MarsCon Guest Schedule (Jan 18-20)

I'm jumping into the 2019 convention schedule with one of my favorites: MarsCon in Williamsburg, VA, January 18-20, 2019. Here's where I'll be, when not tending a table with Emily Leverett!

Open Submission for New Anthology: Lawless Lands

Are you ready to venture back into the #WeirdWildWest?

I am! My editing posse, Emily Leverett and Misty Massey, are rounding up stories for another anthology: Lawless Lands: Tales from the Weird Frontier, to be published by Falstaff Press. We have an incredible lineup of anchor authors, including:

• Jake Bible
• David B Coe
• Laura Anne Gilman
• Barb Hendee
• Faith Hunter
• Nicole Givens Kurtz
• Margaret S. McGraw
• Seanan McGuire
• Devon Monk
• Edmund Schubert

Yes, my "Rainmaker" story that started this whole crazy venture will have stellar company in this anthology.

And one of the things my posse loves best about these anthologies is the opportunity to bring new stars to the rodeo! Submissions are open now through September 30th, and we would love to see a story from you! Lawless Lands will be funded with a Kickstarter, which will run in December, and we want to have our stories in hand in order to guarantee an amazing campaign. We’re looking for stories that embody the frontier spirit of the American West, but with a weird twist. Gunslingers with laser pistols, cattle drives through the galaxy, cursed nuggets of gold, talking jack rabbits that grant wishes – fantasy, SF, steampunk, or horror... if it’s weird, we want to see it.

We will pay each author a minimum of 4 cents a word, with the possibility of more if the Kickstarter makes stretch goals, and two print copies. Word count – 3000 to 7000 words. Submission deadline – September 30, 2016. Submission attachments should be in 12 point New Times Roman, in Microsoft Word format (preferably .docx). We’re happy to see a brief cover email explaining your previous publications, but try to keep it short and sweet. And don’t stress if you have no prior publication experience – we love discovering stars!

For more information, or to submit your story, lawlesslandstales@gmail.com

Con Report: ConCarolinas 2016 Fantasy the World Over

I moderated this panel on Saturday morning. A terrific panel of authors gave insight on writing fantasy based outside the traditional Western European traditions, and a great reading list!

Description:

In American publishing, fantasy has long been based almost exclusively on European mythologies. But the world is full of non-European cultures with rich storytelling traditions. Is it cultural appropriation for Western writers to set stories in non-European cultures? How can we borrow from these wonderful mythologies in respectful ways?

Panel:

• Kalayna Price
• Christie Golden
• Val Griswold-Ford
• Misty Massey
• Janine Spendlove

In American fantasy, the traditions are steeped in Greco-Roman mythology and European medieval/Renaissance settings. But the world is full of non-European cultures with rich storytelling traditions. Let's talk about some of the ones that interest us.

Janine, marine pilot, has traveled all over the world, is from Brazil

Short story "Inbrief", in the Star Wars 2016 Del Ray Sampler

Janine's daughter is from Mozambique, the main character is very much like her daughter

Janine used Portuguese terminology

There's a delicate line of cultural appropriation. Representing with respect - not taking. You can't take a white person and stick them in Asian or African culture as if it's their own…

A book she admires: Bride to the Sun, Lia Patterson, Swedish, written in English, lived in China as a teen, fantasy

Misty - recently decided to learn all the countries outside of her familiar Europe - so much beauty and amazing culture in every culture of the planet, don't limit ourselves to what's inside our own culture - look for someone inside that culture, or someone who's done their homework - lots of attention to detail

A book she admires: Daughter of the Sword, Steve Bean, main character is a female member of Tokyo police dept, fights sexism, doesn't depend on anyone else, magical swords, very interesting--tells story  of each sword

Val's father was Navy, brought back books as he traveled all over the world and sent letters with local stories that he heard - he loved Japanese cult movies and "chop sake" movies

Surprisingly good one: Saolin Grandma - very good, unexpected, set in post ww2 Japan

A book she admires: Weather Child, Philippe Ballantine, Australia , she's from New Zealand - she reads the audiobook in her lovely accented voice!

Val's mother's family are Ashkanazi and Sephardic Jews - different European culture - Eastern European culture has Mongol and Russian influence

We ignore Arabic

A book she admires: Guy Gavriel Kay's historical fantasies (Tigana, Song of Arbonne, Lions of Al-Rassan…most recently  Under Heaven about China

Christie doesn't read a lot in the field, better to read from other sources, doesn't want to lose her own voice

Always fascinated by myths and legends from other cultures, looks for sources, Joseph Campbell, hero's journey

Working on her own series based on elements (fire, water, air, etc)

Wrote three, now planning to finish the last two, looking geographically for desert cultures, lots of commonality based on climate, foods, rituals, religion

Weaving elements of Norse-Finnish, Celtic, Polynesian

Kalayna is a folklorist, mostly studies traditional Western European, loves to study around the world, almost all have a bloodsucker, a walking dead,  dragon….

A book she admires: Skinwalker, Faith Hunter, main character is Cherokee, very westernized, Faith's done a careful job of incorporating Cherokee elements that are integral to the story

Wickedly Dangerous, Baba Yaga series, Deborah Blake, Eastern European, Russian

Christie says avoid the stereotypes, think about it and be aware

Misty says do your research, don't rely on movies,

Talks about AJ Hartley's terrific new novel, Steeplejack, Victorian South African setting

Doesn't want to offend the cultures he's trying to express

Janine, War of the Seasons series, worried a little about it being a "bait and switch" - was new to Celtic mythology, didn't want to include just one thing, didn't want Tolkien  elves, had different races with each clan

This race is as diverse as the human race, they're the primary species on this world

[I think this was one of the most important points about writing cultures in a non-Earth setting - there should be at least mention of the variety like we have on Earth, or some explanation about why not, if not, but that's another panel…]
Loves fanfic, writing a Hobbit rebelling, cast a woman from India, wants to represent, not to offend or alienate

Don't be stopped by your fear that you'll get stuff wrong - you will!

Val - I try to have a lot of variety in the characters passing through, they don't all look like me, they're just people,  they are my side characters, but they're the protagonists in their own stories

Misty talks about our experiences with stories for the Weird Wild West anthology and our now-open submissions for Lawless Lands - You may be writing in a  Western culture, but think about what other cultures were coming in at that time? Native America, Mexican, Chinese…

The thing is, to be honest, diversity in traditional fantasy is hard to find - what are some stories out there that inspired your interest?

Fortunately there's lots of good new writing out there!

• NK Jemison, Killing Moon
• Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood
• Saladin Ahmed, Throne of the Crescent Moon
• Aliete de Bodard, Obsidian and Blood series
• Guy Gavriel Kay, Under Heaven
• Leona Wisaker, Secret of Sands
• Karen Lord, Redemption in Indigo

Preparing for this panel, I looked on Goodreads and was disheartened by the dearth of non-European-based fantasy in the "classics" until I found this:

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/non-western-fantasy

Is it cultural appropriation for Western writers to set stories in non-European cultures? How can we borrow from these wonderful mythologies in respectful ways?

Cultural appropriation is a popular phrase these days, and it has taken on a negative connotation. The definition is

 Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture.

Let's talk about when this can be a good thing and when it's a bad thing

Acknowledge your bias, your cultural lens

Margaret - I am a white cis het female, I grew up in American southern upper middle class culture. I've travelled outside the US and studied different cultures through the lens of anthropology. I know how much I don't know! I'm slowly realizing how much I take for granted, how much I don't notice from my position of relative privilege

Kalayna worries about it - it's a double edged sword

But if we don't make the effort, it's a very whitewashed world

Hollywood gives the non-European roles to white people anyway!

As creators we have a responsibility to add more diversity

Melanie (audience) says "I am the epitome of wasp", has had opportunity to work w/Smithsonian Native American museum, has gotten to learn, loves the phrase "Red heart"

Val - college friends would send the Filipino friend in their group to order Chinese food - they gave her the good spicy stuff!

Amy - Writing a Caribbean story, wanted a revenge story because whites came in and killed so many, took over - how to write a villain from that culture -

Janine if you cast them in a certain light, doing them a disservice, people are strong and weak, good and bad, don't want only character of color to be a villain,

If you only have one, they have to represent (even though that's not fair to them--no one person can represent their own culture)

Paula (audience) if you never have a main character from another society, at least have secondary characters--the crowd--more diverse

Val has an entirely different story - her main character talks about her isolated people and how hard she had to convince her father to let her go

Janine says you have to make it clear--Is the villain a villain because his goals are different from his opponents?

Misty loves a good revenge story--you do run the risk of your good guy looking like a bad guy--revenge vs Justice--if he's the last of his people, be cautious, you don't necessarily want him to turn into the bad guy

Be careful if you have someone from that culture read your work--they can give you their own personal feedback, but one person cannot give "permission" on behalf of a whole culture--still do not assume you haven't made any mistakes!

Ilona Andrews brings in a lot of diverse characters

They (husband/wife team) use a lot of Russian mythology

# 

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you 

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite: 

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes 

the light of the universe that shines within you. 

# 

Con Report: ConCarolinas 2016 Women in F/SF

I started my ConCarolinas weekend with this panel, and I felt totally outclassed by this outstanding group of women:

• Beth Revis
• Alexandra Duncan
• Wendy Delmater Thies
• Janine Spendlove
• Nicole Givens Kurtz

Sorry my notes are pretty rough -- I was still getting into Con mode!

For aspiring authors - who want to write in spec fic

Let’s talk about women as characters

There's a panel this weekend on negative tropes: Hell Hath No Fury

Rape is lazy writing - an overdone trope

Yes it happens, it's a very real thing

But in writing, it's not the only way to build drama

It turns women from characters to victims and objects

Too often we see the author sacrificing the woman for the man's plot - kill them, sideline, marginalize

In much of feminist fiction, men stink - that's not really helpful either

Why do we get the dark tales? Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, etc.

Do we have postive ones? Absolutely!

Lois McMaster Bujold - Vorkosigan series - many of the women have courage, conviction, honor, wits

We all have different strengths

What about older women? Vorkosigan, also CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series -   terrific role models

Ageism is rampant in SF

How ridiculous to try to pair young Scarlet Johansen with Robert Downey Jr? 

Hate the "There's only room for one bitch in this room" trope - as if you can't have two strong women work together

We need a panel on librarians! Because you don't mess with the librarian!

What are some of your fave sci fi characters?

The Bees by Laline Paull - not marketed as SF- takes place within a beehive - Watership Down for bees - murder-

Wendy's second-in-command at Abyss & Apex is a Canadian woman from Trinidad - she's writing a novel with an outstanding female main character

Leia in Star Wars

Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint - sequel shows the main character training to build muscles and become a competent warrior

Mary Sue - how do we overcome the trope?

It's primarily about wish fulfillment

Men have James Bond

Read about a woman resisting assault - female empowerment fantasy

Make the character imperfect - make mistakes, learn and grow

Daniel Craig's incarnation of the brand-new James Bond - part of the appeal was that he *wasn't* perfect - he fumbled and made mistakes!

Women are allowed to be shown with different kinds of strength

Men are stuck - *have* to be the hero, strong, successful

Nicole wrote Cybil and Jane as terrific partners - Cybil has to train and work out - she is injured and put in hospital, she's not infallible - grittiness, realism, didn't want her to be overly strong or a Mary Sue

How to write a strong female character who is more than a "dude with boobs"

Athena's Daughters - wanted to see women all out, show emotions, show strength and resolve when she needs to, not just physically strong, but someone who will sit up all night with a baby and then go to work the next day,  someone who puts up with sexism every day and stands up against it even though they know they could lose their job

Multifaceted

Women characters, goal oriented, know what they want, move toward it despite everything

Decide what they want and go for it

Humans are infinitely variable

Weak women and weak men exist

Saga-graphic novel

Beth praises Alexandra's Salvage

Breaking stereotypes and roles - beautiful young want to get married and have kids - how does SF tear down those and show other amazing women?

Captain marvel comics - in her mid 40s - kick ass

Zoe in Firefly

Ready Player One - explodes a lot of tropes

Star Wars canon reboot

Claudia Gray, Lost Stars

Chuck Wendig, Aftermath

Janine didn't put a single white man in her story, Inbrief, in the Star Wars 2016 Del Ray Sampler

BBC just announced all their future shows will be 50% women

We make assumptions - all the time! "Black Hermione" ( JKR retroactively approves casting a black woman - she never said Hermione was white in the books!)

We have default settings in our brain

The first person to name Ripley's cat (Jones) in Alien won a copy of Athena Daughters 2!

# 

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you 

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite: 

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes 

the light of the universe that shines within you. 

# 

Appearance: MarsCon 2016, Williamsburg, VA

January is a busy month and a great start to the 2016 convention season, with MarsCon fast on the heels of last weekend's Illogicon.

This is my 4th (5th?) year at MarsCon, my 2nd as a guest, and it's one of my favorite cons, small-to-medium sized, friendly and fun, with great costuming and interesting programming. The ConSuite is legendary for their food and hospitality. And if I'm lucky, I'll find my way to the Endless Party at the Cross Time Saloon! 

I may fangirl when I meet Ellen Kushner.

My MarsCon Panel Schedule:
Friday, Jan 15th
6pm Fri Auditorium Opening Ceremonies 
8pm Fri Harrison 1 Social Media Etiquette for Authors

Saturday, Jan 16th
11am Sat Harrison 3 Welcome to the Anthropocene
12pm Sat Harrison 1 Adapting Books to Movies
3pm Sat Harrison 1 The Mary Sue Complex
8pm Sat Harrison 1 Sci-Fi's Effects on Gender Perception

Sunday, Jan 17th
11am Sun Harrison 1 Writing Male Characters from a Woman’s Perspective

I will post my notes from these and other panels I attend as soon as I'm able to clean them up for you!

More chatter on Facebook and Twitter, if you friend me there :-)

Namaste,

Margaret S. McGraw

Prompt: After accidentally setting a forest fire, a retired ballet dancer wakes up in a strange house

Courtesy of Jay Sacher’s The Amazing Story Generator

Nicola tread lightly over the deep leaf litter. She carried herself with a dancer’s poise even after all these years. A mourning pigeon burst from the ground cover, startling her, and her arm flung up in a graceful curve, fingers outstretched, then curling into a wistful wave. She still dreamed of flying.

It was Nichole, of course. Her mother had insisted that an exotic name would be more attractive on playbills and marquees. As a girl, Nichole loved the idea. As a rebellious teenager, she was reasonably certain her name wasn’t the source of her fame. But it was too late by then.

Around the trail’s curve, she was stopped by a fallen tree. Her hand fell to her hip. She rubbed against the old familiar pain. The congenital dysplasia that eroded her bones until she could no longer dance, no longer walk. The doctors insisted she shouldn’t feel anything with the titanium skeleton that supported her now. They said the pain was imaginary, in her head…a ghost, like amputees who still feel their missing limbs.

She crouched and pushed up, jumping easily over the tree, arms and legs outstretched in a grande jetée, landing in a glisée and turning into a pirouette. Ah, how she missed the stage. Heat raced from her core, shooting out through her arms and legs. She moaned and clenched her fists, swinging around until she hit the nearest sapling. Sparks flew around her, and the dry leaves underfoot began to snap and curl as they burned. Nichole ran…

Note: This actually took me by surprise, because I had thought of a fantasy-style version, where Nichole placed her hands on the tree and her anger flowed out in flames. Where did the science-fiction skeleton come in?!

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:
The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes
the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Prompt: I will remember you

Frank knew he was dying. The biosuit was still doing its job, protecting him from the acrylamide atmosphere, recycling his fluids and stabilizing his body temp. It couldn’t do anything about the lack of feeling in his legs. Or movement. Or the console that crushed his hips and legs.

He heard Bhiteri’s chittered greeting, rasping in his ear and behind his sinuses as the four-foot arthropod slid into the ruined cockpit. The acrylamide didn’t affect his chitinous plates or feathery antennae. Frank tapped his fingers against the console in IMC, the patterns so similar to the American Standard Morse Code he had learned as a boy. Still here.

Bhiteri’s feet scratched the smooth wall, now the floor under Frank. He wound around the console and pulled a makeshift leaf pouch full of cave water. Frank closed his eyes, irritated at his momentary squeamishness over the silk Bhiteri used to seal the water. If it weren’t for the Bug—and Frank used the derogatory word with full awareness of the irony—he would have died at least four times by now. Maybe five. All the Bug’s effort would be for nought if Frank died before the cavalry arrived. Frank tapped TX as Bhiteri held the water pouch to his lips.

When Bhiteri rested the empty pouch on the floor, he curled up, outlining Frank’s torso and leaning his head against the console so they could see each other in the dim light. He drummed his feet in a soothing pattern for awhile, and Frank dozed. When he woke, he could see this godforsaken planet’s second moon reflected in Bhiteri’s eyes.

The Bug tapped slowly. I can save you.

Frank’s brows knit together. What was the Bug talking about? He’d tried to move the console, but it was much too heavy, even with a lever. It had been nine days, and Frank knew his time was running out. The rescue team would likely only have one to take home. No. You tried. It’s OK.

Bhiteri looked away, then back at Frank. Among my people, when the body dies, the nahl lives on. In another.

Nahl? What was that? Oh. Soul? Spirit? Frank asked. Um…inner self? Mind?

Self. Bhiteri agreed. I can save your self.

Now Frank’s eyebrows arched up, and he could feel his dehydrated forehead wrinkling. Funny how sensitive every movement becomes.

How? He tapped, studying what Bhiteri had said. How can my self live on? In you?

Bhiteri chittered for a moment, as if forgetting, then he tapped. Yes. I will remember you.

Remember? I know you will. This wasn’t something the Bug was likely to forget. But that’s not the same thing. Frank closed his eyes, feeling a rush of disappointment that surprised him. He wasn’t religious. Didn’t believe in an afterlife. Did he believe in a soul? How could his soul live in Bhiteri? What the hell…

How? He tapped again. He must have dozed off. There was no moonlight on the Bug’s face now.

Bhiteri chittered once more, then stopped. I do not know the words. My people call it the nahl-kupa. It is common to remember family. Sometimes friends. We take the name of each nahl as our own.

You have done this? Frank asked. He’d never heard of this nahl-kupa. Was Bhiteri letting him in on some big Bug secret because he was dying and couldn’t reveal it anyway?

Bhiteri nodded with a chitter that sounded distinctly amused. Oh yes. Many times.

Frank’s eyes narrowed. And you carry all the names? What are they?

Bhiteri straightened and tapped as he chittered slowly and distinctly. I am Almada Ghodew Hishap Kawnte Jorhsi Dunlesh Xaintap Bhiteri.

Frank thought about those names for awhile. All those people? Those selves? In Bhiteri?

And you remember all those people?

As you remember your own life.

Frank’s eyes closed, too heavy to hold open. His head rolled to the side. His mouth was dry, and he tried to make some spit to swallow. The biosuit had nothing more for him.

He’d thought he had made peace with dying out here. Away from Earth. Alone. But given the chance, he didn’t want to. He thought he was nodding his head. When Bhiteri didn’t answer, he tapped out slowly. Y…e…s…

Bhiteri stood on the ruins of the pod and watched the rescue ship descend through the yellow atmosphere. It reminded him of the mining ships landing on Mars, and he chittered at the new memory. As the ship’s thrusters burned the acrylamide atmosphere, he chittered a greeting, and a farewell, “I am Franklin Almada Ghodew Hishap Kawnte Jorhsi Dunlesh Xaintap Bhiteri. I will remember you…”

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s one I love:
The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes
the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Dogs in House	Houdini, Brindle
Music Playing	Sarah McLachlan, “I Will Remember You”
Time writing	30 minutes
November word count	4,938

Prompt: Who does the sentinel guard? Take 2

Thanks to SergeyMusin for permission to use his powerful “Deadly Shadow At Necropolis”!

Note: I started this story from one of the young "dorlen" boy's POV a few days ago, but it wasn't really working for me. I decided to let this one percolate for a bit, and thought I'd try writing from the sentinel's POV instead. What do you think? 

My steps were the only sound echoing off the moonlit walls as I followed my endless path through the city’s streets. When I reached the square, I would stand sentinel in the moonlight and recharge the jooln that ran red through my channels and fed my my central power source. I felt no fatigue in this body, but my sensors reported power was below optimal, and the full moon would provide plenty of light.

Once stationed in the square, I leaned against my staff and felt the thrum of power as it, too soaked in the moonlight. The jooln began to pulse throughout my body, and I almost remembered sensations of long ago, when I was alive. In my mind, I reached out for the memories, but they disappeared like smoke before the barrel of my forearm.

A scuff, then silence. I didn’t need to move to expand my senses, seeking the intruder. Likely some desert kaptil had wandered too far afield, and an auditory shrill would send it scurrying on six legs back into the silent sands. I scanned the area with night vision and found three dorlens crouching on the steps of the far building, hiding behind a line of power cells. I frowned. Did the fools think they would be safe there?

As I started toward them, clouds filled the sky, dimming the moonlight. I heard the first sounds of movement and knew I had little time. I raced toward the hidden trio and leaped up the steps, just as I sensed the others approaching. Sweeping my staff in an arc before them, I pulled up long-forgotten speech. “You dare? Noone enters the Necropolis. You know the penalty?”

The tallest dorlen moved in front of the other two. My sensors showed his fear, but he stood tall, reaching his empty hands toward me. “Please…please let my brothers go. I will pay the penalty—”

“Jarron, no!” one of the other dorlens shouted.

I frowned. Brothers? Memories…

I straightened and struck the step with my staff. Turning from them, I ground out, “Stay. Close. I lead. Out.” They did not follow when I started down the steps, and I stopped, turning back to them. I felt the smile on my face, but I knew it did not look like it once did. Speech came faster now. “Do you think I guard those who live here? Sentinels protect the living. Come.”

I turned and continued down the steps. It was up to them to follow me, or die…

To be continued?

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s one I love:
The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes
the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Dogs in House	Houdini
Time writing	~45 minutes
October word count	1,328

Prompt: We’re not speaking the same language

Thanks to all who entered my drawing for a free copy of Faith Hunter’s upcoming release, Broken Soul. I’ve been in touch with the winner already. If you haven’t heard from me, you still have opportunities to win on another one of Faith’s blog tour stops—good luck! And get ready to enjoy Jane Yellowrock again on Oct 7^th!

#

Jillie sat with her back to the big “oak” tree and dropped her forehead against her knees. It wasn’t an oak, of course, but Jillie had started to use Earth names for things here, partly for some small familiar comfort, and partly to keep herself sane.

She heard steps and breathed in without lifting her head. The scent of rose and ash. Even though there were no roses here. Everyone here had a unique scent. The steps stopped in front of her, and hard-soled feet scuffed the dirt. Jillie sighed and lifted her head, careful to cover her teeth with her lips. “Hi Rose.”

“Set day not been change mill more, Jillie?” Rose folded her double-jointed knees and sat gracefully in front of Jillie. Her long, slender, furred arms reached out, and she began grooming Jillie’s forearms, even though they were clean. Jillie closed her eyes and schooled herself not to pull away. Rose would be sad, and Jillie had few enough friends here.

She pondered Rose’s words. The translator provided plenty of vocabulary, but it simply couldn’t make any sense of their grammatical structure or context. Set day not been change mill more… She smiled and quickly covered her teeth, even though Rose was looking down at her wrists, gently brushing her dewclaw over Jillie’s skin in a soothing pattern of endless grooming.

Jillie lifted her hand to her mouth, and Rose’s eyes followed. “Time to make food? Eat?” Jillie mimed moving food into her mouth with her fingers and chewing.

Rose nodded and stood, reaching slender fingers down to pull Jillie up next to her. “Set day not been change mill more.” She continued, “Any use log remember call link place under your else share open into wall,” as they headed back to the circle of grass huts where Rose’s people had sheltered Jillie for the past three years. Earth years, according to Jillie’s few pieces of surviving equipment. Three years alone with sentient giraffes who spoke nothing but gibberish…

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s one I love:
The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes
the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Dogs in House	Houdini, Brindle
Music Playing	Book of Mormon soundtrack
Time writing	~20 minutes
October word count	370