The Z-Axis

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?

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

It is my great pleasure to announce that my forthcoming LITERARY LIBATIONS: WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU READ has been contracted for publication by Skyhorse Press in Fall of 2018!

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, 2017June 7, 2018

Publishing, WritingEditing, editorial, fiction, manuscript, memoir, non-fiction, novel, reading, writing6 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.”

POROUS: First Draft Complete

By: Amira K. August 21, 2017June 7, 2018

Porous, WritingEditing, fantasy, fiction, genre-bending, paranormal, Porous, reading, sci-fi, science fiction, The Seeds Trilogy, writing4 Comments

On Saturday, August 19, I finished my first full-length novel. Despite the fact that I’ve written, edited, and published three books in collaboration with my mom and sister – the Seeds trilogy – as well as a solo novella in the same series, this is my first solo novel. POROUS began in January of 2014 as…

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…

Book Review: The Windup Girl by Paolo Baciagalupi

A dystopian future where genetically-modified food is ever-present. Where the rising tides of climate change have permanently altered human landscapes and agriculture. Where corporations and governments use biological warfare to enslave and oppress. Where political webs are woven and unwoven every day, with millions of lives hanging in the balance. Am I describing the Seeds…