FROM THE DUST

The first series in my Wake of Dust collection

Sometimes you have to drudge through the mud for the people you love —

you have to wade through a whole mess of dark spaces to find what you’re searching for, but it’s there if you search hard enough. And I searched like hell. 

It’s in this searching that From the Dust was born — a collaborative work, blending mediums of art (and life), storytelling through prose and song.

I went back to the dust of where I came from — to the godforsaken town on the edge of nowhere — to explore all the messy and dark interiors of love and life, what it’s like to be human, and how something beautiful can be built from stepping back into the darkness. This work of creative nonfiction, which precedes my upcoming memoir, is a crack in the door, an invitation, a tiny offering, a glimpse into the greater, more expanded truths that I will later unfold in my anticipated full-length book.

The book will be released alongside a cassette tape by Perry Rhodes. Side A features three singles from his upcoming album that coincide with the stories within From the Dust, plus a bonus track and never before heard audio clips of interviews with my Mom, captured during our time in the desert. Side B will have the “For Her” instrumental EP, plus a bonus track. Each cassette will come with a download card so you can have a listen to Side A and B in digital format. 

The first edition is sold out, but you can pre-order the second edition now—limited quantity available. The first hundred people to purchase get a signed copy with an inscription from us. Release coming spring 2021.

Perry’s three singles that coincide with From the Dust are currently available on Spotify.

He recorded, produced, and mastered them in his studio in our home here in Waynesville, North Carolina. I loved listening to his voice come up through the floorboards of our old house. And now I have them at fingertips, all you have to do is press play.

I want to thank those of you who’ve supported me up to this point, who’ve taken the time to read my words and step into the world I’ve lived. If you’re someone who likes to hold something physical in your hands, I’d so appreciate your support in this project. This is the precursor to my memoir that I hope one day you can also hold in your hands, feeling the weight in your palms and the pages beneath your fingers. But until then, I hope you enjoy the short stories of From the Dust.