11 Comments
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Ransom Rideout's avatar

Hi Jeff, I do not remember why or how I subscribed to your Stack. I am pulling it together after losing my home, machine shop and studio in Altadena. I just finished dinner in the joint we are renting down in Temple City. I am done sifting through the ashes and cutting my chests apart to itemize for the leeching insurance folks and am sitting at a table given to us to draw the rebuild plans.

Too much info, I know, but I finally had time to sit and read your work and all I can say is that you are are on to something seriously on the mark. I look forward to reading what you put out while I go through the dreams, nightmares and angers about all we are facing.

If I sleep in, between 4:30 to 7:30, I participate in the deepest REM reality besides my wakeing life. I have written down a few, nothing too serious, but my therapist digs deep into them.

As an artist and maker of things, I started out as a student of history and the history of what we are now facing will be a nightmare beyond any known before.

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Jeff Sharlet's avatar

I’m so, so sorry for your loss. I think about what I’ve read and seen photographed of Altadena often. May rebuilding bring you some peace and a home again. Thank you for these kind comments. Not too much at all—I’m glad you find some value here, I value the depth of your response.

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LS's avatar

hi Jeff... A friend and I collected nightmares for an anthology we published in a limited edition to raise $ for Swift Left in the 2022 midterms.... it's called "Country Gone MIssing: Nightmares in the Time of Trump." There are some doozers in there.https://louisesteinman.com/missing-more

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Jeff Sharlet's avatar

Oh, fantastic! Thanks, Louise!

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Kathy Doug's avatar

Dreaming about climbing upstairs and scaling walls in city buildings to get to rooftops, and elevators are broken so only way down is to go to edge and jump—free-falling slowly, and swimming through air to get to a midway terrace in building across street, where miraculously, I do land. There is no fear involved. And more of this climbing up theme to get to overviews that are more comprehensive than what’s available on the ground. Driving up steep hills, with strained car engine, to visit dying friend. And when I get to house I have to climb a ladder to get through opening in floor of kitchen to see them. Verticals.

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Deborah Kay Kelly's avatar

I dream about clean bones.

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Jeff Sharlet's avatar

Oh, my. Say more?

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Deborah Kay Kelly's avatar

I'm struggling with extinctions.

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Kathy Doug's avatar

This is a gift… thank you!

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Joseph R. Mathieu's avatar

Merci beaucoup!

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Harrison's avatar

Thanks for sharing!

I’m Harrison, an ex fine dining industry line cook. My stack "The Secret Ingredient" adapts hit restaurant recipes (mostly NYC and L.A.) for easy home cooking.

check us out:

https://thesecretingredient.substack.com

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