I went to the surgeon on Monday to have him evaluate how I’m doing. He says I’m doing “extraordinarily well”! Nonetheless, I have to wear the godawful brace all day every day for two more months. I hope it’s doing its job keeping me straight. I’m using a “bone stimulator” to help the bones fuse. I’ve tried to be good and not bend, twist, or lift anything heavy. (BLT, as it’s called) I’m feeling a lot better these last few days.
A NOTE: Would these people who said they wanted to sign up for one of the Zoom sessions let me know (bfleda@gmail.com) which sessions they want to sign up for. The people I need to hear from are— Gary DeCoker, Kathryn Roth, Susan Owen, Linda Martin, Susie Massoth, Sheila Bartle, Greta Bolger, Judy Jones. Anne-Marie Oomen.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read the previous Wobbly (#337) that gives you the info. Four Zoom sessions, two for each book. Sign up for one of each. This should be really fun.
Clockwork Zooms: I’ll send you a list of questions you might want to ponder, along with your own. I’ll read some poems, but these are mostly conversation sessions. Here’s what the California Review of Books said when they chose it as one of the best books of 2025:
PLEASE IGNORE MY ERROR ON THIS FLYER! IT SHOULD SAY MARCH, NOT FEBRUARY!
As for The End-of-the-Line Club, it’s out in June but preordering starts SOON! Here’s the preface to that book:
Our northern Michigan snow lay heavy on the cars, my husband had to get to an early morning doctor’s appointment. He can’t get around without a walker, and I had just had surgery. I was in no condition to clean off the car for him. We lived on the third floor of a large condo building. I called the man who cleans off cars for five dollars, but he was out of town. I finally called a friend in the same building who cleaned it off for us. It was at that moment I felt weary, tired of always having to figure out how to manage. It was then we started talking about selling and moving to a senior residential facility. I had no idea of the emotional impact of such a move. This diary was my way of keeping my spirit attached to my body when all else felt in motion.
--FB
The book was written in five months, in a blaze, in a panic, in a disorientation that gradually began to settle and clarify itself. You could say it’s a guide to old age, to readjustment to changed circumstances. It might not be your experience, but it certainly was mine. Maybe it will be helpful in some way.
That’s what I have to say about the two books now. One is out and easily ordered from Carnegie Mellon U. Press, the other is just now available for pre-order! I’ll send a flyer when I have one. Pre-order from Mission Point Press, https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-end-of-the-line-club-a-diary/a17dfeffc1a598e8?ean=9781968761288&next=t