You are my hero for sticking with past tense. Reject modernity, embrace tradition, etc. (Also, gate check is the best. I'm not paying for it, but when they're asking for volunteers, I'm right up there with my 9 year old's suitcase full of everyone's dirty clothes.)
oh yeah, god forbid I have to PAY for it. But I've started taking advantage of it more when I can do it for free! I used to feel like you'd have to pry my suitcase from my cold dead hands, that's WHY I was carrying it on, and now I'm like eh actually take this off my hands that sounds nice.
Ahh, I loved the book 11.22.63! The show was fun, too, but the book might be my favorite time travel book ever, and that's saying something. The sensory descriptions of life back in the 1950s and 60s really stood out, and all the easter eggs of other King stories mid-progress that the main character comes across was so so satisfying, too. This totally makes me want to do the same tourist spots you did, and I've never thought to actually do so.
Congratulations on a fantastic release and tour!! When I say you wrote my exact mindset about packing for tour and the strange, competitive energy I get about packing the least amount of stuff for the least amount of money and then getting so frustrated when I have to give in... lol like a freaking mirror.
I know so many people who love the book, so I definitely want to read it! And normally I'm a big "read the book first" person, but I'm in the middle of several books right now and I just knew it would take time and I didn't want to wait lol. But it'll still be satisfying to go back and read it!
One thing I'm jealous of is that you'll have such a base of knowledge about all the conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination going in, I bet the book will be way more satisfying and interesting to you. I basically flew in blind like, "What's the big deal, he got shot??? What's there not to know??" I probably missed so much, lol
haha I will say that I thought that even as I was watching the show! like there were a few little easter eggs or just things that I *know* the significance of, and it was so fun to catch all of them, or to know where the story was veering away from historical accuracy
The joy I felt when you said you were reading "Devil House".....vast, I say! I have read all of John Darnielle's books and loved each of them. Have you gotten to "Wolf in White Van" or "Universal Harvester" yet? There is a moment in "Universal Harvester" that absolutely spun me on my head and I had to take a monthlong pause before continuing. They are the opposite of an "easy read", but they are rewarding. (Also, I have to throw my support behind reading 11/22/63- I loved the book so much I have avoiding watching the Hulu series to avoid sullying the memory in my mind.)
This was my first Darnielle but I'll definitely be reading more!! And I've already started the audiobook for 11/22/63 after finishing the show, so I'm deep in it.
I almost went to grad school at the LBJ School and have heard such good things about the museum. Thanks for the deep dive and LOL forever at "there was not a woman alive LBJ wasn’t inappropriate with." We are so far from the "Master of the Senate" days of wheeling and dealing in politics, but at least he used those persuasive powers to enact the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.
I’m fully in awe of your minimalist packing skills with these trips! It seems like every time I try to bring less, I suddenly remember I have Vitally Important Things that must go with me—and it’s frustrating because I do end up using all the things anyway. But I’m a little proud of cutting down on the clothes I take and the art of wearing them multiple times without getting stinky (timetabling washing your clothes in the hotel room is an art form I swear). ANYWAY, I have yet to hyperfixate on JFK, but it was so fun to read about the places you got to visit (listening to his recorded phone calls must have been insanely cool). I’m excited to see where this research takes you 👀
"timetabling washing your clothes in the hotel room" SOUNDS like an art form and not one I'm familiar with!!! what are you even describing? how are you doing this?
I owe it to my mom who has been trying to cut down on clothes packed via washing 😂 But it’s a good system! You have to get the laundry detergent sheets—they’re solids so no TSA worries. And then a travel hanger system so you can string up your clothes to dry. Places like Daiso usually have good ones. Very compact.
haha no because a) that would mean having to include a picture of me, which you know I'd prefer not to do and b) even if I just included a picture of the sweatshirt, you'd probably be like "...that? it's just a regular sweatshirt" and I can't risk that delicate balance of telling myself it was Okay to Spend That Money and the Sweatshirt Was Worth It Actually
You are my hero for sticking with past tense. Reject modernity, embrace tradition, etc. (Also, gate check is the best. I'm not paying for it, but when they're asking for volunteers, I'm right up there with my 9 year old's suitcase full of everyone's dirty clothes.)
oh yeah, god forbid I have to PAY for it. But I've started taking advantage of it more when I can do it for free! I used to feel like you'd have to pry my suitcase from my cold dead hands, that's WHY I was carrying it on, and now I'm like eh actually take this off my hands that sounds nice.
Ahh, I loved the book 11.22.63! The show was fun, too, but the book might be my favorite time travel book ever, and that's saying something. The sensory descriptions of life back in the 1950s and 60s really stood out, and all the easter eggs of other King stories mid-progress that the main character comes across was so so satisfying, too. This totally makes me want to do the same tourist spots you did, and I've never thought to actually do so.
Congratulations on a fantastic release and tour!! When I say you wrote my exact mindset about packing for tour and the strange, competitive energy I get about packing the least amount of stuff for the least amount of money and then getting so frustrated when I have to give in... lol like a freaking mirror.
I know so many people who love the book, so I definitely want to read it! And normally I'm a big "read the book first" person, but I'm in the middle of several books right now and I just knew it would take time and I didn't want to wait lol. But it'll still be satisfying to go back and read it!
One thing I'm jealous of is that you'll have such a base of knowledge about all the conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination going in, I bet the book will be way more satisfying and interesting to you. I basically flew in blind like, "What's the big deal, he got shot??? What's there not to know??" I probably missed so much, lol
haha I will say that I thought that even as I was watching the show! like there were a few little easter eggs or just things that I *know* the significance of, and it was so fun to catch all of them, or to know where the story was veering away from historical accuracy
Wow, you are really in your JFK era! Now you've got me curious about those two episodes of You're Wrong About.
give em a listen!!
Relevant to your interests: I read this article this morning by Kaitlyn Tiffany about her new book The Housewives Underground: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the JFK Assassination Our Most Enduring Mystery. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/06/jfk-assassination-epstein-ufo-conspiracy-theories/687577/?gift=YCyn5y81d-mwEDw0Ly1NkFDbSzHhc1QctvuGGfcEH8Y
oooh I love that!
The joy I felt when you said you were reading "Devil House".....vast, I say! I have read all of John Darnielle's books and loved each of them. Have you gotten to "Wolf in White Van" or "Universal Harvester" yet? There is a moment in "Universal Harvester" that absolutely spun me on my head and I had to take a monthlong pause before continuing. They are the opposite of an "easy read", but they are rewarding. (Also, I have to throw my support behind reading 11/22/63- I loved the book so much I have avoiding watching the Hulu series to avoid sullying the memory in my mind.)
This was my first Darnielle but I'll definitely be reading more!! And I've already started the audiobook for 11/22/63 after finishing the show, so I'm deep in it.
I almost went to grad school at the LBJ School and have heard such good things about the museum. Thanks for the deep dive and LOL forever at "there was not a woman alive LBJ wasn’t inappropriate with." We are so far from the "Master of the Senate" days of wheeling and dealing in politics, but at least he used those persuasive powers to enact the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.
The museum was really cool! It was my first presidential library, and I enjoyed the experience overall.
I’m fully in awe of your minimalist packing skills with these trips! It seems like every time I try to bring less, I suddenly remember I have Vitally Important Things that must go with me—and it’s frustrating because I do end up using all the things anyway. But I’m a little proud of cutting down on the clothes I take and the art of wearing them multiple times without getting stinky (timetabling washing your clothes in the hotel room is an art form I swear). ANYWAY, I have yet to hyperfixate on JFK, but it was so fun to read about the places you got to visit (listening to his recorded phone calls must have been insanely cool). I’m excited to see where this research takes you 👀
"timetabling washing your clothes in the hotel room" SOUNDS like an art form and not one I'm familiar with!!! what are you even describing? how are you doing this?
I owe it to my mom who has been trying to cut down on clothes packed via washing 😂 But it’s a good system! You have to get the laundry detergent sheets—they’re solids so no TSA worries. And then a travel hanger system so you can string up your clothes to dry. Places like Daiso usually have good ones. Very compact.
No picture of your new favorite sweatshirt?
haha no because a) that would mean having to include a picture of me, which you know I'd prefer not to do and b) even if I just included a picture of the sweatshirt, you'd probably be like "...that? it's just a regular sweatshirt" and I can't risk that delicate balance of telling myself it was Okay to Spend That Money and the Sweatshirt Was Worth It Actually
HBD Eamonn! I was so sad to miss you in ATX but there's always next time :)
yes, definitely next time!!