New Name, Same Ol' Me

Announcing The Bittersweet Weekly!

I’m Really Very Literary is now The Bittersweet Weekly!

It’s time to evolve! I wanted a name that better reflected what I actually do here: share personal stories and links from around the web for readers searching for a richer perspective on the bittersweet moments that make up modern life.

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“Whatever pain you can’t get rid of, make it your creative offering.” — Susan Cain.

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But why?

A while back, I asked what you liked best about this newsletter, and the OVERWHELMING majority of you said you loved reading my writing more than anything. 

I listened and tinkered, and let's be honest, I had the time and mental energy to adjust, and The Bittersweet Weekly is finally here! 

What does this mean for you?

I’ll still post on Fridays, but rather than write whatever comes to mind, I want to be more intentional. Each week, you’ll get installments of The Bittersweet, personal stories that answer the question, What is it like to grieve and live? Or Linkspo, more than a link round-up; it’s a curation of content and a continuing of a conversation.

This content is free and always will be. 

What's new and what’s next?

I’ve opened up a paid option for readers. For now, this is simply a way to show further support for this project.

In the future, I have big dreams for this space. I’m still working out the details, but you can expect more ways to interact with this project and connect with me.

If nothing else, more people will hear Aiden’s name and know his story.  

But why Bittersweet?

A wedding day without your parents, the birth of a child when one has died, holiday dinners with an empty chair, a heart-shaped rock with a tar-filled hole… Beautiful sorrow, painful joy, present longing. 

This is The Bittersweet Weekly.

A final note. 

This community is small; it’s intimate. Most of you have stood next to me online or in real life for the defining bittersweet moments of the last decade. I smile when I see the comments you post publicly or the private messages you send. I look forward to them. Sometimes, I have a specific reader in mind when I write because of a bittersweet story you’ve shared with me. You know who you are. I see you. I thank you. I look forward to bringing you along for this next chapter.

This is where I am today, 

Thank you for listening. 

xoxo,

Emily