3.21.20

Inspiration & Perspiration:
Danielle Trussoni’s Newsletter

March 21st, 2020

 “Genius is 1 Percent Inspiration and 99 Percent Perspiration.”
– Thomas Edison


 Dear friends,

What a week!

Like most of you, I’ve been reading the news and making plans to stay inside for the foreseeable future. I know many of you in New York are without jobs, as restaurants and stores and all ‘non-essential’ businesses have been closed. There is a lot to feel anxious about. I hope that you are faring well and are finding ways to stay positive during this time.

I have had to adjust quickly, too. My book tour has been canceled and I’ve recently discovered that bookstores will be closed (at least here in New York) on the publication day of my new novel The Ancestor (which means that my book cannot be shipped to stores). Needless to say, this is not great news for my book, but I am finding some hope in the fact that many of us will be home with lots of time to read (or listen!) to fiction. Reading novels reminds me that I began writing fiction because of a deep need to be transported to another time and place, to find solace in characters and adventures nothing like those of my own life.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling down, chocolate helps. Yesterday I made brownies:

I am going to eat a lot of brownies this weekend. I’ve already had way too many. Luckily, I went for a very long hike last Sunday in the Catskills. Here is a photo of me and Hadrien at the Ashokan Resevoir:

Being in nature has helped me a lot this week. The other thing I do when I’m uncertain is read. I’m currently reading a book called UNDERLAND by Robert Macfarlane.

It is described as “an epic exploration of the earth’s underworlds.” If you’ve read my first book Falling Through the Earth, which is about my father’s experiences as a tunnel rat in the Vietnam War, you will understand why this book touches a nerve with me.

It was the Spring Equinox on Friday. If you are a nature worshiper like me, you know that this day marks new beginnings, new light and new ventures. Although the events of the past weeks have been gloomy, I am optimistic that we will overcome them.

As my book tour was shut down completely, I am now doing all of my book events online. I hope you will join me! I will be reading from the book and taking questions about writing. I will send the link out to you in early April. If you haven’t pre-ordered The Ancestor, you can do so here so that you’ll have a copy before the virtual reading.

I will leave you with this photo of my new paperweight, found on my trip to the Catskills last weekend.

Thank you (as always) for your support. I hope you find beauty in your life and stay healthy.

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