The Z-Axis

Book Review: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

By: Amira K. May 18, 2018

Book ReviewA Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles, Bolshevik, fine dining, food, historical fiction, literary fiction, Moscow, October Revolution, Russia, service, wineLeave a Comment

My friends, I have a special treat for you today. I am here to introduce you to the inestimable majesty that is Amor Towles’ newest novel, A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. I have written before that life often hands you the book you most need at exactly the time you most need it, and I find it…

A Meditation on Lunch, or, Why You Should Eat Alone Sometimes

I work at home. My partner works at a winery in the area, so except for the rare occasion once a month or so when he comes home midday, I eat lunch alone every day. Lunch is an opportunity to break up the day’s tasks. Usually I try to get a certain amount of editing…

Why it’s Totally Okay if You Haven’t Read My Books (and Why it’s Almost Always Okay to Not Read Someone’s Book)

By: Amira K. February 27, 2018February 27, 2018

Musings, Publishing, Writingapologies, apologize, friends, friendship, how not to say sorry, how to say sorry, publishing, readers, reading, sorry, writing5 Comments

Sometimes when I run into acquaintances or old friends, people I’ve stayed in touch with via social media, one of the first things I hear is “I’m sorry I haven’t read your books yet!” My response is usually something like, “Why are you sorry? It’s not your job to read my books.” I’m constantly surprised…

The Literary Libations Secret: How to Pair Famous Books with Great Drinks, Explained with Funny Gifs and Sample Pairings

LITERARY LIBATIONS, the book I’m working on, is great fun because it allows me to spend a lot of time doing two of my favorite things in the world: reading and drinking. But writing drink pairings for famous books isn’t as easy as tossing back a cocktail or two, sitting in a leather armchair, and…

Literary Libations: For Whom The Bell Tolls

By: Amira K. February 8, 2018

Publishing, What To Drink With What You Read, Wine, Writingbooks, booze, drinking, Ernest Hemingway, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Hemingway, literary libations, reading, vlogging, What To Drink With What You Read, wine, writing2 Comments

Check it out! The newest episode of the Literary Libations video series is out today. You’ll find out what to drink when you sit down with Ernest Hemingway’s FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, and you might even learn something about Hemingway himself. Enjoy!

Bury yourself beneath a pile of rotting vegetables. It'll be better. I promise.

The Case For Decomposing Into Nutrient-Dense Compost Now That the Republican Tax Bill Might Actually Become Law

By: Amira K. December 5, 2017

Musings, Politicscompost, decomposition, Humor, political, politics, Republican tax overhaul, resist, satire, taxes, the resistanceLeave a Comment

On Friday, the Republican-controlled Senate passed their tax overhaul plan, which, when reconciled with the House bill, will most likely shrivel the U.S. economy like that bag of wilting spinach in the back of your refrigerator. Even though nonpartisan organizations across the country have agreed that this will take away health insurance for up to 13…

Introducing LITERARY LIBATIONS: The Video Series

By: Amira K. November 17, 2017

Musings2 Comments

What’s the perfect pairing for Alexandre Dumas’ THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO? What on Earth is one to drink while reading an out-of-this-world story like Heinlein’s A STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND? And how are you to pick the perfect drink to go with a novel by that consummate alcoholic, Ernest Hemingway?

I'd rather be decomposing beneath this beautiful landscape than starting a graduate program right now.

What I Love About America

The first thing I loved about America was that it was colorful, vibrant, wild, and strange. There was more to see on that tiny little island than I could explore in a lifetime. I lived in a mostly-white suburb, but that wasn’t America. America was New York. America was the world. America was everything.

7 Words You Should Delete From Your Manuscript

By: Amira K. August 29, 2017August 29, 2017

Publishing, WritingEditing, editorial, fiction, manuscript, memoir, non-fiction, novel, reading, writing4 Comments

“In this post, I’ve included a few words that most professional writers and editors will cut as often as possible. You can use this post as a guide to identify overused words in your own writing and cut them out to make your work clearer and more concise.”

Five Ways To Fight White Supremacy Now

By: Amira K. August 14, 2017August 28, 2017

Politicsantifa, Charlottesville, fascism, Nazism, politics, white nationalism, white supremacy4 Comments

Under normal circumstances, the phrase “if you’re not with us, you’re against us,” is a horrible thing to say. There’s plenty of room for nuance in debates over economic policy, political strategy, how to chop an onion, and whether Korean tacos are an acceptable mash of food culture. But when white supremacists take the streets…

The Z-Axis

What I’ve Learned from Two Years of Writing Full-Time

Why I Believe in New Year’s Resolutions (and, If You Really Want to Know, My Resolutions for 2018)

New Book Alert! LITERARY LIBATIONS to Be Published by Skyhorse Press

POROUS: First Draft Complete

What I Write

Who I Am

What I Can Do For You