HAPPY JANUARY!Warning this news letter contains some feline drug use, and a few cats.I hope you are all keeping well in these scary times. As the world goes crazy and turns off kilter let’s try to be grateful for the beautiful world we still have.I have two publications to mention.One, glad to be in BLACK CAT WEEKLY, with, “The Circle.” A hard science fiction tale about an apocalypse that could save us. I just sold a grim little story to a magazine called, Short Beasts, who,”like the humorous twist at the end.” They have a very odd sense of humor.I am previewing it for you here. Please let me know, do you think it’s funny?I might start posting stories and images like these on STORY/POEM/ART substack, and of course, if you enjoy itLet me know.Subscribe.Share with friends or enemiesThe Great SimplificationThe world was too complex. It had collapsed in on itself, or perhaps we had collapsed in on it with our continually increasing mass and our ever-expanding technology.We had smothered it with our exhaust. We had exhausted it with our ideas. We had weighed it down with our words. Almost we destroyed it. There were wars and more wars. There was dissent and hate.It wasn’t a nuclear bomb. Nothing so big. Nothing so final. No, the end came slowly like a smoky sky after a fire.A few hid away, burrowed underground, survived the wars. They lived on roots and tubers, and after eons they became mole-like creatures with pointy shrew faces and milky-blind eyes. They were harmless, these mole-folk, but horrible to look upon.Others hid in caves. They retained their human form. And in time the world began to recover.And the survivors emerged from caverns and beneath the earth, like grateful cicadas. They grew gardens and had children, and their children had children. And the world was simpler.But governments grow like weeds, even when they are not desired, especially when they are not desired. And like weeds, uncultivated governments, springing from dry earth without water or care can be dangerous.It started well, perhaps most things do. A way to save the world. A way to control it. We had almost extincted ourselves with our complexities, our gadgets and widgets. And so, The Great Simplification began.The climate was warmer so, for the most part, we wore only tan trucks made of mushroom fiber; it was easier not to think about what to wear, or if colors matched, or what was appropriate. One worry gone!We simplified hair by shaving our heads, greatly reducing competition and envy. Besides, there were not many of us. Not enough to make shampoo, pre-shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, anti-frizz cream, styling gel, and color – not enough to do coloring, cutting, or styling.We shunned adornments. Makeup and jewelry were forbidden.We would have simplified our cuisine, but it was already basic: roots, berries, anything that had survived and wasn’t toxic.Perhaps if we’d have stopped there… but we didn’t. We were through in our mission to root out complexity. We simplified speech. Pronouns were condensed. There was no need for I, or you, or him, or her. We were one. Everyone had a dual nature. We were them and they were us.The new system was difficult at first, especially when reading and writing, although a speaker might manage to make themselves understood by pointing.“They,” said Henry pointing at himself, “Loves them,” he said pointing at Sally.But the simplification of speech was complicated. So, except for the most necessary exchanges, people stopped talking. Over the generations our tongues flattened and widened. No need for gymnastic, muscular, fricative-producing tongues, merely to eat and drink. And we ate whatever we could: grass, leaves, shoots. Slowly our stomachs begun to change, dividing into chambers extracting maximum nutrition from minimum nutrients, managing complexities our minds no longer cared for.The ground was rough and uneven, sometimes we had to walk on all fours. Our hands and feet grew tough. They hardened and formed into two tough nails.And then they came. The government officials. They separated mother from child, man from woman and locked us into pens.But we were just like you, once, I want to scream, but all that emerges is a “maaaaa.”And somehow, I know it’s started again.And now for the Travel:On 15 December, we left for the magical island of Corfu. We stayed in a house called The Art House. Its owners are Swiss. They are both glass blowers, and the art and the house are indeed an artistic creation with a huge garden, including a flame tree, sculptured of metal and blown glass, and they had a large wooded area in the back.Bernard makes a model airplanes and has a wonderful workshop. Katrina at the moment seems to be doing mosaics. She loves her garden. Who wouldn’t? it’s a beautiful mingling of nature and art. We took care of their adorable dog Blackie, who has a white tip on his tail and white paws, so not black. We managed to go snorkeling in the Ionian Sea. It’s cold but not as cold as California. It’s beautifully clear and there is some interesting seaweed and sea life, grasses, rainbow grasses a few sea stars.I remember when I was a child in Malibu, sea stars were so common. They were a different species of course, it’s a different ocean, but they are rare everywhere now. I also saw a glorious Moray that was yellow and black. They were very interesting eels engaging in companion hunting with other fish. Companion hunting is when a number of species gather together to hunt. The moray will go into holes, the fish block the openings, then they divide the spoils. It’s a great deal for everyone ,except of course the fish that are hunted. Truth may or may not be stranger than fiction but it’s always crueler.I have a (humorous) story about morality in giant spiders vs humans that’s being held for consideration. We’ll see. I’m always surprised at what sells quickly and what doesn’t. Humans aren’t doing great on the morality side.In Greece, one needs to carry cat food everywhere! There are probably as many cats in Greece as in Mexico, but you don’t see them in Mexico, except at night, because the people aren’t nice to them. They’re nice to them in Corfu, but they don’t like to fix them, which is a problem. I managed to get two cats rescued! (Working with a fabulous woman and two cat sanctuaries.)If you feel like donating the links are here:AGNI Animal Welfare andCemetery Cats Corfu Because it’s by the cemetery.The Corfuians are not so nice to Birds. They shoot even the smallest finches and fry them. Oh well. The Romans used to delight in hummingbird tongues, which is why you see so many tongueless hummingbirds.We found the home in Corfu through Trusted House sitters.If you are an animal lover, who loves traveling, I strongly advise TrustedHousesitters, both to find people to care for your animals, but also to find places to sit with animal companions. You get a free place to stay and sometimes a car, and usually animals! Click the link below if you are interested. There are sits everywhere!We had a young man from Paris who spent hours training our cat Satan to use an asthma inhaler. And now he does! Videos to follow. Satan’s real name is Bombon (Catalan.) Because he like bonbons. You might think with his figure I’d eat anything, but no! He’s picky, and has asthma so must be given inhalant twice a day.It has been discovered, that if trained patiently for hours Satan will do anything for Lick-able treats (aka kitty crack.) One of Satan’s Roomies, Mica watches the procedure, “I have asthma too,” she coughs as he is rewarded with “kitty crack.” Writing news this month is to remind you to please check out BOOKS Gods & MonstersIn the fog-shrouded streets of San Francisco the fates draw together River, a gifted baker whose treats can heal broken hearts, and Pamela, a mysterious waitress with an impossible secret.When a series of mysterious deaths rocks the Castro district, the city is gripped by fear.River’s quest to understand these murders leads him to discover an underground network of immortal beings, ancient Gods, and Lenni Lenape ghosts, lurking just beneath the city’s surface.Weaving together Greek mythology, San Francisco history, and supernatural romance, “Gods and Monsters” is a haunting tale of eternal love, devastating choices, and the price of immortality.This sweeping urban fantasy explores what it means to be human in a world where humanity itself may be optional. It’s a tale of impossible choices, undying love, and the eternal question of whether we control our destiny.”E.E. King has written an amazing book. Her talent for weaving stories really shines through andquickly captures your attention. The way King intertwines fantasy and mythology creates amagical read. Not an easy novel to put down. And an impossible one to forget. Highlyrecommend.” ~ Cindy O’Quinn, Bram Stoker Award® recipient and author of Dark Cloud on Naked Creek.“Combines the dark mythology of fantasy with the dangerous social commentary of Hunter S. Thompson into a masterpiece of the genre.” — Metastellar Magazine AndDirk Quigby’s Guide to the Afterlife Also available in Spanish! “Impish and delightful, a hilarious Zagat’s guide to heaven!” -RAY BRADBURY“A fantastical, profound, hilarious and rollicking good ride through the heavens and hells of the Afterlife! A wonderful book.” —MARGARET CHO“I’ve been going at it in chunks and fangfuls, finding it more than acceptable. Anyone who takes on Scientologists is okay by me, kid.” — HARLAN ELLISONA mock Zagat guide to the lord’s domain, Dirk Quigby’s Guide to the Afterlife is a sly and satirical glimpse into what would happen if a Madison Avenue mad man gave heaven a PR makeover… As the book develops, the titular ad man finds that his succinct reviews of the world’s religions inflame believers of all faiths It’s a risk the real-life author is also taking. — San Francisco WeeklyAnd for Children (8-11) The Feathernails and other Gifts. Listen here narrated by Simon Prebble.I painted the cover, the interior illustrations are by Richard Weaver “A magical, humorous tale of good, evil, vengeance, and forgiveness.Emily is a delight for children and adults alike! A feather not just for the birds!” — Ray Bradbury(I also have three collections for sale.)All these and more are available on audio and I have the most wonderful narrators.If you email me I will send you a free code for a book of your choosing! It’s my holiday present to you, dear readers.Do it for me, if not for you:)Also, Check out My dear friend, Andrea Goyan’s novel, The Catalyst, serialized on here on MetaStellar. Or Listen to her read it on Youtube.I painted a commission of a truck in Utah. Now Metastellar is using the image in the cover “BEST of the year. We will add a spaceship or a cryptid. in the left corner. And If you are coming to or live in Barcelona:Please check out yamieventsbcn if you want to plan Parties, Weddings, B-Mitzvot, Birthdays, Corporate Events or City Tours ✨ It’s run by a very dear friend who speaks way too many languages. I know she will speak yours. I finally found a private, non-profit animal rescue place that I really hope I can volunteer for, fostering /raising baby birds, or lizards or possibly rodents.If you want to check it out: Los Angeles del RavalIn my continuing quest to do anything that doesn’t pay the bills, none of the services recommended above are giving me anything for a mention.And now .. your favorite part of the newsletter…Interesting Catalonian customs … and a Greek one.Three Kings Day is a lot bigger of a deal than Christmas here.There are huge parades with dancing mailboxes, royal couriers collecting both letter to the Three Kings, like letters to Santa, and also collecting “dummies,” pacifiers. It’s that time of year when parents get children to stop using their dummies so they don’t get coal in their stockings, although maybe with it being so cold, coal would be ok. There is of course dancing coal too. And on Corfu at Easter celebrations were a smash on Saturday – literally.Corfiots mark Holy Saturday with a custom referred to as the “botides” – where large clay jugs filled with water are thrown from the balconies of homes in the center of town, smashing into pieces onto the streets below as thousands gather around to watch. Fearless spectators stand quite close to the crash sites. Local organizers said no one has ever been “seriously” injured during the custom. Have some fun, and don’t forget to support your local (or Barcelonian) Writers and Artists.Thanks,E.E. King |
