Around this time last week, I learned that my friend Crystal from my home town died. We haven’t been in touch in a long time, but it’s still hard to accept that she’s really gone. I’ve been thinking of her a lot, and this week’s Saturday Special is dedicated to Crystal.

But first, I promised to share the writing that resulted from yesterday’s creative dare:

I want to turn Baltimore into the Austin of the East Coast because I’m tired of wanting to live somewhere else. I want to make amazing shit happen where I am because I’m here. The desire to have a great fucking time can be as much a source of joy as it is a source of pain. I’m tired of feeling sad about being unable to move to Austin or SF or NYC — you know, the cities where the cool kids live. Of course, now I’m also hesitant to get too rooted here because I still feel some possibility to move, and I’m scared of having to let go and move on in a year or whatever.

But you know, if there’s anything I learned from Crystal’s death, it’s that I need to invest myself more in the present. I need to delve into this time and place like there’s no tomorrow, because there might not be. And I need to take the risk of getting invested in people because even if I have to let them go, even if they hurt me, even if I move across the country, how lucky are we to have this moment! God, the bliss of sitting with someone who loves you is just so good. The thrill of looking someone in the eyes and just getting it is so sweet, it’s actually worth the heartache. In fact, it makes the heartache easier. Because I can look at those moments I had with Crystal and think, “We had so much fun. Life is so beautiful.” And that allows me to see the beauty even in crying. “Thank God I can feel this. How incredible human emotions are…”

If that makes me crazy, so be it. I think it’s the most satisfying way to live.

And now, without further ado, the links!

• This gave me a strange new respect for Miley Cyrus.
• Storybook looks like a great tool for novel writing and keeping track of timelines. If I ever attempt to write another novel, I would definitely want a tool like this.
• I am for real going to submit to this magazine. I say that all the time and don’t follow through, but I’m sending in my submission today.
• DJ Javier Estrada was featured in that Mudd Up broadcast I linked yesterday, and I really liked it. What do you think? I like music that lets me groove along as I write, and this definitely does the trick.
• Haiku about planetary science? Oh, how I love when poetry and space exploration come together. Is my dream world really becoming a reality here or what?
• If you’ve ever worked in journalism, you’ve probably had arguments about phrases like these. In fact, those arguments were my favorite part of working on copy desk.
• Seth Godin’s article on pitching versus communicating is awesome. I actually laughed while reading this because it sounds like he’s describing someone I used to work with.
• And finally, a collection of Tom Petty covers played by a bunch of different bands — all free to download. Because the world could deal with a few more Tom Petty songs in frequent rotation, I think.

Oh, one last thing:

And now, I’m off to write my heart out. It appears that I’m working on a new poetry collection, and I’m both excited and nervous about it. Wish me luck, and have a lovely weekend!

Xoxo!