Hey there, Writing Hive! I’m back!
It’s been months since my last post, and while I do have apologies, I also have some pretty good excuses. I’m typically not big on the latter, but this time I’m making an exception. I spent the second half of 2018: rewriting an entire doctoral dissertation; beginning a library science degree; continuing a story collection that’s due to my writing group in a week; hosting writing events for the Hive, Magical Monday, and NaNoWriMo’s NYC chapter; and teaching undergraduates about creative writing. So, if you’re still with me, please forgive my absence and rest assured that I don’t plan on another one. And if you’re new to the Hive: welcome!
There’s tons to catch up on here, and I look forward to doing so in the coming weeks. In the meantime: Happy 2019, a new year of writing and all that comes with it! Have you started work on anything new? Feel free to chat about your projects in the comments section beneath this post.
As I mention briefly above, I’ve made a big life change: I’ve decided to abandon academia (or really, to recognize that academia abandoned me and my peers by eliminating the bulk of its full-time, full-pay-and-benefits positions). I’m on the road to becoming a librarian! If you knew me ten years ago, you’d find this funny, because I’d wanted to be a librarian through most of college. I was encouraged by mentors to pursue academia instead; unfortunately, while I love teaching, that path has ended quite abruptly because I really do have to earn a living (and anyone who tells you that adjuncting is a living has forgotten about things like rent and healthcare. And sanity and joy).
The very shiny silver lining is that I love libraries! Always have, always will, and now that I’m in the process of joining that community, I love them even more! Not to speak too poorly of my previous track (which gave me wonderful, cherished teaching memories and some solid professional experience), but: transitioning from academia into librarianship is like stepping into a nice, warm spring patio and being handed a lovely cup of tea after having been trapped in a frozen tundra without food or water. It’s been awesome and I am probably never going to look back!
So I’m looking forward to new opportunities in these new beginnings. It’s taking a lot of effort: while I did work in a library for several years, a decade has passed since I had that job and I have a ton to catch up on! But I’m surrounded by great people who I already admire and aspire to learn from, and I’m much, much happier. And as a writer who loves connecting with other writers and readers? This path just makes sense.
I look forward to posting again soon! In the meantime, I hope your books and the good people in your life are keeping you warm,
Melissa
Melissa Bobe 
Hallo, Hallo Melissa,
You recently started following my bookish chat for writers and readers of Romance and Women’s Fiction — I wanted to drop by and say “hallo”. I’ve been revamping the chat this 2019 – part of my own plans for switching things up a bit this year, as two years ago my Dad survived a stroke and last year, my own health took some right turns of angst. I haven’t had the chance to focus on #SatBookChat and this year, I’m enjoying bringing it back to life. Thus, I am encouraged whenever someone starts following the chat’s feeds and wants to start interacting with me and the other chatters who like to pop in and out of the meet-ups. We began as a weekly chat, then downgraded to twice a month but this year, we’re averaging 2 to 3 chats per month depending on how the schedule knits together.
I wanted to say, I wish I had more librarians dedicated to reading and libraries like you are in my region! I constantly feel like the patrons are the readers and the librarians are the ‘clerks’ who just give us our books. I constantly wonder why they always claim they never read, don’t care to read and have zero interest in reading. They’re not helpful to source new authors or genres and if your dyslexic and have trouble seeking out the codes in the stacks, they let you drown. Honestly its very self-service and I wish it was more patron centred.
My favourite part of your post is where you gave us the visual representation of your transition – how the tundra yielded to the tea and how by re-embracing your love of libraries you gained back your soul. Never lose that fire and that passion… it is what patrons like me look forward to finding even if it feels like a lot of librarians nowadays have lost the joy of reading.
I hope you’ll be able to duck into some of our chats (as your time allows) and I wish you a wonderful journey into your exciting new field! We appreciate you and are thankful there are passionate librarians out there who are championing books, reading and the pursuit of self-education!
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