I just posted a new blog entry, “Hello There, Future Person!” It is the last entry of my Aftermath blog, and after a rest I plan on returning to my roots as a fiction writer, working on funny little stories that will make people happy—unless they recognize themselves in the cast of characters. I plan to write the occasional essay if events demand it, and post it on my website, but in general, I've written 300,000 words in the last four-plus years, and I'm tired. If my message hasn't gotten out by this time, I've decided it's not my fault.
In any event, I've written a primary-source account of our plague years, and I'll try to get End Notes, Ghost Dance, and Aftermath published on Kindle and, if I can, made available as hard copies. Will try to make that happen sometime in early 2025.
Thank you for your kind attention over these last few years. It's been good to have a real, live audience, get generous and valuable feedback, and establish a few deeply meaningful friendships. My future audience is, as this final post indicates, largely imaginary, and not largely friendly.
I'll be 74 this month, and I don't think that I'll write any more books. If you haven't read all of my work, most of it is available from my various publishers or online. If you're looking for MFA in a Box, I have a box of copies and can make more if there's a sudden demand.
I am glad I became a writer, even if I never made much money at it. I learned a lot, and connected with people like you. Most of the times that I spent writing were a little bit enjoyable, although I have sympathized with John McPhee, the New Yorker writer who had to tie himself to his chair with his bathrobe belt when he was on deadline.
Here's the first part of the last entry:
“If you’re reading this blog in a book, future person, you’ll know that you’ve made it to the last few pages. I hope the book is Aftermath, and it’s the last volume of three. That will mean my collected blogs have made it intact into your world....”
You can read the rest at johnrember.com/aftermath-blog.
Thanks,
John
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