Dear Instant Library patrons,

Welcome! The Instant Librarian contains two years of book reviews and writing-related posts.

It began as an experiment in using technology I felt a little wary of, as a way to chronicle my reading, and as an avenue for connecting with friends and family. The title comes from my love of libraries and my one-time interest in becoming a librarian.

I learned a lot in the first year, and moved from the free WordPress platform to my own site, encouraged by the connections I made with readers and writers– people who found my posts from across the world and right down the street. I also began a low-residency MFA program and found myself posting less regularly, and more reflectively, opening the posts to include thoughts on faith and writing.

I now find myself faced with a lot of questions about the role of publication, blogging, the internet, and social media in my life. My ideas about career and identity have also undergone a big shift this past year. I married my partner of seven years and took a part-time cafe job, in order to focus more on studying and writing poetry. I’ve discovered that my definition of success as a writer is founded on my sense of growth, the quality of work I produce, and the quality of living I do.

Like many people in these shifting times, I feel called toward less busy-ness, and more cultivation of the life growing under my feet. I’m ready to devote my energy to becoming a better poet and preparing to be a teacher, and that seems to mean moving off-screen for the time being.

In gratitude for this experience and for the comments and support of regular readers, I offer the archives here as a resource, for whatever it may be worth to you. I hope you’ll enjoy what you read! Please feel free to contact me.

With love and thanks,

Melissa