[Letters From the Labyrinth] 11/20/16
Hello. My name is Brian Keene and I was supposed to be napping since I have to catch a red-eye flight from Portland, Oregon to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania tonight -- which has proven impossible since I already had to check out of my room. I thought about napping here in the hotel lobby, but John Skipp is over in the corner doing some sort of weird performance art for authors Karl Fischer and Christine Morgan, and my publisher, Rose O'Keefe, is napping in the chair next to me and I don't want to wake her up by snoring. So, instead, I'm typing this week's newsletter.
Let's start with a quick thank you to all who emailed or Tweeted or texted me over the past week, regarding last week's newsletter essay. I appreciate those of you who intimately get it. I've been traveling, so I haven't had a chance to respond directly, and my apologies for that. I even got an email from an author whom I've admired and enjoyed for years. He expressed his solidarity, and I danced around the airport all giddy because I had no idea he was subscribed to this newsletter and how fucking cool is that?
I'm not sure if he'd want to be outed or not, so I'll just say, thanks T. ;)
So, what follows will be a bit of a pictorial travel diary.
My oldest son and I started the week with a father-son trip to Seattle. Why Seattle? Well, because he's never been there, and I haven't been there since around 2007. I see via social media that Seattle-area readers were disappointed I didn't do a signing. I sympathise, but refer you back to last week's newsletter. It's all about priorities. He and I haven't taken a trip together since he was ten. He is now 25.
He's a guitarist and a big fan of Alice In Chains and Nirvana, and Star Wars and Star Trek, so we went to The EMP -- a museum of Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Star Wars, and Star Trek memorabilia. I got to sit in Captain Kirk's chair.

We saw all sorts of cool stuff. The original Greedo costume and lightsabers from Star Wars. Dave Grohl's drum kit. A silver sphere from Phantasm II. Kurt Cobain's handwritten lyrics. Terry Brooks' original manuscript for The Sword of Shannara. Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, and Eddie Van Halen's guitars.
Basically, if you like music or pop culture, this is your museum. We spent all day there and had a delightful time.


The next day, we visited Jimi Hendrix's grave and memorial.

We also visited Mount Rainier for a day. A still-active volcano, it's a massive National Park (and also the location of a number of Bigfoot sightings over the years). I last visited it in 2001 with Ann Laymon (wife of the departed Richard Laymon) and renowned cover artist Gak.
My son and I spent most of a day there, and didn't get back to the city until long after dark.

After a few days in Seattle, my son headed home while I drove south to Portland, to attend the 2016 BizarroCon.
Among the things that debuted there was a wonderful India Pale Ale branded after my novel, THE COMPLEX.
(The beer was only available at BizarroCon. No, they will not sell it to you online and ship it to your location. If you want a bottle, you'll have to ait for them to show up on eBay).

One of the things I love about BizarroCon is the people. It's often the only time of year I get to see friends from the up-and-coming generation of writers, such as author and film director Laura Lee Bahr. You can learn more about her books and films by clicking here.

And also Gabino Iglesias, whom actually listens to my advice and will stab you if I give the signal. I am so proud of him. Read his crime-noir-supernatural debut novel ZERO SAINTS. It's fucking fantastic.

But it's not just the kids. I get to see old friends, as well. Friends like Kevin Donihe. I've known him two decades now. Used to be we both had to take Greyhound buses across the country just to attend a World Horror Convention. Now, Kevin is one of the figureheads on the Mount Rushmore of Bizarro fiction, and people pay to fly him to the Netherlands to perform readings of his work and sign books.

I also got to see one of my oldest friends -- writer and former editor of Carpe Noctem Magazine -- Michael T. Huyck Jr. Mikey stood at my side for my last wedding. We've carried each other home from bars. He, along with a few of our other friends, is permanently tattooed on my back. In short, I love the guy.

Author and editor Nick Mamatas loves Mikey, too.
(Little known fact -- Nick Mamatas has lifted more horror writers than anyone else living. True story).

I also got to spend some time in the bathroom with Ross Lockhart (author and CEO of Word Horde Press) and Nathan Carson (drummer for Witch Mountain and author of STARR CREEK). Twenty years ago, had a bunch of us gone into the bathroom like this, cocaine would have no doubt been involved. Now, it's just a quiet place where we can actually hear each other talk -- and I'll take good conversation with friends over snorting cocaine off a toilet seat any time.

If you're still here from last week, thanks for not unsubscribing. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you again next week, universe willing. Also, please note, the best way to reach me is still Twitter, rather than replying to this email. I get home tomorrow morning and have two week's worth of unanswered emails to wade through.