An Extraordinary Fall

It’s October, my favorite month, the month that always puts me straight back into the world of Each Vagabond by Name. “It was an ordinary fall until the gypsies came,” that novel begins. Of course, fall 2020 is anything but ordinary. And amid so much global unrest and turmoil, I undertook a monumental change last month and moved back to Pennsylvania, where I haven’t lived since I was eighteen years old. It was a covid-driven move, and it happened more quickly than we’d expected. But this October finds us settled (and almost unpacked) in our new house in Squirrel Hill, one of Pittsburgh’s most beautiful neighborhoods. It wasn’t easy to leave New Jersey and the NYC area after so many years (check out my goodbye letter), but I’m thrilled to be here. It feels like the right next chapter. 

*

Have you read The Distance from Four Points yet? Writing that novel took my life in unexpected directions, and I’d love to hear what you think! One of the best ways to support me and my book is to leave a review on Amazon (and Goodreads, if you’re on there). It can be as brief as a single sentence--it’s the number of reviews that affects those mysterious algorithms. The magic number is 50 reviews. I’m more than halfway there. I’d be so grateful for your help! Seriously: SO GRATEFUL!

I’ve had a lot of fun pieces come out that talk more about the novel and how it came to be. Most notably, I wrote about how The Distance from Four Points took me on an ultimately unwelcome journey closer to my hometown, for John Scalzi’s Big Idea column. I got to write about my creepy portrait collection--my Gallery of Strangers--for The Coil. And I made a soundtrack for the novel for Largehearted Boy (nineties country, anyone?). 

One last note: as you plan your book-club picks for the months ahead, consider choosing The Distance from Four Points. I’d love to join your discussion via Zoom, or in person (socially distanced of course!) if you’re in the Pittsburgh area! 

Margo