Still Burning…

It’s been a hell of run for Dumpster Fire Press but it’s also been a hell of year with major upheavals and not all of them triumphant…

However, DFP isn’t going anywhere.

We’ve published over twenty titles with more on the way possibly rounding it out to 30 which far beyond what I originally planned.

VOICES FROM THE FIRE has taken off and there has been nothing but adrenaline rushing enthusiasm whenever I read the plethora of submissions for one of our various anthologies such as DEATH BY PUNK and OCTOPI FROM THE SKY along with upcoming TWILIGHT OF THE SUPERHUMANS and WAITING FOR LUCY.

However, there has been a hindrance in my own creative work, not that editing and designing the interior of a book while putting together anthologies and managing a website isn’t rewarding nor lacks powers of creativity but there are stories and poems I’d like to tell along with other projects and this would be the time for me to say all good things come to an end and yes, I do have a planned ending for Dumpster Fire Press but not anytime soon.

This year, I’ve had to contend with a midlife crisis, not a huge deal but there are things privately I’ve had to deal with on a psychological level and I’ll be open about it…I was being gaslighted in a relationship with someone trying to manipulate who I was and altering me into someone I wasn’t, followed by meeting a woman I met over two decades ago where we sort of picked up from where we left off only for that to end in a tragedy with our potential offspring eradicated.

There’s more but a hit and run accident I had recently in which I wasn’t hurt resulted in bringing back a fair amount of memories and reflection…

Most of this happened in August, five years ago in August I was involved in a hit and run, left for dead, I worked for a company that been bought out and our office was closed, it was almost a dream job, two weeks prior my mother died and I was the one who made the call to take her off life support after helping her out of the shower and giving her some grapes and celery, I went to get a glass of water, only to hear her say much to her dismay

“Michael, I feel dizzy.”

Entering the room, finding her gasping for air and basically being a glazed eyed corpse sunken in the middle of the bed after a brief 911 call.

August 24th…June 24th of the same year I made the decision to put my cat down (another tragedy on its own)

“I hope that’s not a sign, I’m going to die.” My mother with stage 4 renal failure stated.

I dismissed it of course.

When everything transpired, I bled into the page and wrote like I needed whatever I needed, raw, brutal, painful, majestically all of it came pouring out.

Years later here we are.

Everything has been accepted. There’s still sadness but not dismal sense of helplessness nor hopelessness.

Yet, I’ve been distracted running a press while working full time with a lack of a fully individualized creative outlet and it’s time to get back to it.

So, where does this leave the Dumpster Fire Press?

In a great place…starting in 2022

VOICES FROM THE FIRE will be ongoing until volume 50, at least that’s the goal.

There will be 2-3 specifically themed anthologies a year.

We will still publish individual authors…perhaps one a month but there is an exception…

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH is a special time for DFP and at least 3 poets titles will be published along with the VOICES FROM FIRE almost being a daily presence throughout the month.

Don’t worry all 2021 obligations will be fulfilled along with keeping our mission statement that we are here as a voice for the voiceless, those heard, seldom heard or never heard from before.

Visions, stories, poetry, perhaps expanding into merchandise and a podcast , the fire is going strong just the editor in chief needs to rejuvenate with a bit of rest and some hammer of the gods wordsmithing.

Thanks for dealing with my spastic whining and ranting.

Stay surreal.