It’s wonderful to see these follow-up responses—thank you all for engaging!
David, I appreciate your kind words and ongoing support of the Sphere! Your offer of financial assistance, as well as that of anyone else who can manage it, is greatly appreciated. The donation method remains the same—just click the "Donate" link at the top of most Eratosphere pages and follow the instructions.
Cathy, thank you for initiating this thread and for your thoughtful engagement. Your words mean a great deal. You'll always have a special place in the Sphere and at Able Muse Press, especially as the very first author we published with Lines of Flight, a truly wonderful book of poems. It was something of a coup that I was able to personally reach out and engage with the late Richard Wilbur to secure such a positive blurb for it—one of the last blurbs he ever wrote for any book.
Jayne, I deeply appreciate your candid and steadfast support. You’ve long been a pillar of stability, both in the literary and operational sense, for the Sphere. The concerns you’ve raised are valid, and I can certainly understand why there was so much uncertainty—up to and including the involvement of the San Jose Police!
While I generally prefer to keep personal matters private, I can share that any health-related issues that contributed to delays are now behind me. Additionally, some of the challenges stemmed from unreliable and, frankly, unfair business practices from Amazon and others, making things extremely difficult. While the ripple effects and damage continue, what could be salvaged has been, and Able Muse and its press remain committed to navigating these shifting landscapes.
Regarding book delays, I have been in direct communication with the affected authors to provide clarity and ensure they now receive timely responses. As for the contest result delays, we anticipate a resolution within the next three to four months. Many of those affected have reached out to me directly, and I’ve been responding and updating them promptly with details on the situation and what to expect moving forward.
Through all of this, my commitment to maintaining and sustaining the Sphere—and everything related to Able Muse—has never wavered. These systems don’t maintain themselves, and it’s through my continued active support and financial investment behind the scenes that the Sphere remains up and running efficiently, with no downtime—aside from the occasional hacker intrusion, which I’ve always worked to resolve as quickly as possible.
Once again, thank you all for your continued support, engagement, and patience. Things are gradually, but surely, returning to normal.
Cheers,
...Alex
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