High Five With Elisabeth Eaves
The author of The Outlier on five of her current obsessions.
Each month, I ask an author I love to share five recommendations they have for other writers, whatever is the wind beneath their wings when they sit down to write. This month I reached out to Elisabeth Eaves, author of the debut novel The Outlier (which published this week!) as well as two critically acclaimed non-fiction books, Wanderlust: A love affair with five continents and Bare: the naked truth about stripping. Her work has been anthologized in four books of essays, and she's won three Lowell Thomas awards from the Society of American Travel Writers. I’m lucky enough to call Elisabeth a friend. We worked together at Forbes when I was a “baby” reporter and she’s the one I call when I have any questions (I need to vent) about the publishing industry. We’ve been talking about this novel for years and I’m so excited for you all to hold it in your hands. It’s smart, sexy, and will leave you on the edge of your seat.
So without further ado I’m handing the metaphorical microphone over to Elisabeth.
Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne. This fascinating memoir was on my most-anticipated list because I explore similar territory in my novel, The Outlier. Gagne chronicles her struggle to understand what it means to be a sociopath. My wholly fictional main character, Cate, is a self-aware and mostly non-destructive psychopath who tries to understand her own nature. Without getting into the weeds on terminology, sociopathy and psychopathy are characterized by the same spectrum of behaviors, among them a lack of empathy. It was fascinating for me to research this spectrum, and then, to read Gagne's perspective.
Cleaning your closet. I recently cleaned out and organized my closet, and I can't overstate how calming this has been amid the mania of planning a book launch. I jettisoned full cubic feet of clothing, some to Goodwill and the nicer stuff to my favorite consignment store. I dropped off damaged keepers at the tailor. I finally embraced the capsule-wardrobe concept beloved of fashion bloggers, and picked out just 20 pieces to be my entire wardrobe for the summer. Getting dressed or packing for a trip now takes way less time, and I can see space between each item of clothing. It's curiously liberating.
Analog magazines. I've been rediscovering the joy of reading magazines on paper. For sinking into a long, kaleidoscopic story -- like George Packer's recent "The Valley" in The Atlantic -- nothing beats a distraction-free surface. And there are so many good titles out there, from the beloved legacies to niche, analog-first publications like Adventure Journal and Delayed Gratification, which bills itself as the world's "first Slow Journalism magazine." Bonus: Magazines don't run out of power or cost you hundreds of dollars when you drop them in the drink.
Tana French. Some of my favorite reading experiences are plotted, smart, and transport me to another place. In the case of novels by Tana French, that place is Ireland -- from urban Dublin to sinister suburbia to, in her most recent two novels, a tiny rural village where the vibe is never twee. Her writing is deeply atmospheric. And she's got nine books, so no need to fear running out. Did I mention they're murder mysteries?
British Scandal. When the news of the day is too much, it helps to get a little perspective with a history podcast. One of my current favorites is British Scandal, hosted by the very entertaining Alice Levine and Matt Forde. They cover mostly 20th and 21st century history, with an emphasis on the depraved and outrageous, though they did also do one on Oscar Wilde. Fraudsters, royals, gangsters, assassins, rock stars, and very badly behaved politicians make appearances. Some favorite seasons: The Litvinenko Affair, Lord Lucan, The Crowded Marriage, The Race to Ruin.
Apply for my 6-Month Book Incubator kicking off September 25th! More details here. Application here (deadline to apply for this is August 7th!!)
Sign up for my Six Week Kickstarter that starts in September – a perfect place to dive back into a writing project or start a new one. You’ll generate work using my tried and true exercises and prompts and is the perfect antidote to writer’s block.
