Q: **What does resilience mean to you?** A: Prioritizing the body--whether it's your body, a community of bodies, or the body-politic--but also understanding that bodies must work together in resilience. There are lot of insta-fluencers out there who are all about self-care and mindfulness etc. etc., which is fine as a point of departure, but that really doesn't do anything in the long run if you're not immersed in conversations about action and change with the people around you. Silvia Federici has this great book called _Beyond the Periphery of the Skin: Rethinking, Remaking, and Reclaiming the Body in Contemporary Capitalism_ that uses feminist and antiracist theory to imagine different possibilities for the body. Q: **Will you list for me some things which have excited you recently?** A: You asked for a list, so I'm going to give you a list! 1) Air fryer tofu balls: okay, I know. Maybe not what you were expecting off the bat. BUT! My husband and I have recently discovered the magic of air fryer tofu balls, which are made with tapioca flour as its binding agent, and all you really do is crumble the tofu, add some flour(s), and then add any other flavors/ingredients you want. We first used [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GmTi_Du3kk) but have since diverted into different flavors with different dipping sauces. 2) Artemis II (but not for the reasons you'd expect): I'll be the first one to admit that there's no ethical space exploration under capitalism (see Mary-Jane Rubenstein's book _Astrotopia_ if you're a nerd about this stuff), BUT! The recent success of the Artemis II means that I can casually slip into conversation one of my favorite pieces of pop culture lore, which is that Slimey the worm from _Sesame Street_ had an extended story arc called ["Slimey to the Moon"](https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Slimey_to_the_Moon) in the late 90s (click on the link to see Slimey in his spacesuit and singular moonboot). There's also the adorable Rise plushie that was on the Artemis II spacecraft as its zero gravity indicator, so it's a good time for stuffed animals/moons everywhere. 3) April is National Poetry Month!: I currently work at an independent bookstore, and my boss let me do a Poetry Month book display that I pitched as "Everything But the Bagel Poem," which highlights texts that think around poetry or approach poetry from a different angle. Some of the books I included are Max Porter's _Grief Is The Thing With Feathers_, Maggie Nelson's _Jane: A Murder_, Ben Lerner's _The Hatred of Poetry_, and Camonghe Felix's new manifesto/memoir _Let the Poets Govern_. 4) Independent Bookstore Day on April 25th: speaking of bookstores...Not sure when you're sending this newsletter out, so it may have already passed, but it's a good reminder to support local bookstores regardless of the season! Take that Jeff Bezos! Q: **What details about your every-day routine are most important to you?** A: I am a creature of habit in many ways, but the most habit-y of all is food. I drink the same smoothie for breakfast every morning and have been doing so for almost ten years. Half a banana, a scoop of old fashioned oats, some dollops of plain Greek yogurt, frozen berries (I'm partial to Aldi's Cherry Berry Blend), spinach, and nondairy milk. Measurements are all arbitrary. I recently had to replace my blender of seven years, and I did the math, and (allowing for some wiggle room if I'm on vacation or running late and grab a banana to go) that blender made over 2200 smoothies. Q: **Who is one (or are some) mentor(s) from your life that have helped to shape you into an authentic version of yourself?** A: I've had many incredible writing teachers/mentors, but my dance teachers in high school and college showed me the type of person I want to be. I don't know what the authentic version of myself is, perhaps I haven't reached it yet, but the dance mentors in my life have always challenged me in authentic ways. Q: **How did you come to believe in yourself as a writer?** A: Ask me again in ten years? I'm definitely still learning to believe in myself as a writer, but I believe in the work I'm doing and know it's important.