Check, check, gratitude check...

Greetings from New York!

Just a quick note to wish those who celebrate a Happy Thanksgiving and to say I’m grateful for your readership during this difficult year. I hope my words have been at least a fraction as comforting to you as your support has been to me.

I’m here in Bay Ridge Brooklyn where my mom grew up and my godmother lives. I’m at her house with my wife and sister and cousins and it’s exactly where I need to be.

But check it out. Some of you may recall #TolstoyTogether from during the pandemic. Well, Thanksgiving marks the launch #UlyssesTogether—a group reading of James Joyce’s modernist masterpiece. Those who’ve known me for a while know that I’m a huge Joyce fan. I’ve read the book, studied the book, and even participated in a Ulysses reading group. I think the time is right to read it again.

(And if you’re wondering what Ulysses has to do with SST, the answer is everything. Mike Watt read Ulysses just prior to making Double Nickels on the Dime. Also, Raymond Pettibon’s birthday is June 16th, the day on which Ulysses takes place.)

So if you’ve ever wanted to read Ulysses, and the timing isn’t terrible, let’s go on this journey together. It’s 10 pages a day, starting today.

“Gumby represents an alter ego for my work as an artist.”

Have a safe and happy holiday!