(The Rumpus) July

 

Tomorrow, somehow, will be July. I realized last week that I was counting down the days. I'm not certain how to manage July in a pandemic. July is always a pressure-cooker month, thick with memories and unpredictable. July is always a risk. A dare. A birthday—a deadline.

And now, July is nearly here.

For the last two summers, I've been able to carve out time in July to get away from daily life, climb out of my inbox, and be a writer. This year, I can't travel. But I can still take the dare; I can write. Amid the chaos of the world, alongside parenting and work, I can write.

I'll be putting the Rumpus newsletter on a six-week summer hiatus. I'll return to your inbox on Tuesday, August 18th with new stories to share. Till then, I wish you all a safe and healthy summer; I hope you can find pockets of joy and peace without turning away from the difficult truths being discussed as our country weathers COVID-19 and prepares for November.

Love,
Marisa

P.S. If you'd like to support The Rumpus while also supporting authors with new and forthcoming books, consider visiting our Bookshop.org storefront. The Rumpus receives a portion of each purchase you make. And our subscription programs—Book Club, Poetry Book Club, Letters in the Mail, and Letters for Kids—keep The Rumpus afloat, and allow you to be in touch with your favorite writers from the safety of your own home. Your support is critical to our continued existence now more than ever, and we appreciate it deeply. You can always make a one-time or recurring donation to The Rumpus here.

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WHAT TO READ WHEN YOU WANT TO CELEBRATE PRIDE

Rumpus editors share a list of new and forthcoming books to celebrate Pride Month!

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RUMPUS ORIGINAL POETRY: FOUR POEMS BY AUSTIN ARAUJO

In my dream, I give you a car to cross / that lonely little kiss of a border.

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RUMPUS ORIGINAL FICTION: WHAT HAPPENS TO GIRLS

There is pleasure in his eyes that is not just good acting.

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THE RUMPUS POETRY BOOK CLUB CHAT WITH HEATHER MCHUGH

[S]ometimes your senses have to be batted about a bit, till what you think your feelings are itself changes.

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MARITAL PISS

My body tightened as the knee-jerk worry of being seen and outed flooded back.

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PEERING IN AT LIFE: A CONVERSATION WITH MARY SOUTH

Technology isn't inherently good or bad, but it does reveal character, how we cope with need.

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IN PROTEST OF A BODY THAT REFUSES TO END

All I want is to feed myself like a person who wants to be fed.

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WHEN BACKGROUND BECOMES FOREGROUND: CHARLES YU'S INTERIOR CHINATOWN

Chinatown comes to vivid life in Yu's hands.

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