I love this post! I'm in my mid 50s and into a decent corporate career but I miss my Chinese language study and my poetry writing so much. It's inspiring to read this and to be reminded of the power of great female friends. Also, I might have had Rachel's father as a master's thesis advisor at the University of Michigan. The name and the connection to Chinese is to close to be a likely coincidence. If that is the case hello across space and time and affinity.
I love your work with other writers. Thank you. Several years ago you mentioned Rachel's "Banshee". I have copies of both "Foreign Babes in Beijing" (Fa Niu Zai Bei Jing, I loved the bits of Mandarin in the book) and "Banshee", and they were great. I'll be checking out her poetry. I'm also a fan of Chinese poetry, but it's a lot of work, my Mandarin being not even so so.
Love Rachel's outlook on life and can't wait to read the book..... But I need to know - was shaving your legs only to the knee good advice or bad?? I've been doing this for a lifetime 😂
Thank you, Cheryl, for another excellent writerly focus in this series, really appreciate learning of Rachel’s work as well as your friendship which shines through. Generous as always.
"Be gentle with your students and colleagues and readers and selves. Be fierce in the old and new fights against tyranny. Imagine as much, as often, as widely, and as empathetically as possible. Oxygenate your life with books, possibility, chance, hope, dash, verve."
absolute animal is a gorgeous collection. I've been a fan since Foreign Babes in Beijing! (I lived in Shanghai in 1998 and performed there as a lounge singer. Because of this, our editors connected us for blurb purposes and Rachel's generous, wise words helped me believe I was a writer too.) I loved reading about how you met! Thank you, Cheryl and Rachel.
Wonderful thoughts and words that have so much meaning in this wild, often scary, world we are living in. Thanks for bringing us to the works of Rachel, Cheryl. Love the whole idea of writers sharing these kind f things.
"I was never much for resolutions, because I have a rushing-forward quality about me..." I also have a rushing-forward quality, but it has the opposite affect and I LOVE resolutions. Such a lovely conversation, thank you for sharing.
When you said you discovered that "the edge of things was the best place to be" I laughed out loud! That is an absolute truth. I always enjoy myself so much more when I'm on the edge, rather than in the mucky middle.
Having been a fellow school Mom with Rachel in Chicago, I was so tickled to see this today and know you two are pals. 🤍
I love this post! I'm in my mid 50s and into a decent corporate career but I miss my Chinese language study and my poetry writing so much. It's inspiring to read this and to be reminded of the power of great female friends. Also, I might have had Rachel's father as a master's thesis advisor at the University of Michigan. The name and the connection to Chinese is to close to be a likely coincidence. If that is the case hello across space and time and affinity.
What a beautiful interview. I am now a Rachel DeWoskin fan too!
Wonderful and generous, to us and to your friend.
I love your work with other writers. Thank you. Several years ago you mentioned Rachel's "Banshee". I have copies of both "Foreign Babes in Beijing" (Fa Niu Zai Bei Jing, I loved the bits of Mandarin in the book) and "Banshee", and they were great. I'll be checking out her poetry. I'm also a fan of Chinese poetry, but it's a lot of work, my Mandarin being not even so so.
Love Rachel's outlook on life and can't wait to read the book..... But I need to know - was shaving your legs only to the knee good advice or bad?? I've been doing this for a lifetime 😂
Thank you, Cheryl, for another excellent writerly focus in this series, really appreciate learning of Rachel’s work as well as your friendship which shines through. Generous as always.
This is gold:
"Be gentle with your students and colleagues and readers and selves. Be fierce in the old and new fights against tyranny. Imagine as much, as often, as widely, and as empathetically as possible. Oxygenate your life with books, possibility, chance, hope, dash, verve."
Thank you for the inspiration, Rachel & Cheryl.
I would very much like to read an entire memoir about all the intersecting vectors of horror of your mother, feminism, and the 80s!
absolute animal is a gorgeous collection. I've been a fan since Foreign Babes in Beijing! (I lived in Shanghai in 1998 and performed there as a lounge singer. Because of this, our editors connected us for blurb purposes and Rachel's generous, wise words helped me believe I was a writer too.) I loved reading about how you met! Thank you, Cheryl and Rachel.
Wonderful thoughts and words that have so much meaning in this wild, often scary, world we are living in. Thanks for bringing us to the works of Rachel, Cheryl. Love the whole idea of writers sharing these kind f things.
"I was never much for resolutions, because I have a rushing-forward quality about me..." I also have a rushing-forward quality, but it has the opposite affect and I LOVE resolutions. Such a lovely conversation, thank you for sharing.
Lovely Rachel. So looking forward to seeing you both in Greece in July!
“A rushing-forward quality.” I relate. I love Rachel’s resolutions. And this post. Thank you, Cheryl and Rachel. ❤️
When you said you discovered that "the edge of things was the best place to be" I laughed out loud! That is an absolute truth. I always enjoy myself so much more when I'm on the edge, rather than in the mucky middle.
Love this. Also, I'm with Rachel's mom, but because I'm lazy and fine with thigh fuzz.