Poetic Update - November 2023
A Year in Practice
November is my birth month. Next week I turn thirty-nine. There’s so much for me to reflect on and assess as I move forward. There’s so much more for me to learn. I love birthdays. Getting older is an honor and I’m filled with gratitude for my life.
The height of fall is a nostalgic time of year when the veil is thin and the concept of time is tangible. We had our first dusting of snow the other day. Winter is standing in the shadows. In autumn death is nearby, we can feel it all around us as the plants give their last colors, as our world bends and breaks with grief. This is a time of intentional regulation, when we try to balance ourselves as the weather undulates and the days get shorter. It is the season of preparation and transition, when the hard work of the harvest has us gathering all we need in order to survive the coming cold and dark.
The earth is at the heart of everything I write. My love for this planet inspires me to create work that leads people back to the earth, helps us all remember it exists, reminds us that we in fact are the earth, and our relationship with this place must be nurtured and maintained with practice.
There are accessible tools that reinforce and cultivate our ancient ties to soil and seed. I didn’t create these tools, but I do feel it’s my job to notice and collect them, to explore and test them, and then describe my findings with careful configurations of language. I do this in the name of access and transformation. I do this because I myself find comfort in these tools in the hardest moments. When something works well for me, when a ritual or prompt guides me back to the voice of the planet with clarity and relief, I want to share it all with as many people as possible.
My human position in this lifetime carries great privilege and as I practice using that privilege, as I find ways to be in service while also surviving, I make books.
This is what I have to offer you now, a new book. A Year in Practice explores the four seasons and the rhythms of energy that accompany them. It’s a toolkit, a collection of earth’s soothing guidance, a compilation of methods that enrich my practice and help me stay attuned to earth’s cadence. It’s not a prescriptive book, but a starting place for self-regulation, and I leave a lot of room for each reader to apply the ideas to their own types of practice. Whether you’re an artist or not, the need for holistic routine seems to be consistent in our world. In these pages, I provide personal proof of why it’s important to focus on the earth’s rhythms, why this matters as our climate changes, and how crucial it is for us to keep expressing ourselves in such terrifying times.
I’m hoping you’ll preorder at least a few copies of A Year in Practice. Feel free to follow the links or order through your favorite bookstore. It makes a great gift for anyone interested in wellness, nature, and creativity. There’s also an audiobook version available for preorder if that’s more your style.
Alexandra Elle, New York Times bestselling author of How We Heal, says: “If you're looking to get still, turn inward, and learn to trust your voice, A Year in Practice is the book for you. Suskin guides us through a self-inquiry practice that is deeply resonant and beautiful.”
If you’d like to hear me talk about the book a bit more before you purchase it, please listen to my recent interview with For The Wild. It was an honor to be a guest on this beloved show and discuss my work.
Preorder Special Offer
As a thank you for your preorders, my publisher Sounds True helped me create this special offer. In order to be eligible, all preorders must be made before the book’s December 5th release date.
If you follow the instructions on my site, with each preorder receipt you’ll receive an email reminder to view and download a beautifully designed print with a poem themed for each of the four seasons. Hang them in your office, your sacred space, or anywhere around your home.
Along with the printable poems, when you register you reserve a spot in four seasonal workshops that I’ll offer throughout the year. During these workshops, I’ll join participants in a discussion about the current season and offer a writing prompt to go along with our creative conversation. These workshops are a great way to further expand exploration inspired by A Year in Practice.
Note, the first workshop for fall is on November 30th, 1-2pm ET / 10-11am PT. You’ll receive a Zoom link when you sign up.
If you don’t feel up for preordering a million books, maybe you know someone else who can help? Please pass this information along. I’m doing every podcast and interview I can these days to get the word out. Consider it my birthday wish for this book to reach everyone who needs it.
For folks in Detroit, please save the date and join me on December 7th at Book Suey to celebrate the release!
Thank you for your time supporting and reading my work. I’ll leave you today with this poem “Leaves” by Derek Mahon. May this season of change bring us into the newness we so desperately need.
With endless appreciation,
Jacqueline