It is Fiesta here in Santa Fe, one of the oldest festivals in the City Different, and once again the highlight of the festivities will be the Burning of Zozobra (the original Burning Man, for those of you who have never heard of him).

Zozobra will be 100 this year, so the celebrations should be even more spectacular than before.    For the first time, Sky Railway will be joining the madness with the FLAME TRAIN, set to carry the fire that will consume Old Z from Lamy through the heart of Santa Fe to Fort Marcy Park.

Zozobra himself is a towering marionette representing Old Man Gloom.  The pyre that devours him after dark — as he shouts and screams and waves his arms and legs — contains within it all the doom and grief and depression and despair of the past year.   It is Santa Fe’s way of devouring the darkness, to clear the way for the light and joy that will hopefully mark the new year.

And believe me we need that, more than ever before.   The world, the country, and yes, certainly me.   This has not been a good year for anyone, with war everywhere and fascism on the rise… and on a more personal level, I have had a pretty wretched year as well, one full of stress, anger, conflict, and defeat.

I need to talk about some of that, and I will, I will… I was away from my computer traveling from July 15 to August 15, so a lot of things that needed saying did not get said.   I am glad I took that trip, though.   My stress levels beforehand were off the charts, so much so that I was seriously considering cancelling my plans and staying at home.  I am glad I didn’t, though.   It was so so good to get away for a little, to put all the conflict aside for a time.   I began to feel better the moment the plane set down in Belfast, and we all headed off to Ashford Meadow to see the tournament.   We had five great days in Belfast and environs, and that made me feel so much better.   The rest of the trip was fun as well, a splendid combination of business and pleasure that included visits to Belfast, Amsterdam, London, Oxford, and Glasgow.   I look forward to telling you all about our adventures… though it may take a while.   I had a thousand emails waiting for me on my return, and then I went and brought a case of covid back with me from worldcon, so I am way way behind.

I do not look forward to other posts I need to write, about everything that’s gone wrong with HOUSE OF THE DRAGON… but I need to do that too, and I will.   Not today, though.  TODAY is Zozobra’s day, when we turn away from gloom.

BURN HIM!   BURN HIM!

 

 

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