Daily Journal 1/25/26

Going to write something about Minneapolis and writing itself over on Patreon here in a moment, so this will be a quick journal entry. This week’s newsletter has been sent. You can subscribe for free and read it here. It has a piece about Dallas Mayr, aka Jack ketchum, and a review of Return to Silent Hill.

Here is the current view from the front door of Casa Keenegiovanni. The dividing line between land and river is moot under the snow, which is forecast to keep falling until tomorrow.

We’re set. We always have plenty of food and water and alternative power and heating on hand, so the storm itself is no big deal for us. Most of my neighbors — the ones who, like us, live here year round — are the same way. And, given that I know the rest of my family are also safe and sound and set, I’m kind of looking forward to getting snowed in with Mary and the cats. I’m tempted to take the full day off, but that’s not how writing gets done.

I think maybe it was David J. Schow who once told me that the desk in Robert Bloch’s office faced away from the window and the gorgeous view outside, so that Bloch could focus on the work. When I inherited J.F. gonzalez’s desk, the only place it would fit in my office was between two big windows facing the river. Honestly, this is never much of a distraction for me. Occasionally I’ll glance outside at the eagles, or the windmills, or the idiots with more money than sense drunkenly pushing their boat motors past limits those engines are designed to go. But for the most part, the river is background static, drowned out by the music I constantly have playing, and whatever is playing out inside my head.

Except in winter. Sitting here watching the snow pile up is soothing and mesmerizing — and dangerous, since I don’t get paid unless I get words down.

Hope you are safe and warm wherever you are.