The Cyclicality of Strata
The hidden rhythms of this six year book journey
With the launch of Strata coming up in just two months, I have been reflecting on the arc of this project from inception to completion. It’s been a long, winding, often unpredictable journey with twists that sometimes had me wondering if I would ever really reach the other side.
But just this morning, I discovered a cyclicality to this journey that I had not yet registered:
The idea sprouted the week of July 15, 2019.
My proposal landed in the inboxes of editors the week of July 15, 2021.
My book will come out into the world on July 15, 2025.
It’s enough to give me goosebumps, and to make me feel as if I’ve been the target of a planetary practical joke. This six year journey involved a lot of bushwhacking. The path never felt clear or cyclic or rhythmic. There was a lot of tripping and dusting off and not always trusting I would find my way. But here we are. I wrote a book about the cyclicality of change and growth on a planetary level, and experienced that same type of cyclicality on a personal level.
Haha Earth, very clever.
But also, wow.
So, what happened the week of July 15, 2019? I was fortunate enough stay at the Hewnoaks Artist Residency, where I lived in a dreamy cottage with a sunroom overlooking a lake at the foothills of the White Mountains. I didn't go there intending to leave with a book idea. I had a few essays I was planning to work on, and a story assignment I needed to finish up. But as I sat down at the desk overlooking the lake, I struggled to stare at my computer screen. There were too many birds singing and insects crawling and warm breezes blowing to spend my days basking in artificial light.
After a couple of mornings stumbling around on my computer, I spent the rest of the week sitting in a chair outside the cottage, writing a little bit by hand, but mostly reading books by authors I admire. And it was through the digestion of those books, and the days spent surrounded by birds and breezes and beetles crawling up my arm, that the seed of the idea for Strata emerged.
I scrawled an outline on a blank piece of paper as fireflies blinked on one night.
It would be a book that paid tribute to the stories beneath our feet, the geologic events that created us and that continue to bring us life today. It would be about the silts and clays and sands that gather in thin layers and reveal these ancient narratives, so long as we know how to read them.
I set out to write a book about the hidden rhythms and patterns we can find in strata, only to find hidden rhythms and patterns in Strata.
I am so curious what the week of July 15, 2026 will bring.
Book Recommendations
I’ve been reading these new releases lately and have been blown away by the immersive reporting and storytelling in each. I recommend you check them out:
They Poisoned the World by Mariah Blake
Lost at Sea by Joe Kloc
Sweet and Deadly by Murray Carpenter
Wild Seed Project’s 2025 Guide
I had the great privilege of editing this gorgeous guide written by the wonderful folks at Wild Seed Project. You can now purchase it here, or receive a free copy by becoming a Wild Seed Project member.
There will be a launch celebration at Back Cove Books in Portland, ME on Thursday, May 22! Reserve a free ticket here.
Upcoming Strata Events
Plans are beginning to coalesce for some summertime Strata events! Hope to see you at one of these, and stay tuned for updates on others in the works:
Bunker Brewing w/ Print: A Bookstore | Portland, ME | July 16
Harvard Bookstore | Cambridge, MA | July 17
Books are Magic | Brooklyn, NY | July 21
Left Bank Books | Belfast, ME | August 12
Goosebumps!
Eager for July 15th - what magic will emerge!