Note: this was originally sent out on 31 March 2024, but then gremlins got into my newsletter machine and I had to restore everything from an earlier backup. I've now recreated this newsletter as a post on the site, but if you are a subscriber and noticed any discrepancy, that's the story. The gremlins have now been vanquished.

“In March I’ll be rested caught up and human.” — Sylvia Plath

As mentioned in my last edition, I turned off my personal social media firehose for the month of March to focus better on myself and immediate goings-on. I'm still working my way towards home ownership (a nerve-wracking process, to say the least, although nothing has blown up yet), plugging away at a new university class, and I went to St. Louis for a train trip (hence the photo of the giant arch in the sky up there). I am mostly now rested, caught up, and human. I think.

Here is a list of things from March.

1. I posted one list of things I've recently read, watched, and/or listened to: Recently 31 March 2024. Incidentally, there are some real good movies out right about now.
2. My little horror film podcast, Quiet Little Horrors, released two episodes about films exploring sound, music, and making things: Berberian Sound Studio and The Strings.
3. I missed posting a round-up of horror writing opportunities for March (March was weird), but I'm working on one for April. So stay tuned if you're into that sort of thing. Horror writing, not April. Although also April, why not.
4. My selected social media break did not include Instagram and so I would like to recommend two Instagram accounts that have brought me great delight: this adorable Japanese calico named Mike whose chroniclers are delightfully free of any typical Insta style, and this very handsome Turkish vet who loves, loves, loves cats, even the angry ones. You're welcome.
5. One of my goals this year is to push forward some film/video projects and I'm working on some pieces of that now. More to share soon—although if by chance you're around Chicago and you want to pitch in on a short film in the not too-far-future, reach out. It's getting close to "assembling a team" montage time. Bonus points if you have any idea what you're doing, because I don't, really, but I'm figuring it out.
6. I came across an article about Laurie Anderson having a Lou Reed-based LLM chatbot and I have been trying to wrap my mind around it ever since. That's all I got on that one.
7. In late February—on Twin Peaks Day, to be precise—I started rewatching Twin Peaks and it's still one of my favorite things. Have a moment of Badalamenti zen:

I am ending my social media break on the first of April, so see you back around Bluesky, and to a much lesser extent, Twitter. You can reach me by email about that or anything else at [email protected].

Thank you for reading! I'm grateful for you. 🖤