How has the New Year greeted you? It has greeted me with plumbers, roofers, and soon a mechanic. Such is living in the modern world. As I type this, it's cold. 27 degrees according to the magical hunk of tech I carry around. That I can look at a slim humanmade object and know the …
How goes July? Do you live in the heat dome like I do? What are your best tips for staying cool? I remember back in the 1980s in Florida. My mom's car didn't have a working air conditioner. She put a small bucket of ice on that hump between the seats and in front of …
'Tis the spookiest weekend of the year! This morning I listened to some pieces on fear. We seem to live a lot in fear these days. Haven't we always? One of the segments talked about why we are attracted to horror. Google the question if you want! You'll find plenty of articles. I'm someone not …
I might have finished my novel, The Book of Astrophilia. I say might...it is hard for me to know when something is finished. I'll rewrite forever. And I haven't had a beta reader or anyone give me feedback, and that is part of the process. So is it finished-FINISHED? Well, I've done what I can …
When people ask me, "What's your story about?" I have a slight panic attack. Why? I can speculate, but I don't really know. I can't afford therapy. BUT I am excited about the story I'm currently working on. (I'm excited about every story. At this moment, however, I'm also in an optimistic mood. Why optimism …
A day late, but Happy Imbolc! Perhaps your corner of the world is like mine right now--cold and coated with ice. Spring will arrive eventually, of course, but in the meantime, there's beauty in the snowy world. There's also dangers for the unhoused and all who must venture on the roads or who can't heat …
I found myself sitting in the darkness of an abandoned church looking up at the moon alongside a best friend. The last month of the year has spilled out before us. We are tired but glad to be together in the magic quiet of a place we aren't supposed to be. When you look back …
I've been reading articles about why women become witches (two of them being Women Are Invoking the Witch and What Turns Women into Witches). I've loved witches since childhood, and when one article mentioned the draw witchiness has for those feeling powerless, I had to admit this much is true. Children don't have power anyway, …
In 2008, a tiny piece I wrote about my love for The Wizard of Oz was published on NPR's In Character series. I still love children's stories, though in a different way and for different reasons. Some adults aren't interested in anything for children. You can find a number of essays lamenting adults reading YA, …
I took this picture while out for a walk last March. This character sits in front of a house just a few blocks away. I like walking around our neighborhood and taking pictures of things people put in their yards (though I only take pictures that don't require pointing the camera directly at someone's home). …
Marta Bacon 