Eleven years ago, on February 8 2011, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES went out into the world. Eleven years ago today, I was an excited but nervous history professor who didn’t know what to expect. People seemed excited, but who knew?? I hoped a few people outside my family would read it. I was determined to stand firm in the face of skeptics who said I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a historian ever again and I wouldn’t succeed as a novelist either. But I wanted to tell stories–rich with history and science and magic. Inside a classroom and beyond it. And I’m proud to say that more than a decade later I’m still at it. Look at where we are now. Four books and counting. A brilliant tv show. There have been many, many changes (damn that Philippe!!). I don’t really like change. But I do like to edit. Hence this T-shirt–from my favorite shop @editwhidbey. And it’s appearance today on my feed.
We all have learned the power of a good edit in the past few years because of pandemic. I’ve been grappling with a full-body edit lately with my cancer surgery and treatment. Ovaries, hair, my sense of invulnerability–it turns out I can live without all of them. Because you know what? A good edit makes room for something new to grow. New stories. New words. New experiences. New sources of joy, gratitude, and light. You, dear readers, have been such sources for me for 10 years. I very much plan on giving new words and new stories in the years ahead. Thank you for your patience as I do a bit more editing–draft 7 of my work in progress (this thing is a monster and it’s not Gallowglass’s fault!) and some more chemotherapeutic spring cleaning. If you are struggling with change, or celebrating it, remember: it’s just a life edit. And sometimes, like ADOW, they are filled with magic. Thanks for reading. Thanks for being part of the All Souls Family. To be continued…
