Thanhha Lai writes about her hobbies and interests. 

I try to read a novel a night. As soon as my daughter goes down, I read. If I love the novel, I read every word until I finish it. If not so much, I flip and get the essence of what the writer is doing.  

I get to write Tuesdays through Fridays, usually. Something always comes up, but I can count on 15 solid hours a week to sit there and see what happens.

I have a garden. I throw seeds down and see what comes up. Usually, the tomatoes and kale win.  And I have raspberry bushes in tubs, making it easier to water.

I salivate over the idea of having a chicken coop. Just three hens, quiet and productive. So far I just read about other people raising chickens in the city, in the suburbs. I’m plotting…

And I exercise because I’m really not meant to sit still, and so far writing is all about sitting still. I bike 10 miles to teach. Otherwise, I try to run a little. Then I go home and eat too much.