Spooky Season Slime Season Silly Season
Things are not ok
Everything going on in the world right now is too much.
My moral compass and my emotional responses are hopelessly linked.
The pathetic privilege of witnessing the news and seeking an escape.
I don’t know, guys. I don’t feel ok about any of it, but does how anyone feels about any of it even matter?
*
In the meantime I keep having beautiful experiences.
Going to Voidcon and meeting so many of my amazing writers in person.
Finding blewit mushrooms and trying them for the first time.
Talking with the dryly hilarious Mallory Smart on her Textual Healing podcast.
Learning how to feed our new pet ball python thawed frozen rats.
Judging a horror film festival and deciding who wins the “best puke” award.
Reading some of my stuff later this week with Providence friends at one of my favorite book shops, Riffraff.
Dad stuff. Spouse stuff. Friend stuff.
But also: work stuff.
I’ve been interviewed about my work stuff by CNN, NPR, the Washington Post, and a many others.
I won’t go into it here, but if I let it the way things are going fills me with such sorrow and fury.
I don’t just mean the election.
If I couldn’t make art, I don’t know what I’d do.
Though I’ve struggled over the past month to find time to make art.
I tried observing spooky season by checking out some new-to-me horror movies but they were so dumb I couldn’t stand it.
I couldn’t stand it because the “this is so dumb I can’t stand it” feeling is a feeling I get from the real world I’m trying to escape by putting on a horror movie.
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I hope you have a delightful Halloween.
And like sorry if this is cringe but like, if you’re in the US you should vote.
And like, don’t fuck it up, ok?
I don’t expect anyone to feel ok about any of it.
But does how anyone feels about any of it even matter?
Good luck out there,
Rick
P.S. If you like what I’m up to, show your support by picking up a book, subscribing to my newsletter, or sharing my stuff with a friend.