I made a zine.

also hi, how are you?

Hi, everyone.

I know it’s been a while, so if you’ve forgotten already, my name is Celeste. This is (was?) a bi-weekly newsletter called Not A Writer’s Club for people who have a difficult time writing. It’s been a while since I sent out a newsletter, and I have a really good excuse for that. But first, let me tell you a story.

I stopped drinking coffee since the last time we spoke. But occasionally I’ll indulge in a decaf americano.

Around December of 2020, a friend of mine named Jin, asked me to be a part of her writing group. I was honored, because Jin is someone I look up to creatively, and whose willingness to follow-through on her creative endeavors inspires me. So, naturally, I said yes.

We began meeting on Zoom weekly with a handful of Jin’s other writing friends. Each week we took a wack at writing an essay based on writing prompts, and each week we would give each other feedback on what we’d written. The group was called “Write Away,” because the idea was that the group would be able to provide feedback for each other right away. Over time, the group dwindled down to just a few members, including Jin, Aparna, and Chuckry who you may remember from the newsletter swap I did in February.

Prior to joining Write Away, I’d always considered writing a solo endeavor. I kept my writing close to my chest, rarely even presenting drafts to my friends for so much as a proofread. Being a part of Write Away showed me that writing, like most things, is best done in community.

Over the course of about 6-7 months we all workshopped, wrote and edited about four essays each. The essays I wrote in the group were some of my best work. I’d never dedicated so much time and attention to my writing as I had with Write Away. My writing got better as I worked more with the group, and as they began to grow in their understanding of my writing style. I loved hearing them say things like, “This really feels like your voice.” or “I feel like you really brought us into your world.”

It felt good to be seen.

Me, next to balloon me.

In August, we decided that it was time for the world to finally see what we’d been working on for all these months. We began the long, and tedious process of compiling our favorite essays into our very own essay collections. We edited, we reached out to designers, we edited some more, we called some venues in Brooklyn, we edited even more, we called printers, and we did even more editing. Now, it’s November and I have a real essay collection. (I know, I still don’t believe it either.)

My zine cover, illustrated by Leah Lu, designed by Alex Clements.

correct me if i’m wrong, is a small collection of essays about self-discovery, fear, and the awkwardness of finding my footing in the world after graduating from college. In it you’ll find three essays in which I describe at length, going through my first breakup, grinding on a boy in the club for the first time, and navigating a culturally alienating work environment. correct me if i’m wrong is some of the most honest writing I’ve ever done. It’s Celeste, completely bare. And as excited as I am for you to read it, I am also incredibly terrified.

That being said, if you live in NYC and would like to emotionally (and financially lol) support me through this, you should come to one of our readings. That’s right – Jin and Chuckry have also published their own essay collections and we’ll all be reading in Brooklyn next weekend.

The first reading will be on November 13th at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg, BK at 6:30 PM. If you can’t make that one, you’re in luck because there will be another reading two days later on November 15th at TALEA Beer Co., also in Williamsburg, BK at 7:00PM.

I will be selling my essay collections at these events. After that, I will be selling the remainder of the prints online for peeps who aren’t in NYC. (Details to come!)

If you would like to learn more about about Write Away, you can follow us on Instagram.

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“The Fool”

In other news, here are some things I’ve been enjoying since the last time we spoke:

• Cole Habersham’s Substack newsletter called “cashmere” – specifically this one about finding comfort in the idea of the divine.

• The latest edition of Brooklyn Magazine, which made me excited about writing and culture and New York in a way that I haven’t been excited in a very long time.

• Cool Stuff NYC, a newsletter about cool stuff in NYC.

• Essentia Water.

• This room spray from Aesop.

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Thank you for following along on this bumpy writing journey with me. I hope to see some of your faces next week. <3