The Rabbit Hole

Nostalgic fiction taps into universal experiences: first loves, heartbreaks, family dynamics, and the quest for identity. But it also layers in generation-specific cultural touchstones—music, fashion, slang—that make those memories vivid and personal. When I write these stories, I’m not just constructing an engaging plot; I’m capturing moments that I hope will feel both unique and shared.

It's September, which means back to school. I'm grateful that we live in a town with a great school system, which includes classes and after school activities for band, drama, and other arts. Whenever I get to thinking about the transitional nature of back to school season, I think about one of my favorite movies, which I can't watch without crying.

My mother had been relentless about my earning a degree for as long as I could remember. She repeatedly told me that I had no chance of getting ahead in the world—of doing any better than she did—if I didn’t graduate college.

This was my fifth Phish show. At the previous four, I had established that I was an inhibited head-bobber, a swayer at best. Before tonight, I watched the dancers and spinners with envy, wondering what it felt like to let go like that—to move without self-consciousness, to lose yourself in the music without worrying who was watching.

Mixtapes, recorded on cassette tapes. The real deal, carefully curated, painstakingly assembled, given as gifts that said more than words ever could. Whether you're a Gen Xer who remembers making them, or a Gen Alpha kid who's fascinated by retro tech and how it worked, this post is for you.

Every online music community has its trolls, but the jamband scene—supposedly full of peace-loving hippies—has a particular brand of gatekeeping that's exhausting, predictable, and completely misses the point.

When you hear the word “summer,” what comes to mind? I imagine most people probably think of beaches, cookouts, camping, or maybe family vacations or weekend road trips to explore their local region. As for me, I think about concerts.

By pairing each chapter with a song, I'm giving you an optional key to unlock another layer of the story. If you choose to listen—either before, during, or after reading the chapter (or all of the above)—the lyrics will resonate with what Autumn is experiencing in ways that go deeper than what I've written on the page. Think of it as the soundtrack to her life.

Not me or anyone I know, but might as well have been -- this was the vibe. I turned 7 years old in September of 1982, and I clearly remember what my favorite birthday gift was that year. After spending countless hours playing records on my Holly Hobby record player, and using the tape recorder my uncle got me for Christmas to record songs from MTV, my mother sprang for the gift that made me the most popular kid in the neighborhood. She got me my very own boombox, complete wit