Letters From the Labyrinth 391

Old Dogs

After we closed up Vortex Books & Comics this past Friday night, I was sitting out on the store’s front stoop, thoroughly exhausted, and talking with Mary, and authors John Urbancik, Vaughn A. Jackson, Stephanie Pearre, Amanda Headlee, Tyler, and Zach. The street was active but not busy, given that it was after dark and most of the locals were at the first high school football game of the season. The cop whom I’m engaged in a slow cold war of mutual loathing with cruised by, slowing to see what we were up to. The town drunk came over from the park to show us a pencil he’d found (“complete with one of those erasers and everything,” he exclaimed in a fetid explosion of alcohol fumes). And a mangy old gray and white street dog scuttled by. His fur was matted and unkempt. His body weight spoke of eating from trash cans, drinking from rain puddles, and scrounging whatever he could, wherever he could, and whenever he could.

To avoid our group, he darted from the sidewalk into the street. Stephanie immediately went after him. but the dog wanted nothing to do with humans. Vaughn went to help her but the dog still wanted nothing to do with humans. He evaded them both and went into the park. I decided to give it a try, but when I crossed the street and got to the park, the dog hurried down an alleyway and disappeared.

It’s important to note that he didn’t bark or growl or show any signs of aggression. Quite the opposite. But neither is he tame or friendly or calm. He’s an old dog, who’s most likely been living on the streets for a very long time, and he trusts absolutely no one. This was confirmed to me by the town drunk, who informed me that the dog comes by that area every night, and has been there as long as he has. And since I’m pretty sure the town drunk has been there since the Civil War, when the residents of Wrightsville and Columbia burned the bridge connecting their towns to stop the Confederate Army from crossing the Susquehanna River and reinforcing their troops in Gettysburg (thus changing the course of American history) — he’s been there a long time, indeed.

Anyway, our group bid each other farewell soon after. I had 90 minutes to kill, as I had to wait for the football game to end and then pick up my youngest son afterward, so I drove Red Sonja (the name I’ve given to my new truck) to McDonalds, bought six double hamburgers, and then drove back to the store. Two of the burgers were for me, two were for my son, and the other two? I took them out of the bag, unwrapped them, scraped off all the onions and condiments, and then headed down the dark alley to find the dog.

I had an idea he might be lurking down behind one of the bar/restaurants, and sure enough, I confirmed with some of the employees that he passes through there every night, looking for food, but that he had since moved on. I made my way a few more blocks, down to the dark, wooded area next to the river, and there I found him, in the moonlight, crossing the railroad tracks. He stopped and sniffed the air, catching scent of the burgers.

I crouched down on my haunches. He crouched down on his.

He only let me get within maybe 15 feet of him, but he accepted the food easily enough, and then scuttled away.

As I said, that was Friday night. I’m writing this on Saturday morning. Tonight, after Robert Swartwood’s book signing is over, I will close the store and sit outside on the stoop until it gets dark. I’ll have some dog food with me.

We’ll see what happens.

I love my new truck, but it’s not lost on me that something’s been missing. My dog Sam used to ride shotgun with me, everywhere I went.

It would be nice to have a new copilot.

Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth — a long-running weekly email newsletter for fans, friends, and family. You can read previous issues here.

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My youngest son, (whom listeners of The Horror Show with Brian Keene knew under the self-picked pseudonym of ‘Dungeonmaster 77.1) started his junior year of high school this past Wednesday. Every year since first grade, we’ve taken pictures of me and him and him and his mom on the first day of school.

I’ve kept his identity from the public these last 16 years, rarely posting pictures of him or using his real name. But now that he’s actively looking at college and graduating from high school soon, and definitely pursuing a writing career of his own, I’ve been easing up on that. I’m still not sharing his name (either his real name or the pseudonym he’s been writing, submitting, and getting published under) since he wants to do it on his own, but here’s a pic of me and him on the first day of kindergarten followed by a pic of me and him on the first day of eleventh grade.

As a writer, it is frustrating to me that I lack the words to tell you just how very proud I am of this young man. I tell him every day, but the words do not fully express it. At 16, he’s a far better man than I was at his age, or even the age I am now. he definitely teaches the old dog new tricks on a weekly basis.

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A reminder that if you are an author with a vendor table at the upcoming AuthorCon IV in St Louis, and you would like to be involved in programming with a reading or panel, that you need to fill out this form. The deadline is August 31.

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A reminder that while the Kindle edition of ISLAND OF THE DEAD came out this week. the paperback comes out October 15th. If you preorder it direct from the publisher, you get 30% off.

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A new episode of HOW TO SURVIVE 2025 — a new podcast I cohost with Dacia M. Arnold and Jim Cobb — is live. It’s free to listen to.

Mindset (Part 1 of 2): How does one get into the preparedness frame of mind? How do you overcome anxiety, Doom Scrolling, and the "what if" spiral? Understanding panic and what to do when it sets in.

Listen free via: Web Browser ~ Spotify ~ iHeartRadio ~ Apple ~ Amazon/Audible ~ YouTube ~ Player FM

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Currently Watching: Narcos: Mexico season 3 (Netflix)

Currently Reading: A manuscript by Eric LaRocca, a manuscript by Kasey Lansdale, and two manuscripts by F. Paul Wilson.

Currently Listening: Brian Keene Radio

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The signed hardcover edition of LOVE AND HATE IN THE TIME OF COVID: SELECT NONFICTION, 2015 - 2022 began shipping last week. The paperback and eBook should be on sale in mid-September.

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That does it for this week. Thanks, as always, for reading. I’ll see you back here again next Sunday.

— Brian Keene