ah, fall… the rain is here, the darkness comes earlier and lifts later, and the almost-constant grey cloud cover here in the northwest is keeping with the trend. i’m listening to music from the innocence mission and damien jurado and wondering what surprises the season will bring. writing is starting to come out a little more here and there. overall, the mood is darker, more tired and filled with longing…

more and more i’m considering releasing cleansing, my novel-in-progress, primarily as an audio book. i think the material lends itself to the medium, and i’ve also been inspired lately listening to garrison keillor’s lake wobegon series of audio recordings, something i grew up with, and his voice is so calming and adds so much depth to the stories he tells… of course, my material is of a much different style, though as it is written in a first-person form, it does allow for a story-teller narrative to add that extra dimension, to paint a more nuanced picture in the mind. i think it also makes more sense when considering my previous idea of releasing this over time through an online subscription service, as written word pieces will probably just aggravate readers who would hate having to stop for a week or two after each chapter, whereas a spoken word podcast would give them more to look forward to. [if anyone has any thoughts/feedback on this idea, please leave your comments below!]

this last week i went out and did a photo shoot with one of my co. of H clients, dj clint kuper, and got some great portrait images i’ll be posting to the site here eventually along with a link to his new myspace profile i’m in the process of designing/developing. for now, check him out at kuperentertainment.com[also designed by yours truly] if you’re looking for a great, professional dj for any parties or events you might be planning here in the NW.

simple pleasures like cigarettes and coffee with an old friend, and the infectious, joyful smile of a toddler are sometimes the most priceless and unexpected blessings on an otherwise bad/melancholy day. they also remind me why i love this season so much – thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. after working retail for the last few years, christmas doesn’t seem to bring any joy to me anymore, but over the last few years i’ve been trying to get better at using the thanksgiving holiday to let the people i love and appreciate know by giving them notes and/or small unexpected gifts. not only does it add meaning to the thanksgiving holiday, it helps to counter-balance my seemingly selfish-slash-grinchlike abstinence from the commercialized christmas festivities.

finally, here’s a short piece i wrote in the park the other day… it’s called shadow and is just an observation of my feelings about fall. it’s a bit sappy and sentimental, but you’re welcome to check it out if you’re so inclined: shadow[PDF].

-aytch

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