This is how I feel about the pandemic right now:

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”

― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

The change of the seasons has brought me a renewed sense of urgency about completing things, a need to make changes and bring the year to a good conclusion. I’ve been behind on correspondence and have a bunch of people to get in touch with and pile of emails to catch up on this week. So if you’ve been waiting on a response from me, I am doing my best and it is very likely you’ll hear back very soon.

On the personal side of things, I started going to the gym again, got my teeth cleaned, bought some new plants, deep cleaned my house and decorated for Fall. Though the photo above (if you can see it) is not something I decorated. It is a hand carved bear totem dressed up in Halloween garb holding a bowl of candy I found along Route 6 near the Tillamook National Forest this weekend. It was so random and cute I had to pull over and snap a photo. I drove to the coast over the weekend to pick up authors Carlton Mellick III and Simon Ore Molina who spent the week together in a beach house working on writing new books. They both made excellent progress and it was nice to catch up with them over some drinks and hear about what their new projects. I’m very excited for them!

The weather is changing, as are the leaves on the trees and I am able to use my fireplace again and cozy up by the hearth with a good book! Currently I am reading One of Us by Craig DiLouie. It’s a post-apocalyptic coming of age story set in 1984 about a group of mutant teenagers known as the “plague generation” who discover their hidden powers. As someone who has long appreciated exploring what it means to be a monster, I’m loving the themes of segregation, the treatment of the other and the hypocrisy of helping. The story is beautifully written and at times quite heart wrenching. I am enjoying it so far!

And on the non-fiction side of things, I am listening to the audiobook of The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday. The premise of the book can be summarized with this quote “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” -Marcus Aurelius.

I’ve been a fan of Ryan Holiday since I read Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator about a decade ago, which completely changed the way that I looked at social media and the internet. I appreciate his insights and I am finding the philosophy in the book and real world examples of how to use this approach very helpful right now.

And lastly, another book I’d like to bring your attention to is one that I published on Eraserhead Press that just came out this month: Not Seeing Is A Flower by Erhu Kome. The author and I have been on a long journey with this book, and we are thrilled to finally release it! It is a fast-paced bizarro fantasy story with a refreshingly cool vibe that blends many different cultures and is filled with drama, humor, romance, and a wild pantheon of mythical characters to fall in love with. I truly hope you will check it out and support this talented new writer from Nigeria.

Thanks for following my journey and supporting me. I hope October is starting off well for you, too. And as always, I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment and let me know what you are reading!