What does it say about me as an author when I have yet to participate in a #BannedBooksWeek series?
Nothing, really.
In fact, it wasn’t until this morning that I learned what #MSWL was.
The current political climate in the United States is horrific, to say the least. As the frequency of the call for book bans from the Republican party rises, it’s no wonder that I feel less confident, and let’s be honest – less safe, in the idea of opening my own independent bookstore here in Arizona, much less anywhere else in the country.
“This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.”
Did you know that HarperCollins recently collected only the Miss Marple ones into a single volume? Weighs more than 15 pounds!!
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About the Author
Jacob Thomas Father, Author, Professional Procrastinator
Hmm. What should you know about me? I wonder. AHA!! I got it! I…(a few hours later)… am the author of the picture book Over The Creek (2019). I like blogging. I’m a professional procrastinator (oh, come on – all of us are). Oh, and I am a proud father of a really cool daughter. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here writing weird posts and posts about books and writing related stuff.
Writing advice? Um. Let’s see…my advice would be … poof!! …cliffhanger!!
Fruit tea sampler. Medical marijuana. Fall is just around the corner. Late afternoon weather today. A moment of bliss. The pain subsides as I pick up games I put off for weeks. Grateful.
Recently, I talked about the #AuthorAugust22 challenge and what meant for me. Well, like anything that is good, there comes the bad. Consequently, overcoming a writing block during the worst month of the year for me meant reflecting “on paper” why. It left me in a mental and emotional slump. A consequence of the slump is taking care of myself much less. I can’t “see” beyond that day; unable to plan or structure it out. This afternoon, the “moment” came.
You know it – it’s the moment of clarity; it’s when you know the “end” is in sight.
Tomorrow is ready to go.
Everything from the moment I wake up to how I will be ending my day, getting ready for work the following day.
It isn’t much but I find these moments wonderful for me. Since being on this suggested medical marijuana regimen and tea, chronic pain, anxiety and other mental health episodes drop by a good amount. I can get some better sleep.
Of course, marijuana (medical or otherwise) isn’t for everyone. This has only been my journey with it so far. And dare I say that it has been instrumental in keeping myself balanced through the worst month of the year for me.
Anyways, thought I’d log this little tidbit of information.
Did you know that HarperCollins recently collected only the Miss Marple ones into a single volume? Weighs more than 15 pounds!!
Latest Spotify Playlist
About the Author
Jacob Thomas Father, Author, Professional Procrastinator
Hmm. What should you know about me? I wonder. AHA!! I got it! I…(a few hours later)… am the author of the picture book Over The Creek (2019). I like blogging. I’m a professional procrastinator (oh, come on – all of us are). Oh, and I am a proud father of a really cool daughter. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here writing weird posts and posts about books and writing related stuff.
Writing advice? Um. Let’s see…my advice would be … poof!! …cliffhanger!!
Did you know it was Agatha Christie’s birthday today? Yep! That’s right!
The infamous murder mystery/detective fiction author was born on this day, September 15th, 1890 in Torquay, a seaside town in Devon, England.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap. Wild!!
My personal favorite books from her are the Poirot series.
Agatha had a great love for archaeology it inspired three of her most famous novels, Murder on the Orient Express (1934), Murder in Mesopotamia (1936), and Death on the Nile (1937).
Christie learned her poisons while working as an “apothecaries’ assistant” during World War I and at the University College Hospital.
Like many writers, she based many of her characters on real people. Famously, Miss Marple was based on Christie’s grandmother.
That’s pretty neat, right?
It would be kind of cool to collect her books again. Did you know that HarperCollins recently collected only the Miss Marple ones into a single volume? It weighs more than 15 pounds and has a total of 4,000 pages!
I highly recommend checking out the official online home for Agatha Christie for more fun facts, books, shops, and much more.
A few weeks ago, I announced I had sold my marketing business. Towards the end of that same announcement, I made it known my “next adventure” would be opening up a bookstore. Or at the very least, start with a mobile bookstore and build up from there. Fast forward to the morning of September 14th, 2022, I feel the least amount of confidence getting started in the aforementioned adventure.
What changed?
Well, the publishing industry kind of changed. And in certain cases, not for the better. However, an author friend assured me that now is the perfect time for building the mobile bookstore; “fill in the gaps” sort of speak. Those gaps come in the form of the publishing industry promising more diversity, and more inclusion. But, years later, there’s still a wide gap in representation. Does this coincide with book bans taking place in almost half of the states?
Arizona, my home state, unfortunately, has a history of book bans. That has also included the Latinx community as well. In recent years, ironically enough, these book bans fall in line with some of the least educated politicians.
“Christian” advocacy group, Family Watch International, is well known for its stances on homosexuality and anti-sex education views. And unfortunately, lobby against measures spreading awareness for children 10 and older. Thankfully, though, the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated Family Watch International as a hate group due to its vehemently anti-LGBTQIA+ views.
What does all of this have to do with opening my own independent bookstore?
Great question.
According to the latest census data, the majority populace identifies as “conservative republican.” From that same fact, and given that party’s anti-LGBTQIA+ history, up to and including hateful rhetoric and book bans, I am much less confident in spending the time, effort, and finances, on building a bookstore where all are welcome regardless of background. I’ll be a target. Now, I must ask myself, “Am I willing to make myself an open target?”. Truth be told, I’m relatively used to being a target for hate.
In 2009, when I left the military, there was still plenty of hate. It wouldn’t be another nine years until I officially came out as bisexual. And another four years before coming out as genderfluid. Let’s not forget disabilities, too. At least these hate groups have a variety to work with, am I right (sarcasm)?
What does it say about me if I am afraid of opening a bookstore/cafe? Am I letting these hate groups, conservatives, and repugnicant’s win by not creating a safe space while following my life’s passion? Maybe. Maybe not. Because this goes beyond book bans and (mostly) empty threats. These same people wish for the erasure of my and my communities existence. It’s only logical keeping up with my life’s passion is a huge middle finger to their faces, right?
For thirty-one straight days, I posted a prompt response from a romance author’s 31-day prompt challenge. It was a lot of fun. And revealing. Keeping up with each day was definitely a challenge. With work, taking care of my daughter, other day-to-day matters, and so on, I’m surprised I managed as well as I did. I say that because the month of August officially became the worst month of the year for me due to the fact I lost my brother on August 27th, 2017, my father on August 30th, 2021, and now my brother-in-law in mid-August 2022.
As I said, it was revealing. For so long, I was keeping myself down, keeping myself on the ground any time I felt good about any direction in my life. I lacked discipline. And it became a culture clash. It was a culture clash between the “millennials focusing on themselves over others first” and “military-style discipline.” Oh, yeah, I’m a former military service member. If you’re new here, enjoy that fun fact. Couple all of that with a gender identity crisis while trying to be the best father, and, well, “mother”, too and you have a recipe for a “disaster border-line elder millennial.”
Wow, that was a tangent.
How does that relate to the month of August?
You see, it was June 2009 when I left the military. I felt that the events that took place that August set the tone for the next decade. Which I will not get into in full detail here.
The problem is I have a tendency for holding myself up too long on the negative side of what we individually perceive as “life.” Doing so made my ADHD all the worse. This led to piling notebooks, incomplete projects, jumping from hobby to hobby, and the list goes on. But in July this year, I told myself I would step back and allow myself to grieve, to find some resemblance of peace with the past. Something hit me, though. I don’t know what it was but it was enough of a spark for finding a balance between enjoying what I love doing (which is writing) and making peace with the past. I felt that came in the form of the 31-day challenge.
Mariah’s 31-day prompt series, I felt, gave me that space for finding the balance I needed most in my life. It was revealing in the fact that the only thing stopping me from reaching my writing goals was me. Writing something each and every day was better than writing nothing at all. I didn’t have to spend much time mulling over each day’s prompt. And that’s big for me. Finding the confidence in my writing once again felt wonderful. I owe that to them.
Writing the final prompt was a mix of emotions. It felt bittersweet. It felt like a giant relief. But most of all I felt proud of myself. Seeing how it has been such a long time since I felt such a feeling, it felt “new” and without question.
“This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.”
