Looking back on 2024

Thank you for another wonderful year!

Hello, friends—I’m really glad you’re here!

I can’t believe I’m already writing the last Page by Page post of the year. But here we are! And I can’t think of a better time to take stock of where I am in my work, and where PBP is now.

Another year in academia

As I look back at my most recent year in academia, I have mixed feelings. 31 December 2024 will mark the end of my wonderful, wonderful research team at the University of Bern. I have loved leading this team so much, and will miss them so badly! But I’m also delighted that everyone is moving on to new and exciting roles, and that we’ve already found ways to keep conspiring with one another in the coming years.

I’ve had some major victories this year. I got a 1-year extension to finish work on my Big Fat/Effing Book (BFB)! I was asked to co-chair the program committee for the biggest conference in my field! And over the next few months I’m going to be working on a proposal for a project that might, just might, give me a job for another couple of years. Fingers crossed….

A year of writing goals

I’m really happy with how my Chaucer-related writing has come along this year. I’ve got a complete, revised first draft of my BFB (excepting the conclusion) and I’m already sending chapters out to readers and approaching potential presses. My little Chaucer biography (a great Christmas present under $25, just fyi!) has received fabulous reviews in places like Publishers Weekly, The Times Literary Supplement, and—most recently—The Wall Street Journal!! As Chaucer might say, ‘Go litel bok, go!’

In terms of comedy writing, I had set myself the goal of averaging 1 submission per week (including resubmissions to new publications), and I did it! It was my most productive comedy writing/publishing year to date! And though I did not have a piece in McSweeney’s or The New Yorker this year (*sob*), I did break into three fabulous humour publications: The Belladonna (I’d been trying them for yeeeeeears), Jane Austen’s Wastebasket, and Slackjaw (coming soon!).

As for this little newsletter, well, I really couldn’t be happier. I’ve so enjoyed engaging with all of you via Notes and the PBP chat, and it’s thanks to you that I managed to double my ‘gross annualized revenue’ from Substack—thank you so much! PBP is both a labour of love and a tiny lifeline for this precariously employed writer-nerd, and I can’t tell you how much I value your support.

Some of my favourite posts from 2024:

• Marie Curie fellowship sample materials! You can see my successful proposal here, and you can even see the official, detailed feedback on that proposal here.

• A few words on joy. In a PBP first, snippets from this piece on the importance of seizing opportunities for joy made their way into an actual sermon, people.

• The story behind a humour piece. This post about my most successful McSweeney’s piece to date got an enthusiastic response from readers!

• How to review a book. The first in a mini series of posts about the shadowy business of book reviews (the next one will be about how to get your book reviewed!).

Looking ahead to 2025

I’m gonna set myself some big goals for next year. I feel like my writing is at a place where I can reach a bit higher, push myself a bit further. More on that soon! And in the spirit of setting ambitious goals, I’m planning to run another Writing Camp in January. This one will focus on how to get started on a writing project, but as always it will be open (and FREE) to all!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and I’ll see you back here in January!

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VB,

M