A Toast to Maturation

[Nathan Hillman]

I am new to your fellowship and wish to extend my goodwill to all.

As a student of Christopher Lee's life and life work, I remain deeply in his debt since I first discovered _Tall Dark and Gruesome_, which (for the writing alone) I range with my most darling books by Tolkien, G.K. Chesterton, George MacDonald, W.Morris, Richard Adams, and James Joyce. I've sinced poured through _Lord of Misrule_, and read over portions every year. I've rooted and ransacked to get a hold and scope on any cinematic, narrative or musical bits of his work since he began with it, helping me pass a heartland winter viewing some 50 videos, and commit 20 to my high shelves above the wine glasses. By adding Mr Lee's gravity, grace, and presence to my own dark and deepvoiced grandfathers (one Scots-English-Cherokee, one Cypriot Greek), I've grown stronger as a man who just escaped his 20s. Since my 2005 reacquaintanceship with Lee's work, I've refound my own voice and vim in my courtships, careers, constitution and spiritual care. "All health!" I wished myself, after carousing with a Carandini.

yours in weal and cheer at the end of Twelve Tide in the Happy New Year,
-Nathan Paul Hillman, now member revenant, revived by Juan.