P.O. Box Outer Space hosts reading of ‘open letters to the beyond’ at Corner 62 in Twentynine Palms tonight (8/14)

Tonight (8/14) at Corner 62 in Twentynine Palms, Area 29 Galactic Gathering 2026 will feature a reading by P.O. Box Outer Space, an annual anthology featuring open letters to the beyond, edited and published by local novelist Jardine Libaire. Reporter Gabriel Hart spoke to Libaire about the origins of P.O. Box Outer Space and some of the more unexpected themes she’s seen among her contributors.

With their first issue in 2023, P.O. Box Outer Space started out as a collection of “love letters to aliens” but has since evolved to “open letters to the beyond.” When describing what drove them to start PO Box Outer Space, co-founder Jardine Libaire said her interest comes from the conscience intersection of inner and outer space, while her co-founder Jennifer Prediger claims to have had real sightings of UFOs.

“I think Jennifer, the other founder of this magazine, was always interested in UFOs and has had sightings before. I’m probably more on the side of curiosity and wanting to hear about people’s stories but I haven’t had that experience yet. She thought that being out here, so many people had so many insightful, creative, beautiful ways of talking about whatever is beyond this reality—whether it be space beings or something else—that we should start a magazine for it. From being partly about space creatures and UFOs, it opened into anything beyond this known physical reality, so quantum physics, the afterlife, consciousness, from science, to love,” said Libaire. 

With their mission statement broadened, Libaire spoke to some of the more unexpected responses to their prompt of beyond. 

 “I think the way people have been talking about what happens when someone passes or dies has been more common than we expected. It’s so interesting, whether it’s treated with grief in a solemn way, or occasionally we’ll get something that’s more whimsical and mischievous. I think so many of us don’t practice more conventional religions anymore and so everyone is having conversations about where we go, where we came from, the things that religion used to answer and ask. We’re now kind of having conversations that have more to do with science or stars or astrology,” said Libaire. 

With three issues to date, Libaire hopes to release issues 4 and 5 simultaneously sometime in September. 

The P.O. Box Outer Space reading at Corner 62 in Twentynine Palms will feature Ruth Nolan, Liz Stephens, Camille Meder, Hellin Kay, and Rachel Reid Wilkie.

The event starts at 6:00 p.m. tonight (8/14) and includes live theremin performance by Rocky Angel and more.