Two recent story acceptances. Feels good.

NBCC member Benjamin Woodard reviewed "Absence" by Issa Quincy and "The Hairdresser's Son," written by Gerbrand Bakker and translated from the Dutch by David Colmer, for On the Seawall:

See ya, Hulu.

It's weird* to teach creative writing and to encourage students to proudly use their voices when every day it seems another prominent voice is muzzled in this country by corporate cowards. *sad, frustrating, upsetting, demoralizing, etc. etc. etc.

Connecticut friends: Join me in celebrating @jasondiamond.bsky.social's new novel, Kaplan's Plot, this Tuesday at RJ Julia in Madison. More info: rjjulia.com/event/jason-...

Two new book reviews at On the Seawall! The first is on Issa Quincy's Absence (@twodollarradio.bsky.social), while the second digs into Gerbrand Bakker's The Hairdresser's Son ( @archipelagobooks.bsky.social). Both novels are well worth your time. www.ronslate.com/on-absence-a...

Two new book reviews at On the Seawall! The first is on Issa Quincy's Absence (@twodollarradio.bsky.social), while the second digs into Gerbrand Bakker's The Hairdresser's Son ( @archipelagobooks.bsky.social). Both novels are well worth your time. www.ronslate.com/on-absence-a...

The Sept/Oct edition of ON THE SEAWALL has just been published. Come on by the gallery & take a look at what we have to show. www.ronslate.com

Junior Mints (smuggled in from the Dollar Tree)

Picked about one million (give or take) blackberries from our vines today, which was the soothing my soul needed.

Buy a book from Stanchion! They're great!

Every semester, I hide a free bonus point opportunity in my syllabus for careful readers to find. All they have to do is email me a picture of an animal that I swap in each semester. It's a win-win: they get a bonus point & when I'm super stressed, suddenly a goofy animal photo pops up in my inbox.

My jury duty summons says to report at 1:05am, so I better get to meet judge Harry Stone and the rest of the Night Court gang when I show up.

Here's what happens when you let AI write your movie reviews:

Another year of teaching begins.

Due to the all caps, I can only read the text on Jen's Lemon Drops in the voice of Gordon Cole.

Watching The Limey for about the 50th time. Terence Stamp is so good in this one. R.I.P. (Also, Soderbergh uses some excellent Nicholas Roeg editing techniques to cut it all together.)

At the "maybe Tai Chi will help relieve some of this massive stress" point of my mid-40s.

This morning's Google search: "Typical length rubber chicken" I swear it is for a story.

It's sad that this "Peanuts" strip from January 3, 1967, continues to be relevant.

“I asked chatgpt” well i asked your wife. She’s leaving you, Steve; for being such a massive loser

Life has been up and down lately, but I ate the first ripe blackberry off of our vines this evening, so it isn't all bad.

Cancel Netflix for a month and send that $20 to PBS/NPR.

Cancel Netflix for a month and send that $20 to PBS/NPR.

Pleased as punch to have a new story in the latest issue of @funfunfunicular.bsky.social! Big thanks to everyone involved. The issue looks terrific.

Pleased as punch to have a new story in the latest issue of @funfunfunicular.bsky.social! Big thanks to everyone involved. The issue looks terrific.

Damn right I plunked down $3 to buy a giant stack of 80s and 90s promo postcards. Will start mailing these puppies out soon!

Hat tip to the person reading a book in the rain who just walked by our house.

Today's T for the 4th:

I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE. This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined. It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.

I sailed over my Pride month goal, but you can still join for irreverent, queer travel content twice monthly! 🌈

Final vote. 50-50. VP breaks the tie. One single GOP Senator could have stopped this abomination. Saved millions of parents from watching their child go hungry. Saved the lives destroyed when Medicaid disappears. They will all live forever with the horror of this bill.

She's here. Funicular 17 is ready. www.funicularmagazine.com/shop/funicul...

After running in "feels like 115 degrees" yesterday, I am spending today in a very cool (as in air-conditioned) coffee shop/bar, revising.

It's over 100 degrees, the world is in shambles, but it's FB Marketplace that consistently provides me with new nightmares:

Wow so you’re telling me everyone who cheered on the Iraq war is on board with this now too? And so are the people who opposed the Iran nuclear deal and killed it? You’re kidding.

If you were too young in 2003 here is what Bush told the American people: 1) The Iraq War won’t cost a lot of money 3) We won’t need a lot of troops 4) We’ll bring peace and freedom to Iraq 5) We’ll find WMDs 6) We’ll be welcomed as liberators 7) It will be easy 8) It won’t take long All lies.

Ugh, this makes my brain hurt.

Friday night when you're over 40.

So excited for my writing group pal Julie, who has a great, weird story over at BOOTH: "According to Gorsome’s article, a taxidermy procedure developed around 1550 is responsible for our nation’s current obsession with guns." booth.butler.edu/2025/06/06/g...

so we should definitely distribute this to grade schoolers with developing brains, is what I'm hearing

Breaking: The Trevor Project received a stop-work order last night on its contract with the national 988 suicide prevention hotline. The Trump administration is eliminating the option for LGBTQ callers to the hotline to press 3 and connect with someone who specializes in LGBTQ mental health.

Trying to write in this coffee shop, but they're showing old episodes of the Legend of Zelda cartoon on the TV across the room, so I think I'm done for.

TOMORROW!!

[Exit King.]

Happy Friday the 13th to those who celebrate.

Wouldn't it be nice?