The Wonder That Is Sepola

I just read this really wonderful essay by one of my favorite writers, Sarah Hepola. I actually wrote her an e-mail two years ago and told her that I want to be like her when I grow up, and how should I go about that? It was mostly ironic, maybe unbearably so, but she was very nice about it and gave me a few writing tips that I promptly didn't follow. Mostly because the idea of an unpaid internship seemed to me like the most ginormous waste of time. No, it was much more important that I make barely more than nothing working a job that made me want to scratch out my eyeballs. And then another. And then another. All the while looking over my shoulder, watching my dream careen off in the other direction while I sit here and write on my blog about detergent pens.

I'm not sure what I wanted to accomplish, really, in e-mailing her. Maybe I wanted her to say, hey, you wanna be a writer? I've got some slammin' connections in Dallas--here's a job! But I'm sure she gets that a lot. Also, it's really hard to get a job via e-mail. Even a really good ironic one. E-mail, that is.

My favorite sentence(s): "But falling in love is scary and bewildering. It's like hoping for a kiss and bracing for a slap, puckering up even as you wince."

Sure wish I'd written it.