E. A. Fredericks
@efredericks.bsky.social
West Coaster in exile, pining for sunshine & teaching literature to college kids in the Midwest. Ruled by a tiny dog. Books, baking, baseball (3rd generation Dodgers fan), film, #toastie
Made it through surgery on Wednesday, had an absolutely brutal first night afterwards. Turns out I react poorly coming out of anesthesia! (Lots of nausea, could not keep much down.) Yesterday was better, & I could have stayed in hospital another night but felt I'd be more comfortable at home.
November 28, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Made it through surgery on Wednesday, had an absolutely brutal first night afterwards. Turns out I react poorly coming out of anesthesia! (Lots of nausea, could not keep much down.) Yesterday was better, & I could have stayed in hospital another night but felt I'd be more comfortable at home.
Finished Hernan Diaz's Trust this morning. (He was at our campus for a couple of events this past month.) A really fun read, & also a great evocation of the era of the early 20th century tycoons. The 4 competing narratives play off each other satisfyingly. 🖋️📚💙
November 23, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Finished Hernan Diaz's Trust this morning. (He was at our campus for a couple of events this past month.) A really fun read, & also a great evocation of the era of the early 20th century tycoons. The 4 competing narratives play off each other satisfyingly. 🖋️📚💙
Rather than linger on the bad, here's part of the good: one of my students baked me this gorgeous sourdough loaf as an end of semester gift. Our last class day is Monday but she'll be traveling, so she gave it to me today, and it smells and looks spectacular.
November 22, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Rather than linger on the bad, here's part of the good: one of my students baked me this gorgeous sourdough loaf as an end of semester gift. Our last class day is Monday but she'll be traveling, so she gave it to me today, and it smells and looks spectacular.
I wanted to like Emily Hauser's Penelope's Bones: (Very Long Subtitle), but I found it very frustrating. Kate Cooper does something similar with Queens of a Fallen World, but her focus is tighter & there's greater depth; this tries to cram in everything and all the treatments are too brief. 💡📚💙
November 21, 2025 at 2:40 AM
I wanted to like Emily Hauser's Penelope's Bones: (Very Long Subtitle), but I found it very frustrating. Kate Cooper does something similar with Queens of a Fallen World, but her focus is tighter & there's greater depth; this tries to cram in everything and all the treatments are too brief. 💡📚💙
One of my students today gave me a portrait that she drew of me and like, this is absolutely the highlight of my day. I'm so touched.
November 17, 2025 at 3:57 PM
One of my students today gave me a portrait that she drew of me and like, this is absolutely the highlight of my day. I'm so touched.
Also in a more relaxed vein, I listened to Nina Prose's The Mystery Guest. It was kinda fun though a little off-putting for someone writing a mystery novel in a series to hate so hard on people who love mystery novels/novelists. Just very broad, dull caricatures of the secondary characters. 🔪📚💙
November 17, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Also in a more relaxed vein, I listened to Nina Prose's The Mystery Guest. It was kinda fun though a little off-putting for someone writing a mystery novel in a series to hate so hard on people who love mystery novels/novelists. Just very broad, dull caricatures of the secondary characters. 🔪📚💙
First book finished in November was The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches which got bumped higher on my priority list after a mutual ( @elyseexplosion.fyi maybe?) loved it & it was very cute & light & cozy, what my brain needed after 10 weeks of teaching WWI lit. 💙📚
November 17, 2025 at 2:57 AM
First book finished in November was The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches which got bumped higher on my priority list after a mutual ( @elyseexplosion.fyi maybe?) loved it & it was very cute & light & cozy, what my brain needed after 10 weeks of teaching WWI lit. 💙📚
I haven't started my November reading thread yet because I've had a whole lot on my plate and on my mind, but I have been reading! 💙📚
November 17, 2025 at 2:54 AM
I haven't started my November reading thread yet because I've had a whole lot on my plate and on my mind, but I have been reading! 💙📚
Evening plans CANCELED, which is a bummer because I wanted to see my friends but also nice because now I can decorate the Christmas tree and chill with one perfect dog.
November 15, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Evening plans CANCELED, which is a bummer because I wanted to see my friends but also nice because now I can decorate the Christmas tree and chill with one perfect dog.
Oh to have such blissful repose.
November 9, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Oh to have such blissful repose.
Sleepy and serene while I freak out during the baseball
November 2, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Sleepy and serene while I freak out during the baseball
Chuck gave me a heart attack today because I attached her leash to a railing while I ran inside the donut shop to get a donut and coffee & when I peeked other the door to check on her she had Houdini'd out of her harness and was standing there naked at the door glaring accusingly inside the shop.
November 1, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Chuck gave me a heart attack today because I attached her leash to a railing while I ran inside the donut shop to get a donut and coffee & when I peeked other the door to check on her she had Houdini'd out of her harness and was standing there naked at the door glaring accusingly inside the shop.
As a lil spooky treat, I read my WWI students this fantastic little poem by Scottish poet Joseph Lee.
October 31, 2025 at 6:50 PM
As a lil spooky treat, I read my WWI students this fantastic little poem by Scottish poet Joseph Lee.
Halloween costume: the professor as "The Decadent Girl"
October 31, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Halloween costume: the professor as "The Decadent Girl"
Finished listening to Rochelle Dowden-Lord's Lush while driving to Battle Creek this morning. I'm still not sure how I feel about it! This was a ride! 📚💙
October 30, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Finished listening to Rochelle Dowden-Lord's Lush while driving to Battle Creek this morning. I'm still not sure how I feel about it! This was a ride! 📚💙
She texted back that he wanted to know my favorite flowers, & I said right now it's dahlias and snapdragons, & a few minutes later she sent me a picture of this drawing he made for me. 😭 Probably this will be the highlight of today.
October 30, 2025 at 3:17 PM
She texted back that he wanted to know my favorite flowers, & I said right now it's dahlias and snapdragons, & a few minutes later she sent me a picture of this drawing he made for me. 😭 Probably this will be the highlight of today.
Sent my sister a picture of the current bouquet I have in the living room because it's got my nephew's favorite flowers (sunflowers).
October 30, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Sent my sister a picture of the current bouquet I have in the living room because it's got my nephew's favorite flowers (sunflowers).
Me in the family group text
October 28, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Me in the family group text
Our lion prince!
October 26, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Our lion prince!
The diagnosis is just "girl, you old," with no acute conditions, but devising the right meds and dosages to keep her living her best life has been a challenge; in particular, one med just killed her appetite & since she's not food driven anyway, this was stressful!
October 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
The diagnosis is just "girl, you old," with no acute conditions, but devising the right meds and dosages to keep her living her best life has been a challenge; in particular, one med just killed her appetite & since she's not food driven anyway, this was stressful!
Haven't been posting about it because I was leaning on offline friends for support, but we've been on a medication/side effects rollercoaster for the last month with Chuck, but I think we are finally reaching a good status quo. It's such a relief.
October 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Haven't been posting about it because I was leaning on offline friends for support, but we've been on a medication/side effects rollercoaster for the last month with Chuck, but I think we are finally reaching a good status quo. It's such a relief.
Got dogcalled on my evening walk with Chuck, which is when a stranger in a car rolls down their window to get my attention, but instead of harassing me they want to ask about my dog. Chuck did her cutest little dance of greeting in response.
October 25, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Got dogcalled on my evening walk with Chuck, which is when a stranger in a car rolls down their window to get my attention, but instead of harassing me they want to ask about my dog. Chuck did her cutest little dance of greeting in response.
Finished listening to H. G. Parry's A Far Better Thing while cleaning the kitchen this evening. It's a retelling of Tale of Two Cities from the perspective of Sidney Carton; also, it's fantasy. Charles Darnay is Sidney Carton's changeling, left behind when he was stolen by fairies. 🪐📚💙
October 24, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Finished listening to H. G. Parry's A Far Better Thing while cleaning the kitchen this evening. It's a retelling of Tale of Two Cities from the perspective of Sidney Carton; also, it's fantasy. Charles Darnay is Sidney Carton's changeling, left behind when he was stolen by fairies. 🪐📚💙
Enka and Mathilde's friendship is both so powerful & so fragile, & a world where technology is used to further divide haves/have nots, and also threatens all concept of artistic originality, feels awfully close to our reality. 📚💙
October 23, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Enka and Mathilde's friendship is both so powerful & so fragile, & a world where technology is used to further divide haves/have nots, and also threatens all concept of artistic originality, feels awfully close to our reality. 📚💙
Of course exceptions were made for the dog, who is not "people" anyway, but a tiny little exemplar of perfection whose snuggles are restorative. Also she was pretty stoked about a daytime nap.
October 22, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Of course exceptions were made for the dog, who is not "people" anyway, but a tiny little exemplar of perfection whose snuggles are restorative. Also she was pretty stoked about a daytime nap.