The Case of the Missing Dress

A Fed-Ex Adventure + Sneaky Updates

Greetings, dear readers,

This week brings a diverting tale of a nefarious scheme (or contact with a parallel universe — YOU DECIDE!). Plus, some updates. Many of you subscribed around this time last year, and I’m so grateful. I’m only just now beginning to get back to my usual writing speed and catch up with my contractual obligations re: deadlines, so your support is much appreciated.

But now…a tale most curious…involving this dress!

Which I wore to my birthday treat to myself, the Olivia Rodrigo show at Rupp, along with my very shiny cowboy purple boots.

I took a recent trip to Detroit to hang out with my Subterranean Press fam and go see Green Day (with Smashing Pumpkins!!!). Highlights included the Motown Museum and the Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera (utterly awe-inspiring and so layered—many thanks to Miguel, the kind docent who was like “I’VE TRAINED FOR THIS!” when I told him I planned to spend my entire hour with them and so tell me everything he thought was important). And, of course, hanging out with the SP fam.

I’d been back for a week or so when I went to my closet because I wanted to wear the dress to a special event — the live read for the screenplay of the film adaptation of the one and only and very best human Silas House’s Southernmost (if you’re looking to invest in a film, I’ll hook you up with the people! like the book, the script by Tim Kirkman is STUNNING).

Back to the saga of the dress: After searching for fifteen minutes and wondering if I’d misplaced it, I realized I had…. in the Detroit hotel closet.

Briefly, I mourned, and then I thought, I’ll call the hotel. Miracle of miracles, they had it, safely stowed by housekeeping. Now, this is a lot of effort for a Loft dress I got for 40% off, but I really like it (and it matches the boots perfectly). I gave them a credit card number and my address to ship it back to me.

This is where the plot is about to thicken.

I got a message the package had been delivered, opened the door: it was nowhere to be seen. I clicked on the photographic evidence of the delivery…