GRWM— A Day in the Life featuring Yurina Yoshikawa

Issue #7

Jul 31, 2024

GRWM (Get Ready With Me) is a (dare I say sexy!) segment where I'll be interviewing writers retro-style-- cute little questionnaires about what writers are wearing, listening to, snacking on, etc. We want to know what they're into and what gives them the ick. We want writing prompts based on their books. We want to know their favorite song, the worst writing advice they've ever received, and you better believe we want to know their brunch order.

It's time to stop asking writers the same boring questions and start getting REAL.

Yurina Yoshikawa is the Director of Education at The Porch, a literary nonprofit organization based in Nashville. She manages over 150 creative writing classes a year, half of which are offered online. As a writer, she has published essays and book reviews in The Atlantic, NPR, Lit Hub, The Japan Times, and her fiction has appeared in Vol 1. Brooklyn, The Pinch, and The Margins. She was the winner of the 2020 Tennessee True Stories Contest, a 2021 recipient of the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the 2024 South Arts Fellow for the State of Tennessee. She’s also a mom to two boys, ages 6 and 4.

She chose to share her “Day in the Life” on a particularly hectic day (Friday, June 21, 2024) that reflects her professional and personal responsibilities.

Friday, June 21, 2024

6:12 a.m.

I wake up, finding my 4-year-old son snuggling with his head in my armpit. My 6-year-old follows, snuggling with me on the other side. They both sleep in their own beds in their own room, but it’s their routine to come snuggle with us between 6 and 7 a.m. every morning. My husband, Jin, is in the shower.

7:30 a.m.

Jin leaves the house with our 4-year-old to drop him off at a gymnastics summer camp (which is really just a glorified drop-in daycare with a lot of trampolines).

7:40 a.m.

I walk our 6-year-old to the nearby elementary school, where he attends a free summer school program from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

7:50 a.m.

I drive towards my first job of the day, but stop at Elegy Coffee for an oat milk latte.

8:00 a.m.

I arrive at Center 615, where I’ve been invited to give a lecture for CreativeMornings, on the topic of Patterns in Writing. The DJ is already playing pump-up music and volunteers are setting up name tags and free breakfast and coffee for attendees. I set up a booth to represent The Porch and mingle with attendees as they’re flowing in.

8:30 a.m.

My lecture lasts about 35 minutes. I nerd out on some of my favorite writers: Richard Rodriguez, Eula Biss, and James Baldwin. I give a short writing exercise and ask for volunteers to share their findings.It’s great getting to hear the various patterns people have come up with for their own life events.

10:00 a.m.

Post-event, I film a short video interview for the Creative Mornings Patreon followers and chat with the founder of the Snail Mail Social Club about a possible collaboration in an upcoming Porch event.

11:00 a.m.

I get home and change from my fancy black dress to a shirt and shorts, since I’ll be running around all afternoon and need the dress again for an event tonight.

11:20 a.m.

I go to Publix to pick up box wines and seltzers. Then I go to the bank to deposit a check from the U.S. Treasury, since apparently we overpaid our taxes. (It’s so confusing every year!)

12:00 p.m.

I arrive at The Porch to set up the space for an open mic event that will happen in 8 hours. I make sure the mics and speakers are working, and prepare chairs for about 28 registrants.

1:19 p.m.

I realize I’m famished because all I’ve had is a latte, and drive 2 minutes to Baja Burrito to get myself a chicken burrito, chips, and horchata—possibly my favorite lunch option in the city.

1:30 p.m.

Back at The Porch, I use the empty classroom space to answer emails. We’re in the final stretch of confirming all classes for the Fall 2024 season. We’ll have about 80 classes total, so it’s a lot to balance.

3:30 p.m.

I pick up the 4-year-old from his gymnastics camp.

4:10 p.m.

I pick up our 6-year-old from his friend’s house. This mom-friend and I have a great system where we pick up each other’s kid every few days to give each other free aftercare.

4:15 p.m.

I let my two boys play at home while I answer more emails and fold laundry, since we’re woefully behind.

6:00 p.m.

Jin comes home from work and makes ramen for everyone for dinner.

7:20 p.m.

Jin puts the boys in the shower as I say goodbye to leave again for The Porch, where I’ll be MCing the open mic.

7:50 p.m.

I arrive at The Porch, and run into Lisa Bubert, a dear friend who also wears many hats: an essayist, novelist, instructor, and librarian. We catch up and welcome others as they arrive.

8:00 p.m.

I put on some music, tell people to help themselves to box wine and seltzers, and let everyone hang out for a bit.

8:15 p.m.

I get up to the mic and officially begin the program with some introductory notes about what we do at The Porch, and celebrate the end of a week of IGNITE, a new “summer camp for adults” that we experimented with this season. The vibe is warm, supportive, and everything that an open mic should be. We witness the sunset, then fireflies. I’m exhausted, but this event is pretty magical, and everyone’s pieces are so unique, and range in poetry, fiction, thriller, to nonfiction. I feel confident that we can run IGNITE again next summer and make it work just as well, if not bigger and better.

9:30 p.m.

The open mic officially ends, and I let people continue to mingle for a while as I tear down decorations and put away chairs.

10:00 p.m.

I turn off the lights and lock up The Porch.

10:30 p.m.

I’m back home. I shower, then finish packing for a trip to Japan tomorrow, where we’ll see family and friends we haven’t seen in a year.

11:51 p.m.

I set the alarm for early the next morning and go to sleep.