The last couple of days have been overly humid, occasionally stormy, and filled with pops that may be fireworks, may be gunshots for all we know. I am staying close to home, the world too caustic and bloody lately. On Monday, I worked, having taken a long weekend since Friday, but also because there does not seem to be much of anything to celebrate, and Monday's events just a few miles north of the city solidified that. It feels like this most 4ths of July in the last half decade or so. I am not so proud to be an American when my America looks like this---a huge flag waving over strewn lawn chairs and children's lost shoes. if there is anything more American I don't know what is.
Other than that, I am working through author copies, orders, and writing pieces. Yesterday Antigone, today, the Artemis Temple at Ephesus. The latter an undeniable proof that the Christians ruined all the fun when they swept through Greek/Roman territories and replaced the pagan traditions that preceded them. I am tired of pretending that the steady push toward religious totalitarianism isn't still happening. As someone secular, on the outside of all of it, I cringe when I hear the endless thoughts and prayers all the while doing absolutely nothing to stop the sort of things that happen from happening. Meanwhile, even the good politicians stand around with their thumbs up their arses.
Summer already seems like its slipping away--and always does after the 4th. The days will be getting shorter, maybe not noticeably just yet, but it will creep steadily toward the fall until one day we look around at 6 pm and it's getting dark. In a month, summer will feel straggly and overgrown, and as much as we welcome it, I'll start getting that tiny yearning for fall. Depending on when you ask me, I will either say September or May is my favorite month, but as a season, fall reigns supreme (if only it wasn't followed by winter.)
Saturday, I debuted the first video poem in the memoir in bone and ink series, and a new one will be unveiled each week through the end of summer. I have about half in the can and am still working on the ones for August. Then there is preparations for automagic to turn my attention to (amazingly I do not already have a cover design, but I kind of know what I want it to look like.) It will be out right before Halloween, being a sort of spooky little book that fits well with the season. granata continues to go well, though the most recent ones need some work before I send them out as submissions.
I do like the storms that blow through each night like clockwork on these sweltering days, calamitous, thundering events that throw leaves and garbage can lids around. Right now, outside a steady downpour and what is maybe thunder, but could also be fireworks somewhere off in the distance.
