Join me in my writing world
If you’re here because of my book, Hotshot: A Life on Fire, welcome to my newsletter. This is where I share my writing life with a community of readers, writers, and artists.
Together we explore what it looks like to live a life devoted to the artistic process.
I spent the first half of my life surviving and reacting. In my twenty-ninth year the death of my mother stripped my life of meaning. I was a ghost; the world chaos. Writing kept me alive as I reconstructed my identities.
It was during these years that I married into the writer’s life, learning the true meaning of devotion. I tended a sputtering flame until it grew into a self-sustaining fire. There were many trials and failures along the way, but my devotion has carried me through.
I told myself (and the universe): If I spend my entire life writing with no tangible success, that will be a life well lived. This has kept me grounded in the work, rather than carried aloft by everything that can come with the work.
Read an essay about my mother:
On My Mother’s 64th Birthday Had She Not Died by Suicide
A note: this post contains content that may be triggering, particularly relating to suicide loss.
And one about changing one’s self-conceptions:
The Surrounding Bricks are not a Castle
This essay is from the archives, and was originally published in May 2023. Want to access all of my archives? Become a paying supporter of this newsletter and you can read over four years worth of writing (and also see all of the different iterations of this newsletter, which is fun on its own).
As a teacher and coach, I’ve come to understand the power of learning through osmosis.
Narrative is a powerful force. We learn through experiences. Reading can alchemize one’s understanding of the self, expanding one’s sense of capability and connection. Releasing one from shame and isolation.
In sharing my experiences, I offer you a space to learn and engage.
Read an essay about one of my favorite essays:
Jo Ann Beard's "The Fourth State of Matter"
Jo Ann Beard’s “The Fourth State of Matter” may be one of the best essays I’ve ever read.
Who am I?
I am River, a writer, doctoral candidate, researcher, former firefighter and sex worker, and a teacher.
I am autistic, nonbinary, a first-generation high-school and college graduate, and a survivor.
I am a writing coach, hype man, embodiment teacher, and editor.
I live with an autoimmune disorder and CPTSD.
I share my writing and personal journeys, and I live in service to narrative, with the hope that my writing and teaching can make the world a better place.
In 2019, I sold my book, Hotshot, on proposal. Then I spent the next six years writing, researching, and revising. But Hotshot wasn’t my first book– it was my third. Despite many rejections I never gave up on myself or my writing.
It’s with this steadfast commitment that I write this newsletter. Gathering is an inclusive place of inspiration and comfort, a handhold to keep you going as you tell your own stories, or the stories of others. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, make films, or construct other kinds of art, Gathering is here to support you.
Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, make films, or construct other kinds of art, Gathering is here to support you.
This newsletter is an offering and an invitation
a community of people interested in listening, sharing, connecting, and accepting one another across cultures and identities. This is an interactive space where members can show up as much or as little as they’d like, as themselves.
Read about pursuing a PhD:
Going Back to School as an Old Person (Again)
I’m in Tallahassee, Florida right now, sitting in a vegan coffee shop called All Saints Cafe. I never thought I’d be in Tallahassee, nor did I think I’d prefer the name “Tally” to Tallahassee, but I do. I’m supposed to be sitting in on classes and meeting other prospective students, but I am here, alone, which is, as they say, on brand for me.
Why pay for Gathering?
Gathering has three tiers of participation.
Free subscribers can read most posts and some of the archives.
Paid subscribers have access to all posts and essays, with commenting privileges, plus frequent opportunities to engage in writing and creativity sessions.
As a founding subscriber you receive all paid benefits. In addition, you can meet with me once a year for a 30 minute one-on-one session. These are personalized and affordable, half the price of my typical coaching rates.
If there’s something you think I should be paying attention to, a story you’d like me to cover or write about, or a resource you’d like me to share with readers, please feel free to message me on Substack. I will always give credit!
If you can’t afford a membership but would like to participate, please message me with your email and I will comp you a subscription, no questions asked.
