Welcome back…I know it’s been a minute since I posted here but now I have a wonderful new guest blogger, my friend & amazing author, Carol Van Den Hende. We met may moons ago in the wild & alternative dance club/bar, The Melody, in New Brunswick, NJ. The place has sadly been razed & is now an empty lot but at the time it was a hub of new wave, goth and industrial music, art & culture. Carol writes about her fond memories of this eclectic place and included a drawing I did of the iconic bar! Here’s a peak into her experiences which are just a part of her fascinating memoires in her new book, “Dear Orchid”…
Imagine the place from your formative years that allowed you to be the freest version of yourself. Add the coolest peers on that same journey of self-exploration. Mix in rebel tunes and dirt-cheap cocktails.
For artist Lauren Curtis and I, that locale was the Melody Bar, the iconic dance club that spun post-punk Industrial and alternative songs into the New Brunswick night. As hardcore clubgoers, we’d be dancing, sweaty, laughing until the bar’s 2 a.m. closing time.
“But,” you might protest, “the Melody closed in 2001 and the building is demolished.”
Yes and…plot twist. Diehard fans formed an annual reunion.
Even now, two decades later, regulars from that era gather to celebrate with the club’s original DJs. Every year, we gather to while away the night, dancing, sweaty, and laughing.
Read about this and more colorful, universal moments in the forthcoming collection, Dear Orchid. Then reply with your own memories: what places and people do you cherish from your formative years? Where were you freest?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CAROL VAN DEN HENDE is an award-winning author who pens stories of resilience and hope. Her Goodbye, Orchid series draws from her Chinese American heritage, and has won 40 literary and design awards, including the American Fiction Award, IAN Outstanding Fiction First Novel Award, and Royal Dragonfly Awards for Cultural Diversity and Disability Awareness.
Buzzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure named Carol’s books a most anticipated read. Woman’s World and Glamour Magazine recommended her “modern, important take on the power of love.” The International Pulpwood Queens selected Goodbye, Orchid, Orchid Blooming and Always Orchid as Books-of-the-Month 3 years in a row.
Carol’s mission is unlocking optimism as a writer, speaker, strategist, Responsible AI Chair, and Board member. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous hubby and twins, who prove that love really does conquer all. Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at cvdh.substack.com or linktr.ee/cvdh
Pre-order Dear Orchid here (available Nov 11, 2025)
Lauren's Creative Corner 