High Five With Nancy Reddy
The author of The Good Mother Myth 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 Nancy Reddy, author of the forthcoming book The Good Mother Myth (January 21, 2025 with St. Martin’s Press), as well as the poetry collection Pocket Universe and Double Jinx, a winner of the National Poetry Series.
With Emily Pérez, she’s co-editor of The Long Devotion: Poets Writing Motherhood. Her essays have appeared in Slate, Poets & Writers, Romper, The Millions, and elsewhere. She writes the newsletter Write More, Be Less Careful. You can find her on Instagram at nancy.o.reddy.
So without further ado I’m handing the metaphorical microphone over to Nancy.
By the Fireplace. It's a little sweet, a little smoky, and I wear it all winter. (It's also pretty $$$ but I've found that the mini size lasts a long time.)
Laurel Denise planners and stickers. Practically, I love being able to see my month and my week at the same time, because it really does help me to see what's happening right now and what's coming up. Less practically, they also have the sweetest stickers and other planning accessories, and I've spent more time than I'd care to admit watching their YouTube videos about ways to set up your planner for cuteness *and* function.
The Wild Robot books and movie. We discovered The Wild Robot via White Whale, my home-away-from-home bookstore in Pittsburgh, when I joined their kids' book subscription during the pandemic. They sent us the first book in the series, and we were hooked--they're beautifully written and great for reading aloud at bedtime. I often avoid the movie version of books I've loved, but I thought the movie was gorgeous, too, and I cried through lots of it, which is very cathartic right now.
Evil Witches. Newsletter overwhelm is real, and Evil Witches ("a newsletter for people who happen to be mothers ") is one I open and read every. single. time.
Joining things. Like lots of folks, I've been feeling alienated and adrift since the election, and I'm trying to channel that sadness and rage into local action. One great org that has local chapters in lots of places is Chamber of Mothers, a bipartisan group working for paid family leave, affordable childcare, and improved maternal health outcomes. If you're looking to surround yourself with moms who are mad and fighting for change, see if there's a chapter near you.
Apply for my 2025 Book Incubator kicking off this month! More details here. Application here.
Sign up for my Six-Week Kickstarter that starts Thursday, 1/16. I’ll be offering two times slots from 3-5pm ET and 6-8pm ET – 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 it’s the perfect antidote to writer’s block.
Register for Spark Studio, a new subscription-based writing program designed for more flexible schedules and all budgets.
Inquire about 1:1 coaching for a more private, customized approach.
Learn more about the different ways I work with clients.
