​Elegantly written; weaving together Magic Realism
and crazy hopefulness amidst very dark stuff. 


Red Jumbo hooked me from the elegantly California start. There are tons of literary Easter eggs hidden in this book—I can feel it. I’m thinking nothing is left undone here, it’s a web of interconnectedness; it’s immediate, of the now, yet also acknowledges the histories of things remembered, and I love the guest appearances.

I sailed through this book! It has great flow, and I loved being along on that very communal ride after all this time being in pandemic mode. It's  interesting how Coulson wove all the parts together; there’s claustrophobia and the weight of personal pasts, and then it opens up into expanding spaces ... the open road ... Kansas ...  Aunt Arctica’s endless mansion of inclusion, so many symbols and sign posts, even death has no hold on those who supposedly crossed over—even egregious sins can maybe be forgiven. 

The magical realism is fabulous! It’s also crazy hopeful, amidst some very dark stuff. Bravo!

                           — Sara Gardner-Gail, artist 

Next book, down the line a year or two: Babies on the Run! ​A children's book which might help to de-traumatize childhood, get babies busting their bassinets to bits! Or at least keep babies (and ex-babies) company, while they try to sort it all out—what happened, back then. Or ... just a bit of fun!