But perhaps submitting is also about yielding to the truth that my work isn’t for everybody, just as my style of clothing (I’m newly obsessed with vests.) or taste in music (‘90s country forever!) is off-putting to some.

Growing up all over the place makes you skilled at adapting, but it also makes you hungry to belong, something that in part motivates my writing: carving out a space I know, trying to understand what I’m witnessing around me.