Asheville, North Carolina, is a tolerant and artistic town. I can imagine that there are BC readers or authors who were there or nearby and are now struggling. Let us hope they are alive and able to recover, and if we learn of anyone, do what we can to help them.
First, a warm welcome back to the talented Rylee Skye who has returned, continuing with Dear Ariel.
If you’re not familiar with the stories, I can’t recommend them highly enough. Rylee has a rare talent for covering what could easily be sordid and disturbing, with taste and grace. The story is intimate in scope, heartbreaking in circumstances, but uplifting in the characters’ growth beyond them. Its people are so profoundly human and so clearly drawn. The writing and editing are flawless.
Responding to the recent attack & resulting downtime cannot have helped the budget, while distracting the admins from asking, so I will: please use the Hatbox links if you are able.
If you use PayPal, as some of us do to help fund this site, please be careful about phishing. I spotted an exceptionally well-crafted attempt where the second “a” of “PayPal” was replaced by the IPA schwa symbol: depending on font, nearly indistinguishable without keen eyes.
In a week we’ve gone from 70 degrees (21 C) to major freezing-rain damage and back. Roof remained watertight though the live oaks took a severe natural pruning; not their first and still likely long to outlive me. I must have imagined the cold dark house, since the governor swears on his Lone Star that our energy system is robust, but that’s back too.
I remember proudly singing that song on stage at Main Street Church kindergarten, beating sticks together while dressed in a tiny red vest, string tie, and cowboy hat. I don’t remember now if I had boots, or what girls got to wear.
Interesting exhibit of that title on spirituality, body image, and multiple/non-binary gender, at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco through Jul 29. Might offer some inspiration.
Amazon sells pretty much everything, including toilets, which ship free. So even when buying building supplies, please do as I did and use the BC link so the crew who keep this place running will get their commission.
Here’s an idea that I won’t have time to pursue (found a job, yay!): a serial, working title “128 shades of gray” featuring 128 transformations each involving one of the traits in the title of the book “The 7 Sexes: Biology of Sex Determination.” (Yes, there are such sequences; they are called Gray Codes.)
If you've forgotten the plot of Roomies due to Kat's breaks in posting, start over! This is a tale that repays a second look. Great stuff there that I missed the first time. Seriously. Go. Read. It. Again.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
