So much for a weekly newsletter...

I swear I'm not avoiding you, Substack

We are inching ever so close to the reopening of the River Oaks Theatre, but that has meant that most of my waking days (and a good chunk of my sleeping nights) have been spent thinking about the theater and getting ready for guests to walk through the door. Unfortunately, that means I’ve slacked on a lot of important stuff. Wedding stuff for sure (the most important stuff, for the record), but also writing and exercise and remembering to take the trash out. So now, I sit here on a Saturday, amid my refuse and rubbish, writing this week’s newsletter after having completed a morning walk with my dog. Saturday’s are the new day for cramming it all in.

But you know what? I don’t have much to share.

I wish I could share pictures of what the theater looks like inside, but I can’t.

I wish I could talk about good movies I’ve watched, but most of them are screeners that I’m embargoed from talking about.

I wish I could share updates on WHERE WOLF 2, but I haven’t had time to give Debora Lancianese a new chapter to start working on.

I wish I could detail some funny anecdotes, but all my non-work anecdotes involve me trying to grab another hour of sleep every morning.

I’m bummed to not be at Fantastic Fest this year. It’s the first time since 2010 (not including that COVID dark period) that I’ve missed the festival. Work is busy, though, and I can’t get away - even for a day - so I’ll just have to jealously read everybody’s Letterboxd reviews and wait for next year when I can return.

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A new favorite Goodreads review for WHERE WOLF just dropped.

The last line was so incredible I just had to make a pull quote ad for it.

Remember, you can request a copy of WHERE WOLF from your local library or buy a personal copy directly from the publisher, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Ghoulish Books in San Antonio, or Whose Books in Dallas. If you've read WHERE WOLF, please consider leaving a rating or review on Amazon, Goodreads, The StoryGraph, or wherever you discover new books.

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I saw CAKE a few weeks ago - a band I was obsessed with while in high school. It had been raining all day, and even 10 minutes before the show’s scheduled start time, there was a downpour falling from the sky. I really wanted to skip the concert, but I was also desperate to do something - anything - non-work related for fun. The band still sounded pretty good, but they played most of their songs very down tempo and the lead singer - John McCrea - seemed antagonistic and surely the entire show. It was not a great concert - partly because of the humidity hugging every ounce of the Houston late summer night, but also because the band just seemed old and tired. They reminded me too much of my own withered youth and vigor. Is this what getting old is? Watching the bands you liked as a kid perform on stage like some kind of musical portrait of Dorian Gray? Maybe I need to start getting into newer music.

Then again, I listened to the entirety of Charlie XCL’s BRAT last week and it also made me feel old. Girl, you need to tone down the late-night clubbing and dance drugs. Try writing a song about the joys of lying on a couch and half-paying attention to an episode of KITE MAN: HELL YEAH! while you scroll on your phone.

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And yes, I did finish watching KITE MAN: HELL YEAH! I wish the show was funnier - it lacks that effortless pop that its sister show HARLEY QUINN has in spades - but I can’t help but appreciate a show whose support cast is pulled equally from Jack Kirby’s New Gods and Garth Ennis and John McCrea’s HITMAN.

Much funnier are the first four episodes of ENGLISH TEACHER on FX. Created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez, this Austin-set show follows a young teacher struggling to balance social politics in a school where the students are simultaneously progressive and regressive. It’s super funny and I can’t wait for more episodes.

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Box Office Pro wrote a nice profile about the River Oaks Theatre and I was interviewed. I think the article came out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

In other humble brag news, I can share some of Lucia and my engagement photos. This looks like the album cover for a contemporary faith folk group who write songs about how Jesus was the original King of Rizz.

Enjoy your weekend, friends. And remember, Jesus WAS the original King of Rizz.