Dear hopeful reader, This summer I wrote a poem about poetry. It goes:

Dear hopeful reader, When I think of the word strange, I think unexpected, incredulous, comical, obscure, far-out, disturbing, uneasy, curious, uncanny, fantastical, and definitely memorable. Something strange subverts expectations, may make one feel sickened but riveted. A strange that you won’t unsee, won’t forget.

Dear hopeful reader, For a chronically ill person, sudden health crises are a given. Dealing with chronic pain and acute symptoms can be debilitating, difficult, and wearisome. Existential worry sets in, and doubt. When you thought you’re feeling better, stronger, more confident, your body—and life—shows you otherwise. You try t…

Dear hopeful reader, If you’ve been subscribed to my Substack long enough, you may have noticed I have a tendency to write after poems and prose pieces particularly related to video games. I’ve been playing video games since the first time my папочка sat me in front of our first console—I was no older …