Just like Lana Turner at the counter at Schwab’s! I’ve finally been discovered! I got some delightful news this week: Barnes and Noble has selected Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures as one of their Discover Great New Writers award winners for the fall, which means the book will be displayed and supported at the B + N nearest you! And you! And you! I am over the moon. Feel free to pre-order the book through Barnes and Noble, if you’re feeling frisky.

In related news, I did a reading at my high school yesterday (related because there are a lot of girls in high school nowadays, weird, and also because Girls creator Lena Dunham is a fellow alum), and it was easily the most exciting reading I’ve ever done, except maybe for this one. It felt incredible to be asked back to a place I loved so much, and where I really identified as a serious writer, even when I was fourteen.

It’s the first of May, and there are a lot of things that have to get done in the next few weeks, but I’m also devoting lots of good time to my new novel, which feels like a baby bird, which might die if I don’t break out the eye-dropper. And so off I go, eye-dropper in hand. Wish me luck.

love
Emma

P.S. My last Magnetic Fields blog post went live on the Paris Review blog yesterday. Read my (admittedly rather schmoopie) thoughts here.

While I was gone, I got a snazzy new gig, writing recaps of Lena Dunham’s amazing new show GIRLS for Vulture. The first recap went live today, and you can read it here.

Come June, I’m teaching another fiction workshop for Sackett Street, and I believe there are still a couple of open spots. Sign up here if you’re interested.

Hooray for spring, and being at home! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to start writing another novel. Wish me luck.

Yours,
Emma

The book will be out on September 4th, 2012, and you can pre-order it through the following outfits, if you’re so inclined: Powell’s, Barnes + Noble, Indiebound, and Amazon. Of course, I also think it would be just ducky if you would call your local independent bookstore and ask them to carry 700 copies. Wheee!

Yours, with diamonds in my hair and in my heart,
Emma

Have I mentioned the fact that I have a number of jobs? I have a number of jobs. One of the most glamorous/least glamorous is working the merch booth for my pals The Magnetic Fields. If you haven’t ever listened to the band, you should start here, with their new record, Love at the Bottom of the Sea. If you love them, you should buy a ticket to one of the concerts here. If you love them and have already bought a ticket, you should be sure to follow the tour blog that Mike and I are keeping here.

Next stop, Austin, Texas!

Love,
Emma

SO. If you would like a signed copy of my book sent to your door, most likely with some scratch n sniff stickers on the envelope, either tweet at me (@emmastraub), or leave a comment on my official Facebook page. I’ll pick three winners, and send the books off next week.

Yay for prezzies in the mail!

I hope you win.

love
Emma

I happen to be spending Valentine’s Day sick in bed, which is fine, as I tend to dislike holidays. That said, I do like love letters, and chocolate, and a bit of bubbly, and jewels, and so maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t all that bad.

Here is a brief list of things I love all year round.

To Eat:
I had a party on Sunday night for the Riverhead rerelease of Other People We Married, and my homegirls at Ovenly made all the cookies and snacks. People were stuffing their pockets on their way out the door. My favorites are the chocolate truffle cookies and the insanely delicious blondies.  My mother took the above photo of my father and me at the party. Snacks not pictured but recently consumed.

To Read:
I haven’t started it yet, but P.D. James’ new book, Death Comes to Pemberly, sounds like the greatest thing ever, good enough even to make me forget the embarrassing and distasteful Pride + Prejudice + Zombies. Perish the thought.

Another must-read (especially on days when the world outside is a bit dim and dull) is Lux Lotus, my friend Lauren Cerand’s blog. I hate to use the word blog to describe it, because that makes it sounds both ugly and internet-y, when it is in fact the opposite. Lauren makes luxury seem like her due, and as a faithful reader, like it’s mine as well. I could never leave the house again and be perfectly content with her descriptions of the outside universe.

To Wear:
When I dress up, I usually start with my head. I don’t know how to do anything fancy with my hair, which is why discovering Ban.do was such a godsend. I now have three hatboxes full. Wearing their fun, froufy things always puts me in a good mood.

To Watch:
At 7am this morning, I was wide awake and in need of some beauty. As luck would have it, Netflix has The September Issue on instant watch, and so watch I did. In my next life, I would like to be Grace Coddington.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Go buy yourself some gorgeous flowers and a fancy chocolate bar.

love
Emma

Lots of exciting things happened today: Elissa Schappell gave OPWM a shout-out on Vanity Fair’s Just My Type, a really good interview went up on Bomb, I made some banana bread, and I made a Facebook event page for my One and Only reading this spring. See below for photographic proof that Stephin and I have been doing work on our muse(s).

Hope to see you there!

love,
Emma

I wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal about how to be an indie bookseller’s dream. You can read it here, and thank me later. Remember when Hugh Grant had a travel bookshop and Julia Roberts fell in love with him? Me too.

love
Emma

Monday, January 30th, 2012
BookCourt
7pm

Hope to see you there!

Emma