Picking Up Steam
Every year on my birthday, I make birthday resolutions. Since my birthday falls a little more than a week after New Year's Day, I get a little extra time to create my set of goals and aspirations for the coming year. This year, I'm focused on slow, but steady progress on all the many, many projects I have queued up, a reminder to take care of myself, and permission to indulge my creative whims—even if the results lean toward the weird, experimental, or surreal.
Check out the blog post to read my complete list of resolutions:
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In Other News
This month, I've been hard at work working on my two podcast projects. In early January, I kicked off the second season of Dispatches with Jonny Eberle, my podcast on writing and the creative process, with a look at how Mickey Mouse changed the course of U.S. copyright law and a look back at my first Tacoma Monkeyshines (a citywide Lunar New Year scavenger hunt). New episodes will drop twice a month, so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss out. On February 1, I'll be sharing another short story on the feed.
I've also been churning out scripts for The Adventures of Captain Radio, my science fiction audio drama. I'm pleased to say that I've finished all of season two and all but one episode of season three, which will be the show's last. Writing a finale is daunting, but I'm excited to give the characters and plot threads a fitting send-off. Once the scripts are finalized, my co-producer Will McDonald and I will get to work with our talented cast to start recording and editing. Those episodes will be out later this year and I can't wait for you to hear them.
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Highly Recommended
Here are some of the books, podcasts, and articles I've been enjoying recently:
BOOKS
- The Earthsea Saga by Ursula K. LeGuin
Probably my favorite fantasy series. LeGuin wrote the Earthsea books over a period of more than 30 years and you can see her shifting tone and perspectives. Each book is more complex and mature than the last, building on the strengths of each to expand the mythology of Earthsea.
PODCASTS
- Southwest Gothic
This anthology of spooky and supernatural tales from the American Southwest sadly went on hiatus in 2019, but it's still worth your time. In each episode, folklorist Adrianne Montoya breathes new life into stories of grave robbers, ghosts, saints, and sinners.
FROM AROUND THE INTERNET
I'm a Bookshop.org affiliate, so I may earn a small commission on purchases made using links from this newsletter. Bookshop.org is an alternative to Amazon that supports independent bookstores, which is awesome. You can find all my recommendations here.
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The Last Word
In addition to everything going on above, I'm running a little experiment in my house. There's a small, one-liter barrel on top of a bookcase. Inside is some high-proof corn moonshine that I'm attempting to age into a drinkable, bourbon-style whiskey. I'm guessing it will take at least a year or two to let the oak work its magic and turn this white dog whiskey into something palatable, but if nothing else, it's been interesting to learn about the aging process and I look forward to tasting it along the way. If it turns out, I'll let you know. If it doesn't, maybe I can use it as a household cleaner or something. Cheers!
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