What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.
—Brené Brown
In This Issue
What’s New
New Look, Same-ish Vibe
For those of you who have been reading the “Nut Graf” for some time, “Denise Is Curious” looks a bit different. Stick with me. I’ll be coming to you weekly (and now I’ve committed to that in print). The Nut Graf will continue to be a recurring feature. For those of you who are new subscribers, this is how my newsletter has always looked.
Okra flower in my garden. The plants are taller than I am. Okay. Not saying much.
Well, hello there!
Welcome to Denise Is Curious — a meandering newsletter from Denise Kiernan about the tantalizingly nerdy, the quirkily informative, and the ideally inspiring. Expect to find archival deep-dives, travels and book events, recipes and gardening, oddities and random joys. Oh—and a lot of “rediscovered” history leading up to the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. Buckle up! Let’s go!
CRAFT Gets Frenzied
In a recent newsletter, I teased my upcoming book, Obstinate Daughters, which takes place during the American Revolution. So you can imagine how excited I am to have author and journalist Andrew Lawler as a guest for CRAFT. Andrew’s latest narrative nonfiction book, A Perfect Frenzy, discusses one of the more unique—and underexplored—aspects of the Revolutionary War. What is that, you say? Show up to join us or, better yet, buy Andrew’s fabulous book. (Order a SIGNED copy from Malaprop’s or choose your favorite online store.)
This being CRAFT, expect the conversation to go in any number of directions—Andrew has had too interesting a writing career for it not to. This is one brain you will want to pick. So come on out: Sunday, October 12, 4:30 PM at the always delightful Little Jumbo in downtown Asheville, NC. The mixologists will have something special prepared in Andrew’s honor and Malaprop’s will be on hand to sell all of Andrew’s books. Andrew will hang out to sign your copies and answer your questions. Join us!
UPCOMING WORKSHOP
Worldbuilding With Archives: Research Techniques for Writers of All Kinds
Yes, all kinds.
Use historic prints to inspire the creation of fantastical beasts. Research advertisements from the past to describe a scene in a story set in the 1930s. Capture the right language and tone for a book set in Medieval times.
Looking forward to leading this in-person workshop for the Great Smokies Writing Program on November 18, from 6:00-8:00PM, on the UNC Asheville campus. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite resources, many of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of your very own laptop.
Micro-erotica, circa 1920s.
John Benjamin Dancer’s Big Advances in Microphotography
One of my favorite places to while away the time is The Public Domain Review. I know, I know…Everybody says that. Their collection of works in—you guessed it—the public domain is not just extensive, it is utterly enchanting. This article, about the dawn of microphotography in 1853, covers everything from daguerreotypes to carrier pigeons, with a little erotica and the siege of Paris by the Prussian Army thrown in for good measure.
To the naked eye, a microphotograph was a mere speck, an image hidden in plain sight, whose secrets were only revealed with magnification.
Bruno’s World
Somebody Gets Me
My feelings exactly.
No one has a knack for capturing my mood quite like Bruno.
Here he can be seen enjoying one of his favorite pastimes: Taking up every inch of space on a piece of furniture.
That’s it for this week. I am excited to be coming to you all more often, and changing things up a bit. One thing will remain the same no matter what: This is my happy place, where I share those things that make me smile and keep me going.
Be well, be nice to each other, and enjoy sporting sweaters and falling leaves.
With gratitude—