Apologizing for not paying adequate attention to a blog is like spitting into a serious headwind. So I'll just skip that mess and pivot to mentioning some of what's been up with my work since I last posted here many months ago.
Earlier this month, I published a cover story in Seattle Weekly. The focus on a number of animal rights activists I've gotten to know over the years served as a news peg upon which to hang a whole range of subjects. There's more coming in that publication and (most likely) others to effectively pull excerpts from the research I'm compiling in my book, Pelting Out. These are volatile times in the fur trade, no matter how beneath the radar that world remains. Stay tuned for much more on that and everything book-related.
Thanks are due to everyone who've repeatedly asked about my Field Agent work with Atlas Obscura in Seattle. I haven't put together another event since my fourth ran in May. Those ideas continue to percolate. However, a refocus upon my writing through the summer and fall was required. I continue to keep an eye on the good work being done by AO here and internationally. A cash infusion in August from A&E Network and their associated VCs means AO's platform will continue to build out into the multimedia landscape. If you haven't checked out what they're up to recently, please do so.
I'll post some of the media exposure I earned from my "Grunge Redux" idea elsewhere on this site. What's become obvious to me is an unmet demand for thoughtful, regularly-scheduled walking/talking/interactive tours of Seattle. Since my first grunge-era tour in March, I've led a number of fascinating groups around the City. The education proved to be a two-way street. Thanks to the help of many experts and new friends, I've added countless stories to that burgeoning quiver. What started for me as a labor of love morphed into a portal to better understand Seattle's broader cultural history. In the near future, I'm planning to launch a more direct website for scheduling regular experiences under the umbrella of my "Grunge Redux" history. Stay tuned for more on that...or lob me a question if you're interested in what's coming down that pike...I've got some fun things planned.
On a personal note, I'm also excited about being back in school, heading to Italy for a family trip in November, and the prospect of reviving my much-shared YearEnder for 2017. With everything we've been collectively living through, social satire seems like a healthy avenue for exploration. "May you live in interesting times" seems like both useful wisdom and "be careful what you wish for" up-to-the-moment advice. We all cope as we must. I tell stories. And I will continue to do so.
