Okay, pay attention. Are you paying attention? I know you’re paying attention, Lauren T., but the rest of you—

[Sigh] If you can hear me, clap once! If you can hear me, clap twice! If you can hear me, clap three times!

Thank you.

This is (probably) going to be the last issue of Paperwork until the 5th of January. Your inbox will miss these missives on the 22nd and the 29th. Approximately two weeks of time will go entirely undocumented and unrecorded. At least as far as this Paperwork of record is concerned.

Do not, I repeat, do not panic!

Yes, this will be the very first time in the year-and-a-half-long history of this publication that we will be taking a pause. Yes, we know that some of you have been marking time to the (occasionally) regular cadence of these. Yes, this is a Rather Big Deal. No, nothing is wrong. No, The Company is not closing. (Why do people keep thinking we’re closing?)

The reason for this pause:

Paperwork is (and always has been) produced by a skeleton crew, who have managed to either never leave these (formerly) hallowed walls, or found (the one time they ever travelled) replacement skeletons to take their places.

This time, most of the skeletons will be on holiday for a period overlapping the next two release dates, and no replacement skeletons have emerged. (Would you like to be a replacement skeleton?)

We (and others) may still be taking pictures and notes while we are still around, but the publication of this newsletter, in its traditional format, will cease for two weeks.

We’ll be back on January 5.

(Perhaps before. But if anything, it’ll be a lot more bare bones. Probably just a listing of upcoming events. Like, a regular, very manageable, less carried-away kind of newsletter.)

Okay, onto the show.

—Skeleton #1

Happenings

This week:

Glint: Frenzy, Tuesday, December 16

True, personal stories, told live, without notes. Pretty much exactly like The Moth, except without the competition, on Tuesdays instead of Fridays, and everyone knows each other (or is about to). Our next theme is “Frenzy“.

Do you have a story of being in a rush? Or out of control? Of a state of chaos or wildness? Did you ever get really worked up about something? Were you excited or enraged? Have you thrown a fit? Been delirious? Acted in a panic? Have you ever fed ducks? Have you tried to purchase concert tickets? Have you ever been at the Company when Christof has bought in a baked good? Whatever your interpretation, we want to hear it.

Hear from Anjali, Allyson, Lauren S., Lauren T., Jaime, Beth, Ryan, and Fer.

We’ve got a few teller slots left, so if you’re interested in telling a story, reply and let us know.

$10, or free for tellers and members.

Get your ticket as quickly as possible ahhhh! →

Weekly Wednesday Worknight, Wednesday, December 17

The Company is about combining creative work with good friendships. Make an appointment with your side project this (or any) Wednesday at a Worknight, where we oscillate between enforced, focused, quiet time and optional chatty social time.

$5, free for Company and Moonlight members

Work together →

Ishmael Book Club: 10–13, Thursday, December 18

Mark once read a book that still means a lot to him, and he’s been hosting a book club about it. We’ll be having one last session to discuss the final section of the book, and after that we’ll be resuming Mary Ann’s Book Club.

Free

Think mythologically once more →

Offsite: The Denver-est Denver Award, Thursday, December 18

After receiving numerous nominations, Cuppa has become a finalist in City Cast Denver’s Denver-est Denver Awards for Best Bar/Restaurant of 2025! (Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 15 (that’s tonight!), and you can vote using this link. (For the Most Denver-est Denverite of 2025, we suggest Richard Maez, a friend of Mark’s!)). If Cuppa wins, Beth will get to go up on stage and accept an award, and if you attend, you’ll get to watch that happen!

$31.90

Celebrate the best of our city →

Offsite: Creative Mornings, Friday, December 19

Another Creative Mornings is nigh. This one conveniently located just one building over from where Management and a decent chunk of Membership reside.

Free

Be a morning person →

—

Also coming up: Old Year’s Resolution Party (December 31), PowerPoint Party No. 34 (January 3)

Nostalgia

Do remember the day with so few of us? The lunch interrupted with a scary phone call? How Jessica S. parked legally and then, while her car was parked, the parking sign was moved on her? That if she hadn’t’ve show us we wouldn’t’ve believed her? That we took a walk? That we culled photos? That the room darkened?

The recess with Adam and Kristina? The discussion of a Company Performance Revue? The Worknight with Hannah? With pizza? With Sabrina, back at her bedazzling? How Lizzie, and then all, diligently voiced the end-of-timer beeping? The special dispensation?

And do you remember the visit of the realtor and the potential buyers? Those stylish, successful-looking women? How they poked around and glimpsed into the baptistery? Did you also overhear them talking about a showroom? About combining the spaces? Tearing out walls and adding more windows? Remodeling and repurposing our home?

Do you remember how we were unsettled? That we retread the same conversation we had had so may times before? Dreamt again of buying that place ourselves?

The visit of Drew and Mike? The game of pick-up sticks? The sunset out the windows? The evening of the Salsa Social? Mark’s review of almost all the steps we’ve learned? How we tired, and it was just Mark and Ellie, dancing alone?

Do you remember the Friday that concluded our eleventh year? That we spent it in good company? That, for us, it began with a meeting? That we came up with a plan? Do you remember how perfect the sky was? That we met Charlotte? Went out to sushi with our friends? The shooting sparks and the bubbly, in that restaurant just down the street from there, that somehow we’d never been to yet?

Do remember, before the show, much less stressed than the year before, how we got to just sit around and talk? How Beth told us about starting a boy band?

And the show? The small and precious crowd of mostly newer friends? How much more participatory it was? That Jessica S. started crying during the title sequence? That Elliot asked “how did you have this?”? The perfect look of shock on their faces as they saw mine?

Do you remember how happy we were, after? How we all sat around and debriefed the show? How we almost had a moderated Q&A (almost moderated by Joe) that instead remained informal? How Lauren T. said she’d go lie down in traffic? That we talked about the preservation and destruction of journals? Discussed documentation?

How we again felt so known and loved?

That Rebeca said she thinks of ours as a kind of parasocial relationship, but where we’re actually friends?

And do you remember that mid-day meeting-up at that new pottery studio turned holiday market, where we showed up to see Liz, hawking her wearable wares? That we finally got to see her doing what she does? Or the REI stop after? The polaroid selfie by the car?

Bureaucratic Minutiae

• At Worknight: Sabrina bedazzled one band of a hat; Hannah updated budgeting sheets; Ivan spent an hour drawing type; Livvy planned a solution for one help problem; Jacob did 200 Japanese flash cards; Mary Ann readied Ridwell recycling; Ryan turned in homework; Alex and Lizzie concluded a committee meeting; Alex completed 1 ticket; and Lizzie uploaded Paperwork photos to the website.

• All-purpose cleaner and a roll of paper towel have been placed on the main table in an effort to make it easy to wipe the table(s) after lunch. Management is divided as to whether the ease of cleaning is worth the aesthetic cost.

• As always, a reminder that The Company is a member-supported gathering place, and if you know any of us, you’re welcome to pop in any time for free (outside of events). If you know that one of us is here and you’d like to come by, reach out and we can let you in.

Photos

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This issue of Paperwork was written by Skeleton #1 with additional reporting from Skeleton #4, and was shot by Skeleton #1, Lizzie, Mark, and Skeleton #4. Photo selection and editing by Skeleton #1 and Skeleton #2. Editorial support was provided by Skeleton #2. This issue, and The Company itself, was made possible by the support of our members, Halie, Drew J., Justin, Mason, José, Mary Ann, Trevr, Allyson, Lizzie, Elijah, Michelle, Jim, Jaime, Jacob, Mark, Sabrina, Beth, Dani, Chris, Will, Marcia, Rebeca, Sarah, Alex, Jessica P., Skeleton #4, Mike, Ben, Sam, Liz, Christof, Ryan, Lauren, and Leah.

Do you know anyone in the Denver area who might be looking for creative community? Feel free to forward this email along to them. Everyone loves Paperwork.

💀