“It’s that old expression that I love, which is ‘wherever you go, there you are.’ So you never really get out of the limbo, because the limbo is you.” — Erin Entrada Kelly

There are seasons when life slows down, even as our minds continue to race. When we find ourselves caught somewhere between motion and stillness, haunted by what came before and reaching for what’s next. 

That tension has become deeply personal for Erin Entrada Kelly. After an aggressive cancer diagnosis, Erin found herself living in a space between who she was and who she was becoming. 

A two-time Newbery Medal winner, best known for “Hello, Universe,” “We Dream of Space,” and “First State of Being,” Erin has always written stories that reveal the quiet courage of ordinary kids. But lately, her life–and her writing– have taken on a new kind of gravity. 

In this episode, You Can’t Just Move On: Erin Entrada Kelly on Limbo, Erin returns to the show for a “Second Chapter” conversation.  This time, Erin reflects on recovery, rest, and redefining momentum. She shares how illness has reshaped her creative process, the surprising calm she’s found in cinematic ASMR, and a haunting true story from a hotel in New Orleans that might just make you believe in ghosts. 

Settle in for an honest, tender conversation about living in the in-between. 

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http://thereadingculturepod.com/erin-entrada-kelly-second-chapter

This week’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Kimberly Thompson, the library media specialist at East Side Middle School in Bullock County, Kentucky. After all that talk about being stuck in limbo and building momentum, Kimberly shares a story of one reader who found his mo’.

Show Chapters

Chapter 1: Momentum

Chapter 2: Walt Whitman

Chapter 3: Please Hold

Chapter 4: False Alarm

Chapter 5: The Tell-Tale Heart 

Chapter 6: Push & Pull

Chapter 7: Toxic Positivity 

Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links

• The Reading Culture
• The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
• Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
• Erin Entrada Kelly
• Erin Entrada Kelly Instagram
• The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
• Moonlight Cottage ASMR
• The hotel!
• Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
• Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey