“I’m always writing about the same thing, which is the human condition.” — Terry Brooks, fantasy author, WorldCon 2025 Hello friends, I’m writing this from WorldCon—the World Science Fiction and Fantasy convention—in Seattle Washington. I’ve listened to some interesting panels and talks so far: on Indigenous futures, on Afrofuturism, on the unsung heroes of the space program and magical systems in fantasy, plus some indie publishing business panels. I’ve talked with writers and readers both,...
9 days ago • 2 min read
Hello friends, On a walk the other day, I encountered a big metal sign covered in layers of peeling stickers. One read “Don’t look back! You are not going that way!” I snapped a photo and headed forward. But, as intended, the old sticker got me thinking. First, it reminded me of an old card I kept in my office for years. A Mary Engelbreit print, it wasn’t my usual style, but the message was clear. It was a person at a crossroads and the street sign read “Your life,” in one direction and “No...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, In a world that can feel harsh and unforgiving, it is important to ask what feels luscious. What have you planted that has ripened? Is it a relationship? A project? Community? Art? Family? Spiritual practice? Mutual Aid? A book? A song? A garden? Your own self worth? And what are you enjoying? In the northern hemisphere, this is a time of harvest. Too many hoard their harvests. It is up to us to share. The more we share, the more seeds are saved for next year. The more we...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, What does it mean to survive? To build a life against grim odds? To grow beautiful, despite hardship? To band together with others like you, however distant? On a recent walk, I stopped, mid-conversation, to wonder at the beauty of a circle of succulents growing from a rock wall. Amazing, that such a beautiful thing could find a way to live in what would seem to me to be difficult conditions to thrive. Not only was there scant soil—between the cracks, somehow?—but the plant...
30 days ago • 1 min read
Note: this missive is one day late because I was so out of it yesterday from round two of a shingles vaccine, I completely forgot! Hello friends, The world lost two powerful, compassionate people this past week, Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson and Buddhist teacher Joanna Macy. Both of them found power in the world around us and in the human experience. “If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for this life is even greater...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, Folklore tells us of magical cities and villages that appear out of nowhere, and disappear again. I like to think that these stories are rooted in real events and real communities. I myself, have found magic in such places, time and time again. Last week, I was off grid at a lovely camping event in a small valley surrounded by tree filled mountains. There was a creek, and on the forest paths, some community members had planted ceramic toadstools, squirrels embracing acorns, and...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, As you read this, I'm out camping with friends outside of cell and wifi range. So, to simplify things this week, I'm leaving you one photo and a podcast! First, the photo. It's from one of those moments where I'm reminded, once again, amidst the very real horrors, how much I love this world. Just look at that bumblebee on those bright pink sweat pea flowers. Amazing, yes? Photo: Bumblebee on Sweetpeas Next, I wanted to share the latest episode of Magic, Creativity, and Life....
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, There’s an artist—or perhaps an arts collective—here in the Pacific Northwest that makes wooden dragon heads with glass teeth and jeweled eyes made of old CDs. The dragons are always painted in bold colors, and attached high up wood utility poles, so it seems as if they are roaring to the sky. I love that part. The roaring to the sky, part. I also love how bright and colorful these dragons are, and how carefully thought out, even if they are made of scraps of wood and outdated...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello friends, It’s a rainy summer solstice here in beautiful Portland, Oregon. The sun is hiding, but, as I move my way around the city, I still see all the ways in which things shine. There are roses in full bloom everywhere. People don’t call this Rose City for nothing. Some roses are fragrant, others, not so much. But each flower is gorgeous in its own way, whether pink, red, yellow, or white. What else is shining? The glint on a crow’s beak. Rain on the sidewalks. People. Yeah. People....
2 months ago • 1 min read