April 2026 Newsletter

From Dan, Your Friend and Jedi

Dear Friends,

May the Fourth be with you! Happy Star Wars Day. Let’s get into my month of April.

Fig. 19.0: I dressed up as a Jedi and had blue milk and cookies.

We had class tonight on Star Wars day, so we watched some Star Wars on the projector. I dressed up as a Jedi (Fig. 19.0) and we had blue milk and cookies to share!

I got to do one of my favorite kinds of 3D printing this month: the kind that becomes a gift. I printed two pugs and a staffy (Fig. 19.1) and gave them to their owners. There is something very satisfying about turning a little digital model into a physical object, and then watching it become meaningful because it resembles somebody’s beloved dog. Tiny plastic, big emotional payload.

Fig. 19.2: I'm dressed as the Easter bunny, ready to collect eggs.

I was also the Easter Bunny this year for my church (Fig. 19.2). I volunteered pretty much as soon as they brought it up. My church coworkers knew I fursuited at the Halloween trunk-or-treat, so they were both not surprised and also thinking I was probably the perfect fit. And apparently the congregation agreed, because even with the suit on, all the usual members knew it was me!

Kodi decided that my bed seemed nice for him (Fig. 19.3). I did not move him. Was it a bit tight on a twin bed? Yes. Did he mind? Absolutely not. He seemed very pleased with himself, and frankly, he had earned it. Sometimes you simply accept that the dog has made an executive decision and you adapt.

Fig. 19.4: Sewing a chorus costume for Antigone.

There was also a lot of work on the recent production of Antigone (Fig. 19.4). I helped with sewing and costumes, and I also helped out with the sets. The fashion side of theatre is genuinely fun for me, because it sits right at the intersection of design, story, texture, and problem solving. Which is to say: yes, I will absolutely overthink a piece of fabric if given the opportunity.

Fig. 19.5: Sticker-bombed laptop covered in convention stickers.

I finally decorated my laptop with years of convention stickers I had been saving (Fig. 19.5). It was a long time coming. I kept collecting them and saving them for the “right” moment, which is a dangerous phrase because sometimes the right moment is just whenever you finally decide to commit. Now it is covered, personalized, chaotic in a curated way, and I am very happy with it.

April went by fast, but I worked on this website nonstop. Yes, this is my first release on the website, but I have the whole catalog here for you to go back through! Start Here if you want to explore, otherwise use the menu on the left to find all the readings you may have missed. The website has my Stories, Newsletters, and now a new research paper to commemorate the official launch of my website.

The paper is my most serious yet, so there are trigger warnings on the landing page, and then click Page 1 to start reading. This is the most personal I have been, and now it is out on the internet. I am very nervous, but the website is a big deal to me, because I really want to leave my legacy.

If you are okay with serious topics, please check out Healing from Trauma where I reflect on my emotional progress through the papers that I have been writing.

This is so exciting to have my website, and I truly hope you enjoy exploring!

Dan out.