I published my first story in 1979. I received $21.50 and the sense that the world was mine. Neither of these things lasted long.

This week I published my latest story, in the Lemonwood Quarterly. “Two Tickets to Gumstump” is about marriage, trains, recycling trains, and recycling marriage. I was paid $200. I am feeling just as good as I did on that day in 1979 when I opened my mail and found that check from my new editor.

The only sensible ends of literature are, first, the pleasurable toil of writing; second, the gratification of one’s family and friends; and last, the solid cash. (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

Obviously, this kind of money is not going to change my life. (Though in Hawthorne’s time, with $21.50 you could outfit a family of 10 and a Conestoga wagon. With $200, you could burn down Chicago and then rebuild it.) But this sale still counts as solid cash.

Here’s how to follow Lemonwood, which has now released its second issue. There’s no paywall, no account to set up, and you don’t have to click an endless series of photos of bikes or bridges to prove you’re human:

Bluesky

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Publishing my fourth story in five years seems like a good time to light a fire under this old blog. Yes, as you can see, I am still blogging, not vlogging, podcasting, TikTokketing, or whatever new thing will be invented this year that will eviscerate all the old things by next year. I’ve been blogging with WordPress since 2009; so long, in fact, that I have a sweetheart deal with them. They’re practically paying me to write this [citation needed]. At least I’m no longer writing and mailing a paper zine.

I’m going to post every Sunday. Next week: What am I doing in this canoe and what’s happened to my writing? Also, more photos of corgis on the attack. Thanks for reading.

Here’s the latest word count on the first draft of my novel as of Sunday, May 11:

51,920