Less Than Pulp Special
The "I Forgot to Include Pictures of My Puzzle" Edition
For those curious, here is a photo of the puzzle I forgot to include in the most recent issue of the newsletter. Art is Midsummer Morning by Annie Soudain. The puzzle was published by Flame Tree Publishing, which is a name horror readers should recognize. They’ve put out books by Jonathan Janz, Hunter Shea, and Ramsey Campbell (just to name a few). They also publish those Gothic Fantasy anthologies that collect classic and contemporary works of genre fiction.
The process of putting this puzzle together has been so helpful to keeping my head clear. Finding pieces that match satisfies me so much more than a ‘Like’ on Twitter. It’s because it’s part of a tangible, larger whole. At a thousand pieces, the puzzle is also reteaching me how to be patient, which is something I’ve lost over the last decade as I’ve lived more of my life online.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not leaving social media, and I’m most certainly not giving up this newsletter. It’s just important to remember that these are tools for meeting likeminded friends and readers, not the be all end all.
I want to come back to the “tangible, larger whole.”
I want to come back to patience.
I’ve made it no secret to readers of this newsletter that while I’m proud of the short stories and novellas I’ve published, I’d love to complete a longer piece. A lot of the past few months have been spent brainstorming such a project. There are a few potential ways I can go; it’s simply a matter of choosing which one to pursue first.
I’m in no rush.
Like a thousand-piece puzzle, the meaningful shit takes time.
This week’s Patreon-exclusive bonus episode of Make Your Own Damn Podcast is all about films Jeff and I enjoyed from last year that didn’t make our respective top ten lists. You can check it out here for just a buck.