What’s Up Jotham?
What happened to Summer? Who cares, Fall is the best, right?
So, What’s going on Jotham?
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Hold up, Summer isn’t over yet—
Okay, okay, summer has 13 more days, and yes I’m going to enjoy every day of it. This newsletter is one day late because I went to the Printers Row Lit Fest yesterday. I was originally going to stay home and work on this newsletter, writing/editing, cleaning the house, etc, but my friend Andrew was going and I decided to join him. We went to a talk by the retired UIC history/ Gender and Women’s studies professor John D’Emilio talking about his new Memoir ‘Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood: Coming of Age in the Sixties’.
Next went to a panel of Horror and Thriller writers, including Cynthia (Cina) Pelayo. Cina and I meet over Twitter (X)/Instagram (I made a lot of writer internet friends during the pandemic online, and it’s been fun finally meeting them in-person). It was exciting to hear Cina read excepts from her new book and talk about how trauma, isolation, and being the other/outsider fuels her horror. Cina is kicking butt (she won a Bram Stoker this year) and I am looking forward to reading her new book, ‘The Shoemaker’s Magician’.
I was on my way out of the festival (I didn’t sell books this year, but if you want one you can go to Amazon or my shop), but wanted to stop by the Chicago Writers Association tent to say hello. Turns out they needed a little help in the tent (the tent director was a little under the weather and running late). So, I jumped in with the other board members to help out until the tent director arrived. It was a great day of books, inspiration and enjoying the company of writers and readers.
To cap the day off I had dinner and a beer with Georgia (atomicnumber14) on the patio of New Oberpflaz Brewpub. I wish every summer day could be like this one.
What else is going on? The next issues of my Creative Life Series is ready to go. I have a new Rabbit Hole of Research issue to drop (all new art work from Georgia/Atomicnumber 14). I am still editing a sequel of ‘Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else?’.
In new writing news, I started writing a new novel, The Ringmaster. Set 120 years from now in a climate ruined/economic depressed future Chicagoland about a traveling carnival whose Ringmaster can make your dreams come true. Think Robin Hood X Water Knife X Something Wicked Comes This Way with the atmosphere of Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. Doing a lot of fun research, very excited. Only a few thousand words in, but this one will be fun. And, I did do some recording, and now I’m editing the audio. A new podcast idea call ‘Openings’—More about that later and hopefully I’ll be posting more this month.
You can always email (I do answer back), click the comment link below, or follow me online for real time tracking. And keep reading to see what I read or listened to when I had time.
What’s Jotham Reading?
Books:
I read six since the last time I checked in (not including the six books I read for the CWA BOTY contest). I read in many genres: Horror (Cina’s reimagining of the Pied Piper). Speculative and Science fiction (cloning and space drama). A great film study of one of my favorite movies, The Thing. A thrilling story about a diver that gets swallowed by a whale, and Seth Godin (marketing, leadership and living a creative life). These were some great reads to take my mind off the tasks at hand.
The Dip: A little book that teaches you when to quit: (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6547148) Seth Godin (Non-Fiction leadership)
Never Let Me Go(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6334): Kazuo Ishiguro (Speculative Fiction)
The Thing (BFI Film Classic) (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1200879): Anne Billson (Film Study)
Children of Chicago (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55878030): Cynthia (Cina) Pelayo (Horror)
Whalefall (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919162): Daniel Kraus (Thriller)
Fractal Noise (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62711641): Christopher Paolini (Science-Fiction)
Comics/Graphic Novels:
I read two graphic novel/comic series. I mentioned last time I went to CAKE (Chicago’s Alternative Comics Expo) with Georgia last month and one of the artist/writers I met was Megan, and her Lady Eudora book was great fun read about a proper woman exploring the world of BDSM. I also read Big Sex Criminal (it’s been in my TBR pile for a year or so)—A couple can stop time when they have an orgasm and decide to rob a bank…
The Lady Eudora Henley (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52740645): Megan Rose Gerdis (Erotic, BDSM)
Big Hard Sex Criminal Vol 1-6 (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24484259): Writer: Matt Fraction, Illustrator: Chip Zdarsky (Sci-Fi)
You can follow me on Goodreads to see what I’m reading next:
What’s Jotham Listening to:
Music:
Just been digging some algorithmic curated apple playlists.
Podcasts:
Here are the four top podcasts I’ve been finding time for (Yes, this is the same list as before, but what can I say these are awesome):
Creative Peptalk by Andy J Pizza (A companion for your creative journey)
Story Nerd: Melanie Hill and Valerie Francis (Story theory and how to use)
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing: Bianca Marais, CeCe Lyra and Carly Waters (Behind the scenes look at publishing industry)
Okay, that’s where I’m at. I’ll try to update y’all every month on books, comics, and music (podcasts) that I’ve been digging! Maybe I need to add shows and movies??? What have y’all been digging?
Find your next favorite book or author with these newsletter giveaways (Reader Magnets), new books, or virtual book-fairs:
Okay, That’s it for this update! The next two issues will be a new post for the Creative Life Series and a new Rabbit Hole of Research.
As always, I am very grateful for your support, and a big Thank You for spending your time with me. I know you have a lot of entertainment options, so thanks. Okay, that’s it for now, but you can always email (I do answer back), click the comment link below, or follow me online for real time tracking and to see what craft beers I’m drinking (find me on Untappd @jomega22). Thanks for reading. Cheers!