Rust Belt Girl roundup

Writing advice with a “twist,” love on fire in Cleveland, and zombie raccoons, oh my!

It was a busy week here at Rust Belt Girl. In case you missed it:

I joined NPR and other credible news outlets in reporting the “zombie” raccoons of Youngstown, Ohio.

I reviewed Mark Winegardner’s 2001 masterpiece, Crooked River Burning, which follows two star-crossed lovers on a journey through Cleveland in the 50s and 60s.

Of course, what week would be complete without a little writerly advice, this time with a “twist,” for National Licorice Day?

And…I’m happy to report that I’m still welcoming new followers who found me by way of my Interview with “Furnishing Eternity” author David Giffels, which was featured on WordPress Discover March 31. See it, and so many other blogs worth your time, here. Always fun to discover something new.

Happy weekend discovering to you!

What’s on your literary plate?

~ Rebecca

*Free image courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

 

 

This is how it starts

Here at Rust Belt Girl, I consider it my solemn duty to report the top news of the Rust Belt, generally, and my native Northeast Ohio, specifically.

The fact that news outlets such as the New York Times and NPR have already covered this event compels me to make this special report.

Of course, I’m talking about the zombie raccoons of Youngstown, Ohio.

Yep. The zombie apocalypse officially starts in Y-Town, birthplace of the Good Humor ice cream bar and Ed O’Neill from Married… with Children and Modern Family fame.

But I digress. Seriously, the raccoons of Youngstown are losing it, acting all “zombie-like.” As told by city resident and raccoon witness Robert Coggeshall to local news outlet WKBN-TV several days ago:

“He [a raccoon] would stand up on his hind legs, which I’ve never seen a raccoon do before, and he would show his teeth and then he would fall over backward and go into almost a comatose condition. He’d come out of it, walk around and then he’d do the same thing again. Get on his hind feet and show his teeth.”

Such strange behavior in daylight led authorities to investigate these “rogue” raccoons (that’s Smithsonian’s adjective of choice, not mine) and conclude that distemper–and not rabies–is likely to blame.

So stay safe out there in nature. (Humans can’t get distemper but dogs can.) Better yet, stay in and curl up with a good book this weekend.

On my literary plate: revising, polishing, and readying my behemoth WIP for the publishing road ahead; proofing a friend’s novel manuscript; submitting a flash fiction piece to journals; and writing a review of Mike Winegardner’s novel Crooked River Burning for a post right here early next week, when we return to regular raccoon-free programming.

What’s on your plate this weekend?