Soft Wolf EP -- written and recorded in June 2017

I've been making a lot of music this summer. Here is a new six-song EP I put together this June:

Lyrics -- Last Wolf I (forthcoming)

1 last wolf I

out there on the land

in the shadow 

in the stark white light

offset by darkness

in a staked plain motel

i lie on the bed

in blue and red shadows

and stare at the mirrors

and what's in the mirror? (x8)

it was the last wolf (x 4)

out there in the weeds

where the buffalo died

in petroleum hills

where the millions

near the boarded up mall

at the edge of town

in the wind tousled grass

is a lesson to heed

and what's in the mirror? (x8)

it was the last wolf (x 8)

Excerpt -- "Roots" -- nonfiction

The ephemerality of life and the resiliency of nature and the healing power of the wild and -- it was at this moment that a boot-sharpened root, protruding from the trail, split the distance between two toes and pierced the soft skin deep, deeper, deepest, pulling me out of reverie as I yelped in pain, tossed down my walking poles, cursed the goddamn trail and the goddamn forest and the goddamn moron who wore Chacos into the wilderness. 

Sunset - excerpt

 It is sunset and my fear grows.

"Sinclair" - Excerpt

"Dude, there's a camera right there. Right there in the corner. I can't help it if you don't see it. It's right there. I see it. They're filming you right now. So, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna steal my car, or are you gonna get the hell out of here? They're filming you talking to me right now. Make up your fucking mind."

The guy runs, I get gas, there's no camera.

Sickness / Music

Since the semester ended I have been sick. Twice. My body is decompressing. Or emitting. Or simply weak and tired after nine months of teaching.

After two semesters where every moment of my life had to be scheduled, the freedom of summer presents its own problem: I struggle to maintain a routine. I don't mind temporary aimlessness, but something about it scares me. Call me A-type, I guess. Or focus-driven. Or death-conscious.

During times like this, I don't write as much as I'd like.

Instead, I make music.

The process of creating and recording music is controlled chaos, which is what I need to help stave off the blues, and to assist with my emergence from the gauzy cocoon of constant obligation into the dangerous beauty of three months off.

Here is my latest therapy song. It is part of an unfinished 3-song EP inspired by a week's worth of Sister Bar and reverb and pilsner.

Here's a little song

Here's a quick little rock 'n roll number I whipped up yesterday to start the summer off:

Fuguers Cove - Comfort Seeds 

Manzano Mountain Review is seeking submissions

Writers: 

I am the founder and co-editor of Manzano Mountain Review (MMR). We are seeking submissions for our first issue.

We accept flash fiction, poetry, short stories and literary nonfiction.

• For poetry: Submit up to 3 pieces at a time, but no more than 10 pages. 
• For flash fiction: Submit up to 3 pieces at a time (totaling no more than 1,000 words)
• For longer prose: 3,000 words is our max.
• For Visual art/photography: Submit work in jpg form (no more than one sub every three months).

All work must be unpublished.

The caveat: You must be a current or former New Mexico resident.

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies!

The Point Blank Podcast is coming together

This summer, a friend and I will record episode 1-4 of the Point Blank Podcast. Each episode of Point Blank will offer commentary and analysis on a seminal noir, hardboiled, or detective fiction novel. We can't wait to do it and we look forward to sharing it with you. More details when we have them.