Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Torn Horizon
New contributing poet Ayaan Fahad and returning photographer Edward S. Gault break in our Tuesday at Oddball Magazine.
This Week's Most Distinguished Network Name
It's amazing what people will name their online networks. I'm always
trying to hijack Wi-Fi when I'm commuting, so I often come across a
number of interesting names. Every Tuesday, I post the most impressive
and/or cringe-inducing names.
 |
| No one wants anyone to have free internet anymore. |
Post-Summer Thoughts, 2026
I lost someone I cared about and liked this summer. That was the most dominant part of the summer, and you barely read about that here.
My Summer's End Poem for 2026
Summer Love
Summer's
always known
you hate it.
Summer
does not
want your love.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Summer 2026 Highlights: My Health
My medical appointments cast a large shadow over my summer.
I went to the doctor and did lab work a lot this summer. It was not pleasant.
And I'm not done.
Yes, I'm being vague.
I'm all right. I feel pretty good. I just have anxiety.
It seems like I'm on the right track.
October is going to be rough, but I can get through it.
My partner's mother passed away after a quick period of deterioration.
That helped light a fire under me.
Summer was just the start of this run of visits.
I can't wait for winter when I can really rest for a bit.
Summer 2026 Highlights: Where It Ended for Us
Summer 2026 Highlights: Provincetown
We only went down one day this summer. We fit everything in. Seafood, a film at Waters Edge Cinema, time at the beach, yoga, local ice cream, and no need to park. A perfect day all told.
Comics Spotlight: Patrick McEvoy and Olivia Pelaez
Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine this Monday.
Summer 2026 Highlights: The Boston Poetry Marathon
The Boston Poetry Marathon started one day after I got home from Montreal. That is to say, it started less than ten hours after I got to bed from the worst travel I've had in this century.
I am proud of myself and what I was able to do this year, but I was too tired to keep up with putting media up on the social media pages. I still have photos to put up before the end of tonight.
I'm ashamed of the fact that because of the travel and everything else going on, I couldn't get Carol Weston to read remotely. I won't forgive myself for that anytime soon.
I still owe everyone a thank you email. I hope I can get that out tonight too.
A One-Act Chapter
The latest chapter of Steven David Justin Sills' ethics treatise takes a different turn. Read his one-act play within a treatise with artwork by Richard Spisak over at Oddball Magazine.
Summer 2026 Highlights: Musical
Almost forgot that my partner got tickets to Les Misérables at the top of the summer. Didn't take photos of the show, of course, and now I have this neat photo of the inside of the theatre that I don't know what to do with.
Summer 2026 Highlights: Montreal
I went to Canada in August. I tried to capture as much as I could. I just don't do well when I go into a country for a first time. Next time, I'll do better. Still, I took in the sights, and I'm hopefully going to put my vacation videos up. I really should given that summer ends tomorrow.
Summer 2026 Highlights:
I wasn't thrilled about the fireworks this year, but it was good to experience everything with family. That's better than explosions.
On Display
Anne Skove is back with a specia in-color comic from the weekend. Read "She Who Laughs Lasts" this Monday at Oddball Magazine.
Identified?
Susan Isla Tepper is back with a poem to touch on the current UFO news with photography by Alexis Rhone Fancher. Welcome the new week at Oddball Magazine.
September 23: Stone Soup and Lee Desrosier Dance on Summer's Grave
Thanks to Lee Desrosiers for wanting to stop by Stone Soup Poetry this autumn. She has a new collection of poetry out and a Stone Soup feature this Wednesday. Let's show up for September's first special feature and give this hardworking poet their due.
Join us on Wednesday, September 23, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM ET by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 883 3941 5240
Password: stonesoup
Summer 2026 Highlights: Driving
I got into an auto accident in 2025 driving through the north shore. I didn't want to drive to the north shore at all in 2026.
Emergencies came up. I had to go. A lot.
It all culminated with me driving a U-Haul through the north shore two weekends ago.
I don't run from my fears. I'm apparently not fast enough.
I've had my fears jammed through my throat constantly this summer.
My Monday Morning Music
Focusing on random music I heard on college radio. Expanding my horizons and hoping I can pass some new music onto people of my generation.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Itty Bitty Aside
The micro-micro poetry journal Smols published my latest one-liner today. Thanks to Roberta Beach Jacobson for supporting my most minor of missives.
Anticipation
Steve Onderick has been working for over a decade on a documentary about the Church of Euthanasia, a group based in the Boston area for several years and especially prominent in the nineties and early aughties. I donated photography and audio from my past coverage to the project and was even interviewed at my old apartment in Southie, This summer, we received a Kickstarter update for the first time in a while.
In 2023, I got a look at what was then the finished film. I'm only showing a screenshot of the credits here. It was nice to be near the top of the "Special Thanks" list given that I don't appear in the documentary (insert a Daffy Duck impersonation here as I scream "What? Rich Mackin's name over mine?!?").
I recently scanned a lot of COE material and feel I have a couple of thousand words left to say on the subject. Thant makes me hope even more that the film is released soon and gets a special showing in Boston. Ideally in Brookline at Coolidge Corner Theatre, not far away from the scene of one of the Church's more infamous counter-protests.
Your Weekly Dose of God
Nothing like a store selling literature to desperate people who look for anything to stop from freezing in place until they die. Hope it works for a while.
Saturday, September 19, 2026
My Saturday Haiku for Bluesky, 9-19-26
weekend feeds us meal over
Friday, September 18, 2026
My Friday Evening Music
This week's selection made me work. I've tried for years to figure out this song's title so I could actually bring it up on YouTube. I only figured it out recently because of a Todd in the Shadows video that referenced music in 1982. The chorus is catchy, but the rest of the song doesn't quite match up to it. Out of the three songs I picked, Melissa Manchester's is the most interesting. I'll probably like it so I can hear it again, but I don't know if I could justify playing it in mixed company.
Irked
When someone puts up a $6 paywall to watch a video of them reading when the video is free on YouTube, you have to wonder what their thought process is.
Two-Step
Sometimes only I get the joke to my photo titles. That's fine. I'm the one who has to keep coming back here. Not you.
My Friday Morning Music
I probably heard this Doobie Brothers song in the car and didn't pay it mind, but then I heard the chorus in the Forrest Gump movie and wanted to hear it again. When I did, I was like, Eh. Despite the catchy chorus and the voice of Michael McDonald, this song just doesn't come together the way songs like "What a Fool Believes" does. Do all songs I find disappointing come from the seventies? We'll see.
Leopards Eating Faces Update!
Putting Kash Patel this week may be premature because he's not gone yet, but he's the first person who may have fed himself to the leopards!
Thursday, September 17, 2026
My Reply to Someone Who Sleeps with a Biden Shaped Pillow
Seriously? It all has more of a fade to black feeling for me. Also, who is president now?
Stone Soup Poetry All Open Mic, 9-16-26
From this week's online gathering. One more all-open mic as Stone Soup gets its footing back after a summer break. More to come!
Somehow, We Lived to Wave Again
Thanks to everyone for coming out yesterday to Stone Soup's all-open mic. Please come back next week for special feature Lee Desrosiers.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Afternoon Flea Bite!
"Saint Alan" makes an appearance in Roberta Beach Jacobson's Five Fleas Itchy Poetry along with work from Noah Berlatsky, Patrick Sweeney, Roberta herself and many others. Thanks to her for including my work again.
Oh, Wow
This Wednesday wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Better than last Wednesday.
Let's celebrate by getting together for Stone Soup's all-open mic.
I hope you join us.
Things Are Different
Welcome new contributing poet Lilly Purdy and returning artist Thomas Riesner as we close out Oddball Magazine for Wednesday. Thanks for reading us.
Aiming High
We start off Wednesday with the enigmatic Bryan and our returning photographer Jennifer Matthews. Welcome to Oddball Magazine on this special day of contributors.
Tending to Her Garden
Susan Sklan has her turn in this week's Lyrical Somerivlle. Read her poem now at The Somerville Times.
September 16: The All-Open Mic Continues
Join us on Wednesday, September 16, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM ET by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 837 0804 4470
Password: stonesoup
Look...
I'm all for wanting Jamaica Plain to keep it's local vibe, but promoting the message on the windows of the empty lot where the beloved Boomerangs thrift store used to be sends out a mixed message.
A Moment of Comics
When I was a kid, I didn't see or read many comics where Green Lantern Jon Steward and Green Arrow hung out. They seem like such an obvious pairing. The page below is not only the only team up of them I read as a kid, but it's also my introduction to Jon Stewart as a character. From Green Lantern #165 written by Mike W. Barr with art by Keith Pollard and inks by Dan Adkins.
American Haiku: Seven Republicans with Tears in Their Eyes
When I started my Sarcastic Haiku series, I wrote my first American Haiku.
An American Haiku doesn't care about tradition, formality or history. it takes as long as it wants to make its point because America. You can read
others I've written since by clicking here and scrolling down.
Beautiful Leftovers
This shot taken while sitting on rickety chairs at the unbussed section of a restaurant's deck and waiting to be called to the main dining room while being surrounded by wealthy people who reuse to move the first two times you say "Excuse me" is a perfect capstone to this summer. I still have videos to post, but as far as photos go, I think I'm done.
Your Wednesday Morning Poetry
Through this essay I found a poem by Palestinian poet Fady Joudah. Read "Mimesis" on the Poetry Foundation website.
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