I often think about a film, ‘The Proposition,’ when I think about the desert because it captures the emotions I had as a child in New Mexico; the horror and the air, the quiet and the dog barking at the thing you can’t see underneath the blanket of stars, the first time I saw the Milky Way.

But the apocalypse is at hand, as it always is, and so happy thoughts of childhood get interrupted by the pangs of fear driven rage. I think the end of the world will come in the form of a strip mall. The funny thing is that if there is one thing America still has, it’s land: I think the end is how we use it.

A recent memory I had was driving by a farm in Plainview Texas with a confederate flag in the front yard, and a wind farm in the back.

I remember thinking, “Only in America.”

Oh, and the song you posted -which was beautiful by the way- made me think of an album you might enjoy by Tin Hat Trio called ‘The Rodeo Eroded’ if you haven’t heard it.

Cheers.

More seriously: I’m really impressed with and proud of you for your novel/novella/short stories! Not that that’s anything new… You seem to be more and more remarkable with time.

So is your program ending? Or just for the year and then you go back?

Yes.

Helps to have that lighthouse. Always glowing, guiding. Writing is other things, like thinking or being silent while other people talk. It gets to be like living, which really aids the whole “dedicated” thing.

Of course, your word counts are still remarkable. And enviable. I’d love to read a generation/apocalypse essay from your brain.