Letters From the Labyrinth 458
The Job
I found it very hard to write the morning after Alex Pretti’s murder, having seen the same videos coming out of Minneapolis that the rest of you probably saw. It felt like a turning point -- a culmination of what started at Kent State on May 4th, 1970 and ricocheted through the American decades since, with events like Waco, Philadelphia’s MOVE bombing, and Ruby Ridge, and the countless brutalizations or killings of victims like Rodney King, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Trayvon Martin. A slouching beast, to use an overused quote, its hour come round at last and now being born.
And what’s being born is not going to be pretty.
So yeah, it was difficult to work on an overdue short story about a lonely prepper who’s now become responsible for a cat and a kid when the world outside our doors is on the precipice of sliding into some grim Americanized version of Ireland’s troubles — a slow-running hybrid civil war, fought not just with guns and bombs, but with selfie sticks and streaming, with no clear endgame in sight.
But that’s the job. Be you a writer or a filmmaker or a poet or stand-up comedian or actor or artist — this is what we contribute to the world. At the very least, we offer people a distraction from what’s going on outside. At most, if we’re lucky, we give them a way to articulate their feelings about it via our art.
Do you know why newspapers used to have comic strip sections? Do you know why many of them used to also run short fiction? To provide people that same sort of escapism after they’d read all of the bad news. A family of six was slaughtered today by a crazed psycho, but now here’s The Family Circus. A bear mauled a six-year old, so here’s some funny, articulate elephants in The Far Side. World powers inch closer to nuclear war, so here’s Dave Barry with a column about raisins to make you laugh or a story by Ray Bradbury to make you wonder.
America seems to be collapsing just a few short months away from our Semi-quincentennial, so here’s (YOUR NAME HERE) with (TITLE OF WHATEVER PIECE OF ART YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON).
That’s the job.
Yes, breaks and self-care are important. Don’t let anyone shame you for taking time off. But as a creator, you’ve got to be careful that the self-care break doesn’t turn into an excuse to avoid the work. Because at the end of the day, it is your art that’s going to truly help you cope.
And help others cope, as well.
Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth, a long-running weekly newsletter for friends, fans, and family.
(The above is an edited version of a piece that originally appeared on my Patreon, January 25, 2026).
The finalized programming schedule for Scares that Care’s AuthorCon VI will be posted this coming week. I’m aiming for Wednesday. You’ll find it on my website, as well as the charity’s website for the event. Again — not until next Wednesday at the earliest, however.
Typing this from my in-laws’ dining room table while the soft strains of Willie Nelson drift from the kitchen, where Mary’s mother is ensconced with her daily crossword puzzle and first cup of coffee. Like myself, she likes to wake up and be left the hell alone for a bit while she caffeinates and flexes her brain. This is why we get along so well, I suspect.
Tonight, we’re taking Mary out to her favorite restaurant for a belated birthday celebration. In between now and then, my plan is to finish short story “In the Dark”, and finalize the AuthorCon VI programming schedule, so that on Monday I can focus on the final draft of a new story called “Forty Miles West of Sidewinder, Right Next Door To Hell” and FINALLY start packing up the next Lifetime Subscriber Shipments (with a new process that should make it much easier and faster in the future, although not any cheaper).
In conjunction with that latter task, something else that will be going out early this year is a new zine I’m starting -- as sort of a full circle, back to my roots, totally analog and not at all online, underground type thing. It will feature articles and fiction by myself and others, and will be 100% free. All you have to do is provide your mailing address. To do that, go here and fill out the form, which you can do in 30 seconds. It’s that easy.
I’ve meant what I said about unplugging from social media. You’ve no doubt noticed I’m using it less and less. That will continue going forward. What would you rather have from me — a post that you may or may not see depending on the whims of the algorithm, or a free semi-regular 8-page zine full of articles and stories by myself and others that you can hold in your hand and keep reading even if the battery in your phone dies?
If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, take 30 seconds and enter your mailing address here.
Independent in the Age of Indies - Keeneversations - Ep 32
Rapidly changing technology is creating chaos and uncertainty for all job markets -- particularly in the creative field. In a possible near-future where the majority are forced into the gig economy and everyone is a content creator, what can today's indie author do to protect themselves and overcome these potential challenges? Listen now on Spotify or Patreon.
Currently Watching: Fallout season 2, Stranger Things season 5, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1.
Currently Reading: True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham Josephine Riesman
Currently Listening: Life On The Ropes by Sick of It All, Paul's Boutique by the Beastie Boys, Chicago VII by Chicago, Shout At the Devil by Motley Crue, and (on Sirius/XM) Yacht Rock Radio.
I liked the Stranger Things finale, but thought it was the weakest season of the series, and hampered by what I call the Kathleen Kennedy writer’s room method — which is to start filming without having plotted everything out beforehand. There are some bright moments (Sadie Sink is an absolute delight, and the MVP of the season, and the resolution involving Dustin’s grief and Steve’s jealousy was well done, as was the resolution between Jonathan and Nancy) but there is also a lot of moments that feel like filler, and wheel-spinning, and writing/changing on the fly, so rather than a tight final season, it drags.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is an unexpected delight — basically a half hour sitcom (with a little bit of drama) set in the world of Game of Thrones. No knowledge of the latter is needed to enjoy the former. You can go in cold. Really enjoying it so far.
And that does it for this week. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy my free daily journal, Algorithm Zero.
Hey Brian, belated birthday wishes to Mary! I signed up for your new analog zine and look forward to receiving it. Yes, I'm 61 and am terrified for our country and all of the scary things that have been happening for years, as you pointed out. I pray every day for all of us and I haven't thought/worried about the nuclear question since the '80s and The Day After but now that's back on the table, lovely! I've been out of work an entire year now after losing my 18 year job when my boss retired (legal assistant) and I've applied everywhere online and in person for any office job and no one wants to hire this 61 yo. Thank God for ebay my side gig I've had for years so yes we are a gig economy, many old jobs falling by the wayside. I remember as a younger person watching the steel mills close in PA when I still lived in Philly and now I'm starting to feel like those poor souls did, that my office life of over 40 years is truly over and I have to reinvent myself. Frightening but exciting too. It's never too late! Take care and again, Happy Birthday Mary!
LOVE YOU, MAN!!! Our here doing The Job, indeed! And if you ever wanna come on MY new podcast, this is your open invitation to do so, my friend!