A 2025 Dorktrospective
On finishing and what's next
It’s been a minute since my last newsletter, so this is part proof of life, part year-end reflection, part update on what’s to come.
I started the Dork Mansion Dispatch in April 2024 as a way to finish a backlog of pieces I’d been working on but hadn’t found the time to polish up. A newsletter felt like a great way to impose some structure and accountability on myself and maybe even find a bit of community in the process.
This year I published 4 new pieces on the Dork Mansion Dispatch in 2025, including:
Wild Time at the Ruby Slipper, a 4-part serial about a the characters in the orbit of a honky-tonk in East Texas
No Pictures, a short story I’d been cogitating on for literally years
A History in Sixteen Purchases, which I wrote longhand in one-ish sitting, kneeling at the alter of Annie Proulx
Do Robot Arms Dream of Roasted Chicken?, a truly zany office story
I’m really proud of this work and the risks I took in their creation.
This spring, I mostly stepped away from the bi-weekly publishing schedule to focus on finishing some other stuff.
I ran a marathon in March. (My 40 year old ass may never fully recover)
We welcomed our second kid this November, and our family is complete. (I’m writing this on my phone as I rock said newborn to sleep.)
And in the background, since December 2023, I’ve been working on a novel. (cue Father John Misty)
Which is the big update.
The title, for now, is “Phase III, Baby,” a phrase that’s made clear in the opening pages. It’s a work of literary fiction with elements of murder mystery and political thriller. It uses troubling current events as its jumping off point— rising extremism and political violence, a weakening of our ability to communicate honestly with those with whom we disagree. There’s family drama, small town politics, threats of Christian Nationalism, and an unhinged Yogi podcaster hawking miracle cures.
Here’s the log line:
When Charlie returns to her hometown of Flatland, Colorado, to care for her ailing father, she’s forced to confront painful memories, a young man’s murder, and city leaders bent on rewriting the future of America.
What do you think? Interest piqued?
After a few major rewrites and revisions, this novel is now in the hands of half a dozen beta readers. In the coming months, I’ll post some updates and previews here ahead of a summer 2026 release.
In the meantime, I’d sure appreciate any help getting the word out as I stare down the barrel of releasing this damn thing into the wild.
Please consider—
Subscribing to this newsletter if you aren’t already (if so— thank you!)
Sharing this post with others
Reading and sharing pieces from the back catalog
Getting in touch to share anything on your mind
Thanks for coming along. In gratitude and solidarity—
Chris