An essay, Chelsea Hodson tells us, should be an attempt at clarity. That may be true for a writer, but clarity is the last thing that comes to mind when reading Chelsea's words. Instead, we are swept away by her striking prose, repetition, digressions. Chelsea's words pulse with desire, fear, and hope. Readers walk away from the page, not always knowing what to think but feeling something primal just the same.
The words, in this case, are from Chelsea's debut essay collection, Tonight I'm Someone Else, which was published in 2018 and received widespread praise. Aside from gifting us her own prose, Chelsea has made it her business to help others write their truth. Through projects like her Morning Writing Club and private coaching and editing services, community has slowly become a part of Chelsea's world. Most recently, this culminated in the launch of her latest literary endeavor. Enter Rose Books, her new press.
In this interview, Chelsea shared more about the inception of Rose Books, her process as a writer and editor, and the questions on her mind. This episode also opens with a story from musician (and Rose Books author) Geoff Rickly.
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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/chelsea-hodson/
Learn more about Chelsea's work: https://chelseahodson.com/
Follow Chelsea: https://www.instagram.com/chelseahodson_
Purchase Chelsea's book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tonight-i-m-someone-else-essays-chelsea-hodson/9844494
Learn more about Rose Books: https://www.rosebooks.co/
Follow Rose Books: https://www.instagram.com/rosebooks.co
Follow Geoff: https://instagram.com/geoffrickly
Purchase Geoff's novel: https://www.rosebooks.co/store/p/someone-who-isnt-me-by-geoff-rickly-paperback-preorder
Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar — "Crying is a cool thing."
Mason Spector — "I find a lot of value in the sadness."
Katherine May — ”It’s okay to get on with the business of living.”
Tembe Denton-Hurst — ”Growing isn’t always in the big moments.”
Allie Rowbottom — ”The questions in your writing are the questions in your life.”
Ross Gay — ”There’s always a gathering inside of us.”
Tarajia Morrell — ”We imagine our future, our family, ourselves.”
Ella Frances Sanders — ”People ask questions differently, and they also answer questions differently.”
Naj Austin — ”What does it mean to put ourselves on a platform that requires less of us?”
Kayla Maiuri — ”Fiction teaches us so much about reality.”
Jon Staff — ”Our words matter, and our lack of words matter.”
Lisa Taddeo — ”I’ve been there, and you’re not alone.”
Ashley Merrill — ”Design is in service of your rest.”
Coco Mellors — ”If you create something and no one sees it, does it count? Yes.”
Hannah Traore — ”The context is always important.”
Laura Cramer and Starr Hout — ”We’re so capable of realizing dreams.”
Katie Kitamura — ”There’s also incredible power in grief.”
Grace Miceli — ”Slowing down is about trusting myself more.”
Matthew Herman — ”I hope we’re all realizing that we can live by our own rules.”
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