Ever heard of Duck Ledges Island?
The story of a CIA operative’s watch, entertaining seals, Lillian Mountweazel, & more
A marvelous welcome to the 41 new friends who’ve joined since last month! Glad to have you here.
My wife and I sat down a few weeks ago to try and figure out what to do with the three mini house goblins that have attached themselves to us now that one of them is home from school.
I went all visual learner and made a calendar grid with strips of paper, then created post-it notes to represent blocks of time so we could visualize how to handle the summer. I enjoyed it.
My wife “appreciated the effort I put in to talk with her about it”, which is likely code for “I’d already thought about all of that and your cute little post-it note grid didn’t tell me anything new, but thanks.”
So that’s how it’s going over here.
📚 AUTHOR STUFF📚
Pre-order my second picture book, The Stories of God (and Kiki)
The Stories of God and Kiki comes out on July 19th, less than a month now 😱.
Preorders are really important for the first week of book, so if you pre-order now, I’ll send you A BUNCH of extra free stuff like
Kiki discussion guide
Kiki’s creative writing guide for kids
Once you pre-order, reply to any of my emails or message me on Instagram and let me know.
HELP!
I’ll need all the help and support I can get to release Kiki.
If you’ve gotten even the smallest ounce of happiness from this newsletter, would you consider supporting me launch?
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, DAVE?
Talking it up and sharing on social media with how amazing it is, obvi.
Telling your friends or just buying your friends a copy.
Leaving reviews anywhere reviews can be left (Goodreads, Amazon, etc).
If you could do any, or all of these things, I’ll keep you signed up for the newsletter. Just kidding. Do what you want.
👾STUFF👾
What I'm looking at
This #mood from Joe Todd Stanton
Walking from Cali to New York
3,349 miles (5,389 km) in 154 days. I had no cell phone and no support crew. Just me, my dog, Cosmo, a camera, and a wagon filled with supplies.
What I’m reading
The House on the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune
Gnomes. Anti-Christs. Sprites. All just hanging out on an island having adventures. Been struggling with the narrator’s performance, but that’s not T.J’s fault.
The Watch that Came in From the Cold | H Magazine
A fascinating article about the story of a mysterious, damaged Rolex.
The watch belongs to a man named Erik Kirzinger. It had been worn by his uncle, Norman Schwartz, who flew covert missions for the CIA during the Cold War. The watch bears the serial number 613482, dating it to approximately 1947.
The Cult of Bluey | The Guardian
A deep dive into how Bluey came about, how it’s taken the world by storm, and some relief that even the creator thinks that Bluey’s dad, Bandit, is an unrealistic. Praise the lord.
What I’m thinking about
0 Wohoa Bay Island, Addison, ME (Duck Ledges Island)
I’ve been wanting to build a writer shed for a long time, but no writer shed I could build would include this in the description “The ledges surrounding the island are loaded with seals for constant entertainment.”
I want to write all my books in it. I want to kayak to the grocery store for vittles. I want to write in the company of seals. IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK?
The incredible life of Lillian Virginia Mountweazel
Mountweazel, Lillian Virginia, 1942-1973, American photographer, b. Bangs, Ohio… died at 31 in an explosion while on assignment for Combustibles magazine.
What I'm laughing at
My brain when someone compliments me (Click title to watch)
The fly in my room at 1 AM (Click title to watch)
Live footage of me bringing burdens to Jesus
There’s a whole bunch of ice in the toilet
What I’m listening to
The Beautiful Letdown | Switchfoot
Yes, I realize I am not in high school anymore. I don’t care. This album holds up.
Never Gonna Be Alone | Lizzy McApline & Jacob Collier
The collab these two did on Lizzy’s last album was my fav song. Was stoked to see another one.
WARNING, everyone, you’re gonna get a few extra emails from me in July because I’m releasing a book.