The Pageturning Report: October 2024
LegendHaven 2024, The Gracious Guest Show, Raynham Hall Museum, and more!
October was an absolutely jam-packed month! Let’s jump right into the recap.
Raynham Hall Museum
You may remember that a few months ago I received a job offer out of the blue from the Raynham Hall Museum, a colonial house and Revolutionary War museum in my hometown of Oyster Bay, New York.
The last few months as a museum educator and tour guide have been a wonderful experience! My colleagues have been encouraging and supportive. I’m just so grateful to be among fellow museum-nerds again.
Oyster Fest
On October 19, I assisted at Raynham Hall’s booth at the annual Oyster Fest. We gave out fliers and interacted with the many visitors who stopped by our table. A good time was had by all!
LegendHaven 2024
Over the weekend of October 18-20 I took part in the third annual LegendHaven online Catholic writers conference hosted by
and .On Saturday I hosted a fun panel with my good friends
, , and Robert King of the StarQuest Production Network (SQPN) on the topic: “Echoes of Faith in Secular Storytelling.”
Sunday evening I held a live-reading from my current work-in-progress, the paranormal thriller Field Station Delta, followed by a fun Q&A session.
Overall, I thought the conference was a success. I had fun and made some terrific new connections with Catholic creatives. I even got the opportunity to speak to a literary agent, Anjanette Barr, who answered my questions about querying future manuscripts.
I’m looking forward to next year’s LegendHaven and I also plan to attend the Catholic Writers Guild online conference in early 2025.
Works in progress
Field Station Delta (paranormal thriller)
As I reported last month, I’ve hired a professional copyeditor to work on Field Station Delta. I’ve also commissioned an artist to help design the cover. My plans for self-publishing remain the same. I hope that this novella will be available for purchase on Kindle in March 2025. I’m extremely grateful that
allowed me to play around in his fictional universe. Paul has also kindly agreed to provide a brief forward for the book.New articles
In October I’ve been hard at work on multiple essays for Word on Fire’s Evangelization & Culture blog. Here’s two that have already been published.
Word on Fire
Heart of a Servant Shows Us a Saint for Our Time
The life and witness of Fr. Edward J. Flanagan is a model for how Catholic social teaching can be applied to the complexities of the twenty-first century. The key to his extraordinary success was that Flanagan spoke and acted as a true disciple of Christ. He saw the face of his Master in every person he helped, regardless of race, nationality, or creed. A genuine, all-consuming love for the poor and the vulnerable propelled him forward in living out the words of the Gospel: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40).
LegendFiction founder Dominic de Souza on Faith and Storytelling
De Souza: “LegendFiction was created purely because I wanted a place to meet up with people and to make friends and to share progress and keep myself motivated because I felt alone. Our community is anchored in the sense of not being utilitarian with your vocation to write. Our goal is to enjoy the creative process! I would say don’t put pressure on yourself to shoehorn the faith into every single thing you write. It’s all about being part of the community. I wanted a space where you’re not judged by a standard where you’ve got to be creating classical literature or you have to be creating evangelistic tracts, or you need to be expanding the Christian section at Barnes & Noble.”
Podcast life
I was even busier than usual with podcasting this month—and not just for StarQuest! I’ve been working with The Gracious Guest, Mythic Mind, and other fine programs!
The Gracious Guest Show
I was delighted to be invited back on The Gracious Guest Show hosted by my good friend Mike Creavey. Many of us cringe at the way “heroes” are often depicted in modern film and literature. But what IS a hero? What’s the secret that either makes or breaks “heroes” in film and print? Mike and I discuss these questions and more!
Mythic Mind Podcast
LegendFiction
In anticipation of LegendHaven, Dominic de Souza and I had a deep conversation about the concept of evangelization through imagination. But here’s the kicker: evangelization isn’t just about preaching; it’s about sharing life and experiences. Storytelling should flow from a genuine relationship with Christ.
Secrets of Middle-Earth
The fall of Eregion! The panel and I discuss the penultimate episode of The Rings of Power Season 2, including themes of deception and Adar's complex motivations. Plus, we talk about the significance of the brand new collection of Tolkien's poetry.
It’s the big season finale! The panel and I discuss the final episode of Season 2, which dropped huge story bombs in every story line. We analyze the plot and characters and call out our favorite (and not-so-favorite) moments.
Secrets of Star Wars
A key element of the Star Wars fandom is cosplay. So many of the costumes from the Star Wars films have become iconic touchstones. I join the panel to discuss the thematic roles of costumes, the evolution of costumes, the influence of costumes on the mythos of Star Wars, and more!
Secrets of Movies & TV Shows
Foundation Season 2 brings us epic twists and turns! The panel and I discuss Harry Seldon's mind-bending fight to shape humanity's future, the rise of a powerful pseudo-religion, and the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. We also dive into themes of power, hope, and will.
Detective noir Batman! The panel and I discuss this new show that draws inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series, exploring the Dark Knight in a retro-Gotham setting, offering fresh takes on old characters, and examining Batman's struggle between justice and revenge.
Thanks so much for reading this month’s Pageturning Report. If you’ve just discovered my little corner of Substack, I invite you to subscribe and to share this post with someone, perhaps a fellow writer or podcaster who might be interested in my work. This newsletter only exists with the support and interest of my readers and followers.
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Until next time, take care, God bless, and happy reading!
People are going to love Field Station Delta! You did excellent work building the original short story into an incredibly fun novella.
You've been busy!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻