A guide to posts under Everything Else.
How I organize updates on life, travel, hobbies, and new projects—without the noise of religion or politics.
A guide to posts under Book Updates
Updates on Under the Sunflowers—including story progress and the latest on charity fundraising efforts connected to the project.
Perspective: Writing Is the Rehearsal. Publishing Is the Recital.
Writing is a life of solitude. I don’t want it to be, and I’m often disappointed that it turns out that way, but it’s not a unique refrain among writers. When I write, I’m usually listening to hard rock through headphones. The entirety of Under the Sunflowers was written to In This Moment. Not because […]
Perspective: How do you market yourself when you’re invisible?
If you’re a writer in the same boat, this is for you. If you’re a curious reader, thank you for delving deeper. An artist’s world is full of doubts, and I believe those who charge headlong and reveal their works to the public with a certain recklessness make their own paths, though oftentimes those paths […]
Update: Keeping my sanity daydreaming about vacations.
Sometimes I need something to look forward to, just to keep moving forward. That’s what travel has become for me. It’s not just an escape; it’s fuel that keeps my days from blurring together. When I’m trying to eat better, spend less on things I absolutely don’ t need, and not lose myself in the […]
Perspective: Let’s Be Clear: I’m Not Indigenous.
I think back to when Oprah Winfrey promoted James Frey’s memoir, only for it to turn out to be fabricated. Or more aptly, you might recall Nasdijj, who claimed to be a Navajo author writing about reservation life, only to be revealed as a white man. That’s not me. I’m third-generation American, with roots in […]
Footnote: So About My Pen Name
It’s simple. JA are my initials, reversed. Darkling comes from Thomas Hardy’s poem A Darkling Thrush. It’s about hope in dark times. The Darkling Thrush By Thomas Hardy I leant upon a coppice gate When Frost was spectre-grey, And Winter’s dregs made desolate The weakening eye of day. The tangled bine-stems scored the sky Like […]
Update: What to Expect.
Under The Sunflowers is finished. If you head to the Table of Contents under The Book, you’ll find chapters listed with a brief description and estimated read time. If you see a date next to a chapter, that’s when it will be published. I plan to release two chapters per week, with the full project […]