Your hold is ready! (11. 29. 25)

Author

Cavar S
November 29, 2025

Hi everyone! Small optimisms this month.

After receiving some mildly promising news earlier in the month, I’ve been feeling somewhat better than I did in September and October. I think that has shown up in my work, too: diving into a new long-term project, completing a very rough draft of another, plugging away at my dissertation-to-monograph situation; plus, I’ve had the opportunity to do some editing work (thank you!).

It’s also strange to think about the fact that, in less than three weeks, I’ll be back home. The residency has gone by incredibly quickly so far, and though there are things I’m sick of –– mostly chores, also living with new people all the time –– it has overall been a pretty wonderful experience. The balance between physical labor and psychological flexibility is just what I’ve needed during a stressful time in my life. I feel comfortable here, physically and mentally. Plus, I’ve been fortunate enough to have a community built-in between residency director Erin, her friends, and the resident-friends I’ve cultivated over the course of the last few months.

Another first for this month — my first time foraging mushrooms (winter oysters)!!!

I’m also getting myself ready for another book release this coming March: my poetry collection, Differential Diagnosis, which is now available for pre-order on Northwestern University Press’s website and on Bookshop. Be sure to request it from your favorite indie bookstore, add it on Goodreads and Storygraph, and email me if you’re interested in a review copy.

Housekeeping:

Submissions: manywor(l)ds opens for submissions on Dec. 1!

My guest-edited blog section for fifth wheel press, on alterhuman/multispecies creative writing, is open now through Dec. 15!

Check out Failure to Comply digitally and in print and on Bookshop in both formats, on Goodreads and Storygraph, and request it at your local bookstores and libraries. Find inspo/similar reads/books that fed Failure to Comply at my Bookshop affiliate page, where each of your orders gives me a dollar.

Now, onto the recommendations!

Today’s Recs:

Books:

Music

Poetry & Prose & In-Between:

Essays and Articles:

My Recent Work: