So here we are, two weeks in a row! Above is the very first attempt I made at any kind of autobio work, done shortly after another viewing of Terence Mallick’s TREE OF LIFE. This may have been what caught Street Noise Books’ eye, but I can’t confirm. I suppose I could just ask Liz, but I’ll let this mystery simmer.

I want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by CAKE this last weekend, it was warm and muggy in there and for some it was a journey to get to, so I’m glad you swung by. If you didn’t, no worries! I had just gotten done with the 2nd book I did for the Newberry and my brain was fried anyway.

Speaking of which, that Newberry event is coming up - Thursday, September 12th at the Library itself, the opening of the “Indigenous Chicago” exhibit, open to the public! The show will run through January but if you’d like to be at the event you just gotta register and say hi to myself and the other fine folks who made it possible - including the amazing artists Camille Billie and Jason Wesaw! You’ll be able to read both comics I worked on for the show - PAPER CUTS, about my journey of digging into the past and how the project knocked me on my butt; and INDIGENOUS CHICAGO, a book written by very smart people about the Indigenous history of this city and illustrated by myself, a man of medium intelligence.

Two days later, that’s Saturday the 14th, folks, I’ll be at the South Side Lit Fest, hosted by the CPL! I’ll be reading from COME HOME, INDIO and marveling that I’m included in the company of such fine writers. Hope to see you there.