This time six years ago, I began a word document about a lonely, middle-aged woman who screened obituary comments for a living. This time five years ago, I submitted the first half of a novel for my master’s thesis at @nyucreativewriting. This time one year ago, I found out that the publisher of my dreams, @aaknopf, was considering the final draft of it. Now The Rabbit Hutch is available for preorder wherever books are sold. I recently learned that preorders have a tremendous impact on a book’s future; if you’re interested, you can click the link in my bio. Either way, here’s a post celebrating the 6-year journey of this novel: 1) Galley in my living room this morning, featuring cover art by the brilliant @spiritditty. 2) Master’s thesis on the table at the Lillian Vernon Writer’s House, a place where I spent 2 glittering years and met some of my dearest friends. My thesis was brilliantly guided by my advisor: @rick2243. There I also met my future editor: patron saint of contemporary literature @freemanreads 3) Hildegard von Bingen—polymath, mystic, and heroine of my novel’s heroine—receiving a message from the Living Light. 4) The goats I encountered every day in Prospect Park the summer I began writing The Rabbit Hutch, whose improbable existence inspired the climax of my book. 5) A relic of Thérèse de Lisieux, another female Catholic mystic and one of my namesakes, which I stumbled upon as I drafted the early pages. 6) How @andrewkrizman won me over the summer I began this novel. 7) Dancing in my pajamas in a yurt in Sebastopol the day my magnificent agent @dosteen called to tell me that Knopf was considering The Rabbit Hutch. 8) This past Christmas at the home of @bgunty and @sgunty04, moments after my family and I read @markzdanielewski’s endorsement of my book. 9) How all of this miraculous good fortune makes me feel. 🐰🫀🏹