Because you’re teaching a workshop on tea meditation and creativity, we’ve got to ask … what’s your favorite tea and why?

It depends on the day and my mood, honestly! If I’m in the mood for something light and slightly floral, my go-to is Huiming, which is a Chinese green tea. I love a warm mug of Jun Chiyabari, a sweet spicy and fragrant tea from Nepal, or Assam, a malty comforting Indian black tea. And a really good matcha latte will always make my day. I could go on and on! What I appreciate about tea is that it’s an organic entity. There is so much nuance, flavor complexity, and personality in each type of tea if you’re willing to look for it. Depending on how you brew your tea, how you’re feeling on a given day, and when and how you drink it, you may discover something you hadn’t noticed before.

Is there a literary pilgrimage you have either taken or want to take?

I haven’t taken a literary pilgrimage, but in August I’ll be taking an ancestral pilgrimage to New York. There, I’ll explore my maternal grandparents’ hometowns in the Hudson Valley region and work on a poetry collection. I started writing poems for the collection during my Goodyear Arts residency this past Spring and can’t wait to have more time to work on it. Occasionally, I also travel to Franklin, North Carolina, where many of my ancestors lived. When I’m there, I visit their graves and places of significance to them and learn about their lives. I’m a family historian too, so it’s important for me to not only research my ancestors’ lives, but also to experience the environments they lived in. I often document my research and ancestral travels on my website, Franklin Memories.

Music when you write or complete silence?

Usually complete silence, ambient noise, or video game soundtrack music. I definitely can’t listen to music with lyrics when I write. Video game music often helps me visualize new worlds and possibilities. I’m fascinated by how all the elements of a video game — the visuals, the sound effects, the music, the interactive and static assets — all contribute to complex and immersive worlds. I enjoy listening to how all of those elements can be recreated when you listen to a video game soundtrack. I don’t play video games much these days, but if I’ve played the game before, then I have the additional benefit of accessing a memory associated with the music and the game.

What is a piece of writing advice — either good or bad — that you’ve never forgotten?

Last summer, I attended The Watering Hole’s Virtual Summer Retreat, which involved three days of workshops and craft talks. One of the instructors was Crystal Simone Smith. Her workshop offered detailed advice on how to prepare your work for submission to journals and the differences between the myriad paths of publication. With regards to editing work, she told us: “Treat words as if you had to buy them!” As someone who is working to make her poetry more succinct and who considers herself to be rather thrifty in real life, the advice stuck!

What are three things that make you happy?

• Eating good food or drink: I’m a foodie through and through! Whether I’m cooking at home or getting a treat from a local bakery, I love experiencing all kinds of food.
• Being outside: I especially love hiking in the mountains and playing outside with my havapoo.
• Researching my family history: I’m motivated by the possibility of discovering something new about my ancestors. The joy of solving a family mystery is one that simply cannot be matched!

What are you looking forward to in teaching for Charlotte Lit in the fall?

Introducing others to tea meditation! It’s not a topic that I’ve found many other local writers familiar with, but I think it can be a powerful tool for pausing, reconnecting with yourself, and living in the present moment. Tea meditation involves preparing, drinking, and experiencing a cup of tea as a mindfulness practice. It’s an opportunity for tea to support and grow alongside you. As the tea leaves infuse in your cup, it’s slowly evolving to become its brewed form. As you sit in this practice, you too are taking the time you need to become who you are meant to be. Pairing tea meditation with writing offers a synergy that allows reflection, creativity, and calm to take place all at once. Put another way, tea meditation helps re-center you, and writing helps you express that inner feeling.