2025
the year left behind (and a very little bit of the year to come)
hello and happy new year! it is 2026 and no, not much about the world/our lives has really changed in actuality between yesterday and today, but fuck it we ball!!!
look i don’t think i’m gonna catch anyone by surprise when i say that 2025 was a mixed fuckin bag. let me take this opportunity to:
encourage you to involve yourself with your local community
the links i’ve included barely scratch the surface of the ethical, environmental, public health, and societal issues that genAI poses.
but there were some good things that i want to highlight before looking ahead to 2026.
IN 2025
KILL CREATURES came out and hit the NYT/indie bestseller lists! i also got to travel a bit for some events which i really enjoyed.
i read a lot that i liked in 2025 but the book i keep thinking about most is a novella called MAPPING THE INTERIOR by stephen graham jones
new friends! new hobbies! new family!
after resisting for like two years i got a pair of sambas and i love them! i used to wear them when i played indoor soccer growing up and wearing them now feels both nostalgic and like a reminder that i’m not 15 anymore (positive).
2025 was the year of string cheese.
2026 will also be the year of string cheese.
per usual, i couldn’t resist a trip to the cinema. standouts included NICKEL BOYS in january, JAWS in september (for the first time! there is a spoiler in the footnote1), and making everybody i know watch the behind the scenes clips of tom cruise jumping between two propeller planes for mission impossible.
a honey latte instead of a caramel one
“working for the knife” by mitski, “favourite daughter” by lorde, “superscar” by adela
i really liked this post i did in november where i broke down 3 of my favorite sentences from KILL CREATURES—if you haven’t read it yet, give it a look!
let me know if we shared any favorites! i am particularly curious to know if anyone else had a string cheese year.
IN 2026
as far as the year ahead, i’m not sure exactly what it will bring. i have my YA novel to work on and an uncontracted adult project to finish revising; beyond that, the year is open. whatever i find there, i’m hopeful it will help make me a better and braver artist.
have a happy new year. may you and yours spend 2026 in safety and good health.
xx Rory
JAWS SPOILERS JAWS SPOILERS
did everybody know what they do to the shark??????? was it just me who didn’t know that the shark fucking explodes???
Rory, how can I email you to express my thoughts?