How The Midnight Whimsical came to be.

Konichiwa, my beautiful friends! After several readings and festivals selling my latest book The Midnight Whimsical, I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about how this book came to be and some thoughts about the book after publishing it.

It all began in late fall of 2021. I was in Saugatuck, Mi attending a beatnik pop up open mic hosted by a very interesting and public figure. A couple months before that, I was brushing off the cobwebs of my old performer self with a fifteen-minute set at the Park Theatre open mic in Holland, Mi. Back to the pop-up event - There was approximately thirty people at the pop up and while I didn’t know it at the time, it would have a profound influence on my approach to writing. The poets and people read their work and the work of others they wanted to share. The guest of honor that night was poet and author D.R. James and listening to his poetry was a delight. The vibe that evening for the most part was light, playful, and comedic. I performed some poems from my first collection Above Reality, and then made a bunch of new friends.

I thought about that evening almost every night for a couple of weeks. I thought about my writing every night. I pondered and searched within until a had a self-realization/revelation: my poetry didn’t have to be hardcore; it could be fun and light-hearted. This realization allowed me to more freely express parts of my personality that I had kept restrained, creatively speaking. I soon discovered that I was able to meld my quirkiness and penchant for nonsensical silliness into my foundation of fantasy. Most importantly, I was able to cut loose! My first series Above Reality explored the subconscious mind, depression, anxiety, addiction, grief, and desire. It was heavy stuff. I needed a “palette” cleanse so to speak, and this new style of writing did just that. I was very excited and kept exploring, writing poems every day, enjoying my new creative liberties. After a while, The Midnight Whimsical began to take shape. As I read my new poems, I could hear and see them being recited by animals - animals that would come to life and sing and dance. That was the starting point and by the end, I had created a literary work that successfully (according to my peers and superiors) blended genres and styles. Many stories were told inside the overarching tale of a man coming out of a long period of grief.

Now, it has been almost a year since I published the whimsical. I still struggle with some of the things I have said, and I think that is because I am still growing, changing, and finding my way as a creative individual. Most of these feelings come from the extra section I included in the book where I list some “fun facts” about the whimsical. Sure, some people might want to know, but ultimately, I think that it is better to leave a little mystery - plus, my feelings about my work have changed dramatically. It is no longer about me, it is not about acclaim, and it is not about money. It’s about using my gifts to spread joy, wonder, and smiles in our tinted world.