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Summer Brennan's avatar

Happy Essay Camp Day 3!

I'm up early today, and wrote 1,300 words using the 5 things prompt. Yesterday I read two essays that were new to me, Signs of Ghosts by Colin Dickey, and My Father Becomes a Bird by Terri Kent. I'll link to those below.

I've been doing this 5 things prompt regularly for nearly 3 years now, and recently realized I had enough material for a collection—nearly 100,000 words in first drafts. Maybe it's more of a diary or other narrative than a collection, but it's something. I'm trying to select and revise a small piece of it every day. It's a real lesson in how small efforts can accumulate into something of value.

Here are those essays—

Signs of Ghosts by Colin Dickey: https://longreads.com/2023/10/26/signs-of-ghosts/

My Father Becomes a Bird by Terri Kent: https://brevitymag.com/current-issue/my-father-becomes-a-bird/

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Susan Earlam's avatar

Good morning! Yesteday I read the Ottesa Mosfegh piece and the day before, the Virginia Wolf one, neither of which I read before. What struck me about these was they are both on the shorter side. I feel reassured that essays do not have to be these lengthy things.

I filled a couple of pages with another five things this morning and its rather cathartic. I'm sensing some connections between what I'm writing about each day, even if they might be tenuous!

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