Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 100 entries, all of them here in full.
June 18, 2020 · 256 words
Terran Prize Awarded
The Terran Prize for 2020, consisting of a scholarship provided by George R.R. Martin for the Taos Toolbox writing workshop, has been won by Maurice Haeems of Mumbai, India. Taos Toolbox was forced by the Covid pandemic to move from its original June dates to September 6-19, in Angel Fire, New Mexico. The workshop will
Read entry →June 15, 2020 · 47 words
From Our Beleaguered Agents . . .
A group of literary agents have released a plea to the public to “stop sending us your Covid novels!” Turns out that there’s not a lot of drama inherent in a story where people stay at home, watch a lot of TV, and never meet anyone else.
Read entry →June 11, 2020 · 1,286 words
Month Nine
It’s been nine months since my hip replacement surgery, and I haven’t done an update since November 25. (Here’s the last one.) I haven’t done an update because (1) it’s a depressing topic, and (2) nothing much has changed. But it may serve as an illustration of medical services in the age of Covid, so […]
Read entry →June 4, 2020 · 495 words
First Things First
I’m isolated in my rural paradise, but it’s not like I don’t read the news. Ten days of protest in major cities, property destruction (a certain percentage at the hands of police provocateurs), police in one place sitting down with protestors for a productive dialogue, police in another charging peaceful protestors for
Read entry →May 26, 2020 · 276 words
Stimulus
Our stimulus check arrived— or rather not a check, but a debit card on the U.S. Treasury. Apparently it’s legit. I’m still working and my business hasn’t shut down, and Kathy is comfortably retired. We’re not rich, but we’re doing well enough. We don’t need the money and didn’t ask for it, and we’re self-isolatin
Read entry →May 16, 2020 · 1,184 words
Idiot Box for the Isolated
Here in my isolated rural paradise I’ve been watching a lot more video than I usually do, and— for some damn reason— doing a lot less reading. The least I can do is share my online encounters. Safe and The Stranger, both on Netflix. Two of Harlan Coben’s thrillers (which I haven’t read) have been shifted fr
Read entry →May 9, 2020 · 69 words
Mom’s Day
A hundred years ago there used to be a musical genre about how much people loved their mothers, M.O.T.H.E.R. being one of the big hits. There are still songs about moms, but they’re not regulars on the Hit Parade the way they used to be. Here’s a song that’s only tangentially about mothers, but I […]
Read entry →May 8, 2020 · 262 words
Lockdown Spirits
Apparently the spirits are as tired of the lockdown as everyone else, because they’ve been getting restless. We’ve been having an outbreak of strange spectral noises. For the last few weeks, I’ve heard mysterious knocking noises at night, between 11pm and midnight. It doesn’t happen every night, but it happens enough t
Read entry →May 5, 2020 · 156 words
Cinco
Happy Cinco de Mayo, everybody! Welcome to my virtual matanza! May 5 is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla in 1862, in which an inferior Mexican force defeated a French expeditionary army. In Mexico the day is celebrated only in Puebla and environs, but it’s widely celebrated among Mexican-Americans in the States.
Read entry →April 30, 2020 · 435 words
Kata in the Carport
It’s over six weeks since we locked ourselves away. It’s been easier than I expected. I’m used to working alone, for one thing. I’m trying to start the day with kata in the carport. Then I have lunch and spend a couple hours playing Horizon: Zero Dawn. I’m no longer clear what day of the week […]
Read entry →April 25, 2020 · 208 words
Sculpture
Since I’m hanging out at home hiding from the virus, I have very little to do, so I thought I might as well try to fulfill one of my longtime ambitions, which is to become a chainsaw artist! There’s no place that teaches this stuff, you just have to fire up your chainsaw and go […]
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