Geri o Shimasu
I'm long overdue in announcing that the countdown has begun for publication of my first full-length collection of non-fiction essays, titled Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin. Releasing August 12 of this year, preorders have already opened online at the following links:
Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin invites readers on a witty, unfiltered romp through 2008 Japan as experienced by Alia Luria, a self-proclaimed "clueless foreigner." Luria dives headfirst into the quirks and challenges of Japanese culture, from decoding onsen etiquette and enduring public embarrassment to exploring the oddities of love hotels and the loneliness of bustling crowds. With laugh-out-loud anecdotes and moments of poignant self-reflection, she unpacks the universal hilarity and humanity of navigating the unfamiliar. Whether she's fumbling through train etiquette, braving bizarre foods, or embracing the messy beauty of cultural exchange, Luria's candid storytelling is blunt, occasionally cringeworthy, and always unapologetically real. This collection is a hilarious and heartfelt reminder of the chaotic, awkward, and transformative adventures that shape us all.
I'll be announcing a series of readings and events as we get closer to the date, but I wanted to share how excited I am and grateful that Unsolicited Press gave this book a home! If you want to follow my image of the day posts, check out videos, photos, and songs related to this book, feel free to visit https://www.gerioshimasu.com or follow me on social media.
This project is near and dear to my heart because the publisher, Unsolicited Press, has declared 2025 the Year of the Womxn, and my book is part of a forty book collection releasing throughout this entire year. You can read more about it here. Even if my book is not in your area of interest, I urge you to check out the full collection of titles for this year at Unsolicited Press.
Ocularum
For those of you waiting for Ocularum, I am even longer overdue in providing an update. I fully understand how long you have been waiting. I've been a bit of a bind, because I'm not happy with the editing and the direction that the publisher is taking this book, and I'm strategically looking into breaking the contract and reissuing Compendium and Ocularum with new covers in a new edition and my own editor for Ocularum. Because the publisher has assumed control of the pre-order money, that means I'm bootstrapping this reissue. If you're completely sick of waiting, and you want to transfer your preorder to Geri o Shimasu or cancel entirely, reach out to me, and I'll figure out how to make it right (including sending you back the money you paid or the difference if you want my new book).
This Substack
As you may have noticed, I transferred my mailing list over to Substack. The title of this Substack is Still Not a Robot. For those of you who have been on my mailing list for years, I’m gifting you all a year-long paid subscription to Still Not a Robot to make sure that you don’t miss any news on Ocularum or Geri of Shimasu. If you no longer want to be on this mailing list, feel free to use the links below to unsubscribe. If you’re a new reader, you’ll continue to get public posts like this in your email box. All posts go behind a paywall a week after they are posted. Thank you everyone for supporting my writing. I know it’s been a rocky road this few years since COVID, but Ocularum is ready for a proper edit, Geri o Shimaus is with the publisher, and I have two new projects in the works as well!