I just had some happy news. My short short story “The Boy Next Door” will be published at the end of the month on Splickety’s Lightning Blog. I just received the edits, and I’ll be working through them today. I really like this story, and I’m happy to see it venturing out into the world,  hopefully to find a reader or two. I’ll post the link when I have it.

Meanwhile, Deanna and I have been going gangbusters on Girard’s Nude. This is our musical comedy set in the 1950s, about middle-aged housewife Ethel, who is asked to pose nude for a French painter. Ooh la la. Last night I had some scenes read at the monthly Playwrights Ink meeting in Madison that were well received. And the suggestions were very helpful–well worth the long drive. I saw Deanna earlier in the day, and she’s been working on three new songs including the finale. I’m finishing up Act 2, and doubling back to edit earlier scenes. The other day, after a long, productive afternoon of writing, I had a net word count of 8, so I guess I’ve been doing a lot of tightening up.

As for what’s coming up next: at the meeting last night we talked about the Forward Theater Company’s Monologue Festival. This year’s theme is working. During the long drive home I came up with an idea that I’m hoping to get started on later this week. It’s a story Deanna and I had originally considered as the theme for our Art to Art: True Stories piece, about a wonderful woman who saved the lives of two little girls while working as a crossing guard. She was terribly injured herself. But eventually she recovered, and when she did, she returned to her corner. She received a Congressional Medal of Honor, but she didn’t ever boast about it. Most people who knew her first learned about it at her funeral. Her son found the medal in her dresser drawer. I’m really glad to have a reason to revisit her story.