Hey peanut gallery. I just got back from NYC. There’s a lot to say, some of which I’d like to share here and some of which I’ll share with you in person when I see you.

I was recently accepted into New Dramatists, so I was in town for their luncheon honoring the late, amazing Horton Foote as well as the all writers’ meeting the next day. Horton is one of the great American writers of our time, as well as the screenwriter of one of my favorite movies of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird.

What struck me at this luncheon was the fact that no one referred to him as “Mr. Foote”. They all called him by his first name. Horton: Horton wrote with love. I think that says a lot about an individual’s character — when he has developed such closeness with people that it would be unnatural to call him by anything other than just his first name.

So one thing that you can do when you’re in New Dramatists is that you can stay at New Dramatists. Meaning that they have a few rooms upstairs where out of towners can hang out.

The building is a converted 100 year old church. Inside are two studio theaters, a library, a classroom, a writing room. The walls are covered with the show posters of alumni and residents. You basically come in, they give you the keys and you have the run of the place.

Some people say that there are ghosts in there and some people say that there aren’t. But after coming back alone at 1, 2 AM, unlocking the heavy outer door and creeping around, I can definitely say that there are.

Not of the chains-rattling, “Hey there are three more of us coming to visit you tonight” variety, but in the sense of a spirit. There are spirits in there. Of peoples’ history and of their work and of the things they’ve witnessed. They’re palpable. You can sense them, and they’re good spirits. I feel good and safe surrounded by them.

Anyway, I’ll tell you more when I see you in person. There’s also this fantastic cheesecake place that Deb took me to that we definitely have to discuss.