It’s almost Halloween! Which also means it’s almost time for the Día de los Muertos, and here in Tucson, the All Souls Procession (which for some reason is never on the actual Day of the Dead). I spent this past weekend thrift store shopping for a new All Souls outfit, because I finally got tired of being lazy and pretty much just dressing in black; people wear suits, wedding dresses, elaborate memorabilia. There is always the sense, in the midst of the Procession, that you might indeed be walking beside a ghost.

Which I guess is the point.

Speaking of Halloween, you can read a new story of mine, called “The Basement” right now on The Rumpus, if you’d like to get into a spooky mood. It’s a midwestern horror story people with college philosophy bros, and The Rumpus matriarchy commissioned some outstanding illustrations from Trisha Previte. Please enjoy. (*knife emoji* *skull emoji* *pumpkin emoji*)

And speaking of weekends (was I? Are we?), this weekend is the Texas Book Fest in Austin! I’m really excited to be presenting there for the first time, so if you’re in the area, come check it out. I’ll be talking with Jamie Quatro & Jennifer DuBois about desire, deceit, infidelity, Nabokov, and Christianity in fiction. I think it’ll be outstanding.

The details: our panel is called “Playing with Fire,” and it takes place on Saturday from 4-4:45pm, with a signing to follow.  The whole festival is going to be incredible, and I can’t wait to hang out with some of my internet friends in person.

I don’t have a tidy ending to this, so let me just also say that I baked a cheddar apple pie this weekend, and it was everything that I dreamed it might be. Happy fall, friends.