Issue #7 - 03/07/2026 The Adverbial Life Notes on Thriving Solo Greetings Reader! I went quiet for a few months. Not because I ran out of things to say, of course. If you know me at all, you know that’s never the problem. I went quiet because the book needed everything I had. And now, here’s the sentence I’ve been waiting to write: Eating Adverbs publishes this spring. The e-book arrives in May. The physical book follows in June. I’m not going to pretend that feels casual. It doesn’t. I...
about 1 month ago • 9 min read
Issue #6 - 10/19/2025 The Adverbial Life Notes on Thriving Solo Greetings Reader! Some beginnings arrive with fanfare. Others slip in quietly. It's odd to me sometimes just how unobtrusive a powerful beginning can be. This Eating Adverbs book project for instance, started with a simple ten-minute Zoom call with the publisher. There was nothing planned, nothing formed, no clear idea if I even had the capacity to write a book. We just chatted about my fascination with solo activities. But that...
6 months ago • 6 min read
Dear Reader, The big day is finally here. Writing Eating Adverbs has been (and continues to be) one of the most emotionally intense creative journeys of my life. Some days I swing from joy to overwhelm before I’ve even finished my coffee. But through it all, I’ve stayed grounded in one truth: this book matters. It started as an unformed idea, but slowly started to develop into a book. Then, somewhere along the way, it became something more. I remember a moment when the editor stopped during a...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Issue #5 - 10/12/2025 The Adverbial Life Notes on Thriving Solo Greetings Reader! Writing Eating Adverbs has been (and continues to be) one of the most emotionally intense creative journeys of my life. Some days I swing from joy to overwhelm before I’ve even finished my coffee. But through it all, I’ve stayed grounded in one truth: this book matters. This past week has been a roller-coaster of emotion related to this project and to some difficult situations in my personal/professional life....
6 months ago • 7 min read
Dear Reader, In the last two emails, I introduced some of the reader 'avatars' that have helped me shape the messages in "Eating Adverbs." Overall, there are seven such avatars that I have been considering as I craft the book, but there is one in particular that really helped form some of the later chapters in the book's first drafts. I call it the "Bewildered Beginner." Not everyone is starting fresh. Some are starting over. Whether you’re rebuilding after a loss or rediscovering life in a...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Issue #4 - 10/05/2025 The Adverbial Life Notes on Thriving Solo Greetings Reader! If you have been here from the beginning, you will realize that I skipped a week on this newsletter. I could tell you that it was due to a ridiculously busy schedule - which is actually true. But, honestly, it was due to a "crash and burn" moment I had in relation to this project. Now, I am going to preface this by saying that I am absolutely open to feedback as long as it is constructive and grows out of a...
6 months ago • 5 min read
Issue #3 - 09/21/2025 The Adverbial Life Notes on Thriving Solo Greetings Reader! This week, I’ve been thinking about what it means to live in a way that quietly affirms possibility. Not by teaching, not by persuading, but simply by being. By showing what’s possible through presence, rhythm, and truth. A reader wrote to me after last week’s newsletter and said: “Do you realize just how many people you're speaking to? How many people can relate? This is wonderful and I do hope you have...
7 months ago • 5 min read
Issue #2 - 09/14/2025 The Adverbial Life Notes on Thriving Solo Greetings Reader! Welcome back to The Adverbial Life, a newsletter for anyone curious about thriving solo, embracing independence, and savoring life on your own terms. I’m Tommy Hensel, and I’m writing a book called Eating Adverbs: part memoir, part mischief, part practical guide to flourishing in solo experiences. This newsletter is more than updates. It’s a shared space. A behind-the-scenes look at the writing journey, the...
7 months ago • 6 min read
Issue #1 - 9/8/25 The Adverbial Life Notes on Thriving Solo Greetings Reader! Welcome to the very first issue of The Adverbial Life — a newsletter for anyone curious about thriving solo, embracing independence, and savoring life on your own terms. I’m Tommy Hensel, and I’m writing a book called Eating Adverbs — part memoir, part mischief, part practical guide to flourishing in solo experiences. This newsletter isn’t just updates. It’s a conversation. A behind-the-scenes look at my writing...
7 months ago • 5 min read