Happy Summer!

I hope everyone is staying safe and cool (ish). I know that the world is full of challenges right now, and always, and I truly thank everyone who reads this newsletter, backed Reburn, watched a Where I'm From, said something kind to me or anyone else in their lives and/or continues to life with joy. 

That's revolutionary. Keep going.

 1. REBURN Issues #3 + #4 - Digital and Print Copies are in the world!

2. Where I'm From Poems
WOW! We're still going strong with Where I'm From poems. Yesterday was #40 and I try to do one a week and I'm scheduled until the first week of January. It's thrilling! 

Also, we switched to childhood pics and I have to say, they make me smile every SINGLE week!

I wrote a piece of the Project for Advanced Health Stewardship blog about the how and the why of Where I'm From, you can read it HERE. 

If you're not on Instagram you can view all of the playbacks on my YouTube Channel. Link HERE. 

I also link and and list the poems on my website, HERE.

If you're interested in participating, let me know. I'd LOVE it!


 3. What I'm Reading
Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory by Sarah Polley
I loved this collection of essays. One of the most spot on, nuanced and validating essays I've ever read about trauma and how it effects our lives and memories. 

The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Megan O'Rourke
An incredibly engaging and educational book about O'Rourke's life lived with chronic illness, right at the edge of medical knowledge and practice. I know so many people, mostly women, who exist in this daily struggle and it gave me renewed compassion and appreciation for their fortitude and perseverance. 

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
I've never been to Ireland, though I do hope to go someday. My paternal great grandparents emigrated to the United States, like many others did, more than a century ago. I believe we carry our ancestors with us. In the past couple of years, I've taken more time to connect with this idea and with where I come from, literally, and this book transported me to a time and place with those who came before me. 

 4. Getting out of Town
We did it! We had to reschedule our trip twice, but the third time was indeed the charm. We went to San Francisco and it was non-stop fun. Truly. Our family of four walked 8-10 miles everyday, amongst redwoods, in the fog, at Land's End, on our way to the Cable Cars and laps around Westfield San Francisco Centre and Golden Gate Park. We were humbled by the city's beauty and the kindness of every person we interacted with. LOVED IT!

5. Closing
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Thank you. I hope this summer brings you a slice of solace, peace, joy, laughter, whatever it is you need. 

xo. Alyson

Twitter and Instagram*
I am akin to a ghost on Twitter. Instagram, I'm there, check it out!

Well, wow, my last newsletter talked about my hopes for 2022, a break from the constant barrage of challenges, and that hasn't panned out. The challenges continue and my need and desire to collaborate, learn, get out in nature and create community are the things that keep me not only going, but functioning and looking forward to tomorrow (most days). What works for you? Email me and let me know.

Here's what I've been up to the last couple of months:

1. REBURN 

Issues #3 and #4, which complete the first narrative arc, are finished! And they are awesome! We will be sharing both in our next Kickstarter that launches in a week, Thursday, March 24th. Follow the campaign with this PREVIEW link.

​If you can't tell, we're very excited and hope you will take a moment to follow the campaign HERE  and if you're able, back the campaign, at any level. Every backer counts!

2. Where I'm From

4. What I'm Watching ​

When I am feeling lost or full of despair I find brilliant minds who have been asking the big questions extremely helpful. Angela Davis is one of those people. 
At the end of The History you Weren't Taught in School: Black History, Black Freedom and Black Love (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) the director, asks Angela Davis "What next? What can we do?" And she says there isn't one answer, we each do what we can, what comes most naturally to us and then this quote, 

"Our goal is to recreate hope in generation after generation after generation."

Hope is a revolutionary act.
Believing that things can and will get better is a revolutionary act.
Acting as if things will get better and that we are an essential part of that change is a revolutionary act.

When she said these words, I cried, because sometimes hope feels futile or naive or stupid. And that's when they win.

So let's keep hoping. Together.
 
 
5. Reaching Out

Yesterday I had the particular joy of texting with a 6 year old.

Welcome to the close of 2021!


It wasn't an easy year, but amidst the poop storm there were moments to treasure. Seeing family and friends, getting vaccinated and having the kids in physical school again, simple things that took on a whole new level of meaning.

More than anything this year reminded me of how important it is to lean into joy. Here's some things that have brought me considerable joy and I'm proud of them too.

1. My Partnership with Cody

I don't talk about it that much because, yes, it's private, sure, but it's more that I feel this pressure not to be defined by my relationship. And yet, I love him, we've built a life together and our relationship has changed my damn life.

2. My family (pictured here climbing a mountain)

Being together 24/7 for months, not easy, but possible because they happen to be my favorite people. 


3. Stories

​6. Reading 
I read a lot. It's an escape. It's an education.
I just finished reading The Book of Delights by Ross Gay, Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke and Textbook Amy Krause Rosenthal by Amy Krause Rosenthal (AKR). It was a serendipitous trio of books to read together. The experience braided many of the things that have been on my mind of late and brought clarity to those very same thoughts.
I can (and will!) do little things and, yes, all those little things may add up to something larger, which is cool, but not the point. All those small steps forward, the small gestures, connections or actions, they give my life meaning, every day.
I can (and will!) pursue joy, even if what I'm doing makes sense to no one but me.

Delight is contagious, yes, and loneliness is contagious too.
And the longing to connect is real, for all of us.
AKR connected with her audience in a myriad of ways and I’d like to do every single social experiment AKR did (and I'm definitely doing some) from Textbook by AKR but I’ll begin here...

I’m planning/hoping to write a daily delight, inspired by Ross Gay, every day in 2022. Strangely I’m not a huge New Year’s resolution person but I do LOVE  a good habit, so I’ll give this a try. I’ll post it on social media, if it doesn’t feel too utterly vulnerable but I have a feeling that being publicly vulnerable in delight is a worthwhile endeavor.

I’d LOVE ( LOVE, LOVE) it if you'd share a delight with me either through email or DM. Daily, Weekly, one time, whatever. ​

And the 50th DELIGHT I receive, I’ll send that person a copy of The Book of Delights. If it takes 50 days of the same delightful person,  I will be thrilled to send them a book in February. If it's sooner (or later), that’s lovely too.
 
7. All of you
 
Reading Raptke’s book I thought of the last time I was truly lonely. It's been awhile and I am grateful for all the relationships in my life that make me feel seen, appreciated and loved.

Thank you for taking this journey with me.

See you in 2022!
Alyson
P.S. And don't forget to send me your DELIGHTS!!

And it would be especially delightful if you forwarded this email to a friend, thanks!
 ​

Happy November!
​
So thrilled to share my piece, Outrageously Perfect, ran in the print edition of The New York Times yesterday and the online edition of Tiny Love in The New York Times, last week. CLICK HERE.
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Hi All!
​
#1 - Shameless Plug
The end of the Kickstarter for REBURN Issue #2 is two days away (get your pledges in by midnight PST on Thursday) I am overjoyed with our success so far - thank you to everyone who has backed the campaign. We are incredibly proud of Issue #2, the story, the art, the covers and the campaign. If you haven't backed it, now is a great time to check it out HERE.

#2 - Stuff I love*
I read a lot. I've been relieved to hear that a writer should also read voraciously. How convenient is it, that while I was feeding my soul, I was always doing something that was imperative for my career? Bonus!
1. Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome
If you've ever felt broken beyond repair and you needed a book to help you feel less alone, this is a powerful one. Also, it's so personal and raw about the intersection of the author's life as a queer Black man and the construct of masculinity. And it's surprisingly funny.
2. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad
It's profound and beautiful and engages deeply with a conversation most of us are avoiding, our own mortality. 
3. Good Grief
An extremely bingeable podcast about, well, grief. It's 6 part, 60 minute length was the perfect length for me to take a sunset walk alone and have a good cry. 

*I think I come off a bit melancholy in the above section. Oops, I'm actually smiling right now. See below.

#3 - Course Correction, Funny Book I'm Excited to Read!
Happy Pub Day to - Babies Don't Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?) a humorous parenting book by the hilarious Julie Vick. I picked up my copy today at my local bookstore. Yes, my LOCAL INDIE BOOKSTORE. Can you tell I'm a smidge proud of myself? I am.
​

In other thrilling news, Reburn Issue #1 is showing up in comic stores. (In limited supply) Here I am at one of our local stores, Pulp Fiction Culver City. 

​

Never fear, I will send a reminder next Wednesday, July 14th, when the Kickstarter launches. Because of your incredible support on the last campaign we were able to hit our goal in less than 24 hours. Backing early is important for algorithms, 100%, but also for our peace of mind. If you are considering backing, the earlier the better so we can continue building our fan base, reaching stretch goals and raising money for Issue #3.

And if you have a friend or two (or twelve!) that is looking for an all-female kickass creative project to back, that's us!

I've read a bunch of fantastic books lately, my three faves were:

1. Blow Your House Down: A Story of Family, Feminism and Treason by Gina Frangello 
To say this book is FIRE, is simple but true. The fire of self-discovery, love, self-loathing, sex, motherhood and the list goes on. I loved what this book is about AND it was masterfully written.

2. Sanctuary by Emily Rapp Black
Black writes about resilience and grief in this book with such tenderness. The experience of reading it felt gentle and hopeful. I can't really summarize it. I'll just say, it spoke to me. 

3. Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder
For all the motherless daughters out there, this one is for you. Or honestly, for anyone who needs a frank and humorous conversation about grief and if we're being honest, who isn't? Bonus: Tyler is a a graduate of Northwestern University (like me!) and of their Creative Writing for the Media Program (like me!) and she's a lovely person (like me! [see what I did there?]).

Also, watch HACKS. If you have HBO Max and you love funny, talented + complicated women. 

As always, thank you for your support. I love hearing from you and connecting via this newsletter, social media or IN REAL LIFE. This is actually happening now and I am deeply grateful for the science that made this possible. I'll state the obvious when I say it has been a challenging 18 months. For me, for everyone, for the world. I am deeply grateful to see and feel some hope. May we all stay safe and take everything we've learned during this unprecedented time out into the world to make it a more caring and equitable place. 

All the love, 

Alyson

P.S. Please forward this to everyone you know. 

P.P.S. Attach a thoughtful note so it doesn't feel like spam. 
 ​

​Hello friends! 

What an exciting couple of weeks it's been here at Reburn Central (our garage). Not only did we receive and ship hundreds of comics, it was Mother's Day! And Cody's and my 18th Wedding Anniversary! We spent those days fulfilling Reburn orders, which was not the original plan, but also felt like the most poetic and perfect way to send Reburn Issue #1 into the world. I'm grateful to my life partner, Cody. And my business partner, Jessica. Without them Reburn would still be called, The Unity, and would be sitting on my desktop.

In the midst of all of this, I'm reading. No matter what, I am always the type of person who can curl up with a book and shut out the world. 
 
I just finished two memoirs about cults. 
 
1. Leaving Isn't The Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough
Hough grew up in The Children of God cult which was later called The Family. Her essays are insightful, darkly humorous and raw AF. She crafts a narrative that makes it possible to read about something so horrific without me having to put the book aside and walk away.
 
2. When She Comes Back by Ronit Plank
Plank's mother left her and her sister to join Rajneesh of Wild, Wild Country fame. Plank's honesty and vulnerability are a gift. Plank writes frankly about her feelings of abandonment and subsequent questioning of her own self-worth. Why didn't her mother stay for her?
 
Both of these books share the child's perspective of what it's like when a child's grown up is finding themselves and falling apart in equal measure, and I'm sure you already know, it isn't easy. 

Annnnd..a cult podcast for good measure, A Little Bit Culty with Sarah and Nippy from The Vow. I highly recommend Episode #12: On Defining Consent.

​And finally, right before diving deep into the world of Kickstarter I recorded all of my published essays and uploaded them to Sound Cloud. A couple of friends shared that reading is not their favorite hobby, but they would love to listen to me read them. I was flattered and enjoyed recording them. HERE they are.
 
As always, thank you for all your support, comments, love, emails, etc. 
 
Love, 
 
Alyson

 

YES! What a WEEK!

So thrilled to share that my original screenplay, THE NIGHT WE MET, made it to the Second Round of the Sundance Creative Producing Lab 2021. A yes from Sundance, after more than a few no's over the years, is a wonderful feeling. It's even sweeter because of our all-female team. What an INCREDIBLE group of collaborators!

Jessica Petelle, Director
Jen Prince, Producer
Jhennifer Webberley, Producer ​

Annnnnd, REBURN Issue #1 and all digital materials went out to our Kickstarterbackers yesterday via WeTransfer. If you missed your chance to back the campaign and you want to purchase a Digital or Print Copy of REBURN #1, let me know. We will honor Kickstarter prices and fulfill your order. We'd love for you to read Issue #1 and join us on the journey!
​

Here's a link to the Audio Commentary, Jessica Petelle and I did for Issue #1. It was a stretch goal for the campaign and we had so fun sitting down and talking creative process. 


I also had the singular joy of sitting down and talking about REBURN during the Kickstarter campaign. I loooove talking process. Here are a few links:

1. YouTube. Jess and I sit down with Laura Vandervoort and talk about all the things, including REBURN.
2. FTO Nerd Podcast. I talk with Dee about REBURN, the creative process and finding my voice.
3. RogueWav Podcast. I talk with Michael about REBURN for the last 20 minutes of this podcast.


During this time, I've found myself diving deeply into memoir:

1. Heavy by Kiese Laymon. One I've been meaning to read for a while and finally did. %#*&%!!! Incredible. 
2. Being Lolita by Alisson Wood. Exactly what you might think from the title. Wood does a masterful job, economic, well-written and powerful.
3. Widowish by Melissa Gould. A page turner about loss. Gould's humor and honesty delve into the many shades and manifestations of grief.

What have you been reading? Doing? I have to say I'm feeling (MANY) feelings these days, with the reopening, the tragic shootings, the George Tyndall $1.1 billion judgement. I'm trying my very best to eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired and allow myself to feel whatever it is I'm feeling without shame. It's not always that simple, but it's a goal. A hope.

I appreciate the time you take to engage with me, my emails and my work. Writing has been a source of great solace over the course of my life but particularly during this past year. I still hold resentment (I'm working on it) toward USC, for what happened to me, to thousands of us when we were students there. I should have come out that program full of confidence and ready to take on the world. I didn't. 

I have more confidence, hope and joy than I did then. 

Thank you for your part in my process and my life.

It means more than mere words can communicate.

BIG LOVE,

Alyson 

*If you'd like to read more about my experiences at USC, you can read my essay at Ms.
 ​

Hello Friends!

Last you heard from me I was launching a mysterious quicksilver beast called a Kickstarter for a comic book I wrote and created, REBURN.
 
It's gone well. Incredibly well and I have many of you to thank - so thank you.
 
If you haven't backed it and would still like to, follow this LINK.
 
The KICKSTARTER closes at 9AM PST on FRIDAY, but really do it before then, if you'd like to back it.
 
Quick Explanation of Kickstarter: There are lots of tiers on Kickstarter. Check them out. And now, if you buy the physical copy our book for $15 + shipping you will also get lots of FREEBIES including a Metallic REBURN Bookmark, a PDF copy of Turner Family Terrors Issue #1, 2 REBURN Stickers, A 'Poppy' 5x7 Bookplate, REBURN Magnet, Audio Commentary and a 4 page PDF preview of ISSUE #2. 
 
Many of you backed this project which feels frikkin' fantastic, because I get to keep doing something I love, writing and creating a world where a woman, our main character MAY, finds the pieces of her soul and does her best to put them back together, while throwing fireballs and doing various other badass things. Pretty much, it's my life story.
 
We launched our KICKSTARTER with a goal of $7K. We discussed this number quite a bit because if you don't make your goal, you don't get any of your money AND Kickstarter is forever. The campaigns, whether they are successful or not, are saved for posterity. 
 
$7K covered the art (paying the artists and letterer) and printing costs of ISSUE #1, but not the shipping costs or Kickstarter Fees, but we made enough for that, YES! And enough to cover all our EXTRAS and get well into ISSUE #2. JOY! When a person sees a number like $19K it might feel like a lot of money, and it is, but I want all our backers to know that the money goes right back into making the book and expanding the world. We won't be sipping Dom on Friday, we'll be doing the same things as before but with the shot of confidence that comes from having HUNDREDS of people care about what you're doing. 
 
It feels pretty damn FANTASTIC.

All the virtual hugs,

Alyson

 
*Please forward this to anyone you think might even be mildly interested in REBURN or ME.

Hello All!
 Thanks for being here for my second bimonthly (ish) newsletter. Well, it’s been an eventful few months for, most importantly, our nation, but also for me.
 Feeling grateful that we are still healthy (also knocking on wood). Here in Los Angeles, the reality of Covid is ever present, I am looking forward to the day (not any time soon) when I receive my vaccine. 
 #1 I created and wrote a comic! 

REBURN Issue #1 - Kickstarter Launch this Wednesday, January 27th. Yes, this Wednesday. Yes, if you’re keeping count, the day before my birthday. Yes, there’s nothing I’d like more for my birthday than for you to back this campaign. We have tiers staring at $5, and we appreciate your support, in any amount.

Click here to navigate to our pre-launch page and to create a Kickstarter account if you don’t already have one.
 
*Joyful reminder, if you're interested in backing the campaign it would be absolutely terrific if you did it on January 27th, don't worry, I'll send you a brief reminder on Wednesday.
 

#2 Here are a few essays I wrote for you to enjoy, one light, one heavy and one in between, just to keep it fresh.

Here they are, from fluffiest to weightiest:

My First Talent Crush in Hobart Pulp

The Exact Right Place in 3Elements Review
(Fun fact: Every writer must use 3 selected words, in this issue the words were: Trapeze, Pinprick and Calico).

Not Fine, Never Fine in Inlandia Journal (audio included)
 #3 What I’m reading and watching

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. I tore through this book. It’s a page-turner, yes, but it's more, incredibly real characters navigating the seemingly straight-forward complexities of life. I thought she made all of it look quite effortless but I know better.
 Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang. I’m a fan of Yang and love all of his books, this one is no exception. If you have a basketball fan in your house, read it!
 Promising Young Woman, a Dark Comedy written and directed by Emerald Fennell (Yes! Camilla from The Crown) and starring Carey Mulligan. It cuts deep, doesn’t apologize and makes you think.
 #4 Sincere Closing


Thanks for reading this and walking this road with me. I’ve shared on social media that 2020 was the year I owned the word writer. Like, "Hey, I’m a writer.” I appreciate each and everyone of you that has played a part in this journey. Sincerely.
 All the virtual hugs,
 Alyson 

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @byalysonshelton
 P.S. As always, I’d love to hear what you’re reading and doing. And if you have a cool (or uncool) friend who would like to receive this in their inbox, please forward!

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