Microdosing Monday: It Ain’t Even Winter Yet
Weekly Writer's Newsletter
Good morning. I’m so glad to see you here today. Let me refill my coffee cup and we’ll get started.
Speaking of coffee, it’s expensive these days. Coffee is an American staple. 75% of Americans drink it at least once a week, and it’s the most popular beverage in the country. More than beer, milk, soda and even bottled water. The price of coffee is up 41% since last year, and that effects the middle class and the poor more than anyone, and they need caffeine the most. Just something to think about.
That last paragraph brought to you by a former UAW chief union steward and a longtime advocate for workers and the poor.
Last week was a great week as a writer. My interview with the Toledo Free Press was published on Dec. 1st. Back in November, I met Gaven Haffner, a TFP intern, at the beautiful TFP offices, and we sat and talked for about 50 minutes, him asking questions and me telling stories. It’s an interview I’m really proud of, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, here’s the link.
Then on Tuesday last week I got my copy of The Dead and the Desperate (Roadside Press, 2023,) that was translated into Albanian by the well known translator Fadil Bajraj and published by Sabaiumbb Press in October. I cried a little bit. This is a pretty cool, and an improbable thing for a child of the system and a mentally ill lifetime factory rat.
I appreciate Fadil for all of his translating work over the years, and for adding my name to a list of literary giants he’s published in the Albanian language. Check out his work here.
One last thing about writing: last week a well known poet with a national title (Mark Lipman) was outed for harassment, and some people were upset that I publicly supported the victim. All I have to say about it is that “NO” is a complete sentence and any activity beyond that is harassment, and someone being nice to you doesn’t mean they’re at all interested in being your lover. And one more thing: believe victims. Studies show that overwhelmingly accusers are telling the truth. Write that down.
Outside of the writing stuff, my mental health is a daily hurdle right now, my physical health a longterm challenge, and my brain not fully functional. Thank the wondrous Universe for legal weed, and for art, music, books and for the writing. Always for the writing.
I haven’t told you lately about books that I’m enjoying, but William Taylor Jr.’s new poetry collection, The People Are Like Wolves To Me, just released from Roadside Press, and it’s one of the best collections I’ve read all year. Every poem in the collection is worth reading more than once, but there are two poems in the collection that are so good that I had to stop and share them with my friends. You’ll want to read this one. I’m going to try to finish my review of it this week. You can get a copy here.
What art projects am I currently working on? I finished up a good short story last week, and I’ve been helping The Literary Underground get all the solo videos of each reader (except for two,) from the Lit Fest’s big Saturday reading posted.on Youtube. You can find those videos here.
Hopefully this week I’ll be able to start sorting through the video footage and interviews for my documentary about the Portsmouth art scene. I’ve been growing more and more anxious to bury myself in this project. I’ve wanted to learn how to make documentaries for years and I am finally making my first. Hope I do the story justice.
Here we are at the end of this so called newsletter, and everyone knows I close it out with some happy hippie affirmations. I’ve used this one before, but I need to re-hear it once in a while. When people are going through tough things we remind them to drink their water. Get their rest. Take their meds. I do this all the time, too, because I’ve learned from experience that it’s easy to forget these small, basic self care things, and if you do, it makes everything else more difficult.
But what about those really tough stuffs, or days that take everything you’ve got to survive? In those situations you eat the ice cream. Eat extra chocolate. Have two pieces of cake, an extra glass of wine if you drink. An extra joint or two if you smoke. Watch your favorite feel good movies. Allowing yourself permission to splurge on feel good things to help you get through another day, another moment, is also a healthy form of self care, and don’t let anyone tell you different. (My therapist told me this again last week.)
Love,
Dan
You can show support for my work by buying me a coffee here.
I've been away for a while. Hope to be back reading more often.
I love that your translated book arrived on John's bday. Kismet!