Well, we are in the final days of 2020, which has been a shit show of a year and I, like most, will be glad to see it in my rearview mirror. That said, I have been fortunate to have kept my job during the lockdown, unlike many I know, and the COVID was for the most part a remote threat. I do know some folks who got it and a few who even perished from it, but no one in my immediate circle was affected by it, and for that I am very grateful.
I did get lost in dark ruminations at times which lead to panic attacks and much moping (more so than usual), but I also got some writing done, and even got some of it published! Eight pieces in all were published, mostly by Hippocampus Press. I had two prose poems and three poems published in Spectral Realms and a short story in the debut issue of Penumbra. I had a reprint in Speculations II, from the Weird Poets Society, and my second Averoigne tribute story finally saw the light of day (dark of night?) in the anthology A Walk in a Darker Wood from Oxygen Man Books. For a more detailed list see below:
Satanic Sonata (prose poem): Spectral Realms #12 [Hippocampus Press]
Kiss of Life (prose poem): Spectral Realms #12 [Hippocampus Press]
My Bantam Black Fay [revised] (poetry): Spectral Realms #13 [Hippocampus Press]
Hell-Flower (poetry): Spectral Realms #13 [Hippocampus Press]
Moribond (poetry): Spectral Realms #13 [Hippocampus Press]
The Baleful Beldam (poetry/reprint): Speculations II: Poetry from the Weird Poets Society 2019
The Hell of Mirrors (fiction): Penumbra #01 [Hippocampus Press]
Rosaire, Master of Wolves (tribute fiction) A Walk in a Darker Wood [Oxygen Man Books]
The most exciting news re: my writing is that I have made an agreement with my friend Graphic Designer Dan Sauer to put together an omnibus of my poetry and prose for his Jackanapes Press featuring my first two planned chapbooks, Morbidezza & Other Denizens of the Dark, and The Devil & All His Works, under the title of Book of Shadows. Mr. Sauer will be doing the cover and interior art, and fellow weird poet/author Scott J. Couturier has graciously agreed to do an introduction. The manuscript is done for the most part, although I have made some last minute tweaks here and there and even last night was considering the swapping of two poems. If all goes as planned, I am hopeful that it will see the light some time in late Winter or early Spring 2021. I will, of course keep you all apprised of any developments.
On a personal note, not much has changed for me. I still live in the same place, and I still work in the same office. Some would see this as a blessing in today’s topsy-turvy world, and I must concede despite my foiled pre-pandemic plans. I only hope that 2021 has better things to offer us all.
On a parting note, I have a new member in my household. Mr. Gilman, a blue betta fish. He was a gift from my cousin Lorraine, in an effort to mitigate my loneliness. I spent the remaining afternoon stressing about being responsible for another living creature, but after some reassuring messages and helpful hints from my fish-owning Facebook friends I calmed down and went to PetSmart and got a couple necessary items and set up his tank. He has survived the last couple days, so I assume he will be okay. He wasn’t eating at first but I was told this is normal as he gets accustomed to his new environment. I didn’t feed him today as he still had food floating in his tank last night so he should be fine for the time being. If he makes it through the remainder of 2020 I’ll be glad. If I make it through, I’ll be ecstatic.