Letters From Libby James

When I was first on my own again, living alone after fourteen years, I worried I wouldn’t like my own company anymore. How would I fill the hours with my art if I couldn’t be alone in the silence? Once upon a time, I adored solitude. But now, I wasn’t sure. In that fear, I sat with a deeper question: how would I fall in love with this jaded, middle-aged artist I’ve become? And who was that girl I used to be? The lyrics to Miley Cyrus’s Used to Be Young still taunt me, like a reprimand I can’t...

Why did you receive this email? At one point you subscribed to The Rebel Newsletter. I have rebranded. Some of the best lessons I have learned about creative writing have come from reading. From when I was young, I have collected my favorite quotes and even whole sections from books into a little notebook. There is something about physically writing down their words that make me feel closer to the craft, like I am stealing a piece of their genius. I believe it has made me a stronger writer....

December 27, 2024 I’ve always been a curious person. I find people interesting. I’m a writer, an archivist of stories. I ask a lot of follow-up questions. This has gotten me into situations with people in the past who assume my questions are because I have romantic intentions instead of just establishing a character profile, exploring the climactic moment, finding the base plot of their story. Yes, I’ve gotten into that jam several times in my life, but as an adult, with significant lived...

December 20, 2024 For years, my (now ex) husband and I made vision boards together. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, a vision board is essentially a collage of images, words, and symbols that represent your goals, dreams, and aspirations. It’s a way to manifest the life you want by visualizing it every day. Our boards were filled with shared dreams—vacations we wanted to take, milestones we wanted to reach, and the kind of life we imagined for ourselves. Every so often, we’d sit down...

November 22, 2024 I haven’t always realized the connection between punk rock and indie publishing, but both worlds taught me to value independence and creativity. Looking back, I see now that the two aren’t just linked by a similar ethos but also by my own personal journey into both cultures. I’ve been part of both scenes, and the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes how deeply intertwined they are—not just in philosophy but in practice. I hadn’t really made this connection until I...