January 15, 2024

My stories have always been difficult to pigeonhole and promote. Who, after all, gets excited over spiritual fables featuring fairly mundane characters?

Surprisingly, THE HEAVY BRIGHT happens to have a couple of marketing hooks, in that it features two female characters in love, and women who talk sympathetically about being human. This has gotten it plugged into the LGBTQ and feminist marketing categories.

But—oh no!— THE HEAVY BRIGHT also depicts male characters with sympathy! It calls out power-hungry ideologues and opportunists—male and female! And it fails miserably at naming every category of sex, sexual behavior and sexual identity.

Everyone in this story is simply human, stuck in a world that is baffling to them. They’ve all been drawn into uncanny events beyond their control, and are grasping at any affiliation or ideology that’ll help them cope.

Speaking of ideology, I’m unfamiliar with feminist doctrine, and would be hard pressed to distinguish one “wave” from another. I only know what I’ve lived and experienced over several decades, as a woman, in different parts of the non-virtual, non-academic world.

I report from one tiny vantage point in an evolving species.

And, wow, what a species we are! With glimmers of insight, and the ability to extend love and compassion to other humans, animals, plants, and the planet! What an act of imagination and will! But for every step forward we take two steps back, often lured by fear and outrage.

Power-hungry ideologues will always try to draw battle lines where they can, usually over arbitrary, visible differences like sex, sexuality, melanin, height, bodily attributes and abilities, age, etc.. It’s so seductive to fall under their divisive spell, to fight their constant battles, to feel aggrieved and persecuted.
If you live long enough you’ll see this time and again, and maybe you’ll get tired of being angry.

Calling out power-hungry ideologues is a must for all of us, but we'll never erase them. All we can do is stay strong, open, friendly and aware.

So, who’s up for a a spiritual fable featuring mundane characters and power-hungry ideologues? Not you? No problem. There are countless titles out there that’ll confirm your world view.