It's Been a While.

Did you miss us?

Hi friends, Kelly Sue here.

1. I’ve been mostly off Twitter for the month of June and I’m seriously considering staying this way. I’ll still run autoposts, drop in occasionally to signal boost, and of course run the twice-yearly #VisibleWomen initiative (the next one will be in August), but I think I might be largely done. We’ll see.

2. Run: Book One hits shelves August 3. By Congressman John Lewis with Andrew Aydin and L. Fury, and out through Abrams Comic, Run: Book One is the first graphic novel we’ve worked on as part of Good Trouble Productions, a venture that partners Matt Fraction and I with Valentine De Landro, Vaughn Shignall and Andrew Aydin. Being on The Congressman’s team was an indescribable honor and literally one of the highlights of my life. We mean to honor his memory and mission with our next slate of books and we’ll update you with more info on those when we can. In the meantime, you can download REGISTERED, the comic we did for NYCDOE Civics for All program here. It’s free!

3. Speaking of great books, get thee to Danielle Henderson’s The Ugly Cry. I bought both the hardcover and the audio version and I regret nothing.

4. A very hardworking nonprofit I love—Brink Literacy Project—is on the tail end of its Kickstarter to fundraise for the important work they do. (I first got involved with them because of their work in prisons, and that remains the program that is nearest and dearest to me, but do check out their site for more of what they’ve got going on—including our partnership with #VisibleWomen) I’m excited to be involved—alongside an all-star team of authors including Margaret Atwood, Roxane Gay, Lev Grossman, Patrick Rothfuss, and many, many more. We each carefully paired a traditional tarot card with a literary classic to reflect those same themes (I did Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations with the King of Quills. I also wrote a little essay on my Tarot practice that’s up on i09 here. ). The Brink team has produced some incredible custom illustrations lavished with metallic foil accents. Check it out...

   

   The Kickstarter project is now live! Check it out to secure a deck for yourself or tell a literary/tarot friend about it (or both)! At the time of me writing this it’s currently at…$727,204 of its $80,000 goal. There are only 15 hours to go, so hurry.

5. Another Kickstarter worth checking out is Shelly Bond’s Filth & Grammar: The Comic Book Editor’s Secret Handbook. There are three days to go on that one. (If, like me, you missed Erica Schultz’s Kickstarter for The Deadliest Bouquet, you can still, like me, pre-order the book here.)

6. Portlanders (and non-Portlanders, too!), this is an invitation to join us in supporting the Black Resilience Fund. Also check out their Mutual Aid program. We picked up a bunch of toiletries off their wishlist while at Target and it was a very easy way to sharing resources a part of our normal routine. Doesn’t have to be a five digit check to make a difference. (Though… if you’re looking to write a five digit check, I’m sure you will not be turned away.)

7. See also: ULPDX. (You do not have to be Black to join the Urban League. Everyone is welcome to join and help and build that Blessed Community.)

8. Hey, right on: Ed Yong won a Pulitzer.

9. The St. Nell’s Humor Writing Residency for Ladies is happening! ALL THE EXCITE!

10. Still keeping up with your pandemic baking? I know I am. I would like to join Laura Olin in recommending you give the Lost Kitchen’s Rhubarb Spoon Cake a try.

11. A year on, Ellis has reached out to the collective at https://www.somanyofus.com/ to begin a mediated dialogue. I’m not going to speculate on timing or motives, because I’m not a mindreader and frankly, in my experience, those things don’t matter. I’ve been alcoholic and addict in recovery for 21 years now. People frequently show up in AA and NA rooms because the court said they had to. And frequently, it works anyway.

12. Finally a reminder that we have two text-based lists available. To get text notifications for upcoming book releases or appearances by Kelly Sue DeConnick or Matt Fraction, text MILKFED to (503) 738-1029. To join the shiver of human Glow Sharks that Kelly Sue sends gently nagging messages to remind you to drink water and be nice and sit up straight and would it kill you to go to bed early every once in a while?? Text BGSD to (503) 738-1029. Both lists are free, but your standard text message rates may apply. Currently available only in USA and Canada.

13. Baker’s dozen! Here’s your reward for reading this far: very exciting, many-years-in-the-making news coming in the October comic book solicits, which will be out next month.
    
    xo,
    
    Kelly Sue