Antidote to freezing rain and fog over the snowy fields was to make an insane quantity of chili this morning for New Years and to populate the freezer for down the line, 8-9 quarts, 17 ingredients, a black and white on right & classic on left. Should last for months but, if I’m honest, won’t.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and joyful holidays to all my friends far and wide who believe and don’t believe and who don’t much think about it one way or the other. Blessings & kindness to you all—from Henry Poppet and his gentleman’s (sort of) gentleman (me).

Just received my first copy of THE FORGER'S REQUIEM and here it stands alongside its younger siblings on the kitchen table where the trilogy was written! Huge gratitude to everyone at @groveatlantic.bsky.social for their amazing & exemplary support. Publishes soon! Opening line: "We all die alive."

Too much koffee on Katurday, a self-portrait.

Proud parents of the Revenants ghost issue of @conjunctions.bsky.social bsky.social, the two editors holding the first copy. A forever favorite issues of Conjunctions. Atwood, Machado, Stephen Graham Jones, Tremblay, Hand, Evenson, Can Xue, Ben Okri, the contributors are from all over the world.

Under a floating alphabet in class a few Mondays ago, my students posed with Joyce Carol Oates, after discussing her collection ZERO-SUM. Having published 4 of the stories in CONJUNCTIONS, I still got fresh insights from students and author alike. Half the point (more?) of teaching is learning.

Willa Bean above, Henry Poppet below, enjoying their Saturday like the next ringtails and floofies.