Lauren Hunter Shows Up for Human Achievements

Lauren Hunter, whose debut collection, Human Achievements, was recently published by Birds, LLC, talks to Vi Khi Nao at Entropy. "Your Human Achievements is an achievement," says Nao.

VKN: What side of bed do you sleep on? And, do you think it impacts the way you write? And, what does it mean to be present? I see that word gets tossed around a lot and I think each person has a different notion of what it means. I would love your thoughts on that.

LH: I sleep on the left side, and I think it’s actually because of writing–my computer and stack of books/papers, collections of pens and phones and etc sleep on the right side of my bed. I’m right handed, and a side-sleeper, so that makes the left side the easiest way for me to write or otherwise use my computer in bed, and also is most comfortable for reading in bed. For me, being present is something I think about a lot and it’s meaning for me has changed (or deepened) recently. I remember in grad school having a conversation about readings and how there’s always so much to do in the city, or something like that. And Jennifer Michael Hecht said to me something like, “Showing up is the hardest part. Some people never show up.” I’m paraphrasing terribly but what I took from what she said was the idea that it’s hard sometimes, to get up in the morning and deal with whatever you have to deal with or push through to even just be in that room. Whatever room you are putting yourself in. And it’s in part about willpower, and personal strength maybe, but also about choice. So as a socially anxious introvert, I tried to show up. To be present and express myself in my writing, even when that was hard to do. On the morning after the election, however, I found myself faced with a lot more truth than I anticipated, and I was of course, devastated, but more than anything I felt both invisible and like my curated invisibility had failed me. Like no one was appreciating my agreeability and intervening on my behalf. And I had to decide to show up in a different way, which has been hard, but the truth is, being a quiet and “invisible” black woman never protected me from anything. So I have to contribute, and write, and make noise and draw attention to the fact I’m here, because even that is protest, and what happens around me, what’s done against or for me, actually affects my life.

VKN: What other ways have you been trying to show up, Lauren?

LH: I guess you could say right now I am trying to live a life of yes, at least for the moment. I am trying to take this book everywhere and to get everyone to read it, and that is both my longest dream and my biggest fear. Promoting myself is hard in such a strange way, but I’m thinking of it as it’s my duty to do right by this book, which, yes, I made but is bigger than me, and I owe it to my work to finish the task.

Read more of these beautiful voices at Entropy.