Deep in the Pulp Jungle
From the Editor's Desk
We have much to be grateful for here in the P3 offices. These past eight months have been extremely rewarding as we watch our publication grow past 600 readers.
We’ve published 31 short stories, 10 music playlists, 7 articles, 4 tobacco reviews, 4 film reviews, and several interviews, book reviews, and essays so far in our growing catalog. We are also expanding and developing exciting new projects that I will announce this summer. It’s amazing to see new readers trickle in and join us for the ride as we continue to build.
We appreciate your support, both the casual reader and those generous “patrons of P3” who have offered up their disposable coin to help us grow and expand.
Thank you!
From the Editor’s Desk
Three months into 2024 the world seems chaotic, more so than ever. Rarely do I spend precious energy on negative noise, but it seems to be inescapable these days. The temptation to check in, to be “in the know”, to be in the loop of events, to be “informed” is alluring and powerful. I’ve found myself slipping into the seductive trap of discussing topical events.
If you’re not too careful, it will eat away at your soul and you will lose yourself.
Morale seems to be slipping around us. Holding on requires more energy, it seems. Technology is advancing faster each day, people are losing their jobs, and God help my fellow Americans as we’ve stumbled into another election year.
It is crazy to think that the events of 2020, were only four years ago. It feels like a decade has gone by in that time with so much change.
As Randy Newman once sang, “It’s a jungle out there.”
I’ve spoken about my stubborn optimism in the past and how that has been the guiding force for me. Make no mistake though, I am not one for toxic positivity, which helps just about no one. I recognize things seem dismal and depressing out there in the big scary world with dark clouds looming over us.
But heed my word, dear reader. It makes little sense to be plugged into that feed, day after day, as your last remaining bits of sanity slowly dry up.
I see you there, nodding your head along with that statement. “Yes, yes, I know! Doom scrolling bad.” Yet I still hear people in my circles, my jobs, old acquaintances, and even my own family be seduced by the fear that seeps into their daily lives.
Yes, the world is a mess. It has been for a while, we know this. Evil exists, dreams die, employers let you go, “leaders” don’t lead, people disappoint you, and it seems that things are worse than ever.
Let us not despair! There are songs to be sung, music to compose, paintings to paint, statues to build, stories to write, battles to fight, and so on.
In the classic films of King Kong or the underappreciated adventure gems such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire, there is some sort of lost book, a journal, or an ancient map that reveals the secrets and treasures in a lost forgotten world.
I cannot offer you a map. We must chart our course, but we don’t have to do it alone. There are others lost in the jungle who are seeking other, like-minded men and women who wish to make it out on the other side. Find them, connect with them, and build a team. We can do great things together.
A Call to Adventure
The Cossack stories of Harold Lamb, the pirate adventures of Robert E. Howard, the frontier stories of Louis L’Amour, the desert tales of H. Bedford-Jones, and the hunting characters of H. Rider Haggard have all played a part in my growing thirst for new adventures this year.
Stories such as these hold the power to awaken the heroic characteristics that are deeply rooted in our souls. We can no longer afford to be apathetic these days.
You are called to act, not play a passive role in any of this. You were built to bring order to chaos, to create beautiful, wonderful works of art to inspire your children and the generations to come. We’ve been given a unique opportunity to tame the jungle, to shape it into something new and exciting. Don’t waste this opportunity.
The choice is ours to trek through the wilderness we’ve found ourselves in. It won’t be easy. We will stumble. We will make mistakes. We may even come across dangerous predators and venomous wildlife. But we will continue to march on.
Despair is not our calling.
I often remind myself that the future is bright because we choose to build it. The journey will be messy, but as we carve out a path through the wild forest and thick heat, we will learn that it was all worth it.
Grab your machete and your pistol, you’ll need them.
Welcome to the Jungle.
Amen!
A very galvanizing article!
"There are songs to be sung, music to compose, paintings to paint, statues to build, stories to write, battles to fight, and so on."
These things that you mentioned are many of the things that build and strengthen a culture. Much more effective than yelling about the current culture and politics (though that is fun too).