After months of absence, I’m back to taking care of business. A lot has transpired. In June 2018 I accepted the position of Interim President of the Henderson Writers Group when Linda Ladd had to step down. That’s been a journey all its own.
In September, my short play “Fusion” was finally put on the boards along with seven other short plays as part of The Grief Dialogues: The Play. The timing provided us an opportunity to do something in honor of the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting during the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert. The sold out performance was well received with a standing ovation. I also managed to find someone to film the piece in preparation of getting it accepted as an exhibit in the September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City.
In December, a phone call from my sister informed me our mother wouldn’t live to see Christmas. I flew out on the 15th and she passed on the 21st. During those intervening days, I helped my sister as much as possible to help bathe and otherwise care for our mom. The two of us were bedside, holding her hands, as she took her last breath. I have to say that my involvement with The Grief Dialogues and, of course, writing World of Deadheads series was an excellent preparation.
I returned home in mid-January and resumed my theatre reviewing and helming the HWG. Preparations for the 2019 Las Vegas Writers Conference are now in full swing and it promises to be a stellar event with keynote speakers Mary Robinette Kowal, Chuck Sambuchino, Amy Collins (back for a second year), and Brad Schreiber. My hope is that one of the agents on this year’s faculty will love the concept and writing for Of Monsters and Men and decide to represent me.