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Okay so I’m a control freak. I like to know I can take care of myself, you know? Be cool. Know what’s coming next and how to handle it. Why, oh why, then do I rock climb?? So insecure, so full of unknowns. Being above your last pro and not knowing if you have enough left to make the next clip. Not doing...having...being...enough... See where it gets messy? Rock climbing teaches me trust, teaches me that even in insecure places and times, when I’ve spent all I have, there’s somebody at the other end of the rope. * "Trust Falls” launches today at Utterance Journal. You can read it here or scroll down the page to listen. Meanwhile, here are a few pics from climbing trips. * What are you most afraid of? What do you do to challenge that fear?    
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Sam Rae Hall over at Hysterical Rag worked super hard with me to finesse this piece. I love working with editors, and this debut mag did not disappoint. You can read How to Gut (a Fish) here. Some of you may be familiar with the old title, Daddy–Daughter Lessons. It grew out of 10-minute long trauma processing sessions. Everyone should have a therapist. Think of it as "adult ongoing education." Good for you, good for the world. <3 Portrait by @ibrewpotions Cover art by @natbrad
Tucson in June. My birthday month. It's hot out. Like—sweat seeps under your boobs before you step two feet outside the door kind of hot. I'm heading for the mail—Amazon packages, always too much plastic. Nothing exciting. Wiper blades, dish soap, shaving razor refills. My legs haven't seen a blade in longer than I'd like to admit. There's an envelop from my mom. What's this? Out fall three locket necklaces, baby pictures of my brother and me. They're heavy and feel like magic. I shake out a handful of high school senior glam photos. Wow, was I hot back then! Damn. No wonder they wanted me in the Air Force Academy. And then, I find the book, sewing machine–bound and glued by hand. My first foray into indie publishing, written and illustrated by me, with my old name, back in first grade. Back when I still hated reading because words were so hard. Words are still hard. But how I loved stories. And still do.
 
 The author friendI have a friend whose cats I've cuddled, wedding I've celebrated, floor I've sprawled on, cupcakes I've gobbled, chickens I've wrangled, wife I've snuzzled-- words I've beta'ed and WIPs I've swapped. K.A. Doore is one of the lucky, hardworking, impassioned lifelong writers who landed an agent and then a book deal. With Tor. Holy shit. Check out her debut fantasy trilogy, coming soon to a bookstore near you. I am SO. Incredibly, Jealous. Cripplingly, paralyzingly, soaking-fully-clothed-in-my-bathtub-with-a-glass-of-wine jealous. I can't seem to shake it. I've always been the jealous type, and it comes down to insecurity and lack of self-confidence—and I won't even throw in PTSD or childhood trauma, although that's there, too. The climber friendBut as I've been thinking hard about my jealousy over my friend's success, hating myself for it, berating myself for it, I've interrogated some other places in my life where I've felt it. Where it's passed. I have a friend whose falls I've caught, sends I've belayed, stories I've laughed at, relationship I've counseled, vulnerability I've held-- who got on my project and got through the hard, committing crux on her first go. I felt SO. Incredibly. Jealous. But this spike, after piercing me, passed through me. In, down, and out. How to break jealousy's strangleholdHow did it pass? How did my jealousy soften and give way to another kind of emotional arousal? How did I transform "I can never be the strong climber she is" into "I want to be that strong and that brave and that beautiful on the rock! Look at her go!"? Inspiration and jealousy are closely related opposites for me. When I'm feeling jealous, it's often because the thing that I want, that I'm jealous of, is related to an area of my life where—in the moment jealousy hits--I'm feeling disconnected and unsupported. When, instead, I feel inspired, it means that I'm feeling supported in and connected to my work. I'm excited toward making that reality possible in my own life. So when the trigger hits, is there a way to turn jealousy into inspiration? Into energy toward getting shit done? YES. Step one. Name it.Say it out loud: "I feel jealousy. I want what they have." Then, say, "Okay. It's okay to feel that way. You're okay." Step two. Soften it.Keep talking. Now you've named the thing. You gave yourself permission to feel it. You have the opportunity to buttress yourself against its wiles. Positive self-talk will soften jealousy's sting. Use your name to turn your brain into your friend. "Lora, you are a solid climber. You are a solid writer. I believe in you, and no matter what, I'm proud of you." Would you tell your friend, "Jeez, look at her. You really suck. Why even bother?" No, no, you wouldn't. Step three. Transform it.Find one thing you can do to feel supported in and connected to the work right here and now—in this moment. Do that thing. For me it's a hug from a partner—climber, writer, friend, lover. It's a text to a friend: "Help! I feel shitty about my writing right now." It's diving into the work and making a concrete, tiny goal, and succeeding at it: I'll climb beautifully for two solid moves. I'll sit down and write 50 words. Just 50. (Optional) Step four. Reveal it.If you have a relationship with the person, it's sometimes helpful to let them know you're struggling. Truth of this sort is not always the best way forward. Sometimes it can be harmful. Sometimes, it's a release. Use judgment. When jealousy is out in the open, it's a less scary monster. Easier to look at and name. Easier to start step one. The resultWhether you do Step four, the other three steps destabilize jealousy's shaming power.
Now, it's a feel, like any other emotion. Now, your big brain and heart can go about doing what they are so good at doing, nodding at the emotion and moving forward. It comes, has its moment, and then flows through and out, leaving more energy, vitality, motivation, and inspiration in its wake. ~Lora  Y'all. I'm so thrilled at how this year's cover turned out. Less guidebook-y and more the literary anthology it truly is, it's frankly gorgeous. We had some stiff competition during the cover photo contest. What's even better? There's a woman on the front—on lead, plugging gear. PSYCHED about that. Twelve out of 21 writers this year are women. Five out of six interior art pieces were worked by women. Oh, sure, you'll still find gut-curdling epics and brutal, try-hard tales of dedication on grades I can't begin to imagine projecting. Overall, the book is more meditative, more introspective, and more focused on community. Stories from the Drylands II is a collection of true stories about the rock told by climbers of diverse backgrounds, all who've made a home in Southern Arizona. I'm honored to showcase their fine and thought-provoking work in this anthology. The gritty... I estimated my personal volunteer hours on this project today.
*darts over to log hours* *returns, panting* In Tucson? Join us at Ermanos Dec 7 for the Release Party!  This itsy flash from Joshua Tree has my heart in it. Go read it.
I'm thrilled that "Certain Unboxable Things" gets to make its debut. This monsoony Friday morning is a perfect moment for a divorce-era story, written in such troubled times. You can read "Certain Unboxable Things" at Cold Creek Review and find an interview with the author at the end!
The Shallows is Cold Creek Review's biannual issue. It highlights some of the darker parts of the human experience. Perhaps that's why the Editor-in-Chief Amber D. Tran (quite the badass, if you were wondering) chose to publish CUT. 
For their second issue, The Shallows seeks stories "inspired by family secrets that are revealed during moments of loss, guilt, and/or anger. [Their] mission is to publish work that is not afraid to dive into the troubling relationships between family members in the middle of emotional turmoil and discovery." Although burgeoning and, at present, unpaying, The Shallows is competitive and accepts less than 3% of the work submitted. Be sure that if accepted, your work will be in capable and caring hands. They also nominate for prizes. Submission guidelines here. Yours sincerely, ​Lora |
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