Hello dear readers,

I've recorded one of my very favorite passages from Tatterdemalion for all of you, the passage inspired by Lyoobov. It was the very first piece I wrote, the one that started it all. Reading it still makes me want to weep. And it also gives me a chill, these days. I wrote this passage almost four years ago, but today, it feels more apt than ever, as more and more and more proof circulates that—environmentally, socially, systematically--we're pretty much fucked (excuse the language, but it warrants a strong word). The way we currently do things, that is. I could go on forever on this front. Instead I'd point you to a few good places to further the thinking (resources you probably already know about)-- the Dark Mountain Project (dark-mountain.net), Robert MacFarlane's recent essay in The Guardian called "Generation Anthropocene" (http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/01/generation-anthropocene-altered-planet-for-ever) and, for a dose of a little bit more hope, anything by Joanna Macy. 

But first, before I send you away from this Tatterdemalion update, do have a listen to my reading of Lyoobov. This creature, dreamed up by Rima when she was only 18, is one of the most moving beings I've ever encountered. You may or may not be surprised to know that he has entered my life and my spirit beyond the pages of this book. He is truly alive, a creature that carries dreams, and does not let the light go out. Bless him, and Rima for finding him in the vast wilds of the unconscious realms of this beautiful world.