May News
Better Late to Celebrate
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There are barely enough days left in May to call this a May newsletter, but it seems fitting for our first piece of news. Book three of the Priscilla series, Priscilla and the Bishop's Gambit, which was scheduled to ship on May 14 saw a delay from the printer. We will be taking delivery of the book on June 2 with many pre-orders to fill. Although this may not seem like something to celebrate, the fundraiser to get these books into the hands of school children for free has generated in excess of $500 already. That means children who already got the first two books will get the third book to take home for summer reading. What student wouldn't benefit from continued reading over their break? Speaking of which, you can still sponsor a classroom of students to receive this book at cost. If you are interested in specific details, please contact Pat LaMarche at her email address below.
Art as Tribute
Photo courtesy of Ted Van Pelt
The life of Carlisle native, Nevin Lehman, is fittingly remembered in the new mural located on the back of the Carlisle Antique Mall. The mural saw its official dedication on May 20.

In November of 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Nevin Lehman passed away. Nevin WAS the local color of the community. He grew up in central Pennsylvania and made Carlisle his home. He distinguished himself by wearing bright clothes and pushing a shopping cart loaded with baubles and the twang of country music that burst from his non-stop boogie box radio.

Nevin was a staple of downtown Carlisle. He ate as a treasured guest at local restaurants and as a regular at The Salvation Army’s My Brother’s Table Soup Kitchen. There, he fed his soul and nourished the minds of those he met.

“When Covid19 closed coffee shops, restaurants, banks, and churches, Nevin was alone. We missed him. But it’s nerve-wracking to think of how much he might have missed the rest of us,” commented Chad Bruce, the founder of the Charles Bruce Foundation who started the Go Fund Me to create Nevin’s mural. The local musician and artist continued, “I saw Nevin at every open mic and every downtown music event. He was the consummate consumer of local music, and he made every event worth playing.”

Last November, Sarah Taby, owner of Miss Ruth’s Time Bomb, organized a memorial service for Nevin. She and a handful of downtown residents started a campaign she titled, Be a Nevin. Taby describes the campaign like this: “Being a Nevin means finding beauty in the mundane, being true to yourself, and not worrying about what others think. It's about sharing joy, being kind, making friends with the stranger, looking out for each other, creating community, and keeping a spark of the child within. Nevin modeled for us all that you don't need money, power, or prestige to be important. You just need to embrace the riches outside your front door.”

We extend special thanks to Aron Rook for the exceptional work on the mural, and to Jon Tarrant, Bonnie Tweedy Shaw, Devera Lang, and Karen Copenhaver who volunteered to support by sitting with her while she painted. These folks answered questions and interfaced with a very grateful neighborhood, allowing Aron to work uninterrupted.

To further honor the legacy of Nevin, The Charles Bruce Foundation has started a website where folks can post photos of themselves with the real Nevin or selfies with the new mural. Visit this tribute website using the button below.
Now You See Him...
Glimpses of the upcoming comic book, Invisible, are all we can offer for the moment, but as Chad Bruce exclaimed in a recent Kickstarter post, "July will be here before you know it!"

Pat LaMarche recently noted that the creation of a comic book is far more taxing than any writing she has done in the past. Unlike her efforts in journalistic, fiction, and non-fiction writing, comic books require ongoing coordination with penciller, Jason Seaux, colorist, Chad Bruce, and co-writer Philip LaMarche. Although the work is difficult, the end result will be the immersive superhero story that needs to be told—that of the homeless military veteran.

We are still looking for sponsors to advertise in the comic, so if you know of a business or veterans organization that might be interested, please share the flier with sponsorship details in the link below.