cold front
So yes, I technically did promise to have a pamphlet out by the first of January, 2026. And yes, I am a bit late on that.
let me explain.
Those of you who know, know, and you also know I like to be relatively private. Suffice it to say, things could be better… but they could also be a whole lot worse.
I see the stars every night for the first time in forever. I’ve been cooking over fires with friends for the first time in even longer. On the other hand, it’s fucking cold. And descending.
I haven’t exactly had consistent access to my— or any— workstation lately (forgive typos please, I’m typing this on a phone), but I still want to acknowledge that I did get something out— a preview draft shared with trusted peers and TKG for review (and resultant full approval!). I have collected some notes, and have just a little more work to do before I have something I feel comfortable publishing.
(If you don’t have an image here it’s because I haven’t had access to the file to take a screenshot— someone remind me to do that, will ya?)
I think it’s headed in a good direction.
I’ve spent most of my time the past few days splitting wood in preparation for a winter storm coming this weekend—I am NOT looking forward to this, probably for the first time in my entire life. Things are otherwise looking up, however.
I’m also behind on work for a fanzine for OVER//UNDER. Speaking of, y’all aren’t going to believe this shit:
So I was working on type on my phone— collaging from Library of Congress archives
PHONE DIES
So I go to use my laptop and pull up Affinity— THEN THE SCREEN WON’T TURN ON
So I go to the local thrift store, and they have a vintage typewriter…. perfect
IT’S 85 USD
So I ask if I can just use it, they say yes (yes!)
THE RIBBON SELECTOR IS STUCK
So I’ve repaired the ribbon selector…. and it works!
The clerk tells me I can use the machine right there, so I begin typing…
And THEY GET ANNOYED BY THE NOISE.
“Oh, I didn’t realize this was a whole project.”
ma’am, I’m typing two pages.
So I ask where else I can type, and luckily, with my ID and stuff as collateral, there’s an “artist station”… perfect!
“HEY, IS THIS WHERE THE BIRTHDAY PARTY IS??”
Now my room is filling with people and children I don’t know, and more importantly, a staff member is informing me that the room is “reserved from this moment onward”.
So I beg for a place to just do my work in peace for a few minutes, and they quietly escort me to the staff room… excellent
STAFF ARE QUIETLY EATING LUNCH IN THERE
To my great delight, however, the staff member in question was super cool, and seemed at least semi-interested in the work.
Anyway, some scanning later and here we are.
I just wanted to clue y’all in as to what’s going on in the world of me.
(p.s. organize with your neighbors. shit is getting heavy. It’s deadly important that you prepare BEFORE you have to. If you can reasonably see yourself requiring a skill or relationship in the future to resist what’s coming, you owe it to yourself and the people around you to start NOW. Not tomorrow. Not next week. NOT when they drag your family into the street. NOW. Don’t confuse “voting” every few years, or yapping on social media for THE WORK. Find an org or an initiative near you and JOIN it– if there isn’t one, MAKE it– if you can’t, FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN. Start reading if you can, teaching if you can, learning together in a collaborative process. Not everyone can do everything, but EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING.
You can’t rely on other people to come save you. But you have to rely on other people to help you save yourselves, collectively. I know things are scary, and talking about it is tiring and depressing. Don’t lose the plot though: together, we can weather any storm.)