November 2025

On November 15, disability justice advocate, writer, and beautiful soul Alice Wong transitioned. May she rest in power. May those of us left honor her memory.

For those of you who have been reading this newsletter for a while, you already know what I am about to say. Free December!

Two years ago, I introduced you all to the concept of a “free December.” That is, a December free from the tyranny of certain structures and certain kinds of work. This concept comes from the Journey to Launch podcast, specifically episode 185, where the host (Jamila Souffrant) talks with a coach (Saundra Davis) about curating her end of year. Davis asks Jamila what her perfect December would look like.

For me, a “free December” equals minimal marking for papers, minimal meetings, no large writing projects, no new editing clients (sorry!), and all preparation completed for the Winter Term. In order to do this, I do not jam-pack my November. With regard to teaching, I double dip on the syllabus and minimize student writing projects. I warn students who are in danger of doing poorly so that they can rescue themselves. I also put up boundaries with my thesis students whose work is due at the same time as my other students. As far as service goes, I stick by the idea that there are no such things as English emergencies. I am not available after a certain point because I am replenishing my stores. With regard to research, I have, depending on the project, hard or soft stops. To me, a hard stop for a project is something like sending out a manuscript or putting up a show or wrapping up an experiment. A soft stop, by contrast, is a useful pause that can be re-engaged in January. Last year, I had two hard stops: one essay on Waiting to Exhale and another on Jonathan Rosen’s The Best Minds.

This year, I have soft stops. One, I consulted my own developmental editor for one project (Dewi Oka for my new poetry collection!). I’ll read their feedback and make a list of tasks for the new year. Two, my reading list for my courses will be a soft stop for the next project since I’ll be using that syllabus to help me write. Three, I rearranged my to-be-read (TBR) pile so that I can read in groups for a different project.

Since I have been depressed this past semester, these soft stops had the potential to feel like failures. Why don’t I have words on the page? Why am I feeling stagnant? Here’s the thing, this semester, I was re-learning how to engage with myself and my work given the urgencies and frustrations of the news cycle. So, I had to figure out non-research related concerns like meal prep, movement, gentleness with myself, boundaries around service work (what to let in and what to keep out), boundaries around teaching, how to determine whether something requires my full effort. Unlike the self-aware denizens of Instagram & TikTok, I am consistently learning how to do this work.

Your ”free December” may bring you peace of mind because you catch up on everything. Your “free December” may include more marking/grading. Yours could also include days spent immersed in writing. And, as my fall journey proves, your “free December” could be a beautiful time spent away from productivity.

All of this is up to you. You need only ask yourself two questions: what do I want? How do I do what is in my control to get it?

Feel free to let me know what you choose!