Paul Dean

Vancouver

Freelance Journalist at Freelance

He/him. #BLM. Writer/Game designer: Pacific Drive, Paranoia, Magical Kitties, Zafir, Feng Shui, OMQ etc. 💙 Arts/humanities/animals. Acres of journalism/crit.

Articles

Trail

Sep 21, 2024 | queerfullymade.medium.com | Paul Dean

Thighs chaffing, feet sore, joints aching, and the sweat from my forehead is dripping into my eyes. I’m walking on this trail with a destination on my mind that isn’t on this map. The hot afternoon sun bakes my cheeks but the tears streaming down them cool off little lines of sorrow on my face. I keep walking deeper and deeper into the woods on this trail. My sobs filling the air with despair and pain. I come to a shaded spot where I collapse on to the ground.
The Ascent, Part II | Paul Dean

Jun 3, 2024 | patreon.com | Paul Dean

Part I is here. By sunrise the wind had calmed a little, but still remained strong. Alex woke early and cracked open their tent flap to discover Gavin struggling to light a butane burner, atop which wobbled a small metal bowl shaken by frequent gusts. They watched in silence for a moment, offering unsaid wishes for success, and took in the morning’s view.
The Ascent, Part 1 | Paul Dean

May 28, 2024 | patreon.com | Paul Dean

The first of two parts. Written May 2024, from an idea initially sketched out around 2021. The ground was the colour of slate and smoke, a gradient of greys marbled like the surface of some faux kitchen counter, but it wasn’t snow that veined all those cracks and crevices, spreading like capillaries under skin. It was ice.
A Quick Update | Paul Dean

Apr 15, 2024 | patreon.com | Paul Dean

A little while ago I had PRK laser eye surgery. The recovery process has been difficult for me and I'm experiencing inconsistent and very poor eyesight, particularly at nearer distances, with things that are around ten feet or closer. This has made a lot that I take for granted much more challenging, from shopping to shaving, and that obviously includes reading and writing.
On Relaxing | Paul Dean

Feb 22, 2024 | patreon.com | Paul Dean

Sometimes I’m getting fitter. To help me in this ongoing endeavour I have a hugely supportive personal trainer who I usually see about once a week, and who very patiently guides me through various fumbling attempts to pick up progressively heavier objects while I wobble like a weathervane atop an old church.
Case Study: Silverado front passenger window inoperative

Feb 19, 2024 | vehicleservicepros.com | Richard Diegle |Paul Dean

Vehicle: 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500, 4WD, V8-5.3L, automatic transmission/transaxleProblem: The owner brought his Silverado to the shop because the passenger window motor stopped working. He said that the window had stuck about halfway, but then went back up after closing and opening the door a few times. Case details: The tech connected a scan tool and pulled the following diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).
Guest Blog: Startup expenses: How much does it cost to start a small business?

Feb 16, 2024 | vehicleservicepros.com | Paul Dean

There is no one answer to that question. Start-up expenses are influenced by factors such as the nature of the business, its location, labor and equipment requirements, inventory expenses, overhead costs, and additional considerations. List your launch costsThe best time to determine start-up expenditures is when researching a business plan. Maintaining positive cash flow is critical to knowing, tracking, and managing your company’s expenses.
Going South | Paul Dean

Dec 3, 2023 | patreon.com | Paul Dean

I should have brought something to burn. Not out of spite, you understand, but because this would be a ritualistic and extremely personal way for me to close out another chapter of my life, to end something of an immigration epilogue. It might even banish some demons. I’ve been a Canadian for six months now, which still feels like something of an unbelievable concept. I’m well past having to satisfy someone else’s criteria to prove my validity, though I still have to remind myself of this.
Fragmentation | Paul Dean

Oct 1, 2023 | patreon.com | Paul Dean

This is partly a piece of writing about whales and video games and social media connection and the spaces that we inhabit, but it’s also about how things end and how things break apart. September has concluded and summer is long gone, but where I live the sun keeps trying to shine and the days are staying warmer for longer. Things are different now. Here’s how this starts: Ten years ago I was fortunate enough to write a review of a major video game that went viral.
"How did you get here?"

Aug 31, 2023 | patreon.com | Paul Dean

With the work I’ve done, the experiences I’ve had, the knowledge that rattles around in my head, I increasingly find myself answering some form of the question “How did you get to where you are now?” That’s usually with a particular emphasis on some exposition such as “What paths did you pick?” or “What choices did you make?”And I can understand that. Many of us, in any position or any place, must surely have arrived there with some sense of purpose, after some deliberation.