life is a mysterious and beautiful journey and 2018 has been no exception. i’ve had the gift of births in the form of a grandson, a new album, a new future and a new outlook. truth has emerged in my relationships, new and old, and justice has been served in a triumph over those who sought to rewrite my history and my essence. it’s taken a little courage, but i’ve stood my ground and the year closes on what feels like a victorious outcome.

The last quarter of 2018 has been a rollercoaster so far. We are almost finished with our 14th album, which we have decided to retitle “Free Today,” for the last track written in Malibu last fall. My heart is with those in Malibu this Thanksgiving after the devastation that ravaged the lives of so many of my friends and former neighbors. Changes and turmoil abound, yet there is much to be thankful for. Our new track, “Jesus is Coming (to the Wrong Side of Town)” seems sadly poignant this season.

My son and his wife recently told me about a roller derby term called Jumping the Apex, which involves an attempt to legally shorten the distance travelled around the curve of the track by leaping over the track boundary and landing back in bounds.

I’ve been thinking about this term as a metaphor for the creative progress.

We had a fantastic late summer visit to Ireland where we drove the breathtaking Ring of Kerry between stopovers in Dublin at the iconic Hotel Clarence on Temple Bar. It was also a reunion with old friends Niall and Susan Varley, who I had last seen in Provincetown as they were just beginning their romance some years back. Niall lived and worked with Clayton in the late ‘90’s and early ‘00’s, as Clayton was just beginning his work with us. Our reunion with Niall and Susan gave the trip a warm and meaningful personal touch.