Dark, quiet night in the city of San Francisco. I have insomnia. Again. Maybe I'll get on the net and load some page that will cheer me up. I know: "Laura's NYC Tales"...it's been quite a while since I last visited (close to 2 years, I think). Whaddya know, her site's still up. No new stories, but hey, how wonderful to read what remains, those tales pass the test of time, and give me cheer as brightly as the first reading.

So, Laura's not posted anything new since 2007, haven't received any alert from her mailing list in a looong time. Wonder what's up with her Chris Rock offer to help publish her first book? I imagine that most of the stories once on her superb web site have been removed, as they are the ones destined for publication.

Maybe the book offer fell through? Whatever! These are tough times, and many a fine writer may never get published (that's personal, believe you me). I like to think that Laura is writing new tales, sending them out to classy literary magazines, and gradually building her reputation as a cutting edge author par excellence!.

And I want Laura to know that, as one of her most appreciative fans, that I cherish the warm nostalgia of visiting her now "old" web site. That she numbers among the very bright luminaries that were a most important and inspiring part of my formative years in cyberspace. Maybe I'm making more of this than is real, but in a lonely world where I have lost many a beloved friend to Vietnam, substance abuse, homelessness, homophobia, AIDS and other assorted, unexpected and often tragic, circumstances, I am glad for my "e-friends" of the Internet. In fact, one remains a faithful associate after all these years (Tom Keske), and another once lived in the same apartment building in which I still dwell, but moved back to his home town of Philadelphia to answer a heroic calling to care for his Alzheimer's-ridden mother's final years of existence. That would be John Havrilchak, with whom I keep in close touch via email.

I understand, through her NYC pages, that Laura has also gone through most difficult crises, not the least of which was the infamous destruction of the Twin Towers. There also seemed to be a rather sad falling out with her mother...though I hope they are together again in familial bliss. I have no idea what other trials and adventures Laura's been through these past several years, because she no longer weaves her tales on the web! Though I wish her the very best, and goodspeed to all her endeavors.

But I have a hunch that some day soon, I'll search her name (Laura Maxwell) on Amazon.com, to find her first book in print, and a NY Times bestseller to boot! I will end this letter now, with a brief paen to Laura's NYC Tales:.

One sage piece of advice from one of her charming tales (and they are all charming, you'll never be disappointed), I will always take to heart, for it has spared me many a possible tragedy: