Hello Bleeders!
I just got back from vacay a couple days ago. I got freaking ENGAGED on Tuesday night. And now I’m trying to dig my way out of an email avalanche that hit while I was away. I aspire to be like those nihilists with an autoreply that reads: F*ck you, I’m going to delete all this shit and start fresh when I get back. But alas, I’m a square who only flakes with a lot of residual Catholic guilt.
In happier news, the second “Work in Progress” episode featuring Emmy Olea just dropped, and it’s delicious.
I first discovered Emmy's writing through her podcast Crumbs about Emmy's dating experiences as a trans woman recovering from alcoholism whose mom was a coyote and whose grandma ran drugs for the Tijuana cartel. It's a wild story so well-written and poignantly told. When I learned that Crumbs was actually just a sliver of her larger memoir, I knew I had to have her on for the “Work in Progress” series.
We dig into Emmy, Like the Award — which even has an endorsement from Russell Brand — her incredible story of getting it on the page, and where she's at in the publishing process. Plus, you’ll hear Emmy read an excerpt complete with sound design.
Here’s a lil preview of how she turned a breakup into a new draft of her book:
“So I get to Barcelona, and I'm depressed about my breakup. I'm not having a good time — and I find this little nook in this Airbnb that we were staying in, and I just grabbed my laptop, and I said, 'I'm going to rewrite this book here.' And that's what I did. I rewrote it in Barcelona for the whole time that I was there.”
Where I write:
I'm asking each guest to give us a peek behind the scenes. And hello, Barcelona rewrite nook — I need to get the info for this magical Airbnb!!
Episode links:
🏃♀️ Follow Emmy on Instagram @emmyolea11.
🍪 Check out Emmy’s FANTASTIC podcast Crumbs. She’s the whole cookie, but dang, her podcast is good!
🎧 And, of course, pop in those earbuds and listen to Work in Progress: Emmy Olea on “Emmy, Like the Award” on your favorite podcast platform.
As my brain melts trying to sort through a sea of emails that all start exactly the same, enjoy the world’s most interesting thread on homogeneity:
Until next time, HAPPY BLEEDING!
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Do YOU have a work in progress? If so, drop a quick note about your project in the comments.
Let’s connect on social media! I’m at @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
Wow, wow, wow! I am SO INSPIRED by Emmy! I cannot wait until her book gets picked up. It sounds AMAZING!
Loving this podcast!