Lucy Bellwood, adventure cartoonist, Tell the Turning illustrator, and a dear friend, sent me this today.

It’s a watercolor, technically. But its action, on me at least, is something more like a spell—of love and memory, perhaps.

It depicts, realistically to both eye and heart, a particular view from a particular spot on a particular riverbank. It’s my river like I’ve never seen her—and like I’ve seen her a thousand times.

I’ve loved this place since we first met—which is to say: most of my life. And today I saw it in a new way, and I got to fall in love again. This is not a metaphor, nor a hyperbole. If you could see my face right now, you would be able to see this for yourself.

I knew Lucy would create gorgeous illustrations for Serpentine, our forthcoming collaboration with Bored Wolves. That was the faith kind of knowing. This picture is the seeing kind of knowing. Also the kind I get to share with you.

Serpentine will be published this year around the summer solstice. Expect substantial paper that both smells and feels delicious, poems soaked with sea- and sun- and star-shine, and glorious watercolor.

We are once again crowd-funding, which will kick off soon. This is the most direct way to order a copy, and the most direct way to support independent art and publishing.

I’ll update this space when the campaign is live. If you’d like to make sure you hear about it, you are welcome to add your email to subscribe to this space. (Look for that option in the right-hand sidebar at the top of this page.)