Connor Coyne

First, I’m pleased to announce a new contributor to the Hungry Rats project. Nick Carone, a screenwriter from Chicago, is putting together an original work of fiction set in Flint during the Ratman murders. I have put his photo and a short bio up on the website under “contributors.” While a number of artists, musicians, and designers have added their stamp to the project, Nick is the first person to do so through prose writing.

The mainstream press has neglected a whole area of work rich in potential. Dismissively branded as “fan fiction” or “derivative work,” Hungry Rats seeks to promote these inspired and often startlingly original works on equal footing with the novel itself. After all; every fiction establishs a universe that is wholly unique and self-contained. Why not explore it from the angles of film and music, photography and painting, poetry and prose, for as long as it is interesting?

If you are interested in collaborating on Hungry Rats (and don’t limit yourself; I’m interested in everything above, and everything else from biology to theater to sociology to journalism), please drop me a line and let me know what you’re thinking!

An abundance of squirrels. There are millions of them. I’ve never seen so many as this year. About a month ago, I noticed something; when I visit Michigan, squirrels are prime candidates for roadkill. But I never see roadkilled squirrel in Chicago. So have the Chicago groups evolved (or learned) that cars are common, and deadly?

Raspberries on a tree in an overgrown vacant lot in Canaryville. They were gooooood.

Countless lightning bugs. Amazing bugs. The Michigan farms win, because there’s nothing as magical as a thousand fireflies lighting up over a fallow field. But it’s pretty cool to see them flash bright by the dozens in front of brick tenements.

Noisy birds nesting.

My pepper plant has sprouted bell peppers.

But (alas) the days are growing noticeably shorter. Chicago summer is brief and bitter this year. Bitterish, but not bitter.

Buzzing mosquitoes.

In the last week, I have noticed a sudden multitude of singing birds. At first I thought that they were exclusive to the Magic Hedge on Lake Michigan, but then yesterday I noticed them on my walk to the El.

I have noticed that tree branches are suddenly heavy with buds, so much so that they hang lower than before.

I have noticed that the grass now seems brown and green, whereas before it was simply brown.

I have seen all of the ice melt from the lake except for a couple isolated inlets.

So I’ve mentioned off and on that I’m working on The Encyclopedia of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders at work, and am also developing an outline for a novella Notes For Students (and/or) White Swan. (I decided that combining the two titles might mitigate their negatives in an interesting/funny way). Well, the two subjects have become intertwined. So this is the part where I ask if anyone has had personal experience, or experience in the family with 1) schizophrenia or 2) any other psychotic disorder. If you don’t want to reply in the comments you can send me an email or contact me here.