticed. To know it has affected my shopping decisions. It's become practically a pastime for people to chime in with enshitification every time something happens.

But it's worth noting, when I complain, I do so in the hopes that Congress or a corporation will attempt to do better. I know I am one person. But on average so few people reach out, I hope to add to the tally. I hope that maybe, someone who fought against the choice will read my email and say, see. Or try to nudge things back in the other direction.

Complaining isn't the only way to imagine a better world, but it's one of them. 

Tara Kennedy

Note: If you are reading this outside of your normal work hours, feel free to hold off response until your work hours.  

~To the world we dream about, and the one we live in now. 

"Hadestown", book and lyrics by Anais Mitchell

Not Safer

A short but non-exhaustive list of things that do not make me safer.

-Arresting people for being unhoused.

-Taking and/destroying tents of unhoused folks. 

-Federal agents who do not know local law patrolling the streets.

-National guard monitoring my morning commute on metro. 

-Immigrants who escaped an oppressive regime having their status revoked or changed unilaterally. 

-The US bombing civilians, creating more displaced and insecure people.