December 31st, 2020 It is fair to say that this year sucked. It is damn fair. And it is a truth that we will have wasted our time if we decide to learn nothing from it. So, with that in mind, here is some of what I learned. – I learned not only is tomorrowContinue reading “2020: A Lesson, A Curriculum, An Education”
Tag Archives: Trauma
Flip: Special Edition
December 18th, 2020 “Write drunk, edit sober.” In my twenties, I was master of the former. For a while now, though, I’ve been living by the latter. In that spirit, I wanted to revisit my second novella, Flip, with fresh eyes. I didn’t want to change the story, but I wanted to clean, clarify andContinue reading “Flip: Special Edition”
You Wouldn’t Like Me
December 17th, 2020 Let’s talk about anger. In a recent post, I mentioned that I think about the Hulk a lot, and it’s true. The Hulk is a perfect metaphor, for the people we can become and the ugly traits we can inhabit. The Hulk asks: is the ugliness our base truth? Are our worstContinue reading “You Wouldn’t Like Me”
Things I’ve Learned Happen After You Lose a Loved One, Part 2
November 18th, 2020 The seconds, hours, and days keep ticking by, and I keep learning new things about this new time in my life. I may as well write you a letter in the form of a sequel. Things I’ve Learned Happen After You Lose a Loved One, Part 2 – I hurt the exactContinue reading “Things I’ve Learned Happen After You Lose a Loved One, Part 2”
Silver Linings My-Books
November 8th, 2020 2020 has seen a lot of dang clouds, but there are always silver linings to be found. I managed to release two works this year, and both The Weirdos: Volume I and Theia are official contenders in the 2020 Minnesota Book Awards. The Weirdos is a graphic novel about a collection ofContinue reading “Silver Linings My-Books”
Things I’ve Learned Happen When You Lose Someone Close To You
October 17th, 2020 If you’re an obituary person (which is an odd kind of person to be, but no judgement), my mom’s will be in Sunday’s edition of the Star Tribune. You can also read it online here: https://m.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/0000371633/?fullname=diane-marie-vogen I’ve been told by many people that apparently I am the type to write down words,Continue reading “Things I’ve Learned Happen When You Lose Someone Close To You”
Counterspell
October 1st, 2020 This isn’t a political post. Honest. It starts from a moment during the debate, but it’s deeply personal and I think it’s worth saying. Last night, Trump attacked Hunter Biden’s problems with addiction. Joe spoke up and said he was proud of his son for dealing with those issues. Unfortunately, Trump’s commentsContinue reading “Counterspell”
Around The Fire
September 19th, 2020 Do you ever have a moment when you forget that you’re you? When you do or say something that is completely uncharacteristic of who you are now, but then remember that it used to be a part of who you were? I do. I’ll say something negative. Or I’ll react in anger.Continue reading “Around The Fire”
Defund Me
July 1st, 2020 Sometimes, people just need a really big problem broken down to its simplest form. So I’m going to try. For a long time, my way of living — my entire system — was broken. And I refused to address any of my problems in a fair way, to myself or others. ThisContinue reading “Defund Me”
Progress Not Perfection
June 3rd, 2020 Every single morning, especially since I’ve been sober, I wake up and I prepare myself to be called out. What will it be today? I don’t know. Yesterday, it was because I used the wrong hashtag; it was an honest mistake, and I fixed it immediately. Some of you may understand. SomeContinue reading “Progress Not Perfection”
The Den 