Along a stretch of Highway 37, there’s an abandoned outhouse squatting alone in the marshlands. Every time I drive past, I’m fascinated by it. Who built it? Why here? And to what purpose? Though the outhouse is only a quick, passing thing on the way to the Sonoma trails, it’s become a peculiar highlight. I like to think of this site the same way—highly questionable, easy to miss on your way somewhere else, but possibly hiding a few oddities.

In the weeks ahead, my story, “Introduction to the Epic of Centipidus,” will be published in the spring issue of Mad Scientist Journal (available on Amazon or you can wait for it to appear online this May). This was one of the first stories I ever wrote, and will be my first to appear in print. The story–written as an intro to a novel that doesn’t exist–found a great home in Mad Scientist Journal, where stories are presented as factual essays, articles, and brochures. It’s very exciting, and also something you can read while in an outhouse in the marshlands.