Feeling very discouraged by what a colossal project THE LUNATICS' BALL has turned out to be, and by how much repetition I have to deal with, and by how the pieces to this puzzle fit together. My San Francisco writing group, and my single beta reader (a traveler who's now in Oaxaca), is helping a lot.

And I love my small online flash group. Two members will be in the new magazine 10 BY 10 and urged me to submit something. "The Magician's Assistant" was just accepted for their second issue (which will also include friends Kathryn Kulpa and Gay Degani). The lineup for the first issue, which includes Kathy Fish and I'm forgetting who else, looks terrific. A pick-me-up.

Working overtime for CRAFT, as we assemble the prize winners for the Creative Nonfiction contest, and other upcoming publications, and a revise-and-resubmit. Just finished writing an introduction that i found difficult. I't's satisfying work, but can be time-consuming as well.

Inspired by a grownups' brawl at a kids' Easter egg hunt, this came out in print in THE MACGUFFIN a few years ago: "Easter Mayhem in Wampum."

One of the organizers of the reading series Flash Fiction Forum wrote to me that she ran across "The Madwoman on BART" on matchbook and would love to have me read it in their series. I said yes, even though it means missing a meeting of my writing group, which is always super-useful. It's in San Jose and this one's hybrid--part in person, part Zoom. I think I'll take Zoom; it's a long drive for a short flash.

A rejection from a magazine that semi-solicited me. That is, they solicited me, but I think along with other people. Always a bummer.

Slowly but surely getting household tasks and health tasks completed. Root canal yesterday and more health appointments this week and next. Seems never-ending at my age. We went to a dinner party on Sunday (!), and out to breakfast this morning (!). COVID statistics in Alameda County pretty good right now. We're planning some trips. Ojai in August, where I'll take a writing class. Aberdeen some time in the fall or winter, where Ben will be doing a master's degree. Exciting news.

Well, in NYC via Zoom in the FBomb NY Flash Fiction Series, formerly at the KGB Bar. We resurrected Alvarado O'Brien for a rare return appearance and read "Night of the Virgin" published in TIMBER. Thanks to Paul Beckman for the invite.

And a couple of weekends ago, we spent the night in Santa Cruz where Steve read for CATAMARAN LITERARY READER, their first in-person reading (and ours) in two years. It was magic.