August 2026

August is almost over, and for most folks, that means summer is over. In Maine, it also means we can start wearing pants again. For my UK friends, pants are trousers, and not that we don’t wear underwear in Maine in the summer, but I’d be willing to bet some people don't. September is basically warm Fall. We get cool nights and occasionally cool days. I remember school shopping thinking I could wear a sweatshirt to school because it was cool outside. And I remember putting on a sweatshirt without a T-shirt, 100% sure it would stay cool all day. And I would spend 10am and the rest of the day miserable, sweating, and smelling because the sun came out. 

Weird news for August, because I did not get any writing in. There are mushrooms (similar mushrooms in a mix of different countries) that do not have psychedelic chemicals in them but have made folks who eat these mushrooms see actual tiny people. So they are clearly magic and not like the magic mushrooms that have a reputation for helping folks see pretty colors but actual gateway eye-opening mushrooms that let you see what is normally hidden from the human eye. These tiny people can be seen just doing regular stuff like standing and walking. Some claim they see them jumping and swimming in their cereal bowl, so with that. How many tiny people are eaten or squished over the course of a day, and are the ones swimming in our food daredevils who are willing to risk it all for a cool dip in a bowl of milk and crisped rice? That said, I do want to eat some of these mushrooms. Here’s an article link if you are interested in reading about it.: https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/scientists-identify-mushroom-behind-tiny-people-hallucinations/ 

In other news, this time a little frightening, I watched a few clips of the Robot Olympics - News folks are always like "But when can it fold laundry or do my dishes?" My first thought is that they're making robots that can outrun and outfight the fastest, strongest humans... I don't think the ultimate goal is going to be loading your dishwashers and making chores easier... They are going to replace your local police officers and security guards if they do anything at all.

As noted above, writing was not happening this month. It was too hot, and there was too much going on. It’s hard to write when your brain is summer fuzzy. If that sounds like an excuse, it is. I could have done something, but it was too hot, and I did not want to. I’m not a southern writer in a white suit sipping mint juleps in the garden in 100-degree humid heat. I write best when it’s cold, I’m wearing slippers and a sweater, and there’s a hot cup of tea nearby. I did let some ideas stew, though, and I’m reading with intent, so even better. 

So I say reading with intent, but that’s one book. The rest are for fun and the difficult book club. 

For intent, I am reading Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime. This is my first book by her that I have read. I figured that if I wanted to add some mystery to my writing, I should learn from the best.

For the book club, I am reading Dean Spade's Mutual Aid and The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin

For fun, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 

I finished reading The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk. I know what I read, and I enjoyed it, but it was a challenge to finish. I like reading translations, and while it would be best to read the story in its original language, I don’t know it, and I’m likely not going to be able to learn it, and these provide me with insight into writing I may not otherwise have known about. 

For Movies, I did watch Obsession, and I’m glad I did. It’s a good solid horror. Disturbing and heavy but somehow also a bit funny and holy fuck at times. 

I watched a video of a woman visiting a book town in upstate New York. A book town is basically just a small town with a lot of bookstores. It ends with her unironically reading on her iPad after wondering why the town seemed so empty, and the bookstores were having a hard time staying open. Unfortunately, all these used bookstores' inventory is going to be bought up by AI companies when they close. The books will be scanned, fed into the machine, and shredded. Over time, the publishers won't be printing actual books anymore. We'll be living in a world where you can generate a book that will be kind of like the original minus anything that makes current administrations uncomfortable, and you won’t be able to confirm that with an original anymore. The originals will be hidden away in private collections.

Alright, that got too dark, so let’s lighten that up. I watched the new series trailer for Crystal Lake, and while I didn't think I needed a prequel series to the Friday the 13th movies, I actually do. It looks great, and I’m looking forward to its release in October. 

That’s it for August. 

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This is a picture of my neighborhood when it was still becoming a neighborhood. 

(Source: Androscoggin Historical Society / Lewiston Rocks)