I´ve been blocked. Not the arteries, at least not since I quit smoking a whole year ago. Not the page. I´ve been coming up with ideas for ways to improve my opus. The first half is fine, the second half is overloaded. I´ve written flashes, attended to my Schubis, worked in my garden, even swum and walked Nordic.
I´ve been blocked. No, I´ve not joined the elite blocked by tRump on Twitter. But there is a sludge in me that wants to lighten up yet can´t seem to. And it is a bit the fault of the tRump thinking that seems to be rampant in the US, UK and Australia, despite what detractors say. Even in Austria, a would-be Macron is flapping his young conservative wings in what I hope is not just hot air. Will he be able to place empathy before ego and not fall into May-hem?
I´m tired of talk about American values, British values, Australian values when they all seem to be “whitely” and in opposition to basic human values. I´m tired of talk of brands and marketing and spinning marketing brands that turn out to be hollow wastelands.
You´ve all read the news. But I want to talk about the good things like my “almost there” phoenix wishbone at Reflex Fiction, my “almost home” story of home to appear in the anthology, Stories for Homes #2 to raise money for Shelter (while awaiting #2, do have a look at the stories in #1) 
, my “Yellow Star” flash commissioned for the 2016 Twisted Tales anthology 
, a reading by Günther Kaip from his latest book, Ankerplätze – ein Journal (Klever Verlag) at Alte Schmiede, and the wonderful 25-year birthday bash of the Vienna Poetry Academy where as Ginsburg said in Vienna in 1993: “the international crazy wisdom poetry school shall save the human race. bam pa ra da!”
There was also a chat at the bash with Judith Nika Pfeifer and maybe some of my work will be appearing under her curation in…
Then I had the fastest rejection for three flash fiction pieces, one, mentioned above, but then they´re not called flash for nothing, which I look at as a good omen for my participation in the upcoming Flash Fiction Festival to be held in Bath, not the bath, next weekend. Lovely bookends for that festival where I´ll also be connecting with writing friends will be time spent with our daughter´s oldest friend, a young woman dear to my heart who’ll be hosting my arrival and departure.
So, you see, I´m slowly getting unblocked. I must say that a bit of recently discovered Instagram has also been helpful in that area.
Until next, onwards!
