Taking Flight
Art by Scissor Stories
I had a dream I was flying yesterday. I simply leapt into the sky and opened my arms like wings and soared over about 20 different pools. It was strange because people were made out of a clay-like substance and were very fragile/delicate. I gently landed inside a pool and accidentally crushed a few people. This dad rushed over and was pissed…
Enough about dreams…pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa and get prepared for esoteric storytime. Recently, I noticed certain things growing stagnant in my personal life despite pouring my energy into these respective areas. This usually points to something being more than off…I thought this might be a curse or somehow I was doing something energetically that was fucking things up.
I called up a psychic friend of mine who’s good at pinpointing these kinds of issues. Now you might say Grant, you’re psychic, why didn’t you figure it out? Yes, I read tarot cards, I used to work for a psychic hotline, and I’ve held seances, but sometimes you’re too close to a situation to properly see it. Sometimes even a psychic needs an outside perspective.
My friend took a good look and saw my energy being in a dead space of sorts. We tossed around potential solutions and discovered the culprit was a Thai corpse cloth I had bought on a whim a couple of months back. It was supposed to help with success & business, but it also came with a ghost attached to it. I was supposed to light a ton of incense to light the way for this ghost to come into my space, but I didn’t necessarily feel comfortable doing this. I’m extra cautious when it comes to working with deities, ghosts, etc. especially when they require offerings.
I never invited the ghost into my space and it was causing issues that would force me to require its magical assistance. “This isn’t for you,” is exactly what I was told so I ended up burying the cloth under a big tree, gave it a little rice, prayed to the tree, and helped it pass over to the other side.
I immediately felt my energy shift as I walked back home and I woke up the next day feeling vibrant. Things have improved drastically since then and things are flowing the way they’re supposed to. Everything’s back on the up and up…
agbogbloshie is a fun yet experimental cyberpunk chapbook. Mike Kleine plays around with spacing on each page and the narrative unfurls in a chaotic poetic frenzy. We have a huge cast who are sent on an intense mission on the outskirts of a futuristic swampland full of magic, witches, advanced technology, and multiple gods.
Of course we have a million characters in this story, something Kleine does in just about every book of his. There’s a page that literally says whoosh over and over, but the way it’s spaced out mimics an explosion and flames.
agbogbloshie is an artsy yet riveting cinematic experience hidden in the pages of a small chapbook and man, every book Kleine drops is an absolute banger. Too bad this minimalistic baby sold out. Plus, the packaging is so damn cool with the vacuum sealed bag and the rubber band accessory.
On the writing front, the various pieces, moods, scenes, and textures are coming together for Project Melancholy. I’m pleased…yet I want to do more. I just have to figure out a better writing routine and stick to it. There haas been so many good submission calls for short stories, but unfortunately I haven’t had anything in the tuck to send it out. I definitely plan on remedying this issue soon…
Currently Watching: Moon Knight & Ozark Season 1 & Love, Death & Robots Season 3, Cyberpunk 2077
Man, Cyberpunk 2077 is such a good anime. It hits all of the right beats and even managed to make me cry a few times. Great characterization, rich world-building, and cool animation. What else could you ask for in anime?
Currently Reading: God Damn Chainsaw Murderer by Sean M. Thompson & Nudes by Elle Nash & Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei & To Rouse Leviathan by Matt Cardin & Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Currently Smoking: Baby Jeeter-Horchata
Currently Listening: Black Tapes Podcast & The Danny Brown Podcast
Zach Fox comes through with some outrageous bars, but doesn’t overstay his welcome either. This is only 1 minute and 45 seconds, but damn is it such an enthralling experience.
It’s nice to see Nas on a crazy run of albums with Hitboy production. Sharp lyrics combined with consistency…man…
MIKE has such a unique voice and I love the emotional range he pours out on “What Do I Do?” Vaporwave-esque production and moody visuals»
“Pressure” is such a smooth rnb cut…can’t wait to hear more from RINI.
Until next time…
‼️