A Note To My Readers: Present & Future

A Mission Statement Of Sorts.

Welcome Readers!—

To Dispatches From Bohemian Splendor, a newsletter brought to you by me, Judson Stacy Vereen. It is good to have you. I have been meaning to write some introductory words for readers and potential subscribers, to, in a small way, sort out what all this “Bohemian Splendor” is about.

First, I should say “Bohemian Splendor” is an attempt to describe how I think about my life, or better yet, my life style. I don’t know if I am a true bohemian in a card-carrying sense, or if anybody is, but I will say I choose to see my life as splendid, full, miraculous, mysterious and, of course, as mine and mine alone.

My first concern is one of the artist—and this too, relates to how I live my life. I care very much about certain things that many people might not think on at all, and little to none about certain things which people find of dire importance. I do not make much distinction between the artist in me that is a painter, a maker of visual things, and the artist in me that is a writer, a poet, an essayist, etc. I consider it all shoved into the same bin and am happy to let the looker or the reader (as casual or dogged as they may be), sort it all out for themselves.

What you can expect to find, upon subscribing, is an almost daily stream of writing. In no particular order, I will be publishing (and occasionally reading) my own poetry, essays on various subjects (like A.I. and cultural critiques), as well as travel sketches, autobiographical pieces, Ekphratic essays on paintings, surrealist writing, and the occasional visual post, which may contain anything from my paintings to recent or past photographs, as well as music and collage. I have contributed to Poetic Outlaws, and authored pieces at The Arts Districts and am a staff writer at Wrong Speak, where I have an opinion column that is published every two weeks. In addition, I have published one novel and two books of poetry, which you can find all out about here. I hope to mention very little on politics, advice-giving, or finances. In the near future, I will write more on food and music, two subjects very near and dear to my heart.

I think of this “newsletter” in which there is very little news, as a repository for my efforts in any medium I have engaged or may engage in, come the future. I have long given up on traditional forms of living-making for the artist. I do not particularly like the traditional publication route, nor the fine art gallery system, nor the music recording industry. The artist, in the early stages of this century is stranded—not by lack of options, but bombarded by so many options, and so many artists to compete with, that it is not hard to find themselves in a state of paralysis.

As always, the artist must navigate this state of affairs for themselves, and I find publishing my work through a newsletter such as this, is the best and most effective way to reach my audience. No middle men. No managers, no deadlines. No fees or dues. Support at your own will, whatever you like. It is something I can work on every day and I do consider it an occupation of a kind. Nobody is deserving of an audience instantly–it is built with time and trust, honesty and craft. In my case, it is also built with the support of my wife, Yasmin Vereen, who is always by my side, helping edit and cultivate my work and my efforts not only here, but of course, in my daily life.

Dispatches from Bohemian Splendor, I am proud to say, does have a steady readership of a few great souls who happen to find my work of some interest. There are some folks who are even willing to pay me for my efforts in the form of donations and subscriptions! I say donations, because I have yet to put anything behind a paywall. My aim is to keep this newsletter as free as possible for as long as possible. I suppose time will tell. At some point, it is my hope, to eek out a slice of living from all this. I am in no rush, but if my efforts can also provide a little dough in my pocket, all the better. I have it set up quite cheaply, as cheap as possible actually, to become a subscriber of this newsletter. No doubt, donations will help provide me with a steady supply of paint and brushes, words and phrases, and of course, time. If you find you cannot subscribe, but would like to support, consider a one-time donation. If you can only find yourself as a free subscriber, it is well understood. The artist in me has everything I need, always has! I dislike how “money” has got us all by the tail, but I still find myself requiring it. Okay, enough about money—the root of all evil!

It is my hopes that this newsletter would be interactive, on some level. In that I would like to know who I am reaching and perhaps, why. I hope that if you, dear reader, ever feel like reaching out, or laying down a comment, that you do so. There is much to learn from feedback, and I am always open to read words from my readership. I hope to earn your attention in this hectic world and will try my damndest to never, ever, let this newsletter leave you feeling bored or paralyzed. The rest, of course, is up to you! If you’d like, introduce yourself in the comments section or drop me a line about anything at all.

So, Welcome! To Dispatches From Bohemian Splendor, currently written from the great state of São Paulo, in the wonderful wide country of Brasil.

Okay! Now off to that splendid, miraculous, mysterious life of yours—that is yours and yours alone!

With Love and Godspeed!

Judson Stacy Vereen

To find out more about myself and my work, please visit: Judsonvereen.com

Judson Vereen’s latest book is a collection of poems, Like A Bird Knows To Sing, dedicated to my wife, who is on its cover.