There was a large spider on the floor-length curtains. Large is relative, of course. I'd say it was about the size of the palm of your hand. I've told this story before, but this is in case you missed it. And the point this time is different. I was probably five or six. Before this …
It's here! My first event since the pandemic descended. The pandemic is still with us, of course. This is an outdoor event with half the number of artist than there could otherwise be, and we'll be wearing masks. I wouldn't do this at all if it were an indoor event, even though I am vaccinated. …
Welcome to the New Year and all shining promises. Here in the northern hemisphere, its winter, of course, and while the days may be getting incrementally longer, there remains a lot of dark. It's a time for resolution and reflection, even if you try to ignore that sort of thing. It's a time to look …
"Just keep swimming," as the fish says. (You know what fish.) And here we are swimming from one year and into the next, and what a strange body of water it is. This week between Christmas and the New Year is a favorite week of mine. I teach, so I'm always off. But unlike other …
I have mixed feelings about self-help books. I recently read a scathing piece on the self-industry which characterized self-gurus as con artists convincing you that you are inadequate so that you'll buy more products promising easy fixes. Well, some doctors sell you snake oil and some doctors make you better. So while I may have …
I decided a while ago to self-publish a selection of short stories. They are almost ready. I'm working on a cover and pondering a release date. It is definitely scary to do. I tend to think of who will and who won't approve. I think about my own ability to promote it. There's a lot …
2020 feels like trying to build a house in a nonstop earthquake. Well, that sounds like the problem is Mother Nature. Perhaps it is more like trying to build a house while others run around with bulldozers, jackhammers, and wrecking balls. Or maybe it's like building a house in the dark with no idea what …
I've been making books. And I'll be selling them on Etsy. I've also been writing my Fairy Tale Asylum story. (You can read installments here--see menu bar--or subscribe via Tiny Letter.) Honestly I've been stuck with what to write most of the time. Maybe it's pandemic brain. Everything I think of seems better said by …
A couple of weeks ago at a Death Cafe, people talked about whether they were afraid of death and what it meant to live without that fear. I've been thinking about things people said. Keep in mind it's a room full of strangers trying to voice thoughtful perspectives on big questions in a short amount …
Have you seen a New Yorker article about the horrors of the birthday week? The author takes exception to people who celebrate their birthday for more than one day. It's narcissistic and self-obsessed. It's childish. Reading the article and several of the comments made me wonder about how some of us seem to live in …
Marta Bacon 