Author’s Note

Good things are happening. Stay tuned.

Letter To The Editor

An Early Summer Update

I won’t lie to you. It has been awhile. Sorry about it.

More and more it occurs to me that this blog is turning into a live/work function. I mean that it’s my news ticker when something personally cool dislodges, rumbles around and finally occurs. Like bringing home a shiny new puppy to love and love and love. Or, winning a beauty pageant. (I have nothing to link to. That one hasn’t happened yet.)

In any event, I’ve been letting my daily crazies and finds and inspirations freakishly fly at my Tumblr blog and long-time followers (if any remain) and new supporters (if any exist) are more than welcome to visit me there. That would be aces.

Now for the news-y stuff!

Those that have made that Tumblr trek already may be familiar, but those that have stayed loyal to this hub, or those that have stumbled across me here only now may not know: I have written a collection of illustrated short stories. Above, as well as throughout this site, you’ll see some of the illustrations that may or may not be included in the book! Ooh, it’s a like a total mystery.

What is not a mystery, though, is that the artwork is all done, fantastically so, by the very large hand of Ian Dingman. He has a gift, and he’s allowed me to mooch off of it and write short stories inspired by his illustrations. You’ll find a few examples, which—again—may or may not be included in the final book, of this charming idea via the glamorous stories section on this here website of the Internet.

The stories have taken on a variety of shapes and sizes and lengths, as well as explored different themes and tones and styles in the telling. But it’s always been about making something inspired, something beautiful and unique.  The writing process started a little over a year ago and picked up decidedly more steam just in the last four months. It’s been a labor and a massive confidence game to sit alone and tell myself that I was a worthy enough creator to debut a polished story collection. I still falter.

I set June 1 as my deadline to have the vast majority of writing done. I’m quite proud that next week I will be able to say that I am a very good boy in having done so. There will be bits and bobs that remain, as you shouldn’t really rush creativity, but the building blocks will be set into the ground. June will be a month of editing and tweaking and polishing as you would a pair of old shoes or something impossibly scuffed. Out the other side, blazing into July, the idea is to hold a sharpened stack of paper which can then be transformed just a bit more, morphed if you will, until it’s a stack of paper that you—yes, you!—can hold in your very hands. It’s a lot like magic, and I’m almost there. Ta-dah!

I believe this is the first official announcement here that a book is coming. We don’t have a title yet because we plan to arm wrestle over it later. I did want to announce it though. The quiet and the sound of crickets around here is not for lack of hard work or interest. I’m at this desk almost every day, very much like today, smelling like lemons:

Thanks for stopping by! Thanks, perhaps, also for the support and encouragement and personal interest in my work, or Ian’s work or the mating habits of mammals. And thanks for not sending me hate mail or telling me that I suck. Yeah. Most importantly, thanks for that.

Later on.

Apartment Therapy

My mind was captured by writer’s block today, so I decided to take a break and a buncha photos of our home. I filled out a little application and sent them to Apartment Therapy’s House Tours. Maybe they’ll pick us and want to showcase our place to their readers. Maybe they won’t.

In any case, I wanted to share them here. I feel like we put a lot of effort into making this place great, and it hasn’t been easy because our tastes are actually dissimilar when it comes to furnishing. I love color, vintage and cozy. Cameron seems to get into things that are more modern, muted and minimal. In fact, a loft probably would not be my first choice for a home. Everyone always groans but I say it’s too much space. Hence: I <3 cozy.

And yet, I think this place has really come to represent the both of us.

The upstairs office space overlooking the living room is mine, so it’s certainly more colorful and whimsical than the rest of the house. I feel, in a way, like it’s set apart. I love it very much. It’s some sort of luxury to finally have a creative work area in my home.

Cameron’s touches are elsewhere, like in our very minimal bedroom and the dark Shepard Fairey prints hanging in the dining room. The living room, meanwhile, is a blend of both our worlds.

We’re constantly thinking of new additions, improvements or, in my case, projects to convince the other to try. For example, I really want to wallpaper a wall in our guest bedroom (not shown) similar to a room at New York’s Ace Hotel.

It’s fun when you can put creative energy into your home, even better to make it reflect who you are. I’m really proud of what we have accomplished, and I love it here.

UPDATE: You can now see our official Apartment Therapy House Tour!

Ninja

Ninja!

I’d like to introduce you to our new puppy! We rescued her yesterday from Spot! Los Angeles after meeting her on Sunday at a sidewalk adoption event on Larchmont. We didn’t go there to adopt a puppy—or even look at them—but when we saw her we had to hold her, and after that we just couldn’t pass her up. I could not stop thinking about her all Sunday after filling out the application. We’d considered getting a dog for quite awhile, but I honestly never expected we’d have one right now. She’s exactly what we wanted, though, and we just knew we needed to get her and make it work.

Cameron grew up with a great dog and a few of our friends have dogs, but she’s my first dog. She is still getting used to her new home, 14 weeks old and a terrier mix. She weighs just 8.5 pounds right now, but she might get up to about 15 (maybe a little bit more).

She wants you to know that she doesn’t care for her new orange collar, but she loves her krinkle toy, the sun and back rubs.