As you read this, I’m on the road with Crazy Larry, headed for Louisville, Kentucky, and Abbey Road on the River, “Five Days of Peace/Love/Rock & Roll.” Back in the day, The Beatles were part of a youth culture that represented hope and energy, and boy couldn't we all use a little of that.

Will tribute and re-enactor bands such as Jimmy Pou, Itchycoo Park, and the Yellow Submorons serve that purpose? Stay tuned.

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In time for Memorial Day, my friend Chris Floro, the special-operations chaplain I interviewed a while back, writes to ask me to pass this along:

A friend of mine whose son was killed in Iraq 29 Dec 05 has started a non-profit agency to establish a federally-recognized flag to honor and remember those who died or were killed in service to our nation. Please take a look.

The website and a petition can be found here.

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I read David Byrne’s blog regularly. In a piece for Wired Magazine that’s linked off his blog, he talks about music publishing in ways that parallel my interest in alternate forms of publishing for writers.

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Josh Birnbaum, the young photographer I profiled, is currently at work with the American Diversity Project. Workshop members have begun to post photos, and they’re well worth a look.

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Featherproof Books, an innovative, independent literary publisher, will do a chapbook of one of my stories, and when the time comes, I hope you’ll show them a little love by downloading it—for free!

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Finally, a reminder that if you live in Chicago you should come on out to the Pilcrow Lit Fest for readings, performances, receptions, panels, workshops, and a book fair. I’ll be on two panels—probably having performed my ablutions in a truck stop sink en route from Louisville—but more importantly there will be genuine class acts there, such as authors Amy Guth, Cristina Henriquez, Elizabeth Crane, Cris Mazza, Jonathan Messinger, Gina Frangello, and many more.