#scribblingsanddust

[elleinadnahanam]

hello again

it’s been a hot minute since i’ve posted any new work, which i’m wildly sorry about. to happier news: i graduated college wowza! i am also still duly working on my chapbook, so hopefully the writing stage will be mostly be finished by summer’s end. updates to come! 

[elleinadnahanam]

I’m writing a chapbook!

Hello friendsters,

So I know I don’t mention much about who I am or what’s going on in my life, but I wanted to give you all a very exciting update about what I’ve been up to! 

This year, I will be graduating from college/university, and over the summer, I created a senior year bucket list, of things I wanted to accomplish before I left this chapter of my life. Most of them were silly or simple--visit all of the best coffee shops in my city, get senior pictures taken, try out 3 new bars--but the list included writing a chapbook.

This is mostly for me, I admit: I want to look at my desk a year from now, and see a tangible thing that I had done, see my writing all polished and pieced together in a way that encapsulates the changes I’ve been through. But this is also for you, and I will be releasing the chapbook in some shape or form once I’ve finished it.

So, for now, what I’d like to know most is if you all have any ideas for what this work should be. It’s all a very fluid idea in my mind right now, although I think my major themes will be growth, exploration, and female empowerment (lol what a millennial). If you have any ideas at all, or if there are particular pieces I’ve published on here which you think would be good for the chapbook, or if you would be willing to create art for my chapbook (which I desperately need as I am no artiste), please let me know!

Much love,

d.e.m.

[elleinadnahanam]

I’ve always admired what astronauts do. I’ve always looked up at the sky and pictured them surfing stars, covering distances I could not even fathom, and at times, I envy their vantage point. But myself? I prefer to stay on the ground. There’s so much to explore here, so much work to be done here. The vastness calls every now and again, but the beckons are whispers from the mountains and echoes from the streets of a distant city. The stars are pretty, but they are not what lights my way. My lights come from people, from the fires they build, the ones in their bellies. I’m drawn, always, to the signs of life evident all around us–the labored breathing of making ends meet, the siren calls of every dream unfulfilled, the sweet, low hums of a soul at peace. They’re so loud, so loud, and they ground me to this earth. Sometimes, I look up, but my feet keep moving forward.

d.e.m.

[elleinadnahanam]

Attn: Scribblings and Dust is getting a name change!

Hello World! In an attempt to turns things a little more professional and transition to a custom domain (once I save up enough moolah), I’ve decided to change my URL to reflect my real name. What once was scribblingsanddust.tumblr.com is now daniellemanahan.tumblr.com!

Nothing else has changed. Will be posting more writing soon because I’ve been doing a lot of it. Thank you. <3

[elleinadnahanam]

Meant to post this earlier, but hey what, 2000 followers! It’s been just over two months since my last milestone, and I can’t thank you all enough for reading my work.

[elleinadnahanam]

*shameless plug* CHECK OUT MY SPOTIFY @Danielle Manahan

Music fuels everything I do; check out what I’m listening to now. Listen to the songs that inspire my writing, that are constantly on blast in my car, and that make me just plain feel good.

Good Shit: Current jams. This is where I keep my most recent finds, as well as a perpetual home for Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean.” Mostly EDM, indie pop, and some reggaeton.

Shit That Was Good but is Now Less Good: Where I keep songs from Good Shit that are no longer my current favorites. So basically a history of every song I’ve ever loved for the past two years.

Songs from the Ocean: Singer-songwriter-y vibes. Piano- and guitar-driven tunes, minimal production. Very relaxing.

The Orchestral Collection: Songs that get me in my feels. What I listen to when I wanna get profound and ponder the meaning of life. Violins, ethereal vibes galore.

[elleinadnahanam]

I Hope I’m Happy In The End

I hope I will have seen all the places I wanted to see.

A site called Thought Catalog contacted me a few weeks ago about re-publishing “Every Inch,” and I didn’t realize it until now, but it’s up! 

[elleinadnahanam]

Ten Things to Remember When I Have Children

1) Feed them lots of fruits.

2) Fill the house with music.

3) Put them in ballet, gymnastics--anything and everything until they find what they enjoy. Let them pursue it.

4) Tell them education comes first.

5) Bring them to the toy section and let them roam free. Be happy if your son chooses his favorite doll. Feel joy if your daughter wraps her fingers around a plastic truck.

6) Shield them from a life consumed by computers and televisions for as long as possible. Introduce them to the sun and the earth and the feeling of chasing the breeze.

7) Photograph them often.

8) Hug them for as long as they'll let you.

9) Teach them kindness.

10) And give them love.

-d.e.m.