Letters From the Labyrinth 95

I'm Brian "Burning Man" Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth -- a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.

Had my first follow-up visit at the burn center this past Thursday. It was all very good news. The doctors were amazed at how fast I'm healing. They said I'm about a week ahead of where I should be, recovery-wise. At this point, my face and scalp are okay, and my left ear (which caught the worst of the flash) looks like it just has a bad case of sunburn.

My arm hasn't healed like tht yet, but it will. Currently, there is still a large open wound in my elbow -- basically a crater -- and another open wound atop my forearm. Both require vaseline bandages, bactracin, and 24-7 bandaging. The rest of my arm is healing well, although it is currently multi-colored, and will almost certainly have some scarring after everything is done. There is no permanent nerve damage, but I've yet to get sensation back in my fingertips and palm.

I've been writing using a combination of Dragon dictation software and old fashioned fingers on keyboard. The latter is difficult since I can't feel the keys, but the phsyical therapist insists that I do it. This week, I finished an Introduction for D. Alexander Ward's LOST HIGHWAYS anthology, another round of note-based edits on the pilot episode of SILVERWOOD: THE DOOR, and this newsletter.

Mary and I would like to thank everyone for their love, generosity, and support. Your thoughts, prayers, good wishes, candles, spells, workings, Tweets, messages, etc have been a blessing. Your donations, both to the GoFundMe and those made in private, have moved us both to tears. Your tireless efforts to boost the signal have been appreciated.

A lot of folks are concerned about the financial burden. We are, too. But the hospital has an advocate who is actively helping us with that, and we’ll be looking into a number of charitable organizations and options. However, that process is long, and requires lots of paperwork, and a lot of mental energy. Currently, we are stil focused on my initial healing and recovery. In the coming weeks, as I rebuild my energy and stamina, the focus will shift to paperwork and bills. That is when we will start looking at charitable organizations, and some other options. Understand that it will be several weeks before we know what the total cost will be.

Some folks are concerned about my productivity. I am, too. But it's a temporary thing. Like I said above, I got some work done at the end of this week. Thanks to Zachi, a very generous fan who kindly provided me with the Dragon dictation software. I can write again, but it will be a while before I'm back up to speed.

The main thing you can do to help us both right now is to limit your texts, phone calls, and emails to us. I know that everyone wants to help, and want to plan anthologies and auctions and benefits and all kinds of other things. But there are folks already working on such things behind the scenes. I’m bedridden most of the day, trying to recuperate Mary is taking care of me, and staring down a tight novel deadline for Kensington. And there are only so many hours in the day. For right now, the best way to help is via the GoFundMe, or by simply purchasing a book or audiobook. Deadite Press and self-published titles pay me monthly, Crossroads Press and Apex pay me quarterly, so yes, sales of books or audiobooks will certainly come my way. But beyond the GoFundMe and book sales, as I said, there are delegated indivduals working on things. Please hold off on inquiring. When they’re ready, they’ll let the public know. So again, the main thing you can do to help us both right now is to limit your texts, phone calls, and emails to us.

With that being said, I do like to hear from folks, and your messages have been a great source of comfort and laughter. As always, Twitter remains my preferred method. If you Tweet me, I’ll see it. I may not get to respond, but I promise I will see it.

The problem is one of energy. A catastrophic injury (the doctor’s term, not mine) is exhausting. There are a lot of physical things that I currently cannot do. Even simple tasks such as brushing my teeth or getting out of bed for a spongebath leave me gritting my teeth in pain and covered in sweat. For the sake of my loved ones, I’m trying not to overdo it. Responding to Tweets doesn’t take much energy. Adding emails, direct messages, phone calls, text messages, etc to the mix takes a lot more energy than one thinks it will.

Some folks have asked if there is a mailing address for cards and such. There is. It is PO Box 281 Craley, PA 17312. Please note that anything sent with a signature required will most likely be returned, because I can’t drive, and Mary is overwhelmed, and we can only check that maildrop infrequently right now.

The Protean Books signing will be rescheduled for later this summer or early Fall. I still intend to make it to NECON, Scares That Care Charity Weekend, and Killercon, provided the doctors gie me the go ahead. I’ll probably be wearing long sleeves and staying out of sunlight, and retiring to my room earlier than normal, but as of right now, I plan on being there.

In short, I may be down, but I’m not out. And I have all of you to thank for that.

Thanks for your continued support. The best is yet to come.

My dear friend and DEFENDERS DIALOGUE co-host Christopher Golden writes:

As most of you know, our great friend Brian Keene was badly burned in an accident. He received some second and third degree burns, including burning his left arm so badly it required days in a burn unit and an artificial skin graft. Doctors are still concerned about infection but the outlook is positive, and Brian is home, trying to heal.

However, doctors have also predicted the cost to be at least $250-$300K, not including lost wages. Thus far, the fundraising efforts have brought in over $50K, which is wonderful but as you can see, just the beginning. Many people in the U.S., especially freelance creatives, still cannot afford insurance, and Brian was one of them. People have been asking what they can do to help.

Here’s one BIG thing. With the help of friends like Stephen Cords and Matt Bechtel, I’m organizing the Brian Keene auction. In a moment, I will tell you how you can donate items and what the process is. First, let me say with all due respect that we know how many people would like to offer items to help, and because of that we are looking for high-value items only. If you have a paperback or hardcover that is easily available at a regular trade price online or in stores, that is not the sort of item we are looking for. We hope that you understand. We are hoping people will donate valuable, possibly Limited edition or rare books, original art, and related items. Whether you are the author, the artist, or just have such valuable items in your personal collections and are willing to part with them for this cause, we would be very grateful.

The second part of our request is that you simply email the information about the item and a photograph of that item to the email address below. When the item sells, we would ask you to ship it to the highest bidder on your own dime. This will save a lot of time and organizational mess, Not to mention extra shipping costs.

I am out of the country until June 24, so I will not be able to be as on top of this as I would like to be until I return. I will strive to answer any questions that are posted here, but Steve Cords will be monitoring the email and handling the eBay listings for this project.

Again, please read the above, And email information and photograph for an eBay listing to the following email: briankeeneauction@gmail.com

Thank you all, on behalf of myself, but especially on behalf of Brian and Mary.

But here's the thing, folks. I'm not the only writer in our community who needs help right now.

Author Dustin LaValley is currently hospitalized. He has to undergo a total proctocolectomy (removal of colon and rectum). Although, unlike myself, he's lucky enough to have health insurance, it ain't gonna cover the entire procedure, nor will it cover his missed writing time and the bills that will stack up. Dustin's father has started a GoFundMe for him. Click here to view it.

Author Billy Martin (whom you may have read as Poppy Z. Brite) is trying to restore his mother's house. The place is in bad shape and needs Hazmat-level cleaning. Here's a GoFundMe with the details.

And Evie, the daughter of my old friend, author Duane Swierczynski, has been diagnosed with leukemia. If you live in or near Los Angeles, you can donate blood (if you are O+) and/or platelets. You don’t have to match her blood type for platelets. You need to come to CHLA and do it there, on site. Her donor number is #4235887. Also, you need to give her legal name: Sarah, and her DOB, which is 7/15/03.

Donate what you can, if you can. If you can't, then please at least consider sharing these, and boosting the signal on them.

We're all in this together.

So, hey, how about some good news? And about something that's 100% free for you?

Last week, I launched Brian Keene Radio. This is a free online radio station broadcasting twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week, and playing music, interviews, and encore episodes of The Horror Show with Brian Keene, Defenders Dialogue, Inkstains, Cosmic Shenanagins, music and much more — plus occasional live broadcasts from me himself. (I did three of those live broadcasts this past week, and will continue to do more. I announce them a few minutes in advance on Twitter).

I should note that for the music we play, the artists are indeed getting paid. Rather than piping MP3s from my hard drive, I'm chanelling the music via Spotify, who pay their artists a royalty when a song is played in its entirety. (It ain't much of a royalty, I'm told by my friends in the music business, but it's better than nothing).

Brian Keene Radio is available on your phone or computer. And again, it’s FREE!

Click here if you’re listening via Windows Media Player, iTunes, iPhone, WinAmp, or VLC.

Click here if you’re listening via an M3U format media player.

Click here if you’re listening via an MP3 media player.

Or, use the embedded media player on Brian Keene Dot Com:

My old friend Mike Argento interviewed me after I got released from the Burn Ward. You can read that interview here.

Mike's a fantastic journalist writing for a (mostly) rural readership who are sometimes hostile and unappreciative of the opinions he offers and the facts he delivers. Years ago, I told him he should escape writing for the newspaper and write fiction instead. So he did. Check out his crime caper novel DON'T BE CRUEL. It's free right now on Kindle and Audiobook and very affordable in trade paperback.

If you are a publisher, or a self-publishing author, it behooves you to read this article on the death of the product economy and the rise of the subscription economy. Yeah, I know that sounds like dry, academic stuff but I got the link from David J. Schow, and now Im sharing the link with you, because neither of us are academics, and both of us found it fascinating and important, and I bet you will, too. Knowledge is the best way to prep.

Okay, that's it for this week. My youngest son and his mother are taking me out to eat for Father's Day, so I need to go get ready (which, thanks to this arm and the precautions I need to take not to get it infected out in public, is now a two-hour operation). As always:

PATREON - Where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, a serialized ongoing novel, and behind-the-scenes stuff.

TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.

BRIAN KEENE RADIO - Broadcasting for free 24/7

I'll see you back next week. Be good to each other...and yourself.