On Sunday afternoon I finished reading Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World by Katie Arnold.

This book is one of those books. It sneaks up on you. At the start, you’re not sure and thinking well, at least I bought it in paperback. I’ll stick with it since it was recommended to me. But I’m not sure.

And then slowly but surely the words grab hold of you. You read slowly to make the book last. But at the same time you really just want to get to the next page to find out what happened.

This is a memoir. It’s also a book about writing. And a book about endurance sport. Most importantly, it’s a book about trusting in yourself. On learning to see yourself for who you are and to do the same for those around you. It’s a book about zen (Zen?) and meditation.

This is a book for everyone. You don’t need to be a writer, a runner, or a zen practitioner. If you’re alive (or maybe dead – who knows if we can read on the other side), this is a book for you. I think it will meet you wherever you are in your life.

It’s not thick. The chapters are short. The writing is crisp. The storytelling is next level. At the end you might find you have a few tears running down your face and you don’t know why—because you’re not sad. Maybe you’re happy sad about the possibilities you have ahead of you.

Or maybe if you’re like me, when you turned the last page, and put the book down, it stayed with you. Your brain was suddenly full of words. Words that you can’t really explain. You were writing sentences like you haven’t done in a very long time. Random thoughts were fitting together in real prose.

This book was like an energy drink for my writer brain. It made me want to write more. It reminded me that I just need to start. One sentence at a time. 15 random minutes in my green notebook. 30 minutes in Google Docs. Whatever and however, it’s the doing that matters, not what comes out at the end.

I know I’ll reread Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World again. It’s one of those books I can turn to when I need to remind myself that we really all are the same—we all are capable of greatness, if only we’d give ourselves a chance and be kind to ourselves.

P.S. I bought this book thanks to a recommendation by Susan, the owner of Happenstance Books & Yarns in Lakefield, ON. If you’re ever in Lakefield or close by, visit this charming bookstore. You’re guaranteed to discover authors you wouldn’t normally find in your big box store and you’ll be fortunate to have a lovely conversation about books with the store owner.

And an extra P.S. I just took a look around Katie Arnold’s website and read about her Desert Flow Camp. Uhm, it looks amazing. Big Bend National Park. Stunning accommodation. A chance to completely let go and be in nature. An outdoor lap pool. Dedicated time for writing, thinking, and being. Yeah, it looks incredible.

The 2027 dates for this camp aren’t released yet, but I did look at flights to El Paso, Texas and Googled the weather… but alas, a trip like this to the United States will have to wait a little while longer. Can’t be going there until after November 2028. Too bad because it would be an awesome way to celebrate turning 55…