Dear Dean Magazine: Issue 1

DEAR DEAN
M A G A Z I N E
N E W R E L E A S E S
F E A T U R E D
B L O G
P . 4
P . 1 2
V O L . 1 | J A N . 2 2 , 2 0 2 2
T R I B U T E T O
M O M P . 1 5
M Y R O N ' S
H I T O R
M I S S
L I S T P . 9
M Y M O V I E R E V I E W
P
M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N

T H E G O O D S
Hello from Myron | p.3
Featured Blog | p.4-7
Hit or Miss List | p.9-10
My Movie Review| p.10
New Releases | p.12-13
Tribute to Mom | p.15-16
Advertisements | p.18
Closing | p.19
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.2

HELLO FROM MYRON
Welcome to the first issue of the Dear Dean Magazine. In my quest to create
my own entertainment conglomerate and publish across multiple applications
with the goal of reaching readers where they are, I am launching this digital
magazine and fulfilling a dream.
As an independent author, blogger, and regular social media participant, I
create my own content, write my own books, and curate my own media. This
magazine helps me centralize and provide a single place for readers to have
one place to see my content.
I love engagement with readers across each platform my work appears, and
that engagement will continue here with options to tweet, email, comment,
and share what you see here. Share it all!
There will be a little something for readers with various tastes and
preferences, from opinion pieces, Movie & TV reviews, photographs, links to
other content, Hit or Miss items culled from various social media apps, book
previews, and even guest talented individuals from across a wide spectrum.
I remain a believer that some art and media should be free and in that spirit
the magazine will be free. (insert appeal for applause)
Myron J. Clifton
I N P A R T N E R S H I P W I T H B U Z Z W O R D C O N S U L T I N G
M A G A Z I N E D E S I G N E D & C U R A T E D
B Y K A T Y A J . L E R N E R
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.3

Blog
DEAR DEAN
F E A T U R E D
"I'M TIRED"

F E A T U R E D
America can make
anyone tired. It has that
unique American ability
to be exhausting and
make anyone at any time
tired.
To absorb the daily news of America’s actions
and inactions is to inhale smog, dirt, pollution,
and grime.
School shootings, lost rights for women, political
lies all across the news and social media, and of
course, the fuel that keeps America running –
racism – never, ever, sleeps.
Are there good news and feel-good stories to
know and share?
Of course there are. For instance:
Unemployment is at the lowest levels in
decades.
Build Back Better will transform lives,
wages, access to healthcare, pre-K schools,
roads and bridges, and access to clean water
and air. BBB will deliver even more – check it
out on the federal government’s website.
But as is typical in this country, all good news will
be presented by the television and print media
as “not enough” or “bad for business or the
wealthy.“
Negativity is like fire in that it quickly spreads
from your living room to your kitchen, past
your bathroom, and right to your roof.
The American media holds the matches that
ignites the flames that spread the hate and
racism. They profit off the misery they push
onto the people.
And then they blame the president or, most
likely, the vice president.
(continue, next page)
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.5

B L O G C O N T .
And consumers do what consumers do: They
overconsume media to the point of being sick.
Older viewers drink from the well of cable and
network news and when they turn off the
television, they are reenergized with the firm
knowledge that the country is going to hell and
the reason why is and if “those
people” can just be silenced, jailed, stopped
from immigrating, drugged, or killed, then we
will have our country back.
Younger generations complain that elders –
Boomers in particular – are leaving them a shit
country. And other generations blame other
generations.
The phrase “This is why we can’t have nice
things,” actually applies to you.
Yes you.
And her and him.
And me.
And of course politicians are to blame for
managing cities, towns, states, and the nation,
with the shittiest skills, which result in the
worst outcomes that deliver the fewest
benefits to the most people. Oh, there are
successes – The Affordable Care Act, higher
wages, stimulus checks, debt reduction and
elimination of student loans. The celebrations
are drowned out, ignored, and tamped down
because misery sells.
The cycle is exhausting. Fighting the same
battles our elders fought is exhausting.
Fighting police brutality and vigilantism, along
with all-white juries, is exhausting.
Fighting for rape prosecutions, access to safe
abortions, access to clean air and water, and
access to funding, new textbooks, and for
actual U.S. history to be taught in schools are
all exhausting.
The American media holds the
matches that ignites the flames
that spread the hate and racism.
They profit off the misery they
push onto the people.
Listening to the “Supreme” Court debate abortion while they
ignore children hiding in classrooms from other kids with guns
is exhausting because those who should have, at the least,
common sense, do not.
If you are exhausted, ask yourself if you’ve earned the right to
be exhausted. Have you done all you can do? Voting is one thing
and often the single most important societal contribution most
people will make.
And that goes for your extended family. Are you nosy enough
to get into their business to ask about their personal
relationships, but not interested enough to ask about if they
vote and if so, who they vote for locally, statewide, and
nationally?
Are they helping or hurting the cause for justice, access, and
ending individual racism and systemic racism? And if they are
not helping, they are hurting, in which case: what are you doing
about it? Are you getting tired from trying? I sure hope so.
There is nothing wrong with being tired, just like there is
nothing wrong with getting reenergized and getting back into
the game, the job, or the arena and trying again.
Whether you try what you tried before or you branch out and
try something new, as long as you’re trying and doing, that is
what matters most.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.6
(continue, next page)

B L O G C O N T .
"...as Republicans blow every racist dogwhistle – Critical
Race Theory! Border! Black people! – to scare voters into
handing them power to disrupt the Biden-Harris agenda
for 2022-2024."
The outcomes aren’t guaranteed because that is not how
life in this or any other country works. The effort also isn’t
always rewarded or recognized, either. But so what? Every
inch matters. That is how valleys, mountains, rivers, and
canyons are formed – inch by excruciating inch.
So, be tired, get rest, get angry, take a break, read a book,
decompress, drink your beverage, or smoke your weed.
Just (safely) do what you need to do to get back in the
battle because you – yes you – are needed now more than
ever.
With the 2022 midterms coming and strong Democratic
governor candidates on the ballot in Texas and Georgia,
Robert (Beto) O’Rourke and the unstoppable Stacey
Abrams, respectively, there will be brutal days ahead online
and in real life as Republicans blow every racist dogwhistle
– Critical Race Theory! Border! Black people! – to scare
voters into handing them power to disrupt the Biden-Harris
agenda for 2022-2024. Val Demings is looking to unseat
absent, ineffective senator Marco Rubio in Florida, and
there are a host of local elections that matter as much as
any of the big name races.
So gird up, drink your water, and moisturize your pretty
faces because it will be a wild ride from now until then.
As the old gospel song says:
“I don’t feel no ways tired.
I’ve come too far…
Nobody said, the road would be easy.”
© Jan. 3, 2022 by Myron J. Clifton. All Rights Reserved.
N E W B L O G S A R E F E A T U R E D O N W E D N E S D A Y S .
V I S I T W W W . D E A R D E A N . C O M T O R E A D M O R E B Y
M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N .
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.7

"A BEAUTIFULLY
WRITTEN STORY
THAT OPENS YOUR
EYES TO OTHER
POSSIBILITIES TO
HOW THE WORLD
WAS CREATED.
THERE IS SO MUCH
TO TAKE IN, YOU
CAN’T JUST READ IT
ONCE TO REVEAL
ALL THE HIDDEN
MESSAGES."
R E V I E W , H E R L E G E N D
L I V E S I N Y O U

MYRON'S
HIT OR
MISS
You will either LOVE or HATE being
on this list. It's time to call out the
good, bad and the ugly as it happened
on Twitter. We saw it live with our
own eyes, and now it's time to review
the best and the worst... saddle up!
HIT
The Expanse on Amazon
Prime. Season 6, the final (?)
season wraps up the best
science-fiction on television.
Though the final season is only
6 episodes it doesn’t rush, and
it highlights what made the
series so wonderful: tight plot,
strong female characters,
unexpected danger, twists, and
great writing and direction.
(cont.)
Binge worthy and easy to rewatch.
MISS
Every republican and Sen.
Kyrsten Sinema voting
AGAINST the Voting Rights
Act and then a few days later,
every republican and Sen.
Kyrsten Sinema quoting Dr.
Martin Luther King on January
15, MLK day.
Typical performative cynical
BS.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.9

HIT
The 1-Year Anniversary of the
Biden/Harris administration
and all the success and results
the team delivered for
Americans.
MISS
The 1-year anniversary of
the January 6th Insurrection.
HIT
MISS
Encanto, the brilliant musical on Disney+
with wonderful storytelling, colors, music,
lyrics.
Don’t Look Up, an important
message wrapped in indulgent
goo.
HIT
James Webb Telescope,
launched and deployed
1,000,000 miles from earth.
Great science in action
MISS
Not listening to science during a
raging global pandemic and
shutting down as latest Covid
variant- Omicron, runs rampant
Love it or hate it
MY MOVIE REVIEW
I am currently re-watching the entire
Star Wars series. My partner Eliann and
I are following the Disney+ order,
beginning with The Phantom Menace,
Attack of the Clones, and finally, The
Revenge of the Sith.
The Phantom Menace isn’t so bad on
re-watch and my opinions on the “Rehoming”
of children who they
determine to be strong in the force, is
some straight bullshit, if we’re keeping
it real.
Qui the Jedi Master (a word this series loves far too often and probably a good reason there are no Black Jedi
because hearing him refer to another white male Jedi as “Master” lol, yeah, no. (Later on Samuel L. Jackson’s
Jedi refers to the little green fella Yoda as “Master” and that’s as close as anyone needs to get to that type of
nonsense.
Back to our review.
The graphics are good and a major improvement from when the last Star Wars movie was out, though now
they look outdated. But they work in the context of the movie.
Little Anakin who grows to be angsts teen Anakin is a terrible little actor with the standard little kid hair that’s
awful, too. But, he did what they needed him to do which was… Not much? Walking around and waiting for
puberty when he and the writers think he’ll be just old enough to shag Princess Amidala.
Jar Jar was disrespected and we’ll leave it at that.
Darth Maul shouldn’t have died so quickly, Obi-Wan was better at intuiting the force than Qui and the Jedi
Council are pretty lame to not know Palpatine is sith.
Good action and space stuff so overall a fun re-watching.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.10

THIS BOOK IS
PROVOCATIVE &
CHALLENGING, WHILE
ALSO BEING BIG FUN.
WRY, WITTY, &
COMPASSIONATE, I
RECOMMEND IT TO
ALL THE SMART
PEOPLE I KNOW.
R E V I E W , B L M - P D

NEW RELEASES
My Short Story Collection – We Couldn’t Be Heroes and Other Stories, is now available on
Amazon and Kindle.
The collection is my first story collection and includes stories on Earth and stories in Space, with each
posing questions and presenting answers to perplexing, fun, interesting, and dangerous questions. There’s
something for most readers covering multiple genres with unique perspectives.
The stories venture into different genres and ask large and small questions, while taking readers to a
morning coffee shop, interstellar travel, neighborhood canvassing, and places beyond.
What if a Black man could control the weather, God dialed 911, or aliens took our souls? Would we notice?
Would we care?
I think you’ll enjoy this newest set of imaginative and thoughtful stories.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.12

NEW RELEASES
M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N ' S
B O O K S H O P
Don't freak out -- but yes,
there is another new
book release coming
soon!
Stay Tuned...
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.13

"I DIDN'T THINK MYRON
COULD TOP BLM-PD, BUT
HE DID, IN SPADES. I
DEVOURED THIS BOOK IN
ONE DAY. TERRIFIC PLOT
AND GREAT CHARACTERS.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
WHATEVER IS NEXT!"
R E V I E W , M O N U M E N T S

Tribute to
MOM
" C H E R R Y A L M O N D " W R I T T E N B Y
M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N
Honoring the anniversary of my mother, Floy Dean, on the day of her passing: January 24
She was in the room. I felt her in my mind and saw
her with my heart. She was right over there, near
and untouchable. Radiant but subdued; bright but
in shadow.
She remained beautiful.
“What are you doing?” she asked quietly.
I was quiet. I knew the always-ready response I had
used all throughout my childhood in response to
this question which she had asked thousands of
times.
“Staring at you” I finally said, like I was supposed
to.
I felt her slightly smile. But there was also pity in
her smile.
“I love staring at you, Mom, you know that. I’ll never
stop.”
“I know; it’s okay. Thank you” she replied.
I didn’t recall her ever saying thank you during this
conversation we frequently had.
I paused to stare again. What was I missing? She
was there before me but something was off.
I started an inventory:
No shoes and her toe-nails which were not painted.
That was odd, but not too odd I reminded myself.
She was wearing a white nightgown that was very
soft, by the looks of it. I wanted to touch it; touch
her.
(continue, next page)
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.15

love you, always I
forever, M. and
Her hands were soft and they smelled of the
original Jergen’s Cherry Almond lotion.
How did I know that I wondered?
“Stop thinking and just do inventory.” I told myself.
I continued.
She wore no jewelry.
It didn’t seem like she had makeup on, but I couldn’t
be certain.
Her lips were full. Was that lipstick?
Her eyes were hers; light brown, direct, challenging,
loving.
I held her stare as best I could, then looked down to
her nightgown.
The nightgown dipped from her neckline and the
sleeves, while loose, only fell slightly below her
elbow.
The nightgown wasn’t white; it was off-white I think.
I stared at it; at her.
“Sweetie, what are you doing?” She asked again.
But neither her tone nor her volume changed.
“Nothing. I miss you.” I replied.
“I know you do.” she replied, and I could see her
smile again. It wasn’t pity this time. It was honest.
“You always said you’d always think of me, didn’t
you.” she asked.
“Yes, I did tell you that. I’ve never stopped, either. I
think about you every day. Every single day.”
“You used to, but not anymore.” she said, calmly.
I felt confused. Then guilty. Then resolved.
“I’m sorry.” I offered earnestly.
“Please don’t.” she said sternly. You finally have a
reason. She’s beautiful. I love her, too, and I watch
her, just like you watch her. And liked you used to
watch me.”
I felt relief. Absolution.
“It is as it should be. Besides, I’m always here, as you
know.”
“I do know, Mom, but I still want to think about you
every day and keep my promise.”
“Do you think about her every day?”
“Yes, I sure do.” I replied with a smile.
“And how often do you think of me now?” Mom said in
her mom-voice that told me she knew the answer.
I thought for a moment. Every other day.
She smiled a big smile. I smiled her same smile back to
her.
“Thank you, she said as she began to dim.
I felt warm liquid escape my eyes and slowly drift down
either side of my face leaving a warm trail on the sides
of my head.
I was waking up and didn’t want to.
I looked one more time and this time Mom was close
to me, hand reaching out to my face where my tears
were still languishing.
I smelled her hands as she gently touched my tears
and carried them away while leaving her cherry almond
aroma in their place.
© 2020 by Myron J. Clifton. All Rights Reserved.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.16

“BLM-PD IS A PAGE TURNER! GREAT
CHARACTERS, VIVID VISUALS &
WRITING THAT BRINGS EMOTIONS.
LOVE THE BOOK AND THE FACT THAT
IT ALSO PROVIDES REAL-LIFE
EXAMPLES OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
OUR WORLD TODAY. LOVE THE
FEMALE PERSPECTIVE THROUGH
LEADERSHIP, INTELLIGENCE,
RESILIENCE, FRIENDSHIP & POWER."
R E V I E W , B L M - P D

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CLOSING NOTES
And… that’s a wrap. Imagine me, my editor, and designer, standing
together on stage like the end of a SNL episode or Hamilton!
The Musical showing, holding hands and bowing as you all stand
and furiously applause, satisfied that the cost was worth it and
waiting in line was worth it!
Share freely and let me know what you think – liked, disliked,
want more of or less of, and I’ll see what I can do.
I will see back here in a month or so, and online every day at
@myronjclifton deardeanpublishing IG and Facebook, and on
Medium, TikTok, and via my weekly DearDean Blog.
Myron J. Clifton
www.deardeanpublishing.com
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.19

Did you know?
Venus has a slow axis rotation which takes 243 Earth days
to complete its day. The orbit of Venus around the Sun is
225 Earth days, making a year on Venus 18 days less than
a day on Venus.