First draft of TYPO is in the bag! Exactly 30 days from first word to last. (It's only supposed to be 30,000 words, so less insane than it sounds.) So much rewriting awaits, but: beginning, middle, end! By weight it's about 40% typos, the rare Object Lessons book that physically became its subject.

Hard to beat taking a good dog for a run.

Sunset with monsoon threatening, last night in Flagstaff.

I’m drinking the most expensive can of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA in the world! (Don’t worry, I talked them down to $4, so I got a $9995 discount)

At the “watching the most damning scene of a writer who fucks up his life while writing a book” part of writing a book.

I played so much of this Commodore 64 game. Dr. J vs. Larry Bird! What an era.

Went for a beautiful Sunday morning run today in New Hampshire. Perfect weather, didn’t see a single other person.

Found a pretty good writing spot in Henniker, NH!

I hear THE LAST GARRISON by Matthew Beard is pretty good! You know, for a first book…

First sunrise run in the desert since early May! A hot, beautiful slog. 102 degrees when I finished.

Or, from a climate activism organization: "Spent wisely, pubic resources can drive private investment while reducing the burden on taxpayers"

I mean, there are so many of these 😂

Made me think of Tate's final poem:

One of the many ways I've hurt my protagonists: I've never given a single one of them a dad as good as mine was. (This pic is from the last time my dad and I went hiking together at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan, one of our favorite places.) I'm so glad I got so much time with him!

My first novel, In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods, came out 13 years ago today. Probably wouldn't have remembered the anniversary if my phone hadn't resurfaced this picture my dad took of my book launch. I'm glad he was there to capture it!

Killian Jornet on endurance sports this morning fits exactly with Erika Swyler on novels: in the beginning, says, Jornet, "is the hardest time to keep going, because the investment still feels small"; by the end, says Swyler, "Bleh, I'm officially too far in to stop." We must pass through both!

I'm home from six weeks in Spain, Portugal, Greece, and England! Hiked a pilgrimage with mom, visited dozens of churches/museums, saw the Parthenon, taught on a Greek island, and ended the trip alongside my brilliant, beautiful partner. Never imagined this could be a part of my life. A lucky summer!

Absolutely. It’s almost like we don’t ever know what’s best for us! Also: new favorite Strava map??

Today, Deb and I went to Athen’s Panatheniac Stadium (the modern version of which was apparently built for the 1896 Olympics) and went down on the track and each ran a 400m lap. No one was faster/no one else was racing us! Champions both. A fun morning for two runners!

It feels almost ridiculous to say it, but it turns out the Parthenon at sunrise is pretty stunning.

Visited the Ancient Agora in Athens today, and found the Temple of Hephaestus surprisingly moving. As I was reviewing my photos, it occurred to me that probably no Ancient Greek had a way to make their vision so wide angle as to see it the way my iPhone did this morning.

This morning, the owner of my Athens neighborhood grocery took two “expensive” wine bottles from me and replaced them with cheaper bottles that are truly very good and perfect for a last nip on my rooftop terrace with the Acropolis in view. An impossible thing for so many versions of me to imagine.

Landed in Athens! I promised my partner I wouldn’t go to the Acropolis before she arrives tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean I can’t sneak up a big hill and take a look. Unreal. Unlike so many famous things, it’s actually quite a bit bigger than I imagined! (See: the tiny Mona Lisa…)

Today Mom and I took a bus to Finisterre, the “one more stage” farthest end of the Camino, and the westernmost point of Spain and of the Roman world, or what they thought was the end of the world in 200 BC. Time and geography, truly felt!

For the second year in a row, I completed a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, this time from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Twelve days of backpacking, 150+ miles, all in the company of my 70-year-old mother. A truly amazing adventure I’ll never forget.

Last night in Porto! Signing off for a couple weeks as mom and I finally begin our pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It’s been such a good time with her the past week in Porto and Fatima, and now we’re ready to hit the road. Can’t wait to get started.

It was my mom’s idea to take this photo, and then she laughed and laughed and laughed.

Spent last night with my mom and 250,000 other Catholics in Fatima, Portugal. My Rosary is pretty rusty. I couldn’t understand most of what was said. It was still magical to be among so many other people praying for (among other things) world peace.

Off to Portugal and Spain with my mom! The Camino de Santiago’s Portuguese Way awaits. Can’t wait to be on pilgrimage again, this time with my favorite Catholic.

I’m so thrilled to share the news that my new novel PENITENT will be published by @doubledaybooks.bsky.social, with Thomas Gebremedhin editing! Thanks as always to my agent Kirby Kim for his wise advice and for finding my book its best possible home. Coming Spring 2028! I can't wait.