Back when I’d drive my daughter to school, what seems like a century ago, I used to write “What We Talked About Today” posts. These posts, covered the news (NPR), school, pets, and anything we were talking about. I no longer drive anyone but myself, but I still think about everything, and I talk with others.
I recently spoke with a group of, horror writers, about writing. Yes, we must support each other in all of our works and genres and cross genres. Yes, we’re doing the right thing.
That said, the subject of writing horror TODAY came up.
How can we write horror, speculative fiction, or any kind of fiction when the entire world seems like an unhinged horror shit show? It is hard.
The Covid 19 Pandemic (guess who was in the WH?) messed up our society. It especially messed up our children and our young adults. Their lives were put on hold. Their entire universe was completely unhinged. Families were unhinged. Friendships lost. We are holding on to our connections with a tight grip. We are appreciating those we love, or have loved, even more.
I wrote a group of stories, that as a collective, I call “Posts from the Pandemic.” I guess I could consider all of those Hopepunk stories.
Hopepunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction coined by Alexandra Rowland in 2017 as the antithesis of “grimdark,” emphasizing that kindness, hope, and optimism are radical acts of rebellion. It centers on characters fighting for a better world despite bleak circumstances, valuing cooperation, resilience, and “weaponized optimism” over cynicism and despair.
Right now, were are in frightening times when madmen, even more than the madmen during the Cold War, are threatening to drop nuclear bombs to feed their own twisted putrefied egos, without concern for the human or the environmental costs.
The United States of America is run by a cult headed by a hateful, bigoted, sexist ego driven lunatic who has no concern for anyone except himself and maybe a few of his spawn (if they don’t turn on him).
It is a nightmare of unbelievable magnitude. I don’t need to go into the details. You know what those details are.
Especially now, community is important. I’ve found community in my writing. I’ve found community in art. I’ve found community in gardening (even if it is just my cats and me).
I grow my garden because it gives me peace and joy. It is alive. It is something I can share with others – sharing the beauty of the flowers that I make sure are blooming 12 months out of the year.
Today I’m making my famous blueberry muffins to share. I’m giving several tours at the local art museum tomorrow. I thinking of my friends and family.
I’m hoping that all of the young people I know aren’t giving up hope at the mess all of the old shitheads are leaving for them.
I feel as if I am living in a speculative universe… and I can hope, or at least try. My voice can be heard, or at least even if nobody is listening, I know I have a voice and I will use it.
As a mother everything either makes me angry, sad, or brings me joy. Every thought. Every cell in my body.
Cats rock. Young people are our future. The real monsters are not werewolves and vampires. And it is time to force the putrid orange shit gibbon out of the White House, along with all of his bobble head school yard bully maggots and start repairing the damage.
Thank you for allowing me to vent. Now I’m getting back to my art research, and my garden, maybe even some writing, and my cats.
~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman
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Vampire Maman 