Nicole McCarthy publishes creative essay “Touch”

Nicole McCarthy (’17) has a new micro essay out with PANK, one of the first pieces released from her second nonfiction book-in-progress. The micro, titled “Touch”, explores the significance of physical touch in our lives and how living without it can feel like malnutrition. Nicole’s manuscript focuses on the elasticity of marriage, the societal shame that often comes with divorce, and how relationships look different on everyone.

Kicking off this project in fall of 2019 after receiving an Artist Trust grant, Nicole held a reading party at a wedding venue in Seattle, throwing a divorce celebration like one would throw a wedding. Artifacts from her actual wedding were on display, including her wedding dress that guests could take pictures with and dead bouquets her bridesmaids carried. “It was a cathartic experience for me, and for others, too, who pulled me aside after the reading. Divorce shouldn’t be a shameful thing. That’s why I threw a public party.”

Coming this summer is McCarthy’s first book, A SUMMONING, which was primarily written during her MFA at UW Bothell. Focusing on memory, McCarthy weaves fiction and nonfiction, text and visuals, to demonstrate how malleable our memories really are.

Rebecca Brown, who taught in the UW Bothell MFA program, said this about A SUMMONING:

“McCarthy’s book is fearless, brave and a godsend to readers.”

You can find Nicole on social media:
Twitter: @nmccarthywriter
Instagram: nicole_c_mccarthy
Website: www.nicolemccarthypoet.com