personal updates: ✏️ writing retreat 🎤 long beach event 🎸 death cab for cutie 📕 not judging books by their covers

Hey gang! Been working and writing as usual. Also feverishly waiting for summer to end. (My least favorite season, ugh.) Anyway, some fun personal updates!

Writing retreat

Nicki and I rented a cabin in Idyllwild while our daughter was nearby on a sleepover camp at their famed Arts Academy. It felt like living in a treehouse in the forest, because it was. Also fun were the high-altitude mysteries: water taking forever to boil, skin taking seconds to tan, and running out of breath after every staircase. Idyllwild is a real California gem—an interesting mix of crystal-wearing hippies, professional dropouts, and truck-lovin' country folk, all living on a first-name basis in a tiny town that someone really needs to set a cozy murder mystery in. West-coast Widow's Bay! There's a pitch!

Festival of Asian American Books

A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of speaking on a YA panel with fellow Asian American authors for the Festival of Asian American Books at the lovely Michelle Obama library in Long Beach with fellow authors Aimee Phan, C.B. Lee, and Jennifer Chen. So dang fun. Long Beach is another hidden gem (this state is full of them!), with great diversity, tasty food, and, interestingly, really nice bike infrastructure. Book events are food for my soul. They help me feel like I belong, and that I'm not the only one losing my mind in a world gone bonkers.

Death Cab For Cutie (part 2)

Saw Death Cab at the Greek from four rows back (!). Nicki and I have seen them before, 20 years ago, and tbh the show hadn't been gr-r-reat—they were riding high back then, and they rushed off-stage without so much as an encore (or even a Thank you and good night) to make the next show in their mega super ultra galaxy-wide tour. This time around, though, they felt more considered, more present. They're older, after all. They've been through life shit (marriage, kids, divorce). The result was a much better show than the previous, shot through with vulnerability and a palpable sense of gratitude. I love seeing wisdom happen.

Uncovered.ink

Fun site—instead of judging books by their covers, Uncovered presents first pages of books. On the one hand, it's cool that it emulates the experience of browsing a bookstore or library. On the other hand, I've only used it once, because honestly I'd rather go browse a bookstore or library. But still, this is what the internet is for.

Coming up...

Still gotta get you guys that Instagram chat QR signup code. Also, I'm dying to see Odyssey in IMAX, but it's sold out everywhere in Los Angeles, a great (if frustrating) sign. Can't wait to hear how your summers have been going!

— dave