*Afterthought #113: Cover Reveal!

You may not have noticed the surprise I hid in yesterday’s blog post, “Sharing Stories During Dark Times.” If you click on the hyperlinks I often include in my essays, the one in the third paragraph would have led you to an important announcement about my forthcoming book, Writer in a Life Vest.

If you missed it, no worries, because today is the official reveal of the cover of my new book.

Writer in a Life Vest: Essays from the Salish Sea is scheduled for release by the outstanding indie press Homebound Publications the end of March 2022.  It’s a collection of thirty-six essays about the Washington State Ferries (specifically the MV Tillikum and my term as the first writer-in-residence there), the Salish Sea, the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (orcas), climate protectors, and hope. Most of the essays are in forms sometimes referred to as lyric, hybrid, collage, or braided—providing a structure to explore vulnerable, tender themes. I chose these techniques as a metaphor for the new thinking I believe is an essential response to the climate crisis we face. I offer the pieces as symbols of resilience, inspiration, and hope. If you want to be among the first to pre-order a copy of Writer in a Life Vest,  you can do so here.

For now, though, please savor the book’s beautiful cover designed by Leslie M. Browning using a photo of the Salish Sea (and a Washington State Ferry) by Steve Horn. I hope you’ll be as thrilled by the cover as I am.

*Afterthoughts are my blog version of a practice followed in some Quaker meetings. After meeting for worship ends, people continue in silence for a few more minutes during which they’re invited to share thoughts or reflect on the morning’s worship. I’ve adopted the form here for last-day-of-the-month brief reflections on headlines, quotes, books, previous posts, maybe even bumper stickers and refrigerator magnets.