. . .are tingling. can't sleep much.
Also, my hearing impaired student told me I didn't really need to LECTURE THAT LOUDLY for his sake. To be honest, I'd forgotten he was hearing impaired.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
It's the little things
I have a "One Note" entry up at Small Doggies today. That was really fun.
You probably heard we had a bit of a geological event here yesterday. Some nick-nacks and picture frames got broken. One of the aftershocks tinkled the hanging wine glasses. But at the time of the quake we were in a thai restaurant. I'm glad the manager laughed when I told him it was because the food was too spicy. After lunch Dean & I walked home and found a check for $25,000 blowing around the sidewalk. Don't worry, we returned it to the Pay To law firm.
Oh, and my first Louisianan reader reports to me that Death Wishing is a "terrific book; really funny." Which is something of a relief, as I've been terrified of the LA response. But the reader did tell me that something I thought I made up--a gothic-y cape shop in the quarter--is real, or at least it was a few years ago.
I get away with stuff. Except for my parody bad review. I guess it wasn't funny/obvious enough? A lot of people got irritated on my behalf. I may be a jackass.
You probably heard we had a bit of a geological event here yesterday. Some nick-nacks and picture frames got broken. One of the aftershocks tinkled the hanging wine glasses. But at the time of the quake we were in a thai restaurant. I'm glad the manager laughed when I told him it was because the food was too spicy. After lunch Dean & I walked home and found a check for $25,000 blowing around the sidewalk. Don't worry, we returned it to the Pay To law firm.
Oh, and my first Louisianan reader reports to me that Death Wishing is a "terrific book; really funny." Which is something of a relief, as I've been terrified of the LA response. But the reader did tell me that something I thought I made up--a gothic-y cape shop in the quarter--is real, or at least it was a few years ago.
I get away with stuff. Except for my parody bad review. I guess it wasn't funny/obvious enough? A lot of people got irritated on my behalf. I may be a jackass.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
My First Bad Review
Well, it was bound to happen. Found this in a grocery cart tipped over outside the Lutheran church. Apologies for the poor scan, I'm a little too upset to put much effort into this. Click for bigger images. Sigh.
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Change
This will be a boring post. Fair warning.
Today is the due date for my promotion packet. I am currently a Term (non-tenure track) Associate Professor, with the opportunity to go up up for Term Full status. I have no idea what that means, but I do know it won't come with money because there is no money. But this is irrelevant to my post. Part of my packet includes a Teaching Statement, as it did 5 years ago when I went up from Assistant to Associate. I wanted to share excerpts from both, if only to show you how things have changed. Keep in mind my argument, if there is any, is light in both instances, because I'm limited to 1000 words and the promotion committee is comprised of literature faculty. Explaining what goes on in a successful creative writing workshop would be a little like describing by phone how to fix a pocket watch.
December 2006:
"From that earliest class in developmental English, which was populated by twenty-four low scoring high school graduates and one mentally challenged adult who had taken and failed the course seven times, to my current classes which are full of students who have self-identified as gifted writers, I find myself returning to the same challenges over and over again; each class I teach, whether it is beginning or advanced, writing or literature, seems to be about overcoming or controlling one’s personal responses for the sake of influencing the personal responses of others. I understand why in composition and literature classes we may encourage entire assignments and projects to remain personally driven (as with journals, response writing, and certain essays), but as my composition and literature students make the transition from personal to critical writing I notice hiccups in proficiency. I have always been worried about the relationship between success in personal writing and competence in other kinds of writing, especially that which requires argumentation and synthesis. And I often think of short fiction as being shaped as an argument, culminating in the fusion of imagery, symbols, action, and character transformations to make an unexpected point. So no matter what kind of class I teach, critical management of the subject is my priority."
August 2011:
"In the past I emphasized the importance of the writer’s critical management of the subject, but to a certain extent that attitude was a response to the fact that the primary form taught in fiction workshops is the conventional ironic/epihanic short story. However, as students and the active reading world become much more interested in very short fiction or very long fiction, I’ve looked for ways to adapt the workshop to accommodate all forms. My thinking mirrors that of writer/BSU professor Cathy Day’s in her essay, 'The Story Problem: 10 Thoughts on Academia’s Novel Crisis.' . . . Initial drafts are produced under highly emotional circumstances, compounded by deadlines. Craft (and often form) is discovered in revision, and understanding that order of development is crucial to effective instruction . . . With technical advances and the reshaping of the publishing industry, we’re starting to see some fascinating development in contemporary fiction, and I want my students to participate—as artists, sure, but also as voices in the public discussion of emerging literature. Along with workshops, craft lectures, exercises, I’ve made a special effort to invite published writers into my classes, at least virtually, to discuss writing culture."
Today is the due date for my promotion packet. I am currently a Term (non-tenure track) Associate Professor, with the opportunity to go up up for Term Full status. I have no idea what that means, but I do know it won't come with money because there is no money. But this is irrelevant to my post. Part of my packet includes a Teaching Statement, as it did 5 years ago when I went up from Assistant to Associate. I wanted to share excerpts from both, if only to show you how things have changed. Keep in mind my argument, if there is any, is light in both instances, because I'm limited to 1000 words and the promotion committee is comprised of literature faculty. Explaining what goes on in a successful creative writing workshop would be a little like describing by phone how to fix a pocket watch.
December 2006:
"From that earliest class in developmental English, which was populated by twenty-four low scoring high school graduates and one mentally challenged adult who had taken and failed the course seven times, to my current classes which are full of students who have self-identified as gifted writers, I find myself returning to the same challenges over and over again; each class I teach, whether it is beginning or advanced, writing or literature, seems to be about overcoming or controlling one’s personal responses for the sake of influencing the personal responses of others. I understand why in composition and literature classes we may encourage entire assignments and projects to remain personally driven (as with journals, response writing, and certain essays), but as my composition and literature students make the transition from personal to critical writing I notice hiccups in proficiency. I have always been worried about the relationship between success in personal writing and competence in other kinds of writing, especially that which requires argumentation and synthesis. And I often think of short fiction as being shaped as an argument, culminating in the fusion of imagery, symbols, action, and character transformations to make an unexpected point. So no matter what kind of class I teach, critical management of the subject is my priority."
August 2011:
"In the past I emphasized the importance of the writer’s critical management of the subject, but to a certain extent that attitude was a response to the fact that the primary form taught in fiction workshops is the conventional ironic/epihanic short story. However, as students and the active reading world become much more interested in very short fiction or very long fiction, I’ve looked for ways to adapt the workshop to accommodate all forms. My thinking mirrors that of writer/BSU professor Cathy Day’s in her essay, 'The Story Problem: 10 Thoughts on Academia’s Novel Crisis.' . . . Initial drafts are produced under highly emotional circumstances, compounded by deadlines. Craft (and often form) is discovered in revision, and understanding that order of development is crucial to effective instruction . . . With technical advances and the reshaping of the publishing industry, we’re starting to see some fascinating development in contemporary fiction, and I want my students to participate—as artists, sure, but also as voices in the public discussion of emerging literature. Along with workshops, craft lectures, exercises, I’ve made a special effort to invite published writers into my classes, at least virtually, to discuss writing culture."
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Good things come
The reading tour is taking shape, especially with Elliott Bay and a really cool Writer's Center event added to the list. In feb I'll be doing a Writer's Center Open Door reading or something with fellow Mason alum, Matt Norman, whose debut novel, Domestic Violets, CAME OUT TODAY.
Dean and I are only just talking about the travel plans, logistics. He wants to be with me at these things but he teaches tues-thurs hybrid courses, which means missing the f2f portion is a big deal. I'm thinking of firing up Facetime on my macbook pro for that Weds Oct 26 reading in New Orleans at The Garden District Book shop so he can watch or be by my side. Like a head in a jar on Futurama. Maybe we can do a little comedy routine.
The updated confirmed list of events is here. Not nailed down yet, but looking good for 2012: a 510 reading, a Pank offsite for AWP, and the Tennessee Wiliams/New Orleans Literary Festival.
General question: Book Launch Party? I want one, but is there a point?
Off topic. My response to The Chen-Venn has been a series of immature one-liners that, on my hour long walks into work, coalesce into a brilliant, one-woman show that no one will ever see.
Domestically--Dean is taking his teenaged neice and neph to Universal Studios theme park this weekend. I'll stay home to work on my promotion packet. I'm going up for full prof. I've said this before, but it is probably the least important thing I do career-wise this year.
Dean and I are only just talking about the travel plans, logistics. He wants to be with me at these things but he teaches tues-thurs hybrid courses, which means missing the f2f portion is a big deal. I'm thinking of firing up Facetime on my macbook pro for that Weds Oct 26 reading in New Orleans at The Garden District Book shop so he can watch or be by my side. Like a head in a jar on Futurama. Maybe we can do a little comedy routine.
The updated confirmed list of events is here. Not nailed down yet, but looking good for 2012: a 510 reading, a Pank offsite for AWP, and the Tennessee Wiliams/New Orleans Literary Festival.
General question: Book Launch Party? I want one, but is there a point?
Off topic. My response to The Chen-Venn has been a series of immature one-liners that, on my hour long walks into work, coalesce into a brilliant, one-woman show that no one will ever see.
Domestically--Dean is taking his teenaged neice and neph to Universal Studios theme park this weekend. I'll stay home to work on my promotion packet. I'm going up for full prof. I've said this before, but it is probably the least important thing I do career-wise this year.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Bizzy
Ig's website has been beautifully reconditioned, and my page there is awesome.
Gonna head off to WV for a few days this week, so I expect some catastrophe at work.
I've made a very modest contribution to the "On Reading" series at The Laughing Yeti.
My unnecessary review of John Minichillo's The Snow Whale is up at Plumb today.
It's my brother Doug's birthday. I'd do something netty about it, but he doesn't like computers.
Why is PH Madore friending people on Facebook? Guess I should ask him.
Gonna head off to WV for a few days this week, so I expect some catastrophe at work.
I've made a very modest contribution to the "On Reading" series at The Laughing Yeti.
My unnecessary review of John Minichillo's The Snow Whale is up at Plumb today.
It's my brother Doug's birthday. I'd do something netty about it, but he doesn't like computers.
Why is PH Madore friending people on Facebook? Guess I should ask him.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Dead Mouse Mysteries Presents: Why I was allowed to sleep in this morning
Warning, this post contains images of death.
For most of the summer my animals, two cats and two dogs, have not allowed me to sleep past 7 am, so why was I able to snooze until 9 this morning--trash pick up morning, of all days? I am quite a light sleeper under normal circumstances, but Dean is away and my thoughts are naturally full of serial killers--I should have been up at the crack of dawn. And why was I humming "She's Leaving Home" immediately upon waking? I hate that song.
At first I didn't notice too much that was unusual: a bit of cat puke, the bottom shelf of the book case cleared out and scattered. Newton, my elderly chihuahua was looking paranoid. I assumed he pooped in my office again, to mourn Dean's absence.
And then I found him. Mr. Mousie. Actually, I kinda stepped on him, but he was already dead.
Poor Fella. But Who Dunnit?
The only documented killer in our house is Einstein. She offed two baby bunnies in the first summer we had her. But her alibi was solid; she was with me all night.
So, was it Newton? Not likely, he's got weak legs and cloudy eyes, but he sure looked shifty. And after two weeks of "I can't get down from the bed without help," suddenly he's able to sneak out to the couch on his own? He knows something.
Perhaps it was the alluring and aloof Harriet? She seemed uninterested in breakfast. And she's been doing a lot of internet research lately . . .
OR.
WAS IT THE CAT ROLLING AROUND ON TOP OF MR. MOUSIE'S CORPSE AND FORCING HIM TO BREAKDANCE?
Oh Charli, I guess you're not a kitten anymore.
For most of the summer my animals, two cats and two dogs, have not allowed me to sleep past 7 am, so why was I able to snooze until 9 this morning--trash pick up morning, of all days? I am quite a light sleeper under normal circumstances, but Dean is away and my thoughts are naturally full of serial killers--I should have been up at the crack of dawn. And why was I humming "She's Leaving Home" immediately upon waking? I hate that song.
At first I didn't notice too much that was unusual: a bit of cat puke, the bottom shelf of the book case cleared out and scattered. Newton, my elderly chihuahua was looking paranoid. I assumed he pooped in my office again, to mourn Dean's absence.
And then I found him. Mr. Mousie. Actually, I kinda stepped on him, but he was already dead.
Poor Fella. But Who Dunnit?
The only documented killer in our house is Einstein. She offed two baby bunnies in the first summer we had her. But her alibi was solid; she was with me all night.
So, was it Newton? Not likely, he's got weak legs and cloudy eyes, but he sure looked shifty. And after two weeks of "I can't get down from the bed without help," suddenly he's able to sneak out to the couch on his own? He knows something.
Perhaps it was the alluring and aloof Harriet? She seemed uninterested in breakfast. And she's been doing a lot of internet research lately . . .
OR.
WAS IT THE CAT ROLLING AROUND ON TOP OF MR. MOUSIE'S CORPSE AND FORCING HIM TO BREAKDANCE?
Oh Charli, I guess you're not a kitten anymore.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Research Topics
Starting work on the new novel, and already I realize I don't know enough about the following:
Sysco operations
towns/routes adjacent to Death Valley
caramel corn promotional stunts
desert marathon runners
how to pour beer
auto part delivery
wildflower bloom of 2005
Timbisha Shoshone
treasure hunting
80s culture for kids
ephemeral lakes
jobs in the DNR
Welsh guys
In other news, yesterday I was offered the chance to do a reading with Steve Almond in DC, but it turns out I'm going to be in New Orleans when Almond is coming into town. It's probably for the best, seeing as he'd blow me off the stage. He's really amazing, and it's fun to watch an audience full of ladies-of-a-certain-age (my age) fall all over themselves for a chance to chat with him. He's big with the HRT demographic.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Shopping News
We have a Borders store just a couple of blocks from our home, but we stopped shopping there a long time ago when the place was overrun with vampire books and Glenn Beck memoirs. I feel very badly for the folks losing their jobs, though; they work hard. We stopped into the store yesterday, and it was a madhouse of activity, mainly kids running wild. But the discounts weren't worth the trouble--only 10% for the stuff I like. 40% off magazines, though, so we bought Oxford American, Twisted South, Q, Carving, and Lost Treasure. The last two are probably not familiar to you, but they are what they seem: a wood working magazine and a treasure hunting magazine. Whole pile for $20.
My advice, if you are doing any book or other shopping this week, is to do it online. The folks at the Scranton based Pages & Places book festival are running a fundraiser for Equality PA, an organization that supports LGBT causes in Pennsylvania, and this is the final week. If you shop amazon through this portal, a portion of the proceeds goes to Equality PA.
My advice, if you are doing any book or other shopping this week, is to do it online. The folks at the Scranton based Pages & Places book festival are running a fundraiser for Equality PA, an organization that supports LGBT causes in Pennsylvania, and this is the final week. If you shop amazon through this portal, a portion of the proceeds goes to Equality PA.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Learning Smarts
Last weekend I attended the inaugural Indie Lit Summit in DC, sponsored by the moguls and mavens of Barrelhouse and The Lit Pub, and facilitated—with charm and efficiency—by B’s poetry editor Dan Brady. The summit is a regional thing where literary editors and publishers convene to discuss the problems and opportunities of the day; in our case, the breakout sessions we decided on were marketing, readings venues, and community building. I should stop writing “we,” though. I’m pretty sure I was the only non-publisher/editor in the room, and I tried very hard not to wade into discussions with ideas like, “Let’s all buy a beach house together and smoke opium and have barbecue party-readings!”
It was an eye-opening, full day of discussions, kicked off with a keynote from Andy Hunter of Electric Literature—and here I should confess that I have ignored EL ever since I first heard about them and that they paid writers $1000 per short story. I’m either a bolshie asshole or I think boutique short fiction is a whitefolks concern (those positions might be the same), but Hunter was pretty convincing about the commercial possibilities of new fiction + innovation. I should also remind you that I believe everything that anyone tells me at the time they are telling me it. One of the points he made was that Rick Moody’s twitter based story for Electric Literature in 2009 was a huge success, despite the immediate backlash from mainstream concerns. You can read the argument here, but the upshot was 1) the story was good, and 2) the delivery resulted in a dramatic (like 10X) increase in followers and subscriptions for EL.
By the end of the day the Indie Lit Summit came up with some very exciting ideas that I probably shouldn’t go into right now, but in general it felt like the smartest-guy-in-the-room from several rooms all ended up in the same one at once: 826DC, appropriately enough.
Several things became really clear as we attempted to build a list of reading spaces that already exist in the DC/Baltimore area:
1) There are lots of places to read. Yay!
2) If you write poetry and nonfiction. Oh.
3) Not many are bookstores. Dang.
So let’s say your debut novel is coming out in October, and your publisher is counting on your hometown events to be big draws. You may be screwed, lady.
Learning highlight: If you skip out on the last minutes of the Marketing & Publicity session to have frozen yogurt with gummi bear mix-ins with your fairy-princess costumed gosh-daughter you’ll miss out on something important about Smashwords.
It was an eye-opening, full day of discussions, kicked off with a keynote from Andy Hunter of Electric Literature—and here I should confess that I have ignored EL ever since I first heard about them and that they paid writers $1000 per short story. I’m either a bolshie asshole or I think boutique short fiction is a whitefolks concern (those positions might be the same), but Hunter was pretty convincing about the commercial possibilities of new fiction + innovation. I should also remind you that I believe everything that anyone tells me at the time they are telling me it. One of the points he made was that Rick Moody’s twitter based story for Electric Literature in 2009 was a huge success, despite the immediate backlash from mainstream concerns. You can read the argument here, but the upshot was 1) the story was good, and 2) the delivery resulted in a dramatic (like 10X) increase in followers and subscriptions for EL.
By the end of the day the Indie Lit Summit came up with some very exciting ideas that I probably shouldn’t go into right now, but in general it felt like the smartest-guy-in-the-room from several rooms all ended up in the same one at once: 826DC, appropriately enough.
Several things became really clear as we attempted to build a list of reading spaces that already exist in the DC/Baltimore area:
1) There are lots of places to read. Yay!
2) If you write poetry and nonfiction. Oh.
3) Not many are bookstores. Dang.
So let’s say your debut novel is coming out in October, and your publisher is counting on your hometown events to be big draws. You may be screwed, lady.
Learning highlight: If you skip out on the last minutes of the Marketing & Publicity session to have frozen yogurt with gummi bear mix-ins with your fairy-princess costumed gosh-daughter you’ll miss out on something important about Smashwords.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Big Secret
Right now my new computer is being shipped from Shanghai, which means that by July 21 or thereabouts I will begin writing my next novel. It's all rolling around in my head--set in Death Valley 2005 during the big bloom and there was enough water in Lake Manley to float a kayak. It's going to be a treasure hunt story with a quirky heroine who inherits a mystery house from a cowboy actor.I can't wait to get started.
I don't do MFA bashing; I have one myself, and I'm a firm believer in the fact that you need to work hard and develop to make those 2-3 years mean something. There are too many folks going into programs expecting to have The Big Secret revealed to them at last, and they slip into a passive mode, almost a regression. Well here it is, this is what nobody is willing to tell you but me: writing novels is a blast. writing short stories is kind of a pain. In MFA programs you'll be writing lots of short stories, and it's gonna hurt.
I found out from my publisher that he was nervous about asking me to do so many significant revisions to Death Wishing because he was sure I couldn't do them. Every other time they'd asked a writer to re-write significantly, it had ended in failure. In fact, it's Ig's unofficial policy to reject any book that needs revisions. But they really wanted this book to be what it is now. End of inspirational story
But here's the pervy part. When they said "change all this, but we might not like how you do it anyway" I was delighted. I got to write the book again.
Writing books is fun. I've known that since I was a kiddo.
Not sure what I'm getting at here. I wish my computer would hurry itself up and get here.
I don't do MFA bashing; I have one myself, and I'm a firm believer in the fact that you need to work hard and develop to make those 2-3 years mean something. There are too many folks going into programs expecting to have The Big Secret revealed to them at last, and they slip into a passive mode, almost a regression. Well here it is, this is what nobody is willing to tell you but me: writing novels is a blast. writing short stories is kind of a pain. In MFA programs you'll be writing lots of short stories, and it's gonna hurt.
I found out from my publisher that he was nervous about asking me to do so many significant revisions to Death Wishing because he was sure I couldn't do them. Every other time they'd asked a writer to re-write significantly, it had ended in failure. In fact, it's Ig's unofficial policy to reject any book that needs revisions. But they really wanted this book to be what it is now. End of inspirational story
But here's the pervy part. When they said "change all this, but we might not like how you do it anyway" I was delighted. I got to write the book again.
Writing books is fun. I've known that since I was a kiddo.
Not sure what I'm getting at here. I wish my computer would hurry itself up and get here.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
updates
Let's seeeeee. Just sent back galley corrections to the publisher. Working on website. Got my picture taken. All these have bw versions as well, but so far my 3 yr old publicity manager says, "I like the pink one!" The pics with the meerkats statuette are in my office (hence the FROM HELL graphic novel in the back). The Dylan/bird/shadowbox pics were taken in poets Eric Pankey's/Jennifer Atkinson's office. I'm pretty sure the shadowbox was made by my dear friend Tara, the inspiration behind this very short story. My beautiful mother made the necklaces. The photos were taken by artist Jennifer Stone, who remains the only person able to take a non-freakish looking picture of me.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Uncanny Valley's developing catalogue of the strange
So Mike Meginnis' and Tracy Bowling's Uncanny Valley Press now has three web releases, and I think we can see a bit of a pattern developing.
Curio, my 21 little ghost stories
Sutherland Douglass' Peeping Tom 'Rockefeller', an excerpt from a fictional psycho-sexual memoir of 'Clark Rockefeller'
Gabriel Blackwell's Neverland, a satirical exhibition from the infamous Discovery Institute, those champions of intelligent design.
I don't know what's happening with the proposed print version of Uncanny Valley Magazine, but as curators of online weird, I think Mike and Tracy are doing a thrilling job. I am incredibly pleased to be a part of whatever their vision seems to entail.
Curio, my 21 little ghost stories
Sutherland Douglass' Peeping Tom 'Rockefeller', an excerpt from a fictional psycho-sexual memoir of 'Clark Rockefeller'
Gabriel Blackwell's Neverland, a satirical exhibition from the infamous Discovery Institute, those champions of intelligent design.
I don't know what's happening with the proposed print version of Uncanny Valley Magazine, but as curators of online weird, I think Mike and Tracy are doing a thrilling job. I am incredibly pleased to be a part of whatever their vision seems to entail.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The Creative Response
So we're sort of going nuts here on Planet Lala, preparing mentally for a book tour that's gonna have us zig-zagging the nation. I say mentally, because nothing concrete is being achieved, except on Mom's end. She's making necklaces for me to read at all the events. She made everything on this table, more than half of which were strung specifically for the tour, and there's another 5 or so coming. Her designs are growing more dramatic all the time.
I have no clothes, though. I'll have to wait until near the end of summer, when I hope I'll be a size smaller.
The second pic I call "Charli's Choice," and yes, that is a Snug Harbor Souvenir Typhoon go-cup near the bottom.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
But surely not in this order . . .
New Orleans
Seattle
Brooklyn
Boston
Providence
Cleveland
Chicago
DC
Philly
Memphis
Denver
San Francisco
Baton Rouge
Seattle
Brooklyn
Boston
Providence
Cleveland
Chicago
DC
Philly
Memphis
Denver
San Francisco
Baton Rouge
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
De-sentiment
Having a great couple of days here with a new novel idea sort of developing geometrically--a kooky desert romance + treasure hunt, maybe sorta like a 60s movie--and Dean says the concept is a winner, but I have to get my notes on the dry-erase board asap.
Thing is, I don't want to erase the board because it has my Death-Wishing notes on it (once showcased at the defunct Hit and Run blog). I'm so un-sentimental about physical stuff, but this board--I can't do it. And Dean says it's a sign of profligate madness to buy a second board. Sigh.
In other news, Death-Wishing just popped up on a British distribution site with a slightly different and spoiler-y plot description. The more I look at book jacket summaries, the less I understand them.
Thing is, I don't want to erase the board because it has my Death-Wishing notes on it (once showcased at the defunct Hit and Run blog). I'm so un-sentimental about physical stuff, but this board--I can't do it. And Dean says it's a sign of profligate madness to buy a second board. Sigh.
In other news, Death-Wishing just popped up on a British distribution site with a slightly different and spoiler-y plot description. The more I look at book jacket summaries, the less I understand them.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Louisiana Stories
My review of Sara Gran's Claire DeWitt and The City of The Dead went live late last night on Art Taylor's blog, Art & Literature: the Literary Blog of Raleigh's Metro Magazine, and today he interviewed me about Death Wishing for our department newsletter. I just finished a writing up a Q&A to go out with review copies, and I guess I'm relieved that the questions Art asked me were pretty close to the ones I asked myself. Like, "Why New Orleans?"Because that's where I want to be.
Of course the reason Art gave me the Gran book to review was because of the NO connection, and Claire is a wonderful, original book, and I hope there will be a Claire DeWitt series. Gran's New Orleans is a scarier place than my new Orleans, but we both ended up with major characters named Vic. Weird.
Here's an ad we threw together--might appear in the latest issue of Gargoyle if we got it to the editor on time:
Of course the reason Art gave me the Gran book to review was because of the NO connection, and Claire is a wonderful, original book, and I hope there will be a Claire DeWitt series. Gran's New Orleans is a scarier place than my new Orleans, but we both ended up with major characters named Vic. Weird.
Here's an ad we threw together--might appear in the latest issue of Gargoyle if we got it to the editor on time:
Sunday, June 5, 2011
back to work
today is the last day of vacation--we went to ocracoke last week, and both of us got colds. I'm still coughing, making really ugly noises in my chest. oh well, seeing as I've not had a cold since Nov 2009, I think I got off easy. We went out to a Louisiana music fest thing today, headlined by Trombone Shorty. Chances of him being referenced in tonight's ep of Treme, about 70%. "Show me something beautiful . . ."
Apparently the book galleys are going out to potential reviewers this week. As part of the package I was asked to write up a Q&A, and that was tough, but I think I'm happy with the result. I wish it was funnier, tho. It's all about the gags, as far as I'm concerned. Screw literature.
We're now turning our attentions to making my big girl's website. I'm really loving Ethel Rohan's page as well as the new Lit Pub deal. I'm pretty sure I want something super simple and clean, at least to start with. But maybe that urge is at odds with having a site that people find interesting . . .
also? my vacation was 2 weeks long, and I had plenty of net access. two things I didn't do--answer work email or check htmlgiant. weird.
Apparently the book galleys are going out to potential reviewers this week. As part of the package I was asked to write up a Q&A, and that was tough, but I think I'm happy with the result. I wish it was funnier, tho. It's all about the gags, as far as I'm concerned. Screw literature.
We're now turning our attentions to making my big girl's website. I'm really loving Ethel Rohan's page as well as the new Lit Pub deal. I'm pretty sure I want something super simple and clean, at least to start with. But maybe that urge is at odds with having a site that people find interesting . . .
also? my vacation was 2 weeks long, and I had plenty of net access. two things I didn't do--answer work email or check htmlgiant. weird.
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