The Veil Grows Thin

A note from Amy about this excerpt from Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival Every book, like every child, seems to arrive in its own divine timing and have its own significant birthday, and this is especially true for this memoir of history witnessed in real time. Because I had abruptly ended my teaching career midyear, I was available to be an up-close observer of a remarkable period in America, as a longtime student of 20th century German literature and film. And that's just a taste of my curriculum vitae. I always intended to release an audiobook of Tiny Altars, originally published in paperback and ebook in April 21, 2023. (On the anniversary of Prince's passing, a significant event in my book and for Minnesotans. Among other reasons.) For whatever reason, this audiobook production didn't align until early 2024. As in, it steadfastly refused to get going—until it did. All year, I've slowly but surely recorded and listened to every chapter, bringing this version to life, in collaboration with K.O. Myers at Particulate Media. Recently, K.O. and I have been weighing which chapters I'd like to excerpt here first, on my podcast. As I've revisited my own words aloud, it has fascinated me to recognize JUST HOW TIMELY AND RELEVANT this book has become in the summer of 2024. So much so that when my beloved Joe Biden (I saw him speak in Minneapolis when he was campaigning for Barack Obama's second term) stepped down from his candidacy for reelection as President of the United States, passing the torch to Kamala Harris, we both knew this was the section for me to start with. K.O. set about producing the episode for me. That was even before my beloved Minnesota Governor Tim Walz joined the ticket. You won't see his name in my book. It's too late to add him to this episode. But he's in it. Along with this, our Minnesota Nice culture, once again in the world's spotlight. Yesterday Kamala and Tim accepted the nomination, and it occurred to me that today, the third day of the DNC in Chicago, is exactly the right day to release this episode. Two notes on its content: My book is about finding personal responsibility and freedom in my American homeland, and this chapter is about my personal and political lineage. I do mention two characters. My aunt "Vivian" and my paternal grandmother "Doris" are significant elders to me. I believe that Tiny Altars, my audiobook, will premiere on October 3, 2025—leading up to the election. But we'll see! Thanks for listening now. Love, Amy Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats. Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks