April 2026 Linkspam

Posted on by elizabethdonald_7o83t2

Elizabeth Donald Linkspam for April 2026

This newsletter was written on time. And then it didn’t send. Those responsible would have been sacked except they are me.

On the second day of the AWP conference last month, Jim and I finally broke free to snag some lunch, and then I requested to do a couple of lines in the book fair before the next panel. Yes, I chose that wording deliberately. The AWP Book Fair is my nirvana, it is my happy place, and the hardest thing about it is choosing which books will make it home in the extra suitcase I brought.

We started on the far end so that I would know what we’d covered – there’s a system, man. Don’t try to freebase it or you are lost. I chatted with a couple of eager small presses, andI had some giggles at a funky small press that, I kid you not, has “Walmart noir” as a subgenre.

I turned the chair and saw the sign for The Rumpus booth. “Ooo, Rumpus!” I declared, and made my way over. I’ve been a Rumpus reader for a couple of years now and always enjoy their work, as I tell myself someday I’ll pitch them some essays.

An author was signing at the booth, but I couldn’t see them. Line of sight is difficult in the wheelchair, although the AWP crowd is much kinder and more considerate than most. Very rarely does someone just walk in front of me, staring at their phone. I was in no rush, so I waited to see what Rumpus had to offer, and eventually the person moved on and –

Holy shiznit, friends and neighbors. Roxane Gay.

Now, you’ve probably heard me wax poetic on one of my favorite writers before. In fact, just last year, she was the keynote speaker at this very convention in Los Angeles. I wrote about meeting your heroes and how delighted I was that she was as awesome in person as she is in her interviews and essays. She’s the writer I want to be when I grow up.

I didn’t even know she was going to be here. And I was five feet away.

I quickly noted she had a new book out, and snagged it before it could escape. I had maybe two minutes to think about what to say, and then I screwed it up.

I told her that I literally finished Hunger last week, and this is true, though it may have been as late as Monday. I told her it was the first book in decades to make me cry – “Good cry!” I amended, and realized I was fangoobering so I tried to shut up. I did share with her while she and her co-author were signing that I use her essays – one from Hunger, one from Bad Feminist – in my classes, and they continue to find her more relatable and enjoy her more than practically any other author. This is not fangoobering – it’s absolute truth. She’s the only author I assign to both 101 and 102, and the students literally applaud the videos I share. This does not happen with Virginia Woolf.

I hadn’t written about Hunger yet. It’s been decades – maybe ever – that I’ve read a book that strikes to the heart of me as deeply and profoundly as that book did. It’s ostensibly a memoir, focused on her personal experience living as a woman of size, referred to by her as “a memoir of the body.” And yet for much of it, it felt as though she were narrating MY life, my experience moving through the world as a woman of curves, a plus-size woman, a fat woman, whatever name you want to use that says that I take up space, whether I want to or not, whether that makes me likable or attractive to men, which seems to be a ridiculously important factor to my acceptability in this dim year of 2026.

I was a superfan before I read Hunger. The book had vaulted her into being a hero(ine) for me. And two days later, I bumped into her. 

For the rest of this story, you’ll need to read my narration of AWP on Patreon! 

What else happened in March? I had a birthday. I’d tell you which one, but I can’t count that high. 

Publicity/Appearances

It was quite a month of travel, as March is usually a circus. As mentioned above, I kicked off March by flying to Baltimore for AWP, known as the Association of Writers and Writing Programs for you folks not deeply embedded in the literary/academic world. My husband accompanied me, which meant he got to help me carry all the books I bought in the football-field-sized ballroom, and to help guide me through the crowds of 10,000 writers, poets, professors, students and word geeks. We got to toodle around Baltimore for several days, which is one of my favorite cities, and had a guest visit from the East Coast contingent of my family! It’s always a blast when my work life lets me hug my nieces. This was also year two of my three-year stint as vice president of the AWP Adjunct Writers Caucus, and we had a good meeting hashing over the issues we adjunct professors face on campus and in trying to find balance with our writing lives.

Then came spring break, which nicely coincided with Midsouthcon! Two of my favorite cities in one month! I visited with old friends – stressing “old,” as it’s fun to hang out with people who’ve put up with you for more than 30 years. As always, I was glad to see the regulars at Midsouthcon, and once again I gave my presentation on book banning. At this point I think I’ve presented on this issue at every convention I attend, but sadly, I always have new material to present as I encourage people to stand up for the written word.

Coming up in April: Nothing! We’re in the final crunch weeks for the semester, and I needed to unpack. I will not be traveling again until late May for ConCarolinas, and in the meantime I will attempt to clean my house. (Just kidding, that never happens.) 

2026 calendar:

If you are interested in having me speak to your group or attend your convention or other event, contact kyates@donaldmedia.com. 

Journalism

• Illinois primary featured grassroots campaigning, fiery attacks (Labor Tribune)

There were others, but not available on links! Tune in next month…. 

Fiction

I’m happy to report one of my MFA stories, “Perchance to Dream,” will be in the next anthology published by the St. Louis Writers Guild. It’s a sad, softly creepy little piece that I quite enjoyed playing with through a couple of rounds of workshop, and selected for my MFA portfolio. I’m glad it’s found a home at SLWG. I’ll have more information on how to order the anthology soon! Watch my blog on ElizabethDonald.com for details.

Here’s where Blackfire Rising is currently shambling:

If you’d like a book signed and aren’t going to be in my general vicinity soon, order directly from me or Literary Underworld and indicate in your order that you’d like it signed. And if you love this book, please feel free to return to its Goodreads page and/or the bookseller of your choice to do a review! We love reviews, because we writers are needy insecure creatures. 

Patreon/Medium

• This is me, not writing an essay about my mattress (Patreon)
• Poem: Little Dancer (Patreon)
• AWP Day 1: Who booked this flight? (Patreon)
• AWP Day 2: American idol (Patreon)
• AWP Day 3: Swimming in words (Patreon)
• AWP Day 4: The wild rumpus ends (Patreon)

I am not listing all the “poem of the day” posts as there would be too many, but you can see them by going to Patreon and scrolling. They’re free! Though I certainly don’t mind if you subscribe…

Check out the Patreon index here. It needs updating, but most of the entries are listed there by category. 

Did you know that Patreon subscribers get a 10 percent discount from me and The Literary Underworld? For the latter, that applies to all books, not just mine! For a dollar a month, you really can’t beat it. Just be sure to remind us at the booth as we do not have the subscriber list memorized. If you’re not a subscriber, the base level is $1 a month! You should totally join. 

Currently on the nightstand: Still working my way through The End of the World As We Know It, the anthology of stories based in the world of Stephen King’s The Stand, and it’s about the length of The Stand so it’s gonna be a bit. On audio right now is The Source of Self-Regard, an essay collection by Toni Morrison.

Recently finished includes Hunger by Roxane Gay, as mentioned before, and My Life as a Villainnes by Laura Lippmann, who was also at AWP but I didn’t get to meet her. Woe.

Photography

• Photo array: Baltimore (Patreon)

Almost all of the images in the galleries are available for purchase (except those licensed to clients), so if you see something you like that isn’t in the store, email kyates@donaldmedia.com and we’ll get you a quote. A few might not be available for purchase due to copyright issues. 

Category: linkspam

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