#patrick-w-marsh — Public Fediverse posts

The Stars — A New Poem

Believe me, these stars
were meant for you
and not for me.

They’re below the ceiling edge
staring at me.
A plastic, neon-star echo
sung from a leftover child’s bedroom.
The previous family was surely happy,
connected, and complete.
The type with snug bedtime stories,
and fresh snow on Christmas.

I only notice them at night,
when my lights are out,
and the dark is silk, clay, and mud.
They indigo-spike the gloom
in a glowing, five-point crown
frowning at me like muted suns.
I’m remembering poignantly
all those promises we couldn’t keep.

My roommate was too short to scalp
all those comets free
unhooked from their night sky of
cheap glue and white sheetrock.
She didn’t know they’d be blackhole
reminders of my marriage and family.
There was never a complete constellation
to guide us towards a normal home.

I do wish, my sons,
you had gotten the same roof,
but instead you have two houses,
bedrooms, holidays, separate everything.
An alternating, day-of-the-week purgatory
of endless in-between.
I couldn’t give it to you,
no matter how much I tried.

Yet, please believe me when I say,
these stars were meant for you
and not for me.

The Stars — A New Poem

Believe me, these stars
were meant for you
and not for me.

They’re below the ceiling edge
staring at me.
A plastic, neon-star echo
sung from a leftover child’s bedroom.
The previous family was surely happy,
connected, and complete.
The type with snug bedtime stories,
and fresh snow on Christmas.

I only notice them at night,
when my lights are out,
and the dark is silk, clay, and mud.
They indigo-spike the gloom
in a glowing, five-point crown
frowning at me like muted suns.
I’m remembering poignantly
all those promises we couldn’t keep.

My roommate was too short to scalp
all those comets free
unhooked from their night sky of
cheap glue and white sheetrock.
She didn’t know they’d be blackhole
reminders of my marriage and family.
There was never a complete constellation
to guide us towards a normal home.

I do wish, my sons,
you had gotten the same roof,
but instead you have two houses,
bedrooms, holidays, separate everything.
An alternating, day-of-the-week purgatory
of endless in-between.
I couldn’t give it to you,
no matter how much I tried.

Yet, please believe me when I say,
these stars were meant for you
and not for me.

The Stars — A New Poem

Believe me, these stars
were meant for you
and not for me.

They’re below the ceiling edge
staring at me.
A plastic, neon-star echo
sung from a leftover child’s bedroom.
The previous family was surely happy,
connected, and complete.
The type with snug bedtime stories,
and fresh snow on Christmas.

I only notice them at night,
when my lights are out,
and the dark is silk, clay, and mud.
They indigo-spike the gloom
in a glowing, five-point crown
frowning at me like muted suns.
I’m remembering poignantly
all those promises we couldn’t keep.

My roommate was too short to scalp
all those comets free
unhooked from their night sky of
cheap glue and white sheetrock.
She didn’t know they’d be blackhole
reminders of my marriage and family.
There was never a complete constellation
to guide us towards a normal home.

I do wish, my sons,
you had gotten the same roof,
but instead you have two houses,
bedrooms, holidays, separate everything.
An alternating, day-of-the-week purgatory
of endless in-between.
I couldn’t give it to you,
no matter how much I tried.

Yet, please believe me when I say,
these stars were meant for you
and not for me.

The Stars — A New Poem

Believe me, these stars
were meant for you
and not for me.

They’re below the ceiling edge
staring at me.
A plastic, neon-star echo
sung from a leftover child’s bedroom.
The previous family was surely happy,
connected, and complete.
The type with snug bedtime stories,
and fresh snow on Christmas.

I only notice them at night,
when my lights are out,
and the dark is silk, clay, and mud.
They indigo-spike the gloom
in a glowing, five-point crown
frowning at me like muted suns.
I’m remembering poignantly
all those promises we couldn’t keep.

My roommate was too short to scalp
all those comets free
unhooked from their night sky of
cheap glue and white sheetrock.
She didn’t know they’d be blackhole
reminders of my marriage and family.
There was never a complete constellation
to guide us towards a normal home.

I do wish, my sons,
you had gotten the same roof,
but instead you have two houses,
bedrooms, holidays, separate everything.
An alternating, day-of-the-week purgatory
of endless in-between.
I couldn’t give it to you,
no matter how much I tried.

Yet, please believe me when I say,
these stars were meant for you
and not for me.

The Stars — A New Poem

Believe me, these stars
were meant for you
and not for me.

They’re below the ceiling edge
staring at me.
A plastic, neon-star echo
sung from a leftover child’s bedroom.
The previous family was surely happy,
connected, and complete.
The type with snug bedtime stories,
and fresh snow on Christmas.

I only notice them at night,
when my lights are out,
and the dark is silk, clay, and mud.
They indigo-spike the gloom
in a glowing, five-point crown
frowning at me like muted suns.
I’m remembering poignantly
all those promises we couldn’t keep.

My roommate was too short to scalp
all those comets free
unhooked from their night sky of
cheap glue and white sheetrock.
She didn’t know they’d be blackhole
reminders of my marriage and family.
There was never a complete constellation
to guide us towards a normal home.

I do wish, my sons,
you had gotten the same roof,
but instead you have two houses,
bedrooms, holidays, separate everything.
An alternating, day-of-the-week purgatory
of endless in-between.
I couldn’t give it to you,
no matter how much I tried.

Yet, please believe me when I say,
these stars were meant for you
and not for me.

Hold on to the Weird

Just hold on to it.

The weird can be slippery. An eel fresh out of a burrow of mud. A game controller after a buddy used it after a long game of Goldeneye on the N64. You knew how use remote mines as projectiles and killed him from a distance.

The world will try and grind it out of you. And, FYI, I’m not talking about toxic weird, the kind that hurts people, but the weird that celebrates the goofiness of your personality. Wearing fun socks. Binge watching Nickelodeon Cartoons from the glory of the ’90s. An obsession with bigfoot that leads to horror/fan fiction stories about a traveling circus that has bigfoot attend a performance and he gets hired on staff. Only bigfoot is too much of a diva and has to start his own one “man” show. This is disastrous because it turns out bigfoot needed collaboration to express his peak creativity.

When we’re kids, and I see this with my sons, we have so many unique interests, and we’re completely unabashed and enthusiastic about them. A few bullies at school, an unsupportive parent, a judgmental teacher, and poof. Those interests get fed into the meat grinder, and pretty soon you’re afraid to stand out in case it attracts unwanted attention. You force yourself to like certain things just to get attention.

It is so odd, because as adults most of us want some sort of attention. We want people to know us, and we hide ourselves because we’re shown vulnerability is punished by society at a young age. Leftover echoes from the conformity of the baby boomer generation. Loneliness is an epidemic. I think that is a legitimate concern for people of all backgrounds. However, we need to stop getting frightened or annoyed by the interests of those around us, and get a little bit more curious.

So yeah, keep collecting Pokémon cards, sketching comics, or reading romantic fantasy novels.

Don’t let people dilute your weird.

Hold on to the Weird

Just hold on to it.

The weird can be slippery. An eel fresh out of a burrow of mud. A game controller after a buddy used it after a long game of Goldeneye on the N64. You knew how use remote mines as projectiles and killed him from a distance.

The world will try and grind it out of you. And, FYI, I’m not talking about toxic weird, the kind that hurts people, but the weird that celebrates the goofiness of your personality. Wearing fun socks. Binge watching Nickelodeon Cartoons from the glory of the ’90s. An obsession with bigfoot that leads to horror/fan fiction stories about a traveling circus that has bigfoot attend a performance and he gets hired on staff. Only bigfoot is too much of a diva and has to start his own one “man” show. This is disastrous because it turns out bigfoot needed collaboration to express his peak creativity.

When we’re kids, and I see this with my sons, we have so many unique interests, and we’re completely unabashed and enthusiastic about them. A few bullies at school, an unsupportive parent, a judgmental teacher, and poof. Those interests get fed into the meat grinder, and pretty soon you’re afraid to stand out in case it attracts unwanted attention. You force yourself to like certain things just to get attention.

It is so odd, because as adults most of us want some sort of attention. We want people to know us, and we hide ourselves because we’re shown vulnerability is punished by society at a young age. Leftover echoes from the conformity of the baby boomer generation. Loneliness is an epidemic. I think that is a legitimate concern for people of all backgrounds. However, we need to stop getting frightened or annoyed by the interests of those around us, and get a little bit more curious.

So yeah, keep collecting Pokémon cards, sketching comics, or reading romantic fantasy novels.

Don’t let people dilute your weird.

Hold on to the Weird

Just hold on to it.

The weird can be slippery. An eel fresh out of a burrow of mud. A game controller after a buddy used it after a long game of Goldeneye on the N64. You knew how use remote mines as projectiles and killed him from a distance.

The world will try and grind it out of you. And, FYI, I’m not talking about toxic weird, the kind that hurts people, but the weird that celebrates the goofiness of your personality. Wearing fun socks. Binge watching Nickelodeon Cartoons from the glory of the ’90s. An obsession with bigfoot that leads to horror/fan fiction stories about a traveling circus that has bigfoot attend a performance and he gets hired on staff. Only bigfoot is too much of a diva and has to start his own one “man” show. This is disastrous because it turns out bigfoot needed collaboration to express his peak creativity.

When we’re kids, and I see this with my sons, we have so many unique interests, and we’re completely unabashed and enthusiastic about them. A few bullies at school, an unsupportive parent, a judgmental teacher, and poof. Those interests get fed into the meat grinder, and pretty soon you’re afraid to stand out in case it attracts unwanted attention. You force yourself to like certain things just to get attention.

It is so odd, because as adults most of us want some sort of attention. We want people to know us, and we hide ourselves because we’re shown vulnerability is punished by society at a young age. Leftover echoes from the conformity of the baby boomer generation. Loneliness is an epidemic. I think that is a legitimate concern for people of all backgrounds. However, we need to stop getting frightened or annoyed by the interests of those around us, and get a little bit more curious.

So yeah, keep collecting Pokémon cards, sketching comics, or reading romantic fantasy novels.

Don’t let people dilute your weird.

Hold on to the Weird

Just hold on to it.

The weird can be slippery. An eel fresh out of a burrow of mud. A game controller after a buddy used it after a long game of Goldeneye on the N64. You knew how use remote mines as projectiles and killed him from a distance.

The world will try and grind it out of you. And, FYI, I’m not talking about toxic weird, the kind that hurts people, but the weird that celebrates the goofiness of your personality. Wearing fun socks. Binge watching Nickelodeon Cartoons from the glory of the ’90s. An obsession with bigfoot that leads to horror/fan fiction stories about a traveling circus that has bigfoot attend a performance and he gets hired on staff. Only bigfoot is too much of a diva and has to start his own one “man” show. This is disastrous because it turns out bigfoot needed collaboration to express his peak creativity.

When we’re kids, and I see this with my sons, we have so many unique interests, and we’re completely unabashed and enthusiastic about them. A few bullies at school, an unsupportive parent, a judgmental teacher, and poof. Those interests get fed into the meat grinder, and pretty soon you’re afraid to stand out in case it attracts unwanted attention. You force yourself to like certain things just to get attention.

It is so odd, because as adults most of us want some sort of attention. We want people to know us, and we hide ourselves because we’re shown vulnerability is punished by society at a young age. Leftover echoes from the conformity of the baby boomer generation. Loneliness is an epidemic. I think that is a legitimate concern for people of all backgrounds. However, we need to stop getting frightened or annoyed by the interests of those around us, and get a little bit more curious.

So yeah, keep collecting Pokémon cards, sketching comics, or reading romantic fantasy novels.

Don’t let people dilute your weird.

Hold on to the Weird

Just hold on to it.

The weird can be slippery. An eel fresh out of a burrow of mud. A game controller after a buddy used it after a long game of Goldeneye on the N64. You knew how use remote mines as projectiles and killed him from a distance.

The world will try and grind it out of you. And, FYI, I’m not talking about toxic weird, the kind that hurts people, but the weird that celebrates the goofiness of your personality. Wearing fun socks. Binge watching Nickelodeon Cartoons from the glory of the ’90s. An obsession with bigfoot that leads to horror/fan fiction stories about a traveling circus that has bigfoot attend a performance and he gets hired on staff. Only bigfoot is too much of a diva and has to start his own one “man” show. This is disastrous because it turns out bigfoot needed collaboration to express his peak creativity.

When we’re kids, and I see this with my sons, we have so many unique interests, and we’re completely unabashed and enthusiastic about them. A few bullies at school, an unsupportive parent, a judgmental teacher, and poof. Those interests get fed into the meat grinder, and pretty soon you’re afraid to stand out in case it attracts unwanted attention. You force yourself to like certain things just to get attention.

It is so odd, because as adults most of us want some sort of attention. We want people to know us, and we hide ourselves because we’re shown vulnerability is punished by society at a young age. Leftover echoes from the conformity of the baby boomer generation. Loneliness is an epidemic. I think that is a legitimate concern for people of all backgrounds. However, we need to stop getting frightened or annoyed by the interests of those around us, and get a little bit more curious.

So yeah, keep collecting Pokémon cards, sketching comics, or reading romantic fantasy novels.

Don’t let people dilute your weird.

Writing Update 6/17/26

• Okay, back with a bit of a writing update for the month of June. Bunch of random stuff to share with you. No real rhyme or reason to it. Busy month for life events and such.
• Had a fantastic SpringCon here in the Twin Cities. Almost sold out of the first book in the Greenland Diaries, had just my display copy leftover. First time since 2021 that I attended the MCBA’s annual convention and comic show at the State Fair grounds here in Minnesota. I had a great time selling books, talking to people about writing, and commiserating with so many talented creators. The MCBA does a fantastic job, like always, hosting this event. There were comic book heavyweights there like Dan Jurgens and Gordon Purcell. There were a few old friends of mine as well. Since I’ve started doing conventions 13 years ago, the amount of authors who have come and gone from these events is astounding. I’m starting to think I have a dangerous level of stubbornness inside of me. FallCon is on the horizon. You can learn more FallCon right here. All the MCBA events are fantastic.
• Next event for me is CONvergence in July. You can learn more about that event right here. I’ll only be on one panel this year titled “The Year in Anime.” I signed up for more, but they seemed to have cancelled them. I’ll be in the dealer room all weekend though, selling books and whatnot. More details forthcoming. Excited to be a part of it.
• I had a bunch of poems get published in literary magazines the last few months. I have updated my publications page, and it feels really good. Need to keep going, but feels nice to take a deep breath and see my achievements. You can find my revised publications list right here.
• Pausing on any new self-published projects for the next few years. I’m still writing them, but letting time catch-up with the amount of material I’ve released. No point in releasing constant sequels if nobody has read the first books, or rushing stories out with lower quality standards. I have learned my lesson from that before. Having done countless revisions to all my Greenland Diaries books, Beware the Ills, and Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere, well, I don’t want to keep backtracking about stuff.
• Funny thing about writing is that nothing is ever actually done. You will end up revising and redoing your stories over and over again, even if they’ve been published. Updated editions, revisions, all that stuff. In fact, I have revised ALL my books countless times. Readers that bought the initial editions would probably find the revised ones completely different.
• Media has been all over the place for me. Playing through Saros, which is a spiritual sequel to Returnal. So far I absolutely love the game. Story is not as good as Returnal, but its easer and has better inventory options. Reading “Angel Down” which just won the Pulitzer. Fantastic novel. Listening to “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and loving it. Also, enjoying Anne Sexton’s poetry still, just have a thousand poems or so to get through. Wife and I are watching Psycho Pass, which is utterly incredible. Before that for anime we did Kaiju Number 8, and finished My Hero. So. Much. Media. Also, Obsession was a fantastic horror film.
• Alrighty, that’s all I got for now. Currently my son is recovering from hopefully his final eye surgery. Poor kid has been through it. Beware the Ills and the Greenland Diaries are running to their entirety here on my blog. When Beware the Ills is done, well, something else will fill that monstrous void. Thank you all for continuing to read my work and for supporting me.

Writing Update 6/17/26

• Okay, back with a bit of a writing update for the month of June. Bunch of random stuff to share with you. No real rhyme or reason to it. Busy month for life events and such.
• Had a fantastic SpringCon here in the Twin Cities. Almost sold out of the first book in the Greenland Diaries, had just my display copy leftover. First time since 2021 that I attended the MCBA’s annual convention and comic show at the State Fair grounds here in Minnesota. I had a great time selling books, talking to people about writing, and commiserating with so many talented creators. The MCBA does a fantastic job, like always, hosting this event. There were comic book heavyweights there like Dan Jurgens and Gordon Purcell. There were a few old friends of mine as well. Since I’ve started doing conventions 13 years ago, the amount of authors who have come and gone from these events is astounding. I’m starting to think I have a dangerous level of stubbornness inside of me. FallCon is on the horizon. You can learn more FallCon right here. All the MCBA events are fantastic.
• Next event for me is CONvergence in July. You can learn more about that event right here. I’ll only be on one panel this year titled “The Year in Anime.” I signed up for more, but they seemed to have cancelled them. I’ll be in the dealer room all weekend though, selling books and whatnot. More details forthcoming. Excited to be a part of it.
• I had a bunch of poems get published in literary magazines the last few months. I have updated my publications page, and it feels really good. Need to keep going, but feels nice to take a deep breath and see my achievements. You can find my revised publications list right here.
• Pausing on any new self-published projects for the next few years. I’m still writing them, but letting time catch-up with the amount of material I’ve released. No point in releasing constant sequels if nobody has read the first books, or rushing stories out with lower quality standards. I have learned my lesson from that before. Having done countless revisions to all my Greenland Diaries books, Beware the Ills, and Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere, well, I don’t want to keep backtracking about stuff.
• Funny thing about writing is that nothing is ever actually done. You will end up revising and redoing your stories over and over again, even if they’ve been published. Updated editions, revisions, all that stuff. In fact, I have revised ALL my books countless times. Readers that bought the initial editions would probably find the revised ones completely different.
• Media has been all over the place for me. Playing through Saros, which is a spiritual sequel to Returnal. So far I absolutely love the game. Story is not as good as Returnal, but its easer and has better inventory options. Reading “Angel Down” which just won the Pulitzer. Fantastic novel. Listening to “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and loving it. Also, enjoying Anne Sexton’s poetry still, just have a thousand poems or so to get through. Wife and I are watching Psycho Pass, which is utterly incredible. Before that for anime we did Kaiju Number 8, and finished My Hero. So. Much. Media. Also, Obsession was a fantastic horror film.
• Alrighty, that’s all I got for now. Currently my son is recovering from hopefully his final eye surgery. Poor kid has been through it. Beware the Ills and the Greenland Diaries are running to their entirety here on my blog. When Beware the Ills is done, well, something else will fill that monstrous void. Thank you all for continuing to read my work and for supporting me.

Writing Update 6/17/26

• Okay, back with a bit of a writing update for the month of June. Bunch of random stuff to share with you. No real rhyme or reason to it. Busy month for life events and such.
• Had a fantastic SpringCon here in the Twin Cities. Almost sold out of the first book in the Greenland Diaries, had just my display copy leftover. First time since 2021 that I attended the MCBA’s annual convention and comic show at the State Fair grounds here in Minnesota. I had a great time selling books, talking to people about writing, and commiserating with so many talented creators. The MCBA does a fantastic job, like always, hosting this event. There were comic book heavyweights there like Dan Jurgens and Gordon Purcell. There were a few old friends of mine as well. Since I’ve started doing conventions 13 years ago, the amount of authors who have come and gone from these events is astounding. I’m starting to think I have a dangerous level of stubbornness inside of me. FallCon is on the horizon. You can learn more FallCon right here. All the MCBA events are fantastic.
• Next event for me is CONvergence in July. You can learn more about that event right here. I’ll only be on one panel this year titled “The Year in Anime.” I signed up for more, but they seemed to have cancelled them. I’ll be in the dealer room all weekend though, selling books and whatnot. More details forthcoming. Excited to be a part of it.
• I had a bunch of poems get published in literary magazines the last few months. I have updated my publications page, and it feels really good. Need to keep going, but feels nice to take a deep breath and see my achievements. You can find my revised publications list right here.
• Pausing on any new self-published projects for the next few years. I’m still writing them, but letting time catch-up with the amount of material I’ve released. No point in releasing constant sequels if nobody has read the first books, or rushing stories out with lower quality standards. I have learned my lesson from that before. Having done countless revisions to all my Greenland Diaries books, Beware the Ills, and Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere, well, I don’t want to keep backtracking about stuff.
• Funny thing about writing is that nothing is ever actually done. You will end up revising and redoing your stories over and over again, even if they’ve been published. Updated editions, revisions, all that stuff. In fact, I have revised ALL my books countless times. Readers that bought the initial editions would probably find the revised ones completely different.
• Media has been all over the place for me. Playing through Saros, which is a spiritual sequel to Returnal. So far I absolutely love the game. Story is not as good as Returnal, but its easer and has better inventory options. Reading “Angel Down” which just won the Pulitzer. Fantastic novel. Listening to “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and loving it. Also, enjoying Anne Sexton’s poetry still, just have a thousand poems or so to get through. Wife and I are watching Psycho Pass, which is utterly incredible. Before that for anime we did Kaiju Number 8, and finished My Hero. So. Much. Media. Also, Obsession was a fantastic horror film.
• Alrighty, that’s all I got for now. Currently my son is recovering from hopefully his final eye surgery. Poor kid has been through it. Beware the Ills and the Greenland Diaries are running to their entirety here on my blog. When Beware the Ills is done, well, something else will fill that monstrous void. Thank you all for continuing to read my work and for supporting me.

Writing Update 6/17/26

• Okay, back with a bit of a writing update for the month of June. Bunch of random stuff to share with you. No real rhyme or reason to it. Busy month for life events and such.
• Had a fantastic SpringCon here in the Twin Cities. Almost sold out of the first book in the Greenland Diaries, had just my display copy leftover. First time since 2021 that I attended the MCBA’s annual convention and comic show at the State Fair grounds here in Minnesota. I had a great time selling books, talking to people about writing, and commiserating with so many talented creators. The MCBA does a fantastic job, like always, hosting this event. There were comic book heavyweights there like Dan Jurgens and Gordon Purcell. There were a few old friends of mine as well. Since I’ve started doing conventions 13 years ago, the amount of authors who have come and gone from these events is astounding. I’m starting to think I have a dangerous level of stubbornness inside of me. FallCon is on the horizon. You can learn more FallCon right here. All the MCBA events are fantastic.
• Next event for me is CONvergence in July. You can learn more about that event right here. I’ll only be on one panel this year titled “The Year in Anime.” I signed up for more, but they seemed to have cancelled them. I’ll be in the dealer room all weekend though, selling books and whatnot. More details forthcoming. Excited to be a part of it.
• I had a bunch of poems get published in literary magazines the last few months. I have updated my publications page, and it feels really good. Need to keep going, but feels nice to take a deep breath and see my achievements. You can find my revised publications list right here.
• Pausing on any new self-published projects for the next few years. I’m still writing them, but letting time catch-up with the amount of material I’ve released. No point in releasing constant sequels if nobody has read the first books, or rushing stories out with lower quality standards. I have learned my lesson from that before. Having done countless revisions to all my Greenland Diaries books, Beware the Ills, and Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere, well, I don’t want to keep backtracking about stuff.
• Funny thing about writing is that nothing is ever actually done. You will end up revising and redoing your stories over and over again, even if they’ve been published. Updated editions, revisions, all that stuff. In fact, I have revised ALL my books countless times. Readers that bought the initial editions would probably find the revised ones completely different.
• Media has been all over the place for me. Playing through Saros, which is a spiritual sequel to Returnal. So far I absolutely love the game. Story is not as good as Returnal, but its easer and has better inventory options. Reading “Angel Down” which just won the Pulitzer. Fantastic novel. Listening to “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and loving it. Also, enjoying Anne Sexton’s poetry still, just have a thousand poems or so to get through. Wife and I are watching Psycho Pass, which is utterly incredible. Before that for anime we did Kaiju Number 8, and finished My Hero. So. Much. Media. Also, Obsession was a fantastic horror film.
• Alrighty, that’s all I got for now. Currently my son is recovering from hopefully his final eye surgery. Poor kid has been through it. Beware the Ills and the Greenland Diaries are running to their entirety here on my blog. When Beware the Ills is done, well, something else will fill that monstrous void. Thank you all for continuing to read my work and for supporting me.

Writing Update 6/17/26

• Okay, back with a bit of a writing update for the month of June. Bunch of random stuff to share with you. No real rhyme or reason to it. Busy month for life events and such.
• Had a fantastic SpringCon here in the Twin Cities. Almost sold out of the first book in the Greenland Diaries, had just my display copy leftover. First time since 2021 that I attended the MCBA’s annual convention and comic show at the State Fair grounds here in Minnesota. I had a great time selling books, talking to people about writing, and commiserating with so many talented creators. The MCBA does a fantastic job, like always, hosting this event. There were comic book heavyweights there like Dan Jurgens and Gordon Purcell. There were a few old friends of mine as well. Since I’ve started doing conventions 13 years ago, the amount of authors who have come and gone from these events is astounding. I’m starting to think I have a dangerous level of stubbornness inside of me. FallCon is on the horizon. You can learn more FallCon right here. All the MCBA events are fantastic.
• Next event for me is CONvergence in July. You can learn more about that event right here. I’ll only be on one panel this year titled “The Year in Anime.” I signed up for more, but they seemed to have cancelled them. I’ll be in the dealer room all weekend though, selling books and whatnot. More details forthcoming. Excited to be a part of it.
• I had a bunch of poems get published in literary magazines the last few months. I have updated my publications page, and it feels really good. Need to keep going, but feels nice to take a deep breath and see my achievements. You can find my revised publications list right here.
• Pausing on any new self-published projects for the next few years. I’m still writing them, but letting time catch-up with the amount of material I’ve released. No point in releasing constant sequels if nobody has read the first books, or rushing stories out with lower quality standards. I have learned my lesson from that before. Having done countless revisions to all my Greenland Diaries books, Beware the Ills, and Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere, well, I don’t want to keep backtracking about stuff.
• Funny thing about writing is that nothing is ever actually done. You will end up revising and redoing your stories over and over again, even if they’ve been published. Updated editions, revisions, all that stuff. In fact, I have revised ALL my books countless times. Readers that bought the initial editions would probably find the revised ones completely different.
• Media has been all over the place for me. Playing through Saros, which is a spiritual sequel to Returnal. So far I absolutely love the game. Story is not as good as Returnal, but its easer and has better inventory options. Reading “Angel Down” which just won the Pulitzer. Fantastic novel. Listening to “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and loving it. Also, enjoying Anne Sexton’s poetry still, just have a thousand poems or so to get through. Wife and I are watching Psycho Pass, which is utterly incredible. Before that for anime we did Kaiju Number 8, and finished My Hero. So. Much. Media. Also, Obsession was a fantastic horror film.
• Alrighty, that’s all I got for now. Currently my son is recovering from hopefully his final eye surgery. Poor kid has been through it. Beware the Ills and the Greenland Diaries are running to their entirety here on my blog. When Beware the Ills is done, well, something else will fill that monstrous void. Thank you all for continuing to read my work and for supporting me.

Revisiting my post “World Map” where I talk about JRPG maps

@patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com

As above, I wrote a blog post last year about the world maps I had leftover from Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger. I grew up in the heyday of JRPG’s on the Super Nintendo. They had profound effects on me as a person and writer.

If gaming has led to your artistic identity and inspiration, then read my post. You can’t shortchange what inspires you.

Hit it here if the box above is not working to take you to the original blog post that this was suppose to attach to.

Sorry. First time blogging from the time capsule feature on WordPress. Hiccups abound.

Revisiting my post “World Map” where I talk about JRPG maps

@patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com

As above, I wrote a blog post last year about the world maps I had leftover from Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger. I grew up in the heyday of JRPG’s on the Super Nintendo. They had profound effects on me as a person and writer.

If gaming has led to your artistic identity and inspiration, then read my post. You can’t shortchange what inspires you.

Revisiting my post “World Map” where I talk about JRPG maps

@patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com

As above, I wrote a blog post last year about the world maps I had leftover from Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger. I grew up in the heyday of JRPG’s on the Super Nintendo. They had profound effects on me as a person and writer.

If gaming has led to your artistic identity and inspiration, then read my post. You can’t shortchange what inspires you.

Revisiting my post “World Map” where I talk about JRPG maps

@patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com

As above, I wrote a blog post last year about the world maps I had leftover from Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger. I grew up in the heyday of JRPG’s on the Super Nintendo. They had profound effects on me as a person and writer.

If gaming has led to your artistic identity and inspiration, then read my post. You can’t shortchange what inspires you.

Revisiting my post “World Map” where I talk about JRPG maps

@patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com

As above, I wrote a blog post last year about the world maps I had leftover from Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger. I grew up in the heyday of JRPG’s on the Super Nintendo. They had profound effects on me as a person and writer.

If gaming has led to your artistic identity and inspiration, then read my post. You can’t shortchange what inspires you.

Read my Poem “Extra Skin” Published by the Mourning Paper

My poem “Extra Skin” was published by the awesome literary magazine the Mourning Paper.

This poem is about a interdimensional entity living in a warehouse. The monster is continuously stalking around the shelves and corridors, looking for people to come travelling through. When this happens, the creature throws its skin at them in an effort to understand itself.

You can read “Extra Skin” right here

My sons initially gave me the idea for this poem. They are obsessed with the Back Rooms, and its various lore, and they were talking to me about a creature that likes to give out its skin. I took the concept for myself and put my own spin on it.

I’m thoroughly honored to have my poem published by this excellent literary establishment.

The Mourning Paper is an excellent magazine. I highly suggest not just reading my work, but exploring the publication thoroughly. The many excellent writers and artists deserve your time and attention.

Hit it here to read more of the Mourning Paper.

Happy reading!

Read my Poem “Extra Skin” Published by the Mourning Paper

My poem “Extra Skin” was published by the awesome literary magazine the Mourning Paper.

This poem is about a interdimensional entity living in a warehouse. The monster is continuously stalking around the shelves and corridors, looking for people to come travelling through. When this happens, the creature throws its skin at them in an effort to understand itself.

You can read “Extra Skin” right here

My sons initially gave me the idea for this poem. They are obsessed with the Back Rooms, and its various lore, and they were talking to me about a creature that likes to give out its skin. I took the concept for myself and put my own spin on it.

I’m thoroughly honored to have my poem published by this excellent literary establishment.

The Mourning Paper is an excellent magazine. I highly suggest not just reading my work, but exploring the publication thoroughly. The many excellent writers and artists deserve your time and attention.

Hit it here to read more of the Mourning Paper.

Happy reading!

Read my Poem “Extra Skin” Published by the Mourning Paper

My poem “Extra Skin” was published by the awesome literary magazine the Mourning Paper.

This poem is about a interdimensional entity living in a warehouse. The monster is continuously stalking around the shelves and corridors, looking for people to come travelling through. When this happens, the creature throws its skin at them in an effort to understand itself.

You can read “Extra Skin” right here

My sons initially gave me the idea for this poem. They are obsessed with the Back Rooms, and its various lore, and they were talking to me about a creature that likes to give out its skin. I took the concept for myself and put my own spin on it.

I’m thoroughly honored to have my poem published by this excellent literary establishment.

The Mourning Paper is an excellent magazine. I highly suggest not just reading my work, but exploring the publication thoroughly. The many excellent writers and artists deserve your time and attention.

Hit it here to read more of the Mourning Paper.

Happy reading!

Read my Poem “Extra Skin” Published by the Mourning Paper

My poem “Extra Skin” was published by the awesome literary magazine the Mourning Paper.

This poem is about a interdimensional entity living in a warehouse. The monster is continuously stalking around the shelves and corridors, looking for people to come travelling through. When this happens, the creature throws its skin at them in an effort to understand itself.

You can read “Extra Skin” right here

My sons initially gave me the idea for this poem. They are obsessed with the Back Rooms, and its various lore, and they were talking to me about a creature that likes to give out its skin. I took the concept for myself and put my own spin on it.

I’m thoroughly honored to have my poem published by this excellent literary establishment.

The Mourning Paper is an excellent magazine. I highly suggest not just reading my work, but exploring the publication thoroughly. The many excellent writers and artists deserve your time and attention.

Hit it here to read more of the Mourning Paper.

Happy reading!

Read my Poem “Extra Skin” Published by the Mourning Paper

My poem “Extra Skin” was published by the awesome literary magazine the Mourning Paper.

This poem is about a interdimensional entity living in a warehouse. The monster is continuously stalking around the shelves and corridors, looking for people to come travelling through. When this happens, the creature throws its skin at them in an effort to understand itself.

You can read “Extra Skin” right here

My sons initially gave me the idea for this poem. They are obsessed with the Back Rooms, and its various lore, and they were talking to me about a creature that likes to give out its skin. I took the concept for myself and put my own spin on it.

I’m thoroughly honored to have my poem published by this excellent literary establishment.

The Mourning Paper is an excellent magazine. I highly suggest not just reading my work, but exploring the publication thoroughly. The many excellent writers and artists deserve your time and attention.

Hit it here to read more of the Mourning Paper.

Happy reading!

Read my Poem “Stay the Same” Published by Malefica Press

Happy to have my poem “Stay the Same” published by the literary magazine Malefica Press.

Malefica Press publishes all things horror. They have a great catalogue of content, and I’m honored to be a part of it. What is really fun about this publication is they included an illustration with it as well. It fits the theme of my poem perfectly.

The poem I wrote “Stay the Same” is about a haunted scarecrow that tries to be different, and not fulfill its dark purpose. I love exploring complexity with monsters, it both therapeutic and interesting to me as writer. When those two creative forces coincide, lots of creation happens. The crows that spend their time around this scarecrow have some interest in whether he can continue this murderous journey he’s been on. They’re a vested party.

You can read “Stay the Same” right here.

I will continue to state, that you should not just read my poem, but also checkout the various material from Malefica Press. It is an incredible lit magazine, and I want to continue to support it. They have a ridiculous amount of excellent content to read for free. Please jump into that dark rabbit hole. You can find them right here.

Thank you for reading my work, and have an excellent day!

Read my Poem “Stay the Same” Published by Malefica Press

Happy to have my poem “Stay the Same” published by the literary magazine Malefica Press.

Malefica Press publishes all things horror. They have a great catalogue of content, and I’m honored to be a part of it. What is really fun about this publication is they included an illustration with it as well. It fits the theme of my poem perfectly.

The poem I wrote “Stay the Same” is about a haunted scarecrow that tries to be different, and not fulfill its dark purpose. I love exploring complexity with monsters, it both therapeutic and interesting to me as writer. When those two creative forces coincide, lots of creation happens. The crows that spend their time around this scarecrow have some interest in whether he can continue this murderous journey he’s been on. They’re a vested party.

You can read “Stay the Same” right here.

I will continue to state, that you should not just read my poem, but also checkout the various material from Malefica Press. It is an incredible lit magazine, and I want to continue to support it. They have a ridiculous amount of excellent content to read for free. Please jump into that dark rabbit hole. You can find them right here.

Thank you for reading my work, and have an excellent day!

Read my Poem “Stay the Same” Published by Malefica Press

Happy to have my poem “Stay the Same” published by the literary magazine Malefica Press.

Malefica Press publishes all things horror. They have a great catalogue of content, and I’m honored to be a part of it. What is really fun about this publication is they included an illustration with it as well. It fits the theme of my poem perfectly.

The poem I wrote “Stay the Same” is about a haunted scarecrow that tries to be different, and not fulfill its dark purpose. I love exploring complexity with monsters, it both therapeutic and interesting to me as writer. When those two creative forces coincide, lots of creation happens. The crows that spend their time around this scarecrow have some interest in whether he can continue this murderous journey he’s been on. They’re a vested party.

You can read “Stay the Same” right here.

I will continue to state, that you should not just read my poem, but also checkout the various material from Malefica Press. It is an incredible lit magazine, and I want to continue to support it. They have a ridiculous amount of excellent content to read for free. Please jump into that dark rabbit hole. You can find them right here.

Thank you for reading my work, and have an excellent day!

Read my Poem “Stay the Same” Published by Malefica Press

Happy to have my poem “Stay the Same” published by the literary magazine Malefica Press.

Malefica Press publishes all things horror. They have a great catalogue of content, and I’m honored to be a part of it. What is really fun about this publication is they included an illustration with it as well. It fits the theme of my poem perfectly.

The poem I wrote “Stay the Same” is about a haunted scarecrow that tries to be different, and not fulfill its dark purpose. I love exploring complexity with monsters, it both therapeutic and interesting to me as writer. When those two creative forces coincide, lots of creation happens. The crows that spend their time around this scarecrow have some interest in whether he can continue this murderous journey he’s been on. They’re a vested party.

You can read “Stay the Same” right here.

I will continue to state, that you should not just read my poem, but also checkout the various material from Malefica Press. It is an incredible lit magazine, and I want to continue to support it. They have a ridiculous amount of excellent content to read for free. Please jump into that dark rabbit hole. You can find them right here.

Thank you for reading my work, and have an excellent day!

Read my Poem “Stay the Same” Published by Malefica Press

Happy to have my poem “Stay the Same” published by the literary magazine Malefica Press.

Malefica Press publishes all things horror. They have a great catalogue of content, and I’m honored to be a part of it. What is really fun about this publication is they included an illustration with it as well. It fits the theme of my poem perfectly.

The poem I wrote “Stay the Same” is about a haunted scarecrow that tries to be different, and not fulfill its dark purpose. I love exploring complexity with monsters, it both therapeutic and interesting to me as writer. When those two creative forces coincide, lots of creation happens. The crows that spend their time around this scarecrow have some interest in whether he can continue this murderous journey he’s been on. They’re a vested party.

You can read “Stay the Same” right here.

I will continue to state, that you should not just read my poem, but also checkout the various material from Malefica Press. It is an incredible lit magazine, and I want to continue to support it. They have a ridiculous amount of excellent content to read for free. Please jump into that dark rabbit hole. You can find them right here.

Thank you for reading my work, and have an excellent day!

Read my Poem “Sit Down” Published by the Mourning Paper

I recently had my poem “Sit Down” published by the Mourning Paper.

They are a gothic, dark literary magazine that releases a variety of work from various writers. They have lifestyle, literature, and poetry, which is where I factor into this equation.

The poem that was published was called “Sit Down” and it is most certainly a horror poem. It is about a little girl ghost who imprisons families at a dinner table inside the house she used to live in. Recently, I’ve been exploring the concept of ghosts and the dead having motivation for their hauntings. I have been trying to experiment with the human reasons these nonhuman entities might have. I just never liked the idea of ghosts being mindless or emotionless plot devices in media.

You can read “Sit Down” on the Mourning Paper right here.

As always, with these posts about publications I highly suggest you read the rest of the material this fine publication has to offer. I don’t want to just promote these places because they published me or support literary horror. Too many literary magazines like the Mourning Paper are undervalued, and I don’t want them to vanish into obscurity. As I submit my work to many different lit magazines I see them vanishing into nothingness fairly often.

So please explore and support the Mourning Paper here.

Thank you for reading my work and have an amazing day!

Read my Poem “Sit Down” Published by the Mourning Paper

I recently had my poem “Sit Down” published by the Mourning Paper.

They are a gothic, dark literary magazine that releases a variety of work from various writers. They have lifestyle, literature, and poetry, which is where I factor into this equation.

The poem that was published was called “Sit Down” and it is most certainly a horror poem. It is about a little girl ghost who imprisons families at a dinner table inside the house she used to live in. Recently, I’ve been exploring the concept of ghosts and the dead having motivation for their hauntings. I have been trying to experiment with the human reasons these nonhuman entities might have. I just never liked the idea of ghosts being mindless or emotionless plot devices in media.

You can read “Sit Down” on the Mourning Paper right here.

As always, with these posts about publications I highly suggest you read the rest of the material this fine publication has to offer. I don’t want to just promote these places because they published me or support literary horror. Too many literary magazines like the Mourning Paper are undervalued, and I don’t want them to vanish into obscurity. As I submit my work to many different lit magazines I see them vanishing into nothingness fairly often.

So please explore and support the Mourning Paper here.

Thank you for reading my work and have an amazing day!

Read my Poem “Sit Down” Published by the Mourning Paper

I recently had my poem “Sit Down” published by the Mourning Paper.

They are a gothic, dark literary magazine that releases a variety of work from various writers. They have lifestyle, literature, and poetry, which is where I factor into this equation.

The poem that was published was called “Sit Down” and it is most certainly a horror poem. It is about a little girl ghost who imprisons families at a dinner table inside the house she used to live in. Recently, I’ve been exploring the concept of ghosts and the dead having motivation for their hauntings. I have been trying to experiment with the human reasons these nonhuman entities might have. I just never liked the idea of ghosts being mindless or emotionless plot devices in media.

You can read “Sit Down” on the Mourning Paper right here.

As always, with these posts about publications I highly suggest you read the rest of the material this fine publication has to offer. I don’t want to just promote these places because they published me or support literary horror. Too many literary magazines like the Mourning Paper are undervalued, and I don’t want them to vanish into obscurity. As I submit my work to many different lit magazines I see them vanishing into nothingness fairly often.

So please explore and support the Mourning Paper here.

Thank you for reading my work and have an amazing day!

Read my Poem “Sit Down” Published by the Mourning Paper

I recently had my poem “Sit Down” published by the Mourning Paper.

They are a gothic, dark literary magazine that releases a variety of work from various writers. They have lifestyle, literature, and poetry, which is where I factor into this equation.

The poem that was published was called “Sit Down” and it is most certainly a horror poem. It is about a little girl ghost who imprisons families at a dinner table inside the house she used to live in. Recently, I’ve been exploring the concept of ghosts and the dead having motivation for their hauntings. I have been trying to experiment with the human reasons these nonhuman entities might have. I just never liked the idea of ghosts being mindless or emotionless plot devices in media.

You can read “Sit Down” on the Mourning Paper right here.

As always, with these posts about publications I highly suggest you read the rest of the material this fine publication has to offer. I don’t want to just promote these places because they published me or support literary horror. Too many literary magazines like the Mourning Paper are undervalued, and I don’t want them to vanish into obscurity. As I submit my work to many different lit magazines I see them vanishing into nothingness fairly often.

So please explore and support the Mourning Paper here.

Thank you for reading my work and have an amazing day!

Read my Poem “The Ordinary” at Altered Reality Magazine

One more poem to share on these Wednesdays. The final one in that trio of publications. Super grateful to Altered Reality Magazine for sharing my voice. I’m always honored.

This poem is another departure from the last two. It isn’t horror or science fiction, but pure fantasy with a hint of social commentary. I steal inspiration from Norse Mythology, my favorite of the big mythologies you’re forced to learn about in high school.

Also, in that same period of my life, I played a very influential video game called Valkyrie Profile which introduced a more personal and specific level of storytelling in the Norse mythology setting. That’s why I decided to get nostalgic with Odin in this poem and explore his line of thinking.

In “The Ordinary” I talk about Ragnarök, or the twilight of the gods, and how Odin is jealous about our simplicity compared to the cosmic battle he must fight at the end of times. He’s jealous of how easy we’ve got it on Midgard, even compared to the glory and majesty of this great war.

You can read “The Ordinary” right here.

And one more big thank you to Altered Reality for their acceptances. Again, please visit and read their whole catalogue. They’re awesome.

Happy reading, and have a great Wednesday!

Read my Poem “The Ordinary” at Altered Reality Magazine

One more poem to share on these Wednesdays. The final one in that trio of publications. Super grateful to Altered Reality Magazine for sharing my voice. I’m always honored.

This poem is another departure from the last two. It isn’t horror or science fiction, but pure fantasy with a hint of social commentary. I steal inspiration from Norse Mythology, my favorite of the big mythologies you’re forced to learn about in high school.

Also, in that same period of my life, I played a very influential video game called Valkyrie Profile which introduced a more personal and specific level of storytelling in the Norse mythology setting. That’s why I decided to get nostalgic with Odin in this poem and explore his line of thinking.

In “The Ordinary” I talk about Ragnarök, or the twilight of the gods, and how Odin is jealous about our simplicity compared to the cosmic battle he must fight at the end of times. He’s jealous of how easy we’ve got it on Midgard, even compared to the glory and majesty of this great war.

You can read “The Ordinary” right here.

And one more big thank you to Altered Reality for their acceptances. Again, please visit and read their whole catalogue. They’re awesome.

Happy reading, and have a great Wednesday!

Read my Poem “The Ordinary” at Altered Reality Magazine

One more poem to share on these Wednesdays. The final one in that trio of publications. Super grateful to Altered Reality Magazine for sharing my voice. I’m always honored.

This poem is another departure from the last two. It isn’t horror or science fiction, but pure fantasy with a hint of social commentary. I steal inspiration from Norse Mythology, my favorite of the big mythologies you’re forced to learn about in high school.

Also, in that same period of my life, I played a very influential video game called Valkyrie Profile which introduced a more personal and specific level of storytelling in the Norse mythology setting. That’s why I decided to get nostalgic with Odin in this poem and explore his line of thinking.

In “The Ordinary” I talk about Ragnarök, or the twilight of the gods, and how Odin is jealous about our simplicity compared to the cosmic battle he must fight at the end of times. He’s jealous of how easy we’ve got it on Midgard, even compared to the glory and majesty of this great war.

You can read “The Ordinary” right here.

And one more big thank you to Altered Reality for their acceptances. Again, please visit and read their whole catalogue. They’re awesome.

Happy reading, and have a great Wednesday!

Read my Poem “The Ordinary” at Altered Reality Magazine

One more poem to share on these Wednesdays. The final one in that trio of publications. Super grateful to Altered Reality Magazine for sharing my voice. I’m always honored.

This poem is another departure from the last two. It isn’t horror or science fiction, but pure fantasy with a hint of social commentary. I steal inspiration from Norse Mythology, my favorite of the big mythologies you’re forced to learn about in high school.

Also, in that same period of my life, I played a very influential video game called Valkyrie Profile which introduced a more personal and specific level of storytelling in the Norse mythology setting. That’s why I decided to get nostalgic with Odin in this poem and explore his line of thinking.

In “The Ordinary” I talk about Ragnarök, or the twilight of the gods, and how Odin is jealous about our simplicity compared to the cosmic battle he must fight at the end of times. He’s jealous of how easy we’ve got it on Midgard, even compared to the glory and majesty of this great war.

You can read “The Ordinary” right here.

And one more big thank you to Altered Reality for their acceptances. Again, please visit and read their whole catalogue. They’re awesome.

Happy reading, and have a great Wednesday!

Read my Poem “The Ordinary” at Altered Reality Magazine

One more poem to share on these Wednesdays. The final one in that trio of publications. Super grateful to Altered Reality Magazine for sharing my voice. I’m always honored.

This poem is another departure from the last two. It isn’t horror or science fiction, but pure fantasy with a hint of social commentary. I steal inspiration from Norse Mythology, my favorite of the big mythologies you’re forced to learn about in high school.

Also, in that same period of my life, I played a very influential video game called Valkyrie Profile which introduced a more personal and specific level of storytelling in the Norse mythology setting. That’s why I decided to get nostalgic with Odin in this poem and explore his line of thinking.

In “The Ordinary” I talk about Ragnarök, or the twilight of the gods, and how Odin is jealous about our simplicity compared to the cosmic battle he must fight at the end of times. He’s jealous of how easy we’ve got it on Midgard, even compared to the glory and majesty of this great war.

You can read “The Ordinary” right here.

And one more big thank you to Altered Reality for their acceptances. Again, please visit and read their whole catalogue. They’re awesome.

Happy reading, and have a great Wednesday!

Visit me Selling my Books at Art A Whirl 2026

Alright, pretty self explanatory. I’ll be at Art A Whirl all weekend selling my books.

Art A Whirl is an awesome event, and this is my first time at it. So I guess I assume it’s awesome? I have no idea what to expect. I’ve heard amazing things. I know that is busy, fun, different, unique, and very artsy.

To learn more about Art a Whirl hit it right here.

I’ll be there for the whole thing. Admission is FREE. Friday 5 – 10 pm, Saturday 12 – 8 pm, and Sunday 12 – 5 pm. I’m in the Artspace Jackson Flats 901 18 1⁄2 Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55418. I’m inside the building, in front of some office door. I hope nobody gets entombed by my books, but so be it if it happens.

I’ll have all my books for sale. All revised editions. The best these books have to offer. Now is the time to get invested in the series. Also, buy other stuff around the place. It isn’t all about me. I love my monsters, and my books, but there is so much to see at this event. I can’t wait to be a part of it.

Hope to see you there!

Visit me Selling my Books at Art A Whirl 2026

Alright, pretty self explanatory. I’ll be at Art A Whirl all weekend selling my books.

Art A Whirl is an awesome event, and this is my first time at it. So I guess I assume it’s awesome? I have no idea what to expect. I’ve heard amazing things. I know that is busy, fun, different, unique, and very artsy.

To learn more about Art a Whirl hit it right here.

I’ll be there for the whole thing. Admission is FREE. Friday 5 – 10 pm, Saturday 12 – 8 pm, and Sunday 12 – 5 pm. I’m in the Artspace Jackson Flats 901 18 1⁄2 Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55418. I’m inside the building, in front of some office door. I hope nobody gets entombed by my books, but so be it if it happens.

I’ll have all my books for sale. All revised editions. The best these books have to offer. Now is the time to get invested in the series. Also, buy other stuff around the place. It isn’t all about me. I love my monsters, and my books, but there is so much to see at this event. I can’t wait to be a part of it.

Hope to see you there!

Visit me Selling my Books at Art A Whirl 2026

Alright, pretty self explanatory. I’ll be at Art A Whirl all weekend selling my books.

Art A Whirl is an awesome event, and this is my first time at it. So I guess I assume it’s awesome? I have no idea what to expect. I’ve heard amazing things. I know that is busy, fun, different, unique, and very artsy.

To learn more about Art a Whirl hit it right here.

I’ll be there for the whole thing. Admission is FREE. Friday 5 – 10 pm, Saturday 12 – 8 pm, and Sunday 12 – 5 pm. I’m in the Artspace Jackson Flats 901 18 1⁄2 Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55418. I’m inside the building, in front of some office door. I hope nobody gets entombed by my books, but so be it if it happens.

I’ll have all my books for sale. All revised editions. The best these books have to offer. Now is the time to get invested in the series. Also, buy other stuff around the place. It isn’t all about me. I love my monsters, and my books, but there is so much to see at this event. I can’t wait to be a part of it.

Hope to see you there!

Visit me Selling my Books at Art A Whirl 2026

Alright, pretty self explanatory. I’ll be at Art A Whirl all weekend selling my books.

Art A Whirl is an awesome event, and this is my first time at it. So I guess I assume it’s awesome? I have no idea what to expect. I’ve heard amazing things. I know that is busy, fun, different, unique, and very artsy.

To learn more about Art a Whirl hit it right here.

I’ll be there for the whole thing. Admission is FREE. Friday 5 – 10 pm, Saturday 12 – 8 pm, and Sunday 12 – 5 pm. I’m in the Artspace Jackson Flats 901 18 1⁄2 Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55418. I’m inside the building, in front of some office door. I hope nobody gets entombed by my books, but so be it if it happens.

I’ll have all my books for sale. All revised editions. The best these books have to offer. Now is the time to get invested in the series. Also, buy other stuff around the place. It isn’t all about me. I love my monsters, and my books, but there is so much to see at this event. I can’t wait to be a part of it.

Hope to see you there!

Visit me Selling my Books at Art A Whirl 2026

Alright, pretty self explanatory. I’ll be at Art A Whirl all weekend selling my books.

Art A Whirl is an awesome event, and this is my first time at it. So I guess I assume it’s awesome? I have no idea what to expect. I’ve heard amazing things. I know that is busy, fun, different, unique, and very artsy.

To learn more about Art a Whirl hit it right here.

I’ll be there for the whole thing. Admission is FREE. Friday 5 – 10 pm, Saturday 12 – 8 pm, and Sunday 12 – 5 pm. I’m in the Artspace Jackson Flats 901 18 1⁄2 Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55418. I’m inside the building, in front of some office door. I hope nobody gets entombed by my books, but so be it if it happens.

I’ll have all my books for sale. All revised editions. The best these books have to offer. Now is the time to get invested in the series. Also, buy other stuff around the place. It isn’t all about me. I love my monsters, and my books, but there is so much to see at this event. I can’t wait to be a part of it.

Hope to see you there!

Read my Poem “A Junkyard Father” Published on Altered Reality Magazine

Hello again! I recently had a trifecta of luck at Altered Reality with some poems, and this is my second one that was picked up for publication by them.

This week the poem is a little different than my previous one. No haunted forest or paradoxical monsters.

Instead, I choose to focus on an image that has haunted me ever since I watched it. The toy scene in Bladerunner (director’s cut of course) in Sebastian’s attic has stuck with me ever since I watched it back in 2004. I often wonder what would those cybernetic creations do if Sebastian never returned.

Who would take care of them?

In “A Junkyard Father” I follow this same idea and principle. A scientist has created sentient toys in some robotic future, and he is confronted with the concept of mortality. When he dies and leaves this world, they’ll be nobody to take care of them. The toys will outlive him, and still require maintenance. He’ll die when they could potentially live for centuries.

How will they cope? Who will be there?

You can read “A Junkyard Father” right here.

As always, you should check out the whole of Altered Reality. They publish great stuff from a variety of voices.

Thank you for reading my work, and have a nice Wednesday!

Read my Poem “A Junkyard Father” Published on Altered Reality Magazine

Hello again! I recently had a trifecta of luck at Altered Reality with some poems, and this is my second one that was picked up for publication by them.

This week the poem is a little different than my previous one. No haunted forest or paradoxical monsters.

Instead, I choose to focus on an image that has haunted me ever since I watched it. The toy scene in Bladerunner (director’s cut of course) in Sebastian’s attic has stuck with me ever since I watched it back in 2004. I often wonder what would those cybernetic creations do if Sebastian never returned.

Who would take care of them?

In “A Junkyard Father” I follow this same idea and principle. A scientist has created sentient toys in some robotic future, and he is confronted with the concept of mortality. When he dies and leaves this world, they’ll be nobody to take care of them. The toys will outlive him, and still require maintenance. He’ll die when they could potentially live for centuries.

How will they cope? Who will be there?

You can read “A Junkyard Father” right here.

As always, you should check out the whole of Altered Reality. They publish great stuff from a variety of voices.

Thank you for reading my work, and have a nice Wednesday!

Read my Poem “A Junkyard Father” Published on Altered Reality Magazine

Hello again! I recently had a trifecta of luck at Altered Reality with some poems, and this is my second one that was picked up for publication by them.

This week the poem is a little different than my previous one. No haunted forest or paradoxical monsters.

Instead, I choose to focus on an image that has haunted me ever since I watched it. The toy scene in Bladerunner (director’s cut of course) in Sebastian’s attic has stuck with me ever since I watched it back in 2004. I often wonder what would those cybernetic creations do if Sebastian never returned.

Who would take care of them?

In “A Junkyard Father” I follow this same idea and principle. A scientist has created sentient toys in some robotic future, and he is confronted with the concept of mortality. When he dies and leaves this world, they’ll be nobody to take care of them. The toys will outlive him, and still require maintenance. He’ll die when they could potentially live for centuries.

How will they cope? Who will be there?

You can read “A Junkyard Father” right here.

As always, you should check out the whole of Altered Reality. They publish great stuff from a variety of voices.

Thank you for reading my work, and have a nice Wednesday!

Read my Poem “A Junkyard Father” Published on Altered Reality Magazine

Hello again! I recently had a trifecta of luck at Altered Reality with some poems, and this is my second one that was picked up for publication by them.

This week the poem is a little different than my previous one. No haunted forest or paradoxical monsters.

Instead, I choose to focus on an image that has haunted me ever since I watched it. The toy scene in Bladerunner (director’s cut of course) in Sebastian’s attic has stuck with me ever since I watched it back in 2004. I often wonder what would those cybernetic creations do if Sebastian never returned.

Who would take care of them?

In “A Junkyard Father” I follow this same idea and principle. A scientist has created sentient toys in some robotic future, and he is confronted with the concept of mortality. When he dies and leaves this world, they’ll be nobody to take care of them. The toys will outlive him, and still require maintenance. He’ll die when they could potentially live for centuries.

How will they cope? Who will be there?

You can read “A Junkyard Father” right here.

As always, you should check out the whole of Altered Reality. They publish great stuff from a variety of voices.

Thank you for reading my work, and have a nice Wednesday!

Read my Poem “A Junkyard Father” Published on Altered Reality Magazine

Hello again! I recently had a trifecta of luck at Altered Reality with some poems, and this is my second one that was picked up for publication by them.

This week the poem is a little different than my previous one. No haunted forest or paradoxical monsters.

Instead, I choose to focus on an image that has haunted me ever since I watched it. The toy scene in Bladerunner (director’s cut of course) in Sebastian’s attic has stuck with me ever since I watched it back in 2004. I often wonder what would those cybernetic creations do if Sebastian never returned.

Who would take care of them?

In “A Junkyard Father” I follow this same idea and principle. A scientist has created sentient toys in some robotic future, and he is confronted with the concept of mortality. When he dies and leaves this world, they’ll be nobody to take care of them. The toys will outlive him, and still require maintenance. He’ll die when they could potentially live for centuries.

How will they cope? Who will be there?

You can read “A Junkyard Father” right here.

As always, you should check out the whole of Altered Reality. They publish great stuff from a variety of voices.

Thank you for reading my work, and have a nice Wednesday!

Read my Poem “Windchimes” Published on Altered Reality Magazine

Hello! Recently I was lucky enough to have my poem “Windchimes” published by Altered Reality last week.

This was one of the first horror poems I had written after a long absence from poetry. I started writing poetry again back in the beginning of 2024. The women I was dating at the time was a poet, and she often would send poems for me to read. At the time I was still thinking I could only do one thing as a writer, like self-publish fiction. That isn’t true. You can be varied. You get to practice your craft on multiple highways.

Anyways, she was curious about my poetry, or if I could even still write it. So, as it happens that sometimes men are simply motivated by women, I decided to try my hand at it, and poetry clicked again after about a decade of absence.

“Windchimes” is about a group of monsters in a haunted forest who hang windchimes in the trees to warn people travelling through that they are there, and that the woods is dangerous. It is about how evil attempts to warn you about its intentions, so you avoid it. Or at least you would try It focuses on how frustrated the evil entities are with this paradox. I love this poem, and I’m happy to see it has a home.

You can read it right here.

Also, Altered Reality is an excellent publication. Please take some time to explore its various voices. You can find it right here.

Thanks for reading!

Writing Update 4/29/26

• Back. I’m not just some mindless story promoting, blog posting bot from the depths of some tungsten hades. I’m still here, lurking in the shadows like some sort of specter in a two-story window of a Victorian mansion. I’ve got a bunch of new stuff to report in terms of what I’ve had published, working on, and other various tidbits. Here. We. Go.
• I’ve got a new book coming out this summer. It is called The Unnamed: A Collection of Stories from the Greenland Diaries. There will be a ton of stories about my monsters. Over 30 stories from the Greenland Diaries universe. They will take place before the Drum, during it, immediately after its destruction, and decades after it appeared. The stories do cover the Unnamed, but also human survivors, and the Reanimated. I’m not sure when I’ll have it fully available on my bookstore, but it should be no later than July. I will be selling it at CONvergence, and also having a book release party for it August. More details coming soon.
• I had a trio of poems published over at Horrific Scribblings. There was the Lucky and Broken, which is about Medusa’s lair and her stone victims. The Sounds, which includes a troll who hates the sounds of happiness. Then the Bloody Blade, which follows a cavernous sword and its samurai master. You find all three right here to read. It is a great publication. Super honored.
• I will have a table for Art a Whirl coming up here in the Twin Cities. Not sure the exact details yet, but it is coming up soon in May on the 15th, 16th, and 17th. I’ll be selling books in this cool studio place. I’m excited.
• My poem the Breadcrumbs was published by Carmina Magazine. It is about a dragon musing over the constant string of knights willing to die at his doorstep looking for glory. You can read it right here, but also should check out the awesome lit magazine overall.
• October is looking like a busy month for me. I know that is a long way off, but I’ll have quite a few events going. Three different events it looks like. A couple different readings. Might add one more event. October is a big month for a literary horror writer like myself.
• Another poem of mine was published by a literary magazine. This time it is Mouthwatering and it is available at Star*Line. This is a paid magazine, so you need a subscription. Still an amazing place, and I highly suggest supporting them. Carnivorous fish torment a seaside town. As one does.
• The amount of media I’ve been digesting has been all over the place. Finally beat Expedition 33. One of my favorite games of all time. Easily in my top five. Incredible story. Awesome gameplay. Unforgettable music. I’ll be replaying it for the rest of my life.
• Been watching a lot of anime since I converted my wife to it the last year or so. I can’t even remember all the ones I’ve watch recently. One of them was My Hero Academia Vigilantes. I was a big fan of the original series, and this one is a bit more subtle and humorous. Fun to be back in that universe again. I appreciate that Knuckle Buster doesn’t have a quirk. He just beats the crap out of people.
• Listened to some Stephen King recently via audiobook. Really good storyteller. I had not read much by him in my life, but really appreciated a lot of his short stories. Had to stop listening because one of them was simply too dark to continue. Maybe I’ll get back to it. I’m listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl right now with my wife. It is fantastic. I’m really enjoying it, especially since we’re playing through Minecraft Dungeons together for the second time.
• Still making my way through ALL of Anne Sexton’s poem. Still marvelous, sad, dark, depressing, and all of that. Started reading a collection of Wallace Steven’s poems as well. Quite a contrast between the two. Stevens continues to be one of my favorites. So does Sexton.
• Alrighty, well, that’s all I got for now. I hope you all are staying healthy and safe. Thank you for reading my work and continuing to support me. Plenty of more announcements on the way. Take care!

From the Greenland Diaries: Happy Little Trees

“I really didn’t think I’d be using it for this,” Debbie mumbled to a few squirrels crossing the trees to her right. “This is not what I had in mind. Not at all. I guess none of us did, did we? Who could have thought this much has changed in less than two years.”

She stopped and dipped her brush in a can of odorless paint thinner at her feet. It caught a bit of afternoon sun as it gleamed between the sharp stalks of overgrown grass. She beat the brush on the wooden legs of her easel, just like Bob Ross used to do. She tried to laugh thinking of his videos.

She wondered if she would ever watch them again. Power had not been restored, and she had a VHS tape of a few of the episodes. She had noticed them while hiding in her basement beneath the stairs when the Drum first started. They would shake beneath the old tube television her son Tyler had left there from the 90’s. He had been out in California when the Drum started. She doubted she would ever see him again.

Her husband, Tim, had died the first night. Debbie had happened to be downstairs grabbing some chicken breasts to defrost when she heard them arrive. Her instincts fired and she hid quickly and silently. It was like a dormant portion of her brain switched on. The reptilian lobe took control and hid her like she was nothing more than a frightened insect.

It had worked; she had survived.

Now, at present, she was in her backyard. The same backyard of oak trees and white fencing that kept her kids from escaping when they were toddlers. The same backyard her husband had tried to play catch with their son despite him having no interest in sports or athletics. Despite the rampant greenery, and the destruction, she could still see shadows in her memories of these moments. They were her only escape from all the heartbreak and weirdness that had appeared with these actual, living shadows.

One of these very monsters was in her backyard.

Debbie had gone to college for visual art. She then met Tim, who had just returned from Vietnam. They got married, had kids, and her artistic endeavors had firmly gone into purgatory. She always made a little time each week to watch Bob Ross on PBS to keep her skills honed. She loved landscape painting with both oils and acrylics. She loved him, too. She made plenty of mistakes following his tutorials, but he always made her feel like she was supposed to make mistakes. It gave her a sense of confidence, and eventually she was painting without him and to the quality she was creating back when she graduated. 

Then the Drum arrived, and everything changed.

Debbie laughed. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Of all the things to be painting. She couldn’t abandon this emotion. This weirdness. What would Bob Ross say? He was the embodiment of wholesomeness to so many. His ability to communicate positivity in the face of failure and difficulty was unmatched.

What would he say about the Unnamed?

They were beyond anything that his canvas could capture, emulate, or portray, but here Debbie was, using it to paint one in her backyard. Since the destruction of the Drum, survivors had moved through the wasteland and said the Unnamed should no longer be hunting humans like they did before. With the Drum gone they would have a new role in our world, but nobody knew what or how. 

When Debbie first noticed it, mixed in with the edge of the trees that led to the forest she’d lived next to for thirty years, she immediately wanted to hide. However, it stopped, and just floated on the edge of the trees, like it didn’t know where to go. After watching it standing amongst the bark, branches, and billowing leaves, Debbie got an interesting idea. She had been staring at her art supplies and canvases for months. They were just sitting there. Her digital camera and phone had long died. She needed to capture it, to pull into her own voice.

To make it hers.

After all, despite the nights of pure violence, the Unnamed was magnificent in all terms of the word.

It was ten feet tall, wide, and curled over itself like a frozen wave of fluctuating darkness and bone. Its hooks of golden claws were dug into the earth, with flowers sprouting around their impressions and edges. Birds were sitting and chirping along the golden horns and spikes sprouting from their back and hood. Even the shifting shadow beneath that midnight fabric seemed to glow in the sunlight. Below that was its chest of amber ribs, which reflected sunspots of daylight. Occasionally it shifted, but mostly it was just a violent cloud sitting still. A tempest tethered. A sleeping maelstrom of claws and bones. A thunderstorm lost and confused without its demon thunder to call home.

“You’re a good subject; you stay awfully still” Debbie would occasionally mumble from across her yard. She had set up her easel on the back of her brown deck. She had to chisel away at some of the plants that had choked the wooden planks with a spade. Eventually she got it to sit evenly.

“Do you understand what I’m doing?”

The Unnamed would never reply. Debbie was getting low on food. She had heard other survivors were beginning to leave the neighborhood to look for more supplies. Lines of resources were trying to be established, but people still did not trust traveling around the Unnamed, or the Reanimated. She sighed as she labored with the paints. Most of them had been salvageable but there were a few colors that she had to use sparingly. Sadly, green was one of them.

“You’ll always be remembered,” she said, adding the trees and wildlife behind its grizzly shape. 

“Nobody will remember me.”

If you want to learn more about the Greenland Diaries series, you can get the Kindle version of the first book for a dollar right here, or read the first ten days for free.

Visit me selling books at the Curious Crow

Hey all! I’m excited to announce that tomorrow (April 19th) will be my first book event of 2026. I will be selling my books and doing a short reading at the Curious Crow in Lexington Minnesota. I’ll be there with a bunch of other authors.

The event goes from 12 – 5. I’ll have all my books for sale, plus artwork and potentially some candles and other wares. I’ll be running event specials as well so the books are more affordable. $2 for 20, $3 for 30, etc. I only run these deals at events. I do not offer them at on my online bookstore.

Also, there is plenty of other stuff to see at Curious Crow Company. Board, booze, video games, cards, all your standard geek inventory. Also, there will be food trucks. This makes me very happy.

The event is FREE to attend, which is always a nice bonus. Hope to see you there. Excited to be a part of it.

Hit it here to learn more about this event and the Curious Crow

Malaise and Pushups

Mostly, I love mornings. Unless I have to go to work. This happens to be the majority of mornings. Despite me writing all the time like some frenzied badger with spectacles and a cardigan, I don’t make a living at it, or at least enough to make it my fulltime gig. In the future I keep telling myself. Anyways, waking myself up in the morning is hard. Don’t get me wrong, I like my 9 – 5 job. It pays the bills, keeps me alive, provides a little for my family, etc. At my wedding my coworkers were more enjoyable than the majority of my family. That doesn’t stop the existential dread I feel in the morning. One life. What am I doing? How I hate being another nameless cog in the hyper capitalist machine.

I get up early, close to 5 am before getting ready for work. Apparently, and I’ve become more health conscious as I’ve gotten older, but men’s cortisol is highest in the morning. So yeah, all the anxiety, stress, ideas, memories, thoughts, it all hits me like a ton of bricks in the morning.

I can’t speak for all men in this phenomenon of course. Not trying to whatsoever. However, there is plenty of scientific evidence that men’s cortisol levels are highest in the morning. I know for myself currently it is true. I don’t meditate or really attempt that sort of stuff. I guess this could be some variation of it. After I use the bathroom I sort of just lay on the couch and close my eyes. No music. No audiobook. I just give myself about 20 minutes to let my mind be sort of crazy. Paranoia, worry, anxiety, rumination, and intrusive thoughts get their time. I’m always stocked up in those categories. I sort of focus on all the anger and anxiety. I sometimes go past the 20, and sometimes I go less.

After I journey down this dark hole of reflection and wistfulness, I usually workout. I go for about 30 minutes. I do three exercises of free weights, with five sets of each. It is usually a mix of upper body, lower body, and core work. After this I brush my teeth and make myself presentable for the workday. I kiss my wife goodbye, go wake up my kids if I have them that day, and then head to work or to drop them off. Sometimes I have to take my dog back to my exes as well. He’s part of our divorce agreement. Getting twin 10 year old boys, and a dog ready and into my car at 7:00 am is not an easy process. It tends to be stressful.

There have been plenty of times where I skip working out because I’ve ventured too far into the abyss. Where the malaise and existential wormhole has shackled me and I find myself to be unmovable until it is time to wake up my sons. So my weird meditation has drawbacks. Overall, I’ve found if I give myself just some time to worry about things, to really let my anxieties breath in the day, it is much easier to operate. I’m giving the devil its due for about twenty minutes, and that is it. This technique sort of shackles these spots in place for the day. Not saying they don’t reappear. I’ve found at night when I’m tired my ability to control them is weakened.

Weekends are obviously a little bit different. I still tend to wake up before my wife and kids are up, since my schedule is designed for early morning activity. I usually spend my mornings working out if my schedule is thrown off, or I skipped day during the week. I work on blog posts, submissions, edits, and other smaller bits of writing. If I complete all those I’ll play a video game like Tears of the Kingdom, or something else.

As one does.

Malaise and Pushups

Mostly, I love mornings. Unless I have to go to work. This happens to be the majority of mornings. Despite me writing all the time like some frenzied badger with spectacles and a cardigan, I don’t make a living at it, or at least enough to make it my fulltime gig. In the future I keep telling myself. Anyways, waking myself up in the morning is hard. Don’t get me wrong, I like my 9 – 5 job. It pays the bills, keeps me alive, provides a little for my family, etc. At my wedding my coworkers were more enjoyable than the majority of my family. That doesn’t stop the existential dread I feel in the morning. One life. What am I doing? How I hate being another nameless cog in the hyper capitalist machine.

I get up early, close to 5 am before getting ready for work. Apparently, and I’ve become more health conscious as I’ve gotten older, but men’s cortisol is highest in the morning. So yeah, all the anxiety, stress, ideas, memories, thoughts, it all hits me like a ton of bricks in the morning.

I can’t speak for all men in this phenomenon of course. Not trying to whatsoever. However, there is plenty of scientific evidence that men’s cortisol levels are highest in the morning. I know for myself currently it is true. I don’t meditate or really attempt that sort of stuff. I guess this could be some variation of it. After I use the bathroom I sort of just lay on the couch and close my eyes. No music. No audiobook. I just give myself about 20 minutes to let my mind be sort of crazy. Paranoia, worry, anxiety, rumination, and intrusive thoughts get their time. I’m always stocked up in those categories. I sort of focus on all the anger and anxiety. I sometimes go past the 20, and sometimes I go less.

After I journey down this dark hole of reflection and wistfulness, I usually workout. I go for about 30 minutes. I do three exercises of free weights, with five sets of each. It is usually a mix of upper body, lower body, and core work. After this I brush my teeth and make myself presentable for the workday. I kiss my wife goodbye, go wake up my kids if I have them that day, and then head to work or to drop them off. Sometimes I have to take my dog back to my exes as well. He’s part of our divorce agreement. Getting twin 10 year old boys, and a dog ready and into my car at 7:00 am is not an easy process. It tends to be stressful.

There have been plenty of times where I skip working out because I’ve ventured too far into the abyss. Where the malaise and existential wormhole has shackled me and I find myself to be unmovable until it is time to wake up my sons. So my weird meditation has drawbacks. Overall, I’ve found if I give myself just some time to worry about things, to really let my anxieties breath in the day, it is much easier to operate. I’m giving the devil its due for about twenty minutes, and that is it. This technique sort of shackles these spots in place for the day. Not saying they don’t reappear. I’ve found at night when I’m tired my ability to control them is weakened.

Weekends are obviously a little bit different. I still tend to wake up before my wife and kids are up, since my schedule is designed for early morning activity. I usually spend my mornings working out if my schedule is thrown off, or I skipped day during the week. I work on blog posts, submissions, edits, and other smaller bits of writing. If I complete all those I’ll play a video game like Tears of the Kingdom, or something else.

As one does.

Malaise and Pushups

Mostly, I love mornings. Unless I have to go to work. This happens to be the majority of mornings. Despite me writing all the time like some frenzied badger with spectacles and a cardigan, I don’t make a living at it, or at least enough to make it my fulltime gig. In the future I keep telling myself. Anyways, waking myself up in the morning is hard. Don’t get me wrong, I like my 9 – 5 job. It pays the bills, keeps me alive, provides a little for my family, etc. At my wedding my coworkers were more enjoyable than the majority of my family. That doesn’t stop the existential dread I feel in the morning. One life. What am I doing? How I hate being another nameless cog in the hyper capitalist machine.

I get up early, close to 5 am before getting ready for work. Apparently, and I’ve become more health conscious as I’ve gotten older, but men’s cortisol is highest in the morning. So yeah, all the anxiety, stress, ideas, memories, thoughts, it all hits me like a ton of bricks in the morning.

I can’t speak for all men in this phenomenon of course. Not trying to whatsoever. However, there is plenty of scientific evidence that men’s cortisol levels are highest in the morning. I know for myself currently it is true. I don’t meditate or really attempt that sort of stuff. I guess this could be some variation of it. After I use the bathroom I sort of just lay on the couch and close my eyes. No music. No audiobook. I just give myself about 20 minutes to let my mind be sort of crazy. Paranoia, worry, anxiety, rumination, and intrusive thoughts get their time. I’m always stocked up in those categories. I sort of focus on all the anger and anxiety. I sometimes go past the 20, and sometimes I go less.

After I journey down this dark hole of reflection and wistfulness, I usually workout. I go for about 30 minutes. I do three exercises of free weights, with five sets of each. It is usually a mix of upper body, lower body, and core work. After this I brush my teeth and make myself presentable for the workday. I kiss my wife goodbye, go wake up my kids if I have them that day, and then head to work or to drop them off. Sometimes I have to take my dog back to my exes as well. He’s part of our divorce agreement. Getting twin 10 year old boys, and a dog ready and into my car at 7:00 am is not an easy process. It tends to be stressful.

There have been plenty of times where I skip working out because I’ve ventured too far into the abyss. Where the malaise and existential wormhole has shackled me and I find myself to be unmovable until it is time to wake up my sons. So my weird meditation has drawbacks. Overall, I’ve found if I give myself just some time to worry about things, to really let my anxieties breath in the day, it is much easier to operate. I’m giving the devil its due for about twenty minutes, and that is it. This technique sort of shackles these spots in place for the day. Not saying they don’t reappear. I’ve found at night when I’m tired my ability to control them is weakened.

Weekends are obviously a little bit different. I still tend to wake up before my wife and kids are up, since my schedule is designed for early morning activity. I usually spend my mornings working out if my schedule is thrown off, or I skipped day during the week. I work on blog posts, submissions, edits, and other smaller bits of writing. If I complete all those I’ll play a video game like Tears of the Kingdom, or something else.

As one does.

Malaise and Pushups

Mostly, I love mornings. Unless I have to go to work. This happens to be the majority of mornings. Despite me writing all the time like some frenzied badger with spectacles and a cardigan, I don’t make a living at it, or at least enough to make it my fulltime gig. In the future I keep telling myself. Anyways, waking myself up in the morning is hard. Don’t get me wrong, I like my 9 – 5 job. It pays the bills, keeps me alive, provides a little for my family, etc. At my wedding my coworkers were more enjoyable than the majority of my family. That doesn’t stop the existential dread I feel in the morning. One life. What am I doing? How I hate being another nameless cog in the hyper capitalist machine.

I get up early, close to 5 am before getting ready for work. Apparently, and I’ve become more health conscious as I’ve gotten older, but men’s cortisol is highest in the morning. So yeah, all the anxiety, stress, ideas, memories, thoughts, it all hits me like a ton of bricks in the morning.

I can’t speak for all men in this phenomenon of course. Not trying to whatsoever. However, there is plenty of scientific evidence that men’s cortisol levels are highest in the morning. I know for myself currently it is true. I don’t meditate or really attempt that sort of stuff. I guess this could be some variation of it. After I use the bathroom I sort of just lay on the couch and close my eyes. No music. No audiobook. I just give myself about 20 minutes to let my mind be sort of crazy. Paranoia, worry, anxiety, rumination, and intrusive thoughts get their time. I’m always stocked up in those categories. I sort of focus on all the anger and anxiety. I sometimes go past the 20, and sometimes I go less.

After I journey down this dark hole of reflection and wistfulness, I usually workout. I go for about 30 minutes. I do three exercises of free weights, with five sets of each. It is usually a mix of upper body, lower body, and core work. After this I brush my teeth and make myself presentable for the workday. I kiss my wife goodbye, go wake up my kids if I have them that day, and then head to work or to drop them off. Sometimes I have to take my dog back to my exes as well. He’s part of our divorce agreement. Getting twin 10 year old boys, and a dog ready and into my car at 7:00 am is not an easy process. It tends to be stressful.

There have been plenty of times where I skip working out because I’ve ventured too far into the abyss. Where the malaise and existential wormhole has shackled me and I find myself to be unmovable until it is time to wake up my sons. So my weird meditation has drawbacks. Overall, I’ve found if I give myself just some time to worry about things, to really let my anxieties breath in the day, it is much easier to operate. I’m giving the devil its due for about twenty minutes, and that is it. This technique sort of shackles these spots in place for the day. Not saying they don’t reappear. I’ve found at night when I’m tired my ability to control them is weakened.

Weekends are obviously a little bit different. I still tend to wake up before my wife and kids are up, since my schedule is designed for early morning activity. I usually spend my mornings working out if my schedule is thrown off, or I skipped day during the week. I work on blog posts, submissions, edits, and other smaller bits of writing. If I complete all those I’ll play a video game like Tears of the Kingdom, or something else.

As one does.

Malaise and Pushups

Mostly, I love mornings. Unless I have to go to work. This happens to be the majority of mornings. Despite me writing all the time like some frenzied badger with spectacles and a cardigan, I don’t make a living at it, or at least enough to make it my fulltime gig. In the future I keep telling myself. Anyways, waking myself up in the morning is hard. Don’t get me wrong, I like my 9 – 5 job. It pays the bills, keeps me alive, provides a little for my family, etc. At my wedding my coworkers were more enjoyable than the majority of my family. That doesn’t stop the existential dread I feel in the morning. One life. What am I doing? How I hate being another nameless cog in the hyper capitalist machine.

I get up early, close to 5 am before getting ready for work. Apparently, and I’ve become more health conscious as I’ve gotten older, but men’s cortisol is highest in the morning. So yeah, all the anxiety, stress, ideas, memories, thoughts, it all hits me like a ton of bricks in the morning.

I can’t speak for all men in this phenomenon of course. Not trying to whatsoever. However, there is plenty of scientific evidence that men’s cortisol levels are highest in the morning. I know for myself currently it is true. I don’t meditate or really attempt that sort of stuff. I guess this could be some variation of it. After I use the bathroom I sort of just lay on the couch and close my eyes. No music. No audiobook. I just give myself about 20 minutes to let my mind be sort of crazy. Paranoia, worry, anxiety, rumination, and intrusive thoughts get their time. I’m always stocked up in those categories. I sort of focus on all the anger and anxiety. I sometimes go past the 20, and sometimes I go less.

After I journey down this dark hole of reflection and wistfulness, I usually workout. I go for about 30 minutes. I do three exercises of free weights, with five sets of each. It is usually a mix of upper body, lower body, and core work. After this I brush my teeth and make myself presentable for the workday. I kiss my wife goodbye, go wake up my kids if I have them that day, and then head to work or to drop them off. Sometimes I have to take my dog back to my exes as well. He’s part of our divorce agreement. Getting twin 10 year old boys, and a dog ready and into my car at 7:00 am is not an easy process. It tends to be stressful.

There have been plenty of times where I skip working out because I’ve ventured too far into the abyss. Where the malaise and existential wormhole has shackled me and I find myself to be unmovable until it is time to wake up my sons. So my weird meditation has drawbacks. Overall, I’ve found if I give myself just some time to worry about things, to really let my anxieties breath in the day, it is much easier to operate. I’m giving the devil its due for about twenty minutes, and that is it. This technique sort of shackles these spots in place for the day. Not saying they don’t reappear. I’ve found at night when I’m tired my ability to control them is weakened.

Weekends are obviously a little bit different. I still tend to wake up before my wife and kids are up, since my schedule is designed for early morning activity. I usually spend my mornings working out if my schedule is thrown off, or I skipped day during the week. I work on blog posts, submissions, edits, and other smaller bits of writing. If I complete all those I’ll play a video game like Tears of the Kingdom, or something else.

As one does.

Read my Poems Published by Horrific Scribblings

Pretty straightforward blog post today. I was fortunate enough for Horrific Scribblings an excellent literary magazine to accept and publish three of my poems recently in one of their issues.

All three poems followed the same theme of horrific cultural folklore. The collection was titled: “Stones, Bridges, and Blades: Three Poems of Legend and Lore.”

You can read all three of them right here

Like I said above, there are three poems in all.

One poem is about Medusa, and the POV of the statues in her acropolis of terror. I love that I’ve been wanting an excuse to use the word ‘acropolis’ and I made a poem for the occasion.

The second poem is about a troll who cannot stand any sound. I’ve wanted to use a pickling mechanic in my creature design, and this poem has it. Very disturbing.

The third poem is what attracted this lit magazine to my voice initially, and its about the relationship between a warrior and his haunted sword. How a hunger for violence can spread to inanimate objects, and be mutually beneficial.

Besides my poetry, you really should just read this lit magazine in general. They have amazing content, and if you like horror or write it, this is a must of a destination. I’ve highly enjoyed what I’ve digested from Horrific Scribblings. Very honored that they took a chance on my voice.

You can find the main page right here

Thank you for the support everyone!