I’ve posted (as a page) my favorite story of this cycle… The Wall, 1973. It’s been written for a while, based on journal entries, but keep tweaking it. Finally decided to just post it. It may get further edits.

I deviated a bit from the standard format – introduced the story with a bit of journal. But I think by now, the reader will flow with that, no problems. Hope to get some feedback on these format issues from people who read it… so please comment!

Also am working on, at least mentally, the next chapter/section/piece, “Rockey Alley” – I’m only 3 pages into it, but hope to finish drafting it this weekend. I may begin posting drafts here, identified drafts. All of this is in a sense, draft version. I guess a few of these pieces I feel solid enough about to call done, but most are still malleable in my mind. And the overall order, organization, could radically change when it’s all together. Comments re: that issue would also be appreciated. I like the near-random nature of it, but I don’t want to go so far as to leave the reader wondering what the hell’s happening. Of course, I usually feel that way when reading Toni Morrison, and she gets away with it! Not comparing my writing to hers, of course. But I am inspired by her work, as well as other more obvious people – like Tim O’Brien and Susan Griffin, and recently my friend Sonya Huber – whose creative non-fiction has given me the audacity to try to put my story together.

To all of you who have begun reading this, thanks so much! It has been a long time since I began this work in the warm embrace of a writer’s circle, and I miss that feedback. I am reticent to ask anyone to read it, so I am extremely grateful to those of you who’ve volunteered! I value every response, even if it’s negative. Since I’m treating this as experimental, I need to know what doesn’t work for you.

Thanks! May you all be happy and peaceful! May all beings be happy! Deep gassho!