Dear friends,
This post is a collaboration between yours truly C. S. E. Cooney, Amal El-Mohtar, Carlos Hernandez, and Julia Rios, on the behalf of our beloved friend, Jessica P. Wick, who recently lost her mother.
Jess is an author, editor, reviewer, artist, and bookseller. She adds light and beauty and nuance to the world. Her brother, Jeremy, has been caretaking for their mother, Karen, this past half year. Karen herself, a gentle soul and a devoted reader, was a teacher all her life, with a profound love for cats, her children, and literature.
Right now, Jess and her brother are under an incredible financial strain in the wake of their mother’s death. Some of the expenses are:
- the death certificate
- cremation fees
- the urn
- flight to California from Rhode Island for the funeral
- getting the family car back east across the United States
- two months rent on the apartment her mother and brother shared
Some of these expenses are already coming due or are past due. This list does not include the thousands of dollars of moving and storage, or any funds for Jeremy after he moves across the country and starts over.
Please check out the GoFund Me page we have created for them.
Jess and her brother need both time and space to grieve their loss. Instead, they are beset with financial stress and a series of tough decisions that are taking their toll.
We are hoping that, together, we can help ease the burden a little, and give them some breathing room to rest and to grieve in peace.
Jess’s work in the speculative fiction field has inspired and delighted so many of us. As a heartfelt thank you, we are offering an anthology to all who donate to this fundraiser. This ebook full of mythic wonder includes stories, poems, and art by some of Jess’s friends, including:
- Mike Allen
- Erik Amundsen
- Erzebet Barthold
- Christa Carmen
- Zig Zag Claybourne
- Sara Cleto
- Tina Connolly
- C. S. E. Cooney
- Amal El-Mohtar
- Francesca Forrest
- Trip Galey
- Theodora Goss
- Carlos Hernandez
- Ollie Hunter
- Rebecca Huston
- Nicole Kornher-Stace
- Ellen Kushner
- Cerece Rennie Murphy
- Paula Arwen Owen
- Dominik Parisien
- Caitlyn Paxson
- Julia Rios
- Delia Sherman
- Elissa Sweet
- Sonya Taaffe
- Tiffany Trent
- Brittany Warman
- Jessica P. Wick
- Terri Windling
We are also including a poem by Karen Wick, whom we honor.
Thank you kindly,
Amal El-Mohtar, Carlos Hernandez, Julia Rios, and C. S. E. Cooney
C.S.E. Cooney 