November 2025 Edition

Nov 1

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders,
but they have never failed to imitate them.”

~ James Baldwin

Children of the Book

A few weeks ago, I drove my mother to church on a rainy Sunday morning. I wanted to make sure she arrived safely in the bad weather. Well, it did not go as planned as we got into a collision that was very much my fault. I got my mother into a car wreck… totaling her car... on her birthday.

After the initial shock settled and we were certain everyone was alright, my mother said, “I guess I’m getting a new car for my birthday!” She repeated this to the other driver, officer, firefighters and paramedics. Yes, it was quite a circus. Somehow, she had everybody laughing and having a good time amidst the wreckage. She always had a way of creating a positive atmosphere that is beyond me. Here I am, angry at the world, thinking of the myriad ways I could have avoided the situation. But my mother knew it was out of our hands.

I just finished reading Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together by Ilana Kurshan. It tells the story of a mother raising her kids in parallel with reading to them. It’s a book about what a mother brings to her kids through reading and how those stories affect them. The book expresses her devotion to the page, and what we bring to the stories we interpret. It’s about setting an example for those around us.

Life is what we make of it, what we bring to a situation. We do not always choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond to it. And in doing that, we set an example. My mother, who is a teacher, is still teaching me by setting the example, like she did at the wreckage.

I think about this as we come into the holiday season of family gatherings. It is difficult to share a table with those whose opinions differ from our own, even loved ones. But it’s important that we try to bring our best to a situation. Difficult as it can be, try not to let others affect what is in your heart. And be thankful for what is good. But it’s okay if you need to walk away from the table. Sometimes walking away is the best example you can set. 😉

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Greetings From the Writing Desk

Welcome to the Author’s Newsletter—November edition 2025. It’s the first Friday of the month, and it’s time for updates. Some of you may have been looking for me on the socials. I have once again opted out of social networking. It’s just not my thing, and it’s never gonna be my thing for a million reasons I won’t get into. But I think social networking is brilliant and love that it works for others. You want to find me, you can reply to this email or reach me through my website. I have many marketing plans for the next year that do not involve social networks.

Right now, I am focusing on building my mailing list, so please share my website with others you know who might be interested in this newsletter. Perhaps you have reader friends, especially those interested in poetry and/or gothic romance. I’m still playing with the format. I’ve been lucky so far to get a couple of new subscribers every month. As soon as my upcoming work, Shuhari, is ready to release, I’ll be expanding a lot more. There will be in-depth updates, chapter samples, offers, and more to come.

Writing is my love, but it can affect me in negative ways. I have to set an example for myself in devotion by showing up no matter how I feel. An early riser, I wake up most mornings at 5am to go for a run. Not running that morning often contributes to my bad days. After my run, I get cleaned up, have breakfast and start writing. But on some days, I just need to walk away from the desk. And that action can sometimes be even better for my writing.

A poetic dialogue between a teacher and student, my upcoming book Shuhari, is all about setting an example for one another. The book is still getting polished while waiting for artwork. Shuhari will be available for preorders soon, arriving on February 3rd, 2026. This will provide time to make any necessary touch-ups and prepare marketing plans. You will find the book’s introduction at the bottom of this newsletter just below the signature.

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Reading…

Audition by Katie Kitamura

Listening…

Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past is Still Alive

Watching…

I got around to seeing Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, One Battle After Another. Didn’t love it. But I admired the fun, action-adventure approach to a political thriller. It’s about what is important to each of us, what we value. There’s a caution about becoming what we fight against. In fighting one battle after another, the film encourages us to ask ourselves, who and what we are fighting for. It challenges us to set an example for our children.

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Next month for December’s newsletter, I will be ready to talk more about my upcoming novel, A Love Unrequited.

If you have questions at all, or just want to chat, feel free to reply to this email. And in case you were wondering, my mom did get that new car. Thanks for reading! 😊

May Shadow Reveal Light,
Joshua Thaddeus

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I’m going to paint you a portrait,
you will not want to look upon.

Why not?

Because it is yours.

But I know myself.

You know a sketch of yourself.
I cannot tell you who you are,
but I can help you discover your true nature
as we paint your portrait together.

I can paint my own portrait.

Only through reflection,
your relationship with others,
are you introduced to yourself.
“YOU,” the External.
“I,” the Internal.
And the “SELF.”
Only through “You” and “I”
can the Self be realized.

Do you know yourself?

You have shown me many things
I did not know.

What could I possibly teach you?

Everyone is a student,
everyone is a teacher,
and all are learning—
in this eternal dance with one another.

Tell me about this dance.

It is the relationship you share
with the world around you.
The foundation of all relationships
is communication—
the art of expression.
If you are to dance,
you must be able to lead.
And in return—
follow.

I am not capable of such expression.

Of course, you are.
You hide it out of fear.

I am afraid to communicate?

You are afraid to be vulnerable—
You will, of course,
paint your own portrait.
But it will be enriched
by the color of those
with whom you surround yourself.