Goodbye, 2025 (don’t think it was charming), RIP, Chris Rea, and & Other Things…
Well, here we are at the start of New Year’s Eve. All I can say is, 2025 was a hellacious year for pretty much everyone I know, in one way or another. I don’t think I have to go to deep into that, but there’s a few things to talk about.
As we watch 2025 stagger out for their Uber ride home, we can only hope the following year is more positive. Believe me, it’s been hard to find a few things. But we have to try, and do.
My old friend Bob Hess used to say when we met in sangha all too long ago, that he would think on the things he was trying to get rid of in his life that were no good to him. That could deal with I would say mostly smaller things, but, those in the long run would turn out well. I’m sorry if he reads this, and I got it wrong—it’s been a while. I can explain that.
Anyway—in line with what Bob would say, I did eliminate part of a bad habit this year. I bid farewell to Facef—k, X/Twitter as well. Now, being an author, you would think I’d use those platforms to promote my writing, my podcast work and other things, right? Well, so I did.
To borrow a phrase from the late Mike Graham: “(It) didn’t draw a dime!”
I cannot prove that anyone actually bought any of my books by seeing something on social media, but there’s always a chance. Anyway, I tried hard to find alternative social media that was more in line with my art, my writing, and other stuff, rather than what has taken over social media, meaning politics, paid whores (urr, influencers) and an endless stream of commercials hawking overpriced junk.
I want to explain some of what I found:
Now, Instagram I still use, because that allows me to post in certain ways that are beneficial and useful. Also, not to hard to do.
https://www.instagram.com/tory.gates/
See what I did there? Now, I do NOT use Threads, because that is polluted with the same political shit. Right, left, libertarian, center, whatever…now, if the Monster Raving Loony Party gained more of a foothold here than in just Florida, they could do the late Screaming Lord Sutch proud.
Mastodon…same thing. Not worth mentioning.
There used to be one called Sprout, and I don’t know what happened to them.
MeWe I like. It’s more group-oriented and you can join up and post in various places. Just ignore the conversations and you’ll be fine.
https://mewe.com/torygatesmedia.40/posts
Why not TikTok, you ask? Do you have to? The few minutes I was on there was an onslaught of AI slop, audio and video vomit. I can do well without.
I guess as I get older, I’m less interested in this stuff. All I can say is, I’m glad there wasn’t this when I was a kid, or I likely would be one of the casualties. I am NOT about banning social media, mind—I do not think the ban on under 16’s in Australia is going to work, and it’s probably unconstitutional. Leave it up to parents, but also talk with your kids, Moms and Dads. Be honest with them, and listen to them. I know, I’m whistling up a ladder, whatever.
Let’s talk about writing, now:
“How the Story Ends” did come out last summer, but I finished off the long and heavy promotion by the ways you will have seen. I think this story did well, one of my best, and it is a good setup for the new one, “Legend of the Black Swan.” We are in the editing stages now for the new book, and I think this one will do even better. It’s turned out that well in my mind.
Writing goes on. I have written a new manuscript this year, more contemporary fiction, but it needs work, a lot of work. You may not know, but honestly, anything I put out has been written, edited, and rewritten numerous times. You don’t know how much work is needed for these. I just can’t crank it out like some do.
In any case, I’m pleased with where we are.
As for events, I will do Cleveland Concoction in March 2026. It will be sad, as our old friend Marcus Cook will not be there. He was ill, and passed away not long after CleCon 2025. We were to do an interview, but sadly it didn’t work out. He’s appeared on several of my CleCon interview collections, and we had this talk a long time ago.
I miss him. He was a talented author and created great characters.
I do also plan to appear at Book Fair @ Bel Air in Maryland during the summer and am seeking out other events. I have to choose carefully, because sadly, the costs of these events are getting too much. Indie authors are being priced right out of the building, in too many places. You have to figure, how much of a loss can you take? Sad but true.
My health also took a turn. I’d turned 60 in November, and I was being made aware of my mortality again all year. Issues with my body, arthritis, and then just a couple weeks ago, the possibility of a heart attack stared me in the face. I wrote of that earlier.
Thankfully, pancreatitis was not too bad, no sepsis or complications. I am, however, facing a careful 2026. My diet has to change, and I have to change. It’s inevitable, and I’ll do my best.
We said goodbye to great musicians. I wrote earlier of Joe Ely, and now we must also write of Chris Rea.
When you heard that gravelly voice, that fantastic slide guitar, a man who fused blues with rock and pop music, and clever songwriting, you had a total package that was despite it all self-effacing, down to earth, and not a rock star.
I’ve been watching how friends remembered him, and his earlier works showed more pop-like promise, esp. in the UK. I didn’t know him until 1989, when I worked for a Strawberries in the Boston area. “New Light Through Old Windows” was on playlist for two solid months. All those songs, re-recordings, I believe, and didn’t they make an impression.
“I got eight little fingers and only two thumbs, will ya leave me in peace, while I get the job done…” Oh yeah. “Working on It,” people got that song right away. “Windy Town,” “Steel River,” “Stainsby Girls.” Damn, all those songs were fantastic.
I managed to get the intro of “The Road to Hell” into a Rocky Horror preshow. Another fine album, and you know, one after another, Rea just kept putting them out. Then…the Big C.
We thought we were losing Chris, but he came back. “Stony Road,” a deep, blues recording of incredible soul, and searching…it is a favorite, along with “The Blue Jukebox.” That one—you need to find it.
“Blue Street (Two Guitars),” “Espresso Logic,” “God’s Great Banana Skin,” all of these stand out for me. A master of guitar, but also music, composition, recording. Now there is a Christmas hit that he had, which I honestly didn’t know about, and it’s kind of a nice tune. So there’s that.
I remember in the store having a talk with this rather tough-looking dude who was a musician. We talked music and he was thinking about restarting a band, but he expressed concern that rock was going out, and at that time so much pop music, Paula Abdul, NKOTB, and a lot of bouncy, sugary crap that I couldn’t handle either. Admittedly, blues and country was where I still largely was. I brought up Rea, and he agreed, that yeah, that guy had it right. I think he even bought the album. I don’t know what happened to him…years later, when I ended up in an interesting band, we thought about what we wanted, and what would work, for us, and hopefully later an audience.
Anyway, RIP, Chris…feel like I hardly knew you.
So where are we now?
Again, as the years that remain in this body are fewer, I find there’s more to do. More to write, more work to accomplish, more, more and more. I have to temper that with my health, and my sanity, what little remains.
We got through this year, this “Movie of (Us)” — we don’t quit, we fight, and a lot of people are going to be in for one fucking surprise when they find we didn’t put our heads down, didn’t just go along to get along, etc. We don’t sell out.
So yeah—I must also again congratulate my friend Ella for her smashing work on this website.
Go see her, and she will be there to help you.
Meanwhile, Kao is overseeing the operation, and you will hear more from her as the year goes on, to be sure.
Peace, Out.