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A monthly diary of current postings and quick train of thought entries

August 2022

“Out of touch (and I really don’t think I’m missing much)”

“What happens to you when the days get shorter?”

The In My Backpack website was started as a way to share my writing. It was also started as an experiment.

I have always wanted to produce material of decent quality. However, the main idea to try new things, push myself, develop content and share it. Toward that end…

When I try to do an essay-per-day-average for a month, that increased production brings along good and bad. I do generate some work I really, really like. I do find myself a bit more on top of things, coming up with new ideas that I am almost forced to explore immediately. And I think my writing can be stronger overall as a result… kind of a result to the needs of “don’t think, write”. But, in the quest for quantity, there are several pieces that I see as being done right now though they might need some additional work to be truly edited, explored and complete.

I’m asking you to keep this in mind, because the experiment and production approach has more or less always been the idea behind this site. As we move through August, I hope you’ll give some of the essays a bit of room to breath. Not because they’re bad or difficult. But because they’re being written and presented as friends having a conversation in a casual setting.

And with that… enjoy…

“I don’t believe you… or, more accurately… I don’t care”

“Hands-free what?”

“Always order the floor mat in August”

“The high cost of lunch”

“It might be the technology (and not me)”

Today I want to begin nodding in the direction of some upcoming projects. And for this post, we’re going to discuss a release that should happen in late September or early October.

Suspiciously Picturesque

This is actually an effort I had announced under a different name. To be fair, it had been moving along under several names. It’s the latest anniversary effort for the In My Backpack website.

In March of 2022, In My Backpack celebrated nineteen years. And, as you may be aware, around here we’ve always had a slightly twisted, off-kilter, organized approach to our chaos. We celebrate out five-year-marks on what many would consider an unusual pace.

The work began with more than six hundred and seventy essays making the initial move into consideration. Yes, six hundred plus. That was quickly cut down, but over one hundred… over ten dozen… specifically, one hundred and twenty-six, made it in some form to the work putting together the first true draft. We deeply considered just about every piece of material created for the site over the years, including some efforts that were being developed for the site even before the site was truly running. The final collection should be a lot of fun.

With A Parkside View: Volumes 5 & 6 in the immediate future, this is setting up to be a very busy run to close out 2022. And Suspiciously Picturesque is going to be an important part of that run.

We’ll be back on Tuesday!

“Glad I didn’t start that”

Let’s recap the week…

A Parkside View

The latest edition of the monthly newsletter will be out tomorrow. Four essays will be on its pages, with two of them being published for the first time.

Every issue of A Parkside View is free, but you have to sign up to receive it. How do you sign up? Well, that’s easy… (1) Send us an e-mail – Bob@inmybackpack.com – and tell us you’re looking to receive it. (2) Or, send us a message with the request using any of our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A Parkside View: Volumes 5 & 6

Bob’s thirteenth title is nearing release.

A collection of sixty-seven essays, it covers the ground of newsletter releases in 2020 and 2021.

The Eleventh Annual National Buy Bob’s Book Day

The celebrations are being held on August 26th.

We’re going to have more details on all of these (and more… much more) as August continues.

Now, for today’s additions…

“Well, that’s an awful lot”

“The journey of a thousand steps”

“Look, up in the sky”

A Parkside View: Volumes 5 & 6

This month, Bob is releasing his thirteenth book, and it’s a fun one.

Assembled from the monthly newsletter editions released in 2020 and 2021 (volumes five and six, as the title would suggest), it contains sixty-seven essays. Three of those appear only on the pages of this book, and for twenty-nine others the only previous publication was their run in the newsletter.

The book will be available in print and Kindle editions. As of right now, the expected release date is August 26th, as a special part of National Buy Bob’s Book Day festivities. Confirmation of the release date along with ordering options will be shared soon.

The August issue of A Parkside View will be out this weekend. So, get yourself signed up for by sending an email, or use our social media pages to send a message.

The Eleventh Annual National Buy Bob’s Book Day

On August 26, 2022, we are going to celebrate National Buy Bob’s Book Day. This annual event has always featured a few special surprises, and this year will be no different.

It started as a way to promote my first book release. Basically, while looking for ways to raise a bit of awareness, I noticed that everything from olives to crab stuffed flounder seemed to have recognized national days of celebration. Eventually, I decided that if egg rolls, microwave ovens, deep fried clams, playing Monopoly, denim and gingersnaps could all earn such recognition, then my published writing deserved a day as well.

So, August 26, 2012, we set off some fireworks. And we’ve done it every year since.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll have a few more details to share. Special offers and events will be a part of things. For now, one big announcement arrives tomorrow… when we’ll show off the cover of the next book.

Release date for it?

I’ll give you one guess.

Lady Gaga in the shoes of Harley Quinn? I could see that. In fact, I definitely WOULD see that. News building that Gaga will be taking on that role, as reports of her joining Joaquin Phoenix in the Joker: Folie à deux production have been confirmed.

If you’re looking forward to Clerks III, the trailer is out for the gang’s next shift.

Today’s new essay… “Always have a backup”

A Parkside View

This month is going to be a pretty special one for the newsletter.

First off, the new issue will be out this weekend. It has been a rough run for the monthly effort for some time, as a variety of personal reasons demanded attention. This edition meant a lot to work on. Really happy to be finishing it up and looking forward to sharing it.

Next, the book assembling all of the essays from volumes 5 and 6 is heading toward a release later this month. We’ll have some information, including a preview of the cover, in the next few days.

The newsletter began about six years ago. July of 2016. I wanted to develop something a bit different from the online segments, something more direct-to-audience in nature, where I could also explore some things that might not work on a web site and expand the way I could interact with readers.

For the base format, I make sure that every issue contains at least two essays. Of those, one is completely new and debuts on its pages exclusively. The other is drawn out of my archives, something of a From the Backpack concept. That in place, every month could contain as many essays of either style as I assemble.

In recent issues, I’ve expanded the content. One effort—Streaming in The ‘ville—offers up without specific reviews or explanations, some of the recently viewed streaming content that for whatever reason we enjoyed. Another feature—Parkside Takes Five—is an interview-based effort. More corners and side streets are going to be explored in the near future as the newsletter continues to be developed.

The first two years—2016 and 2017—came together in a collection, A Parkside View: Volumes 1 & 2. It contained every essay published in the newsletter over that time, with the addition of a handful of brand new essays exclusive to the title. The third and fourth years—2018 and 2019—followed the same format and were assembled as A Parkside View: Volumes 3 & 4. On Friday, we’re going to lift the curtain on the next gathering of newsletter essays, which will include a cover reveal.

For today, that’s it. New essays and more tomorrow.

Now go sign up for the newsletter, and we’ll see you soon!

Basic rundown today… setting up the next few days.

Tomorrow we’ve got a set up for A Parkside View. We’re going to dive into the return of the newsletter in August. We’ve also got some details to share about the release of A Parkside View: Volumes 5 & 6.

On Thursday, we’re going to turn the spotlight in the direction of National Buy Bob’s Book Day. The annual event is slated to release the balloons and fireworks on August 26th.

On Friday, we’re going to cover some of the ground about upcoming releases. There’s been a title change for one project, and a few other items that we want to share.

Beyond that, we’ll see where the month takes us. But the goal is to make August a month where we average a new essay each day, meaning a minimum of thirty-one brand new efforts making their way to Backpackville. Today, let’s wrap up this entry with the first batch of material…

“The incredible shrinking expectation”

“Removed or stolen or missing, I don’t know”

“How fast to go”

A lot has been going on… and when it comes to you, amazing folks that I’m thrilled have taken some of your valuable time to visit Backpackville, I apologize for the delays around here. Thanks for sticking with me.

Some of you know this has been a particularly strange and difficult time for me, and I’m grateful for all of your support and attention. Over the past few weeks, life decided that strange and difficult wasn’t enough, and that a bit of chaos and travel and more should get tossed into the mix. So… delays and such.

That ends today.

This month, we get rolling with a ton of work and announcements. A new issue of A Parkside View is on the way, some details about the upcoming annual National Buy Bob’s Book Day festivities are ready to announce, information is coming together about new book releases… and the list just keeps going.

We’re also going to work on making August an essay-per-day-average month.

Those ideas will start tomorrow. Today, a few links.

The Menu is not a film I had heard about, but after watching the trailer I am paying attention now. Anya Taylor-Joy leads a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes in what appears to be a very interesting role.

Our Flag Means Death is getting a second season.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is approaching its release. I’ve been pleased with efforts like Moon Knight, where the main MCU was essentially ignored. This appears to be along somewhat the same lines… a few main connections do exist, but a bit lighter in tone, some winking comedy, and unexpected guests getting decent play.

Our first look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gives off a brilliant and astonishing sense. This movie has all the appearances of being epic.

See you very soon!