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Hello, friends. I’m writing this on the Sunday I intend to release it on. Or maybe I’ll release it tomorrow on Monday, instead. It’s February 22nd, a date with a lot of meaning for me. Seventeen years ago, I married Pamela in a quiet, semi-secret, very private “ceremony” because the world of 2009 was stupid…

Hello, friends. Happy two-days-after-Friday the 13th and day-after-Valentine’s Day! I have finally come to the mid-winter vacation! It always falls at the perfect time and this year is no different. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while then you know that the last several years of teaching have been monstrous and you know…

Hello, friends. A long but surprisingly good week concludes. While the Day Job has certainly been running me through the wringer, the writing career had some really good things that happened. It’s another snowy weekend where I live so I guess I should hunker down and keep warm by typing. Here goes! Welcome to the…

Hello, friends. Here we are, I hope. I made it through this past decade of– (Checks calendar) –January. January 2026 is historic, I think, for it’s nightmarish qualities. But I’m still here and still writing and I hope you’re still there and still reading. Today’s essay is a little long so let’s get right to…

Hello, friends. Are you still with me? How are you? As I write this on Saturday, word of another ICE member murdering another American citizen has spread. We are in troubled times. This past week was busy and went by quickly. The impending giant snowstorm coming to where I live tomorrow is certainly on my…

Hello, friends. This week passed quickly and here we are at the first three-day weekend of 2026. A much-needed rest for some screwed-up times. I’ve been pretty busy with writing-related stuff all week, trying to get bookstore appearances ready for February in a world where publishing with a small- or mid-sized press is increasingly difficult.…

Hello, friends. This first full week of 2026 was the longest year ever. In terms of the personal and as well as the global, what a way to start a new year! A nightmare if ever there was one. That said, there were small sprinkles of good this week and a little writing work was…

Happy New Year, friends. It’s been a glorious week-and-a-half of vacation but, unfortunately, all good things… etcetera and so on. Here we are three days into 2026 and the world is already burning. But did we expect anything different? I’ve spent a lot of time thinking over vacation. Thinking is not always good for me.…

Hello, friends. Sickness prevailed this week in my household. Pamela was sick with a bad cold that made her lightheaded for days, and then I got it. I started feeling bad Tuesday and felt terrible Wednesday. I stayed home Thursday and felt even worse Friday morning. Luckily, staying home the second day helped me rest…

Hello, friends. I’m writing this on Sunday, the day after I usually try to put together the newsletter, because I fell asleep and took a long nap yesterday. It’s snowing as I write this, nothing terrible but the first significant snowfall of this season. Maybe of the year, where I am. Last winter had almost…