Well, well, well, look whoâs backâŚ
Itâs been a while since Iâve sent out a dispatch from this account, but I have some exciting developments I want to share.
First of all, on a personal note, I took a road trip with my boyfriend and wound up with a ring on my finger.
It wasnât exactly a fairy tale, though. I got Covid shortly before the trip â I donât have firm evidence, but this guy sneezed in front of me in the grocery store checkout line a few days prior, and I just KNEW I was about to get it.
Anyway, we had to alter our plans. I flew into Kansas City, and my bf met me driving up from Texas. We drove up to my auntâs in South Dakota to celebrate the 4th â just like we would do when I was a kid. I canât believe no one blew an eye out, lighting off fireworks. Then on to Minnesota for my brotherâs wedding. Technically it was across the border into Iowa for the actual ceremony, so it was a real Midwestern affair.
After my brotherâs wedding, my boyfriend and I drove back to Cali via the Black Hills, Vail (hot tip: the Sonnenalp is the cutest hotel I've ever stayed at), and this sucker asked me to marry him in Las Vegas.
We had a pretty hilarious engagement night that I will probably write about one day, but letâs just say we marked the occasion⌠appropriately? Itâs almost our six-year anniversary. I was too stupid to fantasize about such a wonderfully boring relationship when I was younger, but it really is the dream.
In June, I launched The Bleeders, my new podcast about book writing and publishing!
Here are a few of my favorite episodes:
Chloe Caldwell Does It Her Way: How She Became an Author of Four
Chloe Caldwell is one of my writing mentors. She has forged her own unique path in the literary scene, and itâs one that I admire. In this ep, she gives the play-by-play for how she became the author of 4 (!!!!) books.
Work in Progress: Amanda McNeil on "Thank You, I Still Hate Myself"
Amanda McNeil is a hilarious writer and kinkster who lives in Milwaukee. This was the first edition of the âWork in Progressâ series â she read an excerpt from her essay âButt Stuffâ and omg, the lube SFX are worth a listen alone.
Hannah Howard on How Her Food Memoirs Became So Much More
Hannah Howard shared how she wrote and sold her delicious food memoirs, Feast and Plenty. I loved her mindset hack: Thinking of the book writing process as 75 1000-word essays.Â
Chapped: Bridgette Bianca on be/trouble & the Legacy of Black Poetry
Bridgette Bianca does spoken word so good I ugly cried at a magazine launch party, and sheâs so funny she had me rolling during the interview. Incredible range! It was interesting to learn about the interplay between performance and her writing process.
Chelsea Martin on Striking the Balance Between Prolific & Perfectionist
Chelsea Martin is a very cool indie lit queen, and I love her âjust do itâ approach to publishing. We chatted about how to balance perfectionist tendencies with being productive and putting out a lot of work, how to deal with a shitty publisher, and more.
Elle Nash on the North Star of Writing to Her Taste
Elle Nash has a strong voice and aesthetic that I connote with her writing, and it was fascinating to hear how she developed that alongside her editing chops. Plus, she shares how she landed the coolest agent ever.
These are six faves, but honestly, all of the interviews are delightful treats with lots of takeaways for writers. Theyâve been motivating the hell out of me as I dig into to rewrite my memoir and prepare to start querying, which is a humbling process, to say the least.
Sign up for the newsletter to be notified about upcoming episodes, plus lots of helpful writing inspo and literary roundups.
Devastated by the reversal of Roe v. Wade? Iâm fundraising for a reporting trip, and you can help!
đ¸ Buy a pro-abortion shirt AND help support a reporting trip to cover post-Roe America, all with one purchase! Use code BESTIE for 10% off.
đ§ Hereâs a playlist of abortion-related episodes from Private Parts Unknown, including the "Men Have Abortions Too" series.
My ayahuasca story aired on KCRWâs Greater LA!
I had a blast researching for this story, and I really like how it turned out. Iâm eager to do more psychedelics reporting, as well as more radio stories and one-off podcast narratives.
And finally, if youâre a podcaster, we should be Podcast Besties!
I hope youâre wrapping up your ideal summer â thrilling, relaxing, rocking whatever vibe feels best for you! xx
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.