Welcome to Catalectic! A newsletter for people who read fiction — or, at least, like the idea of themselves reading fiction.

(A gentleman I met while working as a professional matchmaker inspired that tagline. We met at a coffee shop in a bookstore. When I asked him about his hobbies, he looked up at the shelves surrounding us, thought hard for a minute and replied: “I don’t read much fiction. But I like the idea of myself reading fiction.”

Relatable.)

“Alicia has a way of looking at fiction like no one else.” - Oleg, Fictitious

The broad theme for this newsletter is “thoughts inspired by things I’ve read” — a theme I hope leaves room for both critique and commentary as well as neither-here-nor-there digressions, personal essays, autofiction, advice and stories. 

How often do you publish?

I promise to fill your inbox with prose at least twice a month. 

What happens if I subscribe?

A subscription puts you in great company with a number of witty, accomplished and literary-minded people. Including my mom.

If you consider yourself a patron of the arts, you might even consider going paid. $5/month supports the writing you see here. It also buys you access to selectively paywalled archives as well as occasional behind-the-scenes free-writes and reflections.

Do you help other writers with their writing? 

Yes, yes, yes! Beginning January 2024, I’ll be experimenting with a kind of “Literary Dear Prudence” as an ongoing column. If you have a burning writing-related question you’re willing to have answered in this newsletter, send it here:

aliciamkenworthy [at] gmail.com

If you subscribe to this newsletter as a Founding Member ($175), I will thank you with a manuscript review (up to 25 pages) and/or a one-on-one call to talk through creative hurdles.

“I literally crave to read Alicia’s work. It provides a peculiar intimacy and immediacy of vivid subjective entanglement that’s difficult for me to describe.” - Michael Spencer, AI Supremacy

What else should I know about you?

I’m a third-generation Washingtonian who spent most of her 20s crying over Frenchmen on street corners in San Francisco. I interned for the nationally syndicated KANE Show and made my debut as a reality TV talent on Find My First Love (Amazon Prime.) I’ve dabbled in stand-up comedy and used to work the door at Barcelona Wine Bar on 14th & R. My first car was a magenta Ford Fiesta with white polka dots that I won off a YouTube contest.

One of my greatest regrets is not majoring in English. I attended John Mulaney’s alma mater and adhered to his logic: why spend $120k on a degree in a language I already spoke?

On other corners of the internet, you might recognize me as an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform. I tend to think we’re all a little broken and am a strong believer in second chances, mercy, and grace.

I have something else to tell you.

Go ahead and drop me a line! I love random notes from other human beings. The quirkier, the better.

“I comment regularly on Lyle McKeaney’s Substack and sometimes read this one, too.” — Karen Kenworthy, aka Mom