Latest news with #KevinWilson
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Married Couple Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer in the Same Week: 'Not Done Seeing' Their 4 Children 'Grow,' Wife Says
Husband and wife Kevin and Wendy Wilson were both diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in the same week The Millbrook, Ala., couple is "not done seeing" their four children "grow," Wendy said The Wilsons will be sharing their 'journey' together on the TikTok account @ourcancerbattleKevin and Wendy Wilson have 'always carried the weight of life together,' a GoFundMe fundraiser for the couple reads. The Millbrook, Ala., couple has been together for 21 years, married for 18 and share four children. But for a long time, Wendy was the only half of the pair undergoing treatment for cancer — until now. The Alabama mom — who received her first cancer diagnosis in 2004 and underwent a double mastectomy in 2017, per GoFundMe — just learned that her breast cancer has recurred. "I've had ovarian, cervical and breast cancer, and then, this time, with breast cancer,' Wendy told NBC affiliate WSFA. Her husband's recent diagnosis, meanwhile, is his first. 'He was told that he has stage 4 prostate cancer, and then, within a week later, I was told that my breast cancer had come back for a second time,' Wendy told WSFA. Like Kevin, her cancer is also stage 4 this time around, 'because it had spread to other areas of my body,' Wendy added. The couple are 'the kind of people who give without asking, who love without limits, and who never stop fighting for their family,' the GoFundMe says. And family is exactly what gives them strength, according to Wendy. 'To be honest, it's my kids,' she told WSFA. 'I'm not done seeing them grow.' 'I'm not done seeing them graduate high school, or continue the legacy of us,' she continued. 'So, that's my strength: showing them that no matter what you're faced with, you have to meet it head on and do the best you can, and if you can't you're going to go down fighting.' The Wilsons' youngest child, daughter Savannah, told WSFA that her parents 'need everything that they can get right now,' and urged people not to take time with the people they love for granted. "Anything can turn bad quickly,' Savannah said, adding that 'no matter what you have going on, always check on your family and your loved ones.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As they receive treatment, Wendy and Kevin 'are both still working,' according to the GoFundMe. They are 'still showing up' and 'still trying to keep their lives steady while the ground beneath them keeps shifting," the fundraiser states. They will also be sharing their 'journey' together on the TikTok account @ourcancerbattle. 'We are doing a little video diary type thing for our family and anybody to bring awareness and let everybody know how we're doing along the way,' Wendy said in the first TikTok. 'Cancer sucks,' she concluded. 'If you ever come to Millbrook, Alabama, don't drink the Kool-Aid, 'cause there's gotta be something in the water.' Read the original article on People
Buzz Feed
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Nine Weird And Wonderful Books That Are Hard To Put Down
Recently, u/Interesting_Win_2154 asked the good folks over at r/suggestmeabook for a book that's "too weird to explain and too good to put down," so we thought we'd share some of the suggestions. Sharkheart by Emily Habeck "Newlyweds navigate marriage and that the husband is turning into a great white shark."–seb2433"I'm reading Sharkheart right now. The premise sounds very strange but is somehow wholly believable in the pages of the book."–rivalsportsstats Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson "A woman becomes the caretaker of her friend's stepkids. The kids catch on fire when they're upset."–seb2433 Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer "200ish pages, though it's the first in a completed series. Weird, Lovecraftian, eerie, and confusing. It's told from the perspective of an unnamed biologist as she joins an expedition into an area that's been cordoned off from the rest of the world by the government due to the strange phenomena that occur within it's borders. She's a withholding narrator, often alluding to things but only providing details later, if at all, deeply introverted to the point of being misanthropic. It's heavily implied that her perception/mental state and that of the other characters around her are altered by the effects of the area they're exploring. Very vivid descriptions of nature and violence alike."–sivez97 The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins "Best possible answer to this request. Such a weird and wonderful book."–backcountry_knitterBrief description: This dark fantasy novel follows Carolyn, a seemingly normal human who was 'adopted', alongside a dozen other children, and raised by a mysterious powerful figure, who has abilities and knowledge beyond this world. The Vegetarian by Han Kang "Just finished this and wow! Very weird and thought provoking. On the shorter side too!"–Agreeable-Panda-8922Brief description: This haunting novel is centred around a woman who's decision to stop eating meat spirals into a nightmarish trial of subjugation and suffering at the hands and minds of those around her. The Hike by Drew Magery "It's about a man who goes on a hike and an existential journey."–Cerrida82"Coming here for this! It's an absolute roller coaster ride of a book that leaves you wondering what that hell did you just read."–mintbrownie Earthlings by Sayaka Murata "l read it all in one day and then all I could do was stare at the wall and ruminate on the very weird vibes it gave me, I will never read it again, but I am glad I read it."–SuspiciousSide8859Brief description: This unsettling but thought-provoking novel follows Natsuki, whose childhood was far from normal. When she is older, the 'regular' life that she lives is threatened by the secrets and dark memories of her past, and she must take actions to continue surviving. Geek Love "I'm here to beg OP to read this – I love to recommend this, but only when someone really is seeking the weird."–Foreign_End_3065Brief description: This is the bizarre tale of a family/travelling circus who've set out to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. As they travel around the U.S, they're met with varying attitudes and responses. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula le Guin "I would say The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula le Guin ticks all your boxes."–CurlsandCream"That book should tick everyone's boxes."–jtr99Brief description: This science fiction novel tells the story of a lone emissary who is sent to the alien world of Winter in order to aid the world's inclusion into the growing intergalactic civilisation. H/T to u/Interesting_Win_2154 and r/suggestmeabook for having the discussion! Any of your own recommendations fit the bill? Let us know in the comments below!
ABC News
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Catherine Chidgey and The Book of Guilt
New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey asks, what if World War 2 had ended differently in her latest novel The Book of Guilt. Plus Kevin Wilson sends his characters on an American road trip in Run for the Hills and Australian author Josephine Rowe on her moving and slender novel, Little World. What if the second world war had ended differently? This idea and more are explored in Catherine Chidgey's latest novel The Book of Guilt which is set long after the end of the war in 1970s England. Catherine is a New Zealand writer best known for her novels The Wish Child and Remote Sympathy which are also about World War 2 and she reveals her interest in this dark period in European history dates to her time at high school. Run for the Hills is the latest novel by American author Kevin Wilson and it features his trademark quirkiness and heart. It's about a group of newly discovered siblings who take a road trip across the US to confront their father for abandoning them. Kevin says the seeds for this novel were sown in his previous novel, Now is Not the Time to Panic. Australian author Josephine Rowe shares her approach to crafting a slim but clever book, Little World, which is about three people, seemingly disconnected over time and geography that's drawn together through a connection to the body of an almost-saint.
Geek Dad
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
‘A Gentle Rain': A Relaxing Puzzle Game
Calm your brain at this quiet lake. What Is A Gentle Rain ? A Gentle Rain is a tile-laying puzzle game for 1 or more players, ages 8 and up, and takes about 15 minutes to play. It retails for $22.99 and is available directly from Incredible Dream or at your local game store. There is also a Bloom Edition that is a Target exclusive for $15.99; I'll include a little bit about that in the Components section below. While the game is primarily a solo game, it can easily be played cooperatively by more players taking turns. A Gentle Rain was designed by Kevin Wilson and published by Incredible Dream, with illustrations by Wiktor Kozyra. A Gentle Rain components. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu A Gentle Rain Components Here's what comes in the box: There's a lot of variety in the tile backgrounds. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu The components list is very short because it's a small game, but they're also nice components. The tiles are squares with cut-out corners, making them kind of shaped like plus signs, so that when you place four of them together there is a round cut-out where the corners would meet. The tiles are illustrated to look like a top-down view of a lake, with floating lily pads, fish swimming underwater, ducks floating on the surface, and so on. UV gloss creates some reflective ripples. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu The backs of the tiles also have some UV gloss that looks like little ripples on the water from raindrops. Flower tokens. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu On the edges of the tiles are larger lily pad halves with various colored flowers, matching the flowers printed on the round wooden disks. There are 8 different flowers, each with different colors and petal shapes. The whole thing comes in a small box—it's not flat, so it wouldn't fit in your jeans pocket, but it's definitely small enough to carry around easily. Target's Bloom Edition. Image: Target Target's Bloom Edition replaces the wooden disk with plastic 3D flowers. They're very cute, though it looks like there are only two different flower shapes among the eight colors. The box is also a different shape, with proportions more like a small book. Ultimately the difference between the two is a matter of preference, but I personally like the wooden tokens version that I have. How to Play A Gentle Rain You can download a copy of the rulebook here. The Goal The goal of the game is to place all of the flower tokens using as few tiles as possible. Setup is a cinch: just place one tile on the table. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Setup Mix up the tiles and make a face-down stack, and then draw the first tile and place it in face-up. Set the flower tokens nearby. Placing tiles—no completed flowers yet! Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Gameplay Draw tiles one at a time and add them to the lake—you must place tiles so that the flower halves match. If the tile can go somewhere then you must place it. If it doesn't fit anywhere at all, discard it and draw the next one. I could have chosen any of the four completed flowers to place in this space. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Whenever you create a square of four tiles, completing the circular hole in the center, you may place a flower token. The token must match at least one of the four flowers surrounding that hole. If you've already placed all of the matching tokens, then you don't place any additional tokens. If you're playing with multiple players, just take turns placing tiles. With 7 tiles left, my final score is 15. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Game End The game ends when you've either placed all of the flower tokens, or you run out of tiles. Your final score is the number of flower tokens placed plus the number of tiles left in the draw pile. (The maximum possible score is 21.) A Gentle Rain is GeekDad Approved! Why You Should Play A Gentle Rain Okay, in my rules explanation, I did leave out a few instructions. Before the setup step, the rule sheet actually starts with 'Get comfortable' and suggests making some tea, putting on some nice music, maybe getting into comfy clothes. This is a game that isn't just about the play, but is about creating a relaxing atmosphere while you play. According to the website, Kevin Wilson designed A Gentle Rain at a time when he was having anxiety attacks and found that doing jigsaw puzzles helped him, and the game definitely has a bit of the feeling of putting together a puzzle. It's a calm, chill experience as you draw tiles and look for matching flowers. There is a little bit of strategy to consider if you're really trying to increase your score, even though that's not the main focus of the game. For instance, if you make a U-shaped hole, that's going to be tougher to fill in because you'll need to find a piece that matches on all three sides. On the other hand, if you do manage to do so, it's an amazing feeling to draw exactly the right piece—and it completes two flower tokens at once. You also want to watch that you don't create impossible-to-fill spaces: since each tile has four different colored flowers on its edges, you don't want to create a spot that has two of the same color facing it. I also try to avoid making too many spaces with the same combinations, because you probably don't need multiple spots for a blue flower next to a white flower. The space on the left may be difficult to fill; the space on the right is impossible. Photo: Jonathan H. Liu There's also the choice of which flower token to place, because you don't want to get stuck completing a circle and then not having the right token to fill it—or not having enough tiles left with a certain color flower. Generally, I choose a token based on which flower halves have been used the most so far, but that's not a guarantee. There is, of course, some amount of luck involved in the order that tiles come out. Sometimes you might just get stuck making a long straight line because you keep getting things that just don't match well or would create those impossible spots. Other times you may just draw match after match, creating your needed squares every other turn. Although each tile is unique, you won't always get every possible combination of tiles—after all, with 8 flower colors, there are a lot more ways to arrange four of them than there are tiles in the game, which means that it's quite possible to create spaces that can't be filled simply because that tile doesn't exist. Whether you're playing for points or just playing to occupy your hands, A Gentle Rain is the sort of game that you can just pull out and play without being too mentally taxing. You can play while listening to a podcast, or watching a show, or having a conversation with a friend. When Incredible Dream sent me a copy, I showed it to my wife, who generally doesn't play a lot of tabletop games, and she immediately claimed it. It's the one game that lives in our dining room instead of down in the basement game room—not only because it's so compact, but because she's taken to playing it as a way to wind down before bed or just when she has a free moment. It's one that my kids have also borrowed often, and we often take it with us when we're out somewhere where there will be a little bit of table surface to play. If you like puzzles and you need a way to carve out a little chunk of calm during your busy day, I recommend giving A Gentle Rain a try! Visit the Incredible Dream website for more information! Click here to see all our tabletop game reviews. To subscribe to GeekDad's tabletop gaming coverage, please copy this link and add it to your RSS reader. Disclosure: GeekDad received a copy of this game for review purposes. Liked it? 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Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
In ‘Run for the Hills,' abandoned children redefine family
In Kevin Wilson's poignant, comic stories, the theatricality of family life often takes center stage. Wilson reminds us that our parents and siblings are both actors and audience for a show that's intensely private but inevitably public. In his hilarious debut novel, 'The Family Fang' (2011) — adapted into a movie starring Nicole Kidman and Jason Bateman — Wilson follows the humiliations of two children who are dragged into the mad antics of their performance artist parents. In his most surreal novel, 'Nothing to See Here' (2019), a pair of 10-year-old twins literally burst into flames whenever they get upset — a singeing experience familiar even to the most heat-resistant parents.
