FROM: Lily G. <[email protected]> TO: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
DATE: July 15, 10:59pm
SUBJECT: Re: You have a website!
Dear [insert name],
If you don’t want me to call you Mr. Strickland, what should I call you?
I’m relieved that oversharing my personal woes didn’t scare you off. From my emails, you would think that I’m used to speaking so freely, but I’m really not talkative at all. In middle school, my classmates called me the Mouse. Middle school was torture for a number of reasons, and I at least wish they would have come up with a more creative nickname.
I’ve never been to Iceland. I’ve actually never traveled outside of the US. It’s so cool that you write for a travel magazine. I guess you’re probably never in the same place for long periods of time. Do you have any favorite cities or countries?
The waterfall definitely does not look stereotypical to me. Thank you for sharing the picture. It did cheer me up. That interview was almost a month ago now, and I still get sad thinking about how much I wanted that job, but there will be others. I just have to keep trying.
Getting out of the city helps (I live in Brooklyn). I’ve spent most of today at my parents’ house in New Jersey for their annual July 15th birthday barbecue (they have the same birthday). Other than Christmas, it’s the one time of year that we’re all together. My sister Violet is based in New York, but at any given time, she could be anywhere in the world. And my other sister Iris lives in the same neighborhood as my parents with her daughter, but she’s always working, so I hardly see her. On July 15th, everyone is home and it’s nice. Violet is a stylist, so she forces us to participate in fashion shows, and my dad and uncles sit on the patio and play Spades (a card game that I have no idea how to play). It’s a good time.
And yikes. I’m sorry you signed a bad contract with Labyrinth Press. I’m sad you don’t think of yourself as an author and don’t plan to write a sequel to Elves, but I’m glad you’re still writing in a way with the travel magazine.
Sincerely,
Lily
P.S.—It’s not a waterfall but attached is a picture of my niece’s tiny feet in my sister’s high heels during our “fashion show.”
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: July 21, 12:02am
SUBJECT: You can call me Strick
Lily—
You can call me Strick.
Your niece has a cute, chubby foot. I hope she doesn’t grow up to be a jaded adult with depressing worldviews. Or maybe that just happened to me. (See, I overshare too.) So you live in Brooklyn. What’s that like? What do you like about it? I’ve been lots of places, but never to New York, if you can believe that. My agent lives in Brooklyn too, and he’s been encouraging me to move to New York for months. He has a new position at a fancy literary agency and he’s decided to make me his first project. He has this idea that Elves can have another life with a big US publisher. He refuses to believe that I am no longer an author. I respect his dedication but hate that he’s wasting his time on me.
You’re right that I’m never in one place for too long. All of my valuable possessions can fit in one large backpack. It’s freeing to think that I can pick up and go whenever I need to. Or rather, when there’s a new assignment for me.
If I had to choose, I’d say my favorite city is Sorrento, Italy. It’s right by the water and smells likes lemon trees. You should definitely visit Sorrento when you eventually leave the US. Let me know when you do so that I can give you some tips on the best restaurants and sights.
I’m currently in Thailand. Yesterday, I went to an elephant sanctuary and got pushed around by some baby elephants in the mud. Pictures of said baby elephants are attached. A reminder that the world isn’t always completely terrible.
~Strick
FROM: Lily G. <[email protected]>
TO: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
DATE: July 21, 1:11am
SUBJECT: Re: You can call me Strick
Dear Strick (this is a very funny nickname, by the way),
Those baby elephants are SO CUTE. I’m jealous that you get paid to play with them. Some people truly have all the luck. And thanks for the tip on Sorrento. If I ever do get myself together to travel there, you’ll be the first person I tell.
It’s amazing that your agent wants to get Elves republished! I, of course, agree with him that there’s so much potential for your book to have a new life!
You asked for my thoughts on living in New York City: I don’t think I’d actually live here if I didn’t have to for my job. If I could live anywhere, it would probably be in the same neighborhood as my parents and Iris. It’s peaceful and friendly and there’s a ShopRite (a chain grocery store in North America; I don’t think they have those in England). New York City is loud and crowded and overwhelming. I have days where I feel like I’ll lose my mind if I don’t get some quiet. Commuting to and from work on the subway is a pain, especially when I’ve had a crappy day and then a group of kids gets on the train, performing elaborate dance routines. While walking alone at night I’m always worried that a pervert is going to snatch me up off the street. Everything is expensive for no reason. The cost of living is too high and unless you’re a finance or tech bro, you can barely afford to live here. I have a roommate who owns two enormous St. Bernards that get slobber everywhere, so Tomcat and I mostly stick to my bedroom because I’m too anxious to remind my roommate that the apartment is my space too, and it’s easier to hole up in my room than confront her about her dogs.
But New York has some of the best food, and New Yorkers band together during times of crisis in a wonderful way. I read somewhere that New Yorkers are not always nice, but they’re always kind, and that’s the best way I can describe it.
Sometimes if I leave the office early enough, I can catch the sunset while going over the Manhattan Bridge. That’s a plus.
Question: Does the traveling ever make you feel lonely?
Sincerely,
Lily
P.S. Attached is a photo of that Manhattan Bridge sunset I was talking about.
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: July 21, 1:41am
SUBJECT: Re: You can call me Strick
Lily—
Whenever I talk to people about living in New York City, they share a million reasons why they hate it, and then go on to describe how it’s one of the best cities. It’s funny that you basically had the same response. That picture of the sunset is striking. I guess after having a tough day, getting to see such beauty makes it all feel worth it.
To answer your question, I’m used to being alone, so it feels natural.
It’s pretty late right now in New York, isn’t it? Don’t tell me you’re an insomniac like me.
~Strick
P.S.—Who is Tomcat?
FROM: Lily G. <[email protected]> TO: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
DATE: July 21, 2:04am
SUBJECT: Re: You can call me Strick