You can tell I'm gearing up for a holiday full of writing because I've posted more in the last five days than I did the entire month of November.
To be honest, I have no idea why I'm even posting this but I feel the need to get something off my (considerable) chest:
My Netflix queue makes me feel bad about myself. Like, all the time. Like every other Netflix user in North AMerica, I browse through the titles of movies and television shows and add them to the list of things I'd like to watch. My queue, more often than not, is full of Indie films that get lots of praise and foreign films both classics and contemporary. All films that are supposed to be excellent but....I never watch them. They never make it to my house. I haven't made a dent in my queue in nearly 6 months. that's close to $115 in fees for movies I could have had sent to me but didn't. But the thing that kills me is this: all those movies, the kind of cinema that good people with small school liberal arts degrees and literary MFAs holders should watch, is all lost on me.
I want to watch dance movies, Battlestar Galactica, and movies from the 90s I've seen a million times. So because my queue is a reminder of my baser interests, I deleted 40 movies. Gone is the Italian cinema, the Senagalese about race and class, the BBC Robin Hood series, and the artsy indie films everyone raves about. I'm gonna watch School Ties and Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief and The League of Extraordinary Dancers.
As long as I live, I'll never be shamed by my Netflix queue again.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Gifting
Every year since I started knitting I've sworn that I would get started early and knit all my holiday gifts. Evey year this has not happened. In fact, the only people who are likely to get hand knit anything are my sisters and grandfather (I have a 24 hour emergency fingerless glove recipe (yes I wrote recipe and yes I meant pattern...I'm multi-tasking, badly) and lots and lots of yarn).
Initially I thought I would just buy books for everyone, but then it occurred to me that maybe everyone doesn't want to read my favorite books (I was either going to give copies of The Four Agreement or Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, two very different but excellent books). But I have nine aunties and because I really like the idea of homemade gifts, I was really excited when a little lightbulb went off in my head.
This weekend, I'm going turn my kitchen into a laboratory. For my mother's sisters who like the suace ( i get it honestly) I'll be making fruit infused vodka! I'm thinking, pear, raspberry, and blackberry. And for my dad's sisters who don't really drink, I'll be making spice infused olive oil reminiscent of the kind they used to serve at Il Sapore back in the day.
Gifting success!
Initially I thought I would just buy books for everyone, but then it occurred to me that maybe everyone doesn't want to read my favorite books (I was either going to give copies of The Four Agreement or Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, two very different but excellent books). But I have nine aunties and because I really like the idea of homemade gifts, I was really excited when a little lightbulb went off in my head.
This weekend, I'm going turn my kitchen into a laboratory. For my mother's sisters who like the suace ( i get it honestly) I'll be making fruit infused vodka! I'm thinking, pear, raspberry, and blackberry. And for my dad's sisters who don't really drink, I'll be making spice infused olive oil reminiscent of the kind they used to serve at Il Sapore back in the day.
Gifting success!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Can a Year Disappear?
I'm supposed to be grading essays on Macbeth, but, whenI feel the urge to write I need to take advantage.
Today I received a gift from one of the young women on my roster of students I counsel through the college admission process. It was my first gift as a teacher and the gesture overwhelmed me in a way I wasn't expecting. I'm doing my job and, while I was warned (not really the right word) that I would receive gifts from my students, I felt something more than I had expected. For one, there's the student invloved; a young lady I have become fond of even though we interact less and less now that most of her applications are done. She's intelligent and creative in the same way that the women I call my closest friends are, and I admire her for being so at such a young age (listen to the Grandma over here). Then, there was the card, a note from her mother, somthing simple, that said thank you for doing your job and being suppoirtive of us. And that, well, that put me over the edge of sentimentalitiy. I told the student and her accompanying friend how much I love receiving cards, and it's absolutely true. A psychiatrist would probably diagnose me as a hoarder of some kind if he or she took a look at the hundreds of cards and envelops I have kept over the year. Birthday cards, Christmas cards (Grinch that I am), graduation cards, thank you cards, postcards that I have received and postcards I wrote but never mailed, envelopes the cards came in,and envelopes that match cards that I will never send. I have boxes of them.
So now I wonder: What would happen if I threw them all away?
It's not just the cards. I have pictures (okay, fairly normal), maps of foreign cities, tickets from museaums I've visited, and subway and bus tickets from Italy, France, Austria and England. There are notes my host brother wrote for me, scraps of paper from journals I've since thrown away, and guide books that are nearing ten years old. Despite my (few and far between) organizing benders, they still make a mess. And looking through them always leads to me finding a Parisian Metro ticket in the oddest of places.
So what would happen if I threw it all away?
Would I forget graduating from high school or college?
If I didn't have the journal page dated 10/17/10 would I forget that days after leaving my parents behind at an airport gate in Philadelphia my Great aunt passed away while I was settling into a new life in Florence?
Without the torn map of that same city, would I forge that my school was located at 10 Borgo Santa Croce and that I lived on via Masaccio with two Americans, three teenagers from Mexico, and a Japanese woman named Mayumi?
Could I find Shot Cafe? And Pino's? And Gelateria dei Neri?
Would I remember my first trip to Amsterdam without that useless map from the Bulldog? Does that map remind me of how cold that city was in November, days of my family celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States? Do those postcards from the van Gogh museaum remind me of how fast my heart beat the first time I stood in front of van Gogh's portrait of his bedroom (still my favorite).
If I got rid of all the memories of Paris, would I forget the second time I had my heart broken by a boy and the first time I had my heart broken by a friend?
If I get rid of all those things do I forget that glorious, heartbraking, self-affirming, joyous year?
And what about the years that followed?
There are memories of those years in these boxes as well. Do I really need to keep the momentos of friendships I no longer maintain? Empty boxes that once contained brand new pairs of earrings that no longer have mates, do I need those? What about the blank immigration forms from South Korea and Thailand? And the hotel room key from Osaka? What purpose do they serve?'s
When I think of the time in between those trips, life in New York and three years in Iowa. The memories are countless, they are of books and late nights writing and conversations with friends, author's signatures,a and, tears. Lots of tears.
If I divest myself of all the small things, do those years disappear? What am I saving them for? Who am I saving them for? The children I may never have, the old woman I am going to become? Why would they mean anything to anyone other who I am, at this moment, or who I was ten, nine years ago?
It occurs to me that I have written all this without once looking at a journal, card, or any other piece of paper. My attachment to these piles of fiber, while very real, is perhaps unnecessary and yet, I can't see life without them. It's my way of holding onto all those years.
Today I received a gift from one of the young women on my roster of students I counsel through the college admission process. It was my first gift as a teacher and the gesture overwhelmed me in a way I wasn't expecting. I'm doing my job and, while I was warned (not really the right word) that I would receive gifts from my students, I felt something more than I had expected. For one, there's the student invloved; a young lady I have become fond of even though we interact less and less now that most of her applications are done. She's intelligent and creative in the same way that the women I call my closest friends are, and I admire her for being so at such a young age (listen to the Grandma over here). Then, there was the card, a note from her mother, somthing simple, that said thank you for doing your job and being suppoirtive of us. And that, well, that put me over the edge of sentimentalitiy. I told the student and her accompanying friend how much I love receiving cards, and it's absolutely true. A psychiatrist would probably diagnose me as a hoarder of some kind if he or she took a look at the hundreds of cards and envelops I have kept over the year. Birthday cards, Christmas cards (Grinch that I am), graduation cards, thank you cards, postcards that I have received and postcards I wrote but never mailed, envelopes the cards came in,and envelopes that match cards that I will never send. I have boxes of them.
So now I wonder: What would happen if I threw them all away?
It's not just the cards. I have pictures (okay, fairly normal), maps of foreign cities, tickets from museaums I've visited, and subway and bus tickets from Italy, France, Austria and England. There are notes my host brother wrote for me, scraps of paper from journals I've since thrown away, and guide books that are nearing ten years old. Despite my (few and far between) organizing benders, they still make a mess. And looking through them always leads to me finding a Parisian Metro ticket in the oddest of places.
So what would happen if I threw it all away?
Would I forget graduating from high school or college?
If I didn't have the journal page dated 10/17/10 would I forget that days after leaving my parents behind at an airport gate in Philadelphia my Great aunt passed away while I was settling into a new life in Florence?
Without the torn map of that same city, would I forge that my school was located at 10 Borgo Santa Croce and that I lived on via Masaccio with two Americans, three teenagers from Mexico, and a Japanese woman named Mayumi?
Could I find Shot Cafe? And Pino's? And Gelateria dei Neri?
Would I remember my first trip to Amsterdam without that useless map from the Bulldog? Does that map remind me of how cold that city was in November, days of my family celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States? Do those postcards from the van Gogh museaum remind me of how fast my heart beat the first time I stood in front of van Gogh's portrait of his bedroom (still my favorite).
If I got rid of all the memories of Paris, would I forget the second time I had my heart broken by a boy and the first time I had my heart broken by a friend?
If I get rid of all those things do I forget that glorious, heartbraking, self-affirming, joyous year?
And what about the years that followed?
There are memories of those years in these boxes as well. Do I really need to keep the momentos of friendships I no longer maintain? Empty boxes that once contained brand new pairs of earrings that no longer have mates, do I need those? What about the blank immigration forms from South Korea and Thailand? And the hotel room key from Osaka? What purpose do they serve?'s
When I think of the time in between those trips, life in New York and three years in Iowa. The memories are countless, they are of books and late nights writing and conversations with friends, author's signatures,a and, tears. Lots of tears.
If I divest myself of all the small things, do those years disappear? What am I saving them for? Who am I saving them for? The children I may never have, the old woman I am going to become? Why would they mean anything to anyone other who I am, at this moment, or who I was ten, nine years ago?
It occurs to me that I have written all this without once looking at a journal, card, or any other piece of paper. My attachment to these piles of fiber, while very real, is perhaps unnecessary and yet, I can't see life without them. It's my way of holding onto all those years.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
A conversation with myself on writing.
Oh, hello there. What? Oh, right, well what had happened was...I mean, I've been a little entangled in the new job--what? I know, I know, yeah I had some time, but not a lot and it made more sense to--Yes, this is important to me. No, I don't want it to look like I don't care. I do care. I care a lot actually. I did do some writing, there was that---yes, it counts, I mean it was fiction. Some people call it flash fiction. How many words? I don't know, 100, 150 maybe. Since when is it about the word count? I have a lot of respect for deadline, just ask my co-workers. That deadline? I'm going to do my best to make it, I have a full month, and two weeks of vacation! Well, that's not very nice. I think I can do it. have a little faith in me. I swear, I'm doing my best. I'm doing mostly my best. I could do better.
Monday, November 1, 2010
National Blog Post Something or other.
I think I will make an attempt at blogging every day in the month of November. I will absolutely NOT make an attempt to write a novel this month. The more I think about it, the more it makes my head hurt. I care about my novel-in-progress. I want to spend time with it, crafting each sentence like it's the most important one in the book. What would I gain by trying to speed through it? I spent much of my grad school years speeding through story drafts, and yes, I had some good results, but mostly I just ended up revising for months and months....Although I guess, every 1st draft I write is pretty quick...I'm much better in the revising stage...but still....no novel in a month for me folks. But blogs posts, that I can try to do.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sharing my words
If I get to spend anytime here in the next week it will be amazing. These are the last few days of the quarter and there's a lot of work to be done. Grading, writing letters of recommendation--finding time for sleep (which I'm pretty sure is not going to happen for the next week) are priority. As much as I complain (mostly to myself and occasionally to the other new teacher) I really don't mind work. What I dislike is that I haven't had a minute to write--well, maybe a few minutes here and there, but sadly, I don't write that way. I need hours, I need focus, I need to get my space organized.
Whatever readers I have out there (I know there are a couple...at least I hope there are a couple) might be happy to know that my story "Until the Heart Stops Beating" will be published in Issue 5 of the Hawaii Women's Journal--I think sometime in January? Not sure. But I am really excited. It's the first time my work will be read outside of a school or friend setting.It's also encouraging. I'm not very good about sending my work out into the world. There are a couple of reasons for this.
1. I'm not sure I'm good enough. What writer ever is? I'm often not even sure why I spend my time writing short stories or putting together my novel. There's always a lot of doubt when you spend your time "making shit up" as I like to say.
2. I don't always know if I want to keep my writing for myself or if I even want to share it with the outside world. Even though it's fiction, some of my writing is intensely personal and it's strange to think of other people (says the girl with the blog) reading my work. Judging.
Well enough of my insecurity. It's happening. I'm getting out there. And I kind of like it.
Whatever readers I have out there (I know there are a couple...at least I hope there are a couple) might be happy to know that my story "Until the Heart Stops Beating" will be published in Issue 5 of the Hawaii Women's Journal--I think sometime in January? Not sure. But I am really excited. It's the first time my work will be read outside of a school or friend setting.It's also encouraging. I'm not very good about sending my work out into the world. There are a couple of reasons for this.
1. I'm not sure I'm good enough. What writer ever is? I'm often not even sure why I spend my time writing short stories or putting together my novel. There's always a lot of doubt when you spend your time "making shit up" as I like to say.
2. I don't always know if I want to keep my writing for myself or if I even want to share it with the outside world. Even though it's fiction, some of my writing is intensely personal and it's strange to think of other people (says the girl with the blog) reading my work. Judging.
Well enough of my insecurity. It's happening. I'm getting out there. And I kind of like it.
Book List
I'm kind of obsessed with this list of books I created a long time ago for an unclear reason. Perhaps it was before Goodreads came out with place for me to keep track of the things I'm reading but here is a list of things I've read and enjoyed over the years. I know there are a bunch of things left off and some things that are repeats from the previous post....but here it is anyhow.
*--short story collection
**--Iowa Writers
Bold---favorite
1. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
2. Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
3. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
4. Middlesex, Jefferey Eugenedies
5. Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
6. Interesting Women, Andrea Lee*
7. Lost Hearts in Italy, Andrea Lee
8. Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, ZZ Packer*/**
9. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
10. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
11. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
12. Freedom, Jonathan Franzen
13. How To Be Alone: Essays, Jonathan Franzen
14. The Twenty-Seventh City, Jonathan Franzen
15. Arranged Marriage, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni*
16. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri*
17. The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri
18. Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri*
19. The Boat, Nam Le*/**
20. Persepolis Part 1, Marjane Satrapi
21. Persepolis Part 2, Marjane Satrapi
22. White Teeth, Zadie Smith
23. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
24. Mary and O’Neill, Justin Cronin*/**
25. The Passage, Justin Cronin**
26. The Stranger, Albert Camus
27. Sacrificing Isaac, Neil Gordon
28. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
29. Atonement, Ian McEwan
30. The Littlest Hitler, Ryan Boudinot*
31. Elbow Room, James Alan McPherson*
32. The Known World, Edward P. Jones
33. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson*/**
34. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
35. A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You, Amy Bloom*
36. Drown, Juno Diaz*
37. Exit A, Anthony Swofford**
38. Jarhead, Anthony Swofford**
39. Septembers of Shiraz, Dalia Sofer
40. Kentucky Straight, Chris Offutt*/**
41. St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, Karen Russell*
42. Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin
43. The Purple Hibiscus, Chimanmanda N. Adichi
44. War by Candlelight, Daniel Alarcon*/**
45. Lost City Radio, Daniel Alarcon**
46. Drown, Junot Diaz*
47. Here’s Your Hat What’s Your Hurry, Elizabeth McCracken*/**
48. The Safety of Objects, A.M. Homes
49. The Seamstress: A Novel, Frances des Pontes Peebles**
50. The Vagrants, Yiyun Li**
51. The Palace Thief, Ethan Canin**
52. Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson**
53. Hunger, Lan Samantha Chang*/**
54. Come to Me, Amy Bloom*
55. Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion
56. The White Album, Joan Didion
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Revising
In the last few weeks I've written thousands of words. Sadly, they've not been fiction. It's letter writing season for college guidance counselors and that means I'm knee deep in writing about my counselees' achievements. This is all fine and good but I kind of miss writing fiction. I've been sneaking some in here and there, editing mostly. I tried to work on novel pages but nothing was coming. I don't know where it went but I feel like my drive to work on the book has diminished a great deal since I started teaching. The truth is, my work is draining. I wake up at 5 (okay, sometime between 5 and 6:30) in the morning and because I'm anal retentive in a way I never knew was possible, I review my lessons for the day.
I think about writing A LOT I just never get to do much of it.
I think about writing A LOT I just never get to do much of it.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
What I'm reading and What I'm knitting
I'm taking a break from Oedipus and Macbeth.
In addition to the books I'm teaching. I've also been reading these gems:
1. Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer
2. Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans
3. Mentor by Tom Grimes
Each of these resonates with me for a variety of reasons.
I adore Scott Spencer. I was lucky enough to study with him for a semester. I just think he's the bees knees.
Danielle Evans' book has been on my "I want now" list for a long, long time and now that it's here, I'm taking my time to get through it. I'm three stories in and I think she's amazing. I can't wait to finish and I especially can't wait for her reading in DC next month.
Tom Grimes' book is, in a small way, a trip down memory lane. Iowa, the workshop, all the pressure and the emotions that come with being there. It's all in his book and it's so good that I've been carrying it around for days as though I were trying to recapture something of Iowa or something of the writer I was when I was living in Iowa.
Knitting....I finished my fishnet socks and I knit a baby hat with owls!!!
In addition to the books I'm teaching. I've also been reading these gems:
1. Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer
2. Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans
3. Mentor by Tom Grimes
Each of these resonates with me for a variety of reasons.
I adore Scott Spencer. I was lucky enough to study with him for a semester. I just think he's the bees knees.
Danielle Evans' book has been on my "I want now" list for a long, long time and now that it's here, I'm taking my time to get through it. I'm three stories in and I think she's amazing. I can't wait to finish and I especially can't wait for her reading in DC next month.
Tom Grimes' book is, in a small way, a trip down memory lane. Iowa, the workshop, all the pressure and the emotions that come with being there. It's all in his book and it's so good that I've been carrying it around for days as though I were trying to recapture something of Iowa or something of the writer I was when I was living in Iowa.
Knitting....I finished my fishnet socks and I knit a baby hat with owls!!!
15 Author meme revised as the Writes.Reads.Knits 10 (maybe more) Author Meme
I started to respond to this meme asking for a list of 15 writers that have inspired you. I began to write out the list in hopes of remembering just why it is that I write at all. I got halfway down when I realized that I hate lists like this.
While I was writing out the names of my literary heroes, I kept referring back to the original meme that I saw on the Facebook. This is going to sound a little crazy, but, I felt an immense amount of pressure to have a list that was "respectable". By that I mean, a list filled with literary giants.
Those kinds of lists are fine. In fact, they are great. It's a sign that good writing, good stories, last a lifetime. But here's the thing. I'm not necessarily inspired by the "greats". I read them, I admire them, I enjoy them, but they are not always the thing that pushes me to write.
Here are a few writers who do inspire me (and yes, you know many of them already from previous blog posts).
1. Andrea Lee author of Interesting Women, Sarah Phillips, Russian Journal, and Lost Hearts In Italy. I don't typically own first editions of every book a writer has ever written, but I have a first edition of every book this woman has every written. She is perhaps the writer who inspires me the most. When I sit in a cafe and prepare to write, I have a copy of Interesting Women. I also think I keep writing about her in the hopes that one day she will google herself and find my blog and we can be friends and parlare un po d'italiano insieme.
2. James Alan McPherson. Okay, I have almost every book he's ever written. I'm missing one. I have one first edition, and multiple copies of the same book in paperback, just in case someone I know needs one. Jim is a natural storyteller. You see it in his writing but if you ever get the chance to sit with him for any amount of time, he'll tell you a story like you've never heard. He might even tell you the same story a second time, but it'll be just as good, or better than the first. Elbow Room. You should own it.
3. Ryan Boudinot. I've said it before, I really like this dude. His stories kick ass. They stretch the imagination, they take you to places that don't exist and some that kind of do. When I read his stories (over and over sometimes) I'm never, ever bored. And that's what a real writer does. The Littlest Hitler.
4. ZZ Packer. Phenomenal. The stories in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere are biting, funny, intense, and plain old awesome. If you get the chance to hear her read out loud--you're lucky. When ZZ reads she fills the room with her words. This list has no order but if it did, she'd be closer to the top.
5. Jane Austen. I could read Pride and Prejudice over and over again. I have. I read it every couple of months so it can make me smile.
6. Joan Didion is my non fiction Queen. I used to pass out On Keeping a Notebook to all my students in Iowa in the hope that it would inspire them as it had inspired me. I think it worked occasionally.
7. Amy Bloom. I don't know what else to say. She's my Alice Munro. A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You is one of the best story collections I have ever read. Ever. I gave the title story to one of my classes a couple of years ago and a student (think 18 year old football fan from middle of nowhere Iowa) says, "I like stories like this because they're unsafe." He surprised the shit out of me but he was absolutely right.
8. Jhumpa Lahiri. The last time I came to the end of a book and all I felt was a tightening in my chest and my breath caught in my throat...was when I finished Crime and Punishment....and then I came to the last story in Unaccustomed Earth. Anis Shivani called Ms. Lahiri overrated. Anis Shivani is an ass.
9. Jonathan Franzen. How do I love thee? Let me count the many ways. I know, there's a lot of talk about his being overrated. And maybe there was no need to put him on the cover of Time or Newsweek or whatever. However, he tells a good story. They're never over written or underwritten. They're complex and still easy to follow. He makes it look seamless. The Twenty-Seventh City is one of my favorite books, The Corrections deserved all the praise it received. Freedom, broke my heart, put it back together and then had the nerve to break it again before righting itself once more. His essays are also captivating. So yes, I adore Jonathan Franzen. And this makes me just like Oprah (minus the money and international fame but I'm convinced that's coming too).
10. Fyodor Dostoevsky. Remember when I said there was a book that made my heart tighten in my chest and my breath catch in my throat? Well, it was Crime and Punishment. I read it the year I decided I wanted to become a writer. Even though I read a lot as a child, enough that I've always considered myself big reader, I don't remember ever feeling so deeply for a character in a book, especially not a character that was so vile. 2011 is the year I finish the Brothers K. This year, I'll settle for Notes from the Underground.
I'll probably add a few more to this list.
While I was writing out the names of my literary heroes, I kept referring back to the original meme that I saw on the Facebook. This is going to sound a little crazy, but, I felt an immense amount of pressure to have a list that was "respectable". By that I mean, a list filled with literary giants.
Those kinds of lists are fine. In fact, they are great. It's a sign that good writing, good stories, last a lifetime. But here's the thing. I'm not necessarily inspired by the "greats". I read them, I admire them, I enjoy them, but they are not always the thing that pushes me to write.
Here are a few writers who do inspire me (and yes, you know many of them already from previous blog posts).
1. Andrea Lee author of Interesting Women, Sarah Phillips, Russian Journal, and Lost Hearts In Italy. I don't typically own first editions of every book a writer has ever written, but I have a first edition of every book this woman has every written. She is perhaps the writer who inspires me the most. When I sit in a cafe and prepare to write, I have a copy of Interesting Women. I also think I keep writing about her in the hopes that one day she will google herself and find my blog and we can be friends and parlare un po d'italiano insieme.
2. James Alan McPherson. Okay, I have almost every book he's ever written. I'm missing one. I have one first edition, and multiple copies of the same book in paperback, just in case someone I know needs one. Jim is a natural storyteller. You see it in his writing but if you ever get the chance to sit with him for any amount of time, he'll tell you a story like you've never heard. He might even tell you the same story a second time, but it'll be just as good, or better than the first. Elbow Room. You should own it.
3. Ryan Boudinot. I've said it before, I really like this dude. His stories kick ass. They stretch the imagination, they take you to places that don't exist and some that kind of do. When I read his stories (over and over sometimes) I'm never, ever bored. And that's what a real writer does. The Littlest Hitler.
4. ZZ Packer. Phenomenal. The stories in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere are biting, funny, intense, and plain old awesome. If you get the chance to hear her read out loud--you're lucky. When ZZ reads she fills the room with her words. This list has no order but if it did, she'd be closer to the top.
5. Jane Austen. I could read Pride and Prejudice over and over again. I have. I read it every couple of months so it can make me smile.
6. Joan Didion is my non fiction Queen. I used to pass out On Keeping a Notebook to all my students in Iowa in the hope that it would inspire them as it had inspired me. I think it worked occasionally.
7. Amy Bloom. I don't know what else to say. She's my Alice Munro. A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You is one of the best story collections I have ever read. Ever. I gave the title story to one of my classes a couple of years ago and a student (think 18 year old football fan from middle of nowhere Iowa) says, "I like stories like this because they're unsafe." He surprised the shit out of me but he was absolutely right.
8. Jhumpa Lahiri. The last time I came to the end of a book and all I felt was a tightening in my chest and my breath caught in my throat...was when I finished Crime and Punishment....and then I came to the last story in Unaccustomed Earth. Anis Shivani called Ms. Lahiri overrated. Anis Shivani is an ass.
9. Jonathan Franzen. How do I love thee? Let me count the many ways. I know, there's a lot of talk about his being overrated. And maybe there was no need to put him on the cover of Time or Newsweek or whatever. However, he tells a good story. They're never over written or underwritten. They're complex and still easy to follow. He makes it look seamless. The Twenty-Seventh City is one of my favorite books, The Corrections deserved all the praise it received. Freedom, broke my heart, put it back together and then had the nerve to break it again before righting itself once more. His essays are also captivating. So yes, I adore Jonathan Franzen. And this makes me just like Oprah (minus the money and international fame but I'm convinced that's coming too).
10. Fyodor Dostoevsky. Remember when I said there was a book that made my heart tighten in my chest and my breath catch in my throat? Well, it was Crime and Punishment. I read it the year I decided I wanted to become a writer. Even though I read a lot as a child, enough that I've always considered myself big reader, I don't remember ever feeling so deeply for a character in a book, especially not a character that was so vile. 2011 is the year I finish the Brothers K. This year, I'll settle for Notes from the Underground.
I'll probably add a few more to this list.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Settling In
I've been away from this page for some time now mostly because life has been anything but slow. The day after my last post, I started my new job--English Teacher and College Counselor--moved into my new house, went on a business trip, took a trip DC for the National book festival and made obligatory family and friend visits. Is it any surprise that I spent yesterday, my first weekend home in some time, asleep on the couch (after getting up at 7 to proctor the SAT).
The jobs is good --there's nothing like good old fashioned hard work, right? But it's a lot of work and I have to say I'm not convinced I like getting up at 5AM. I am convinced that I am in love with teaching. My students are amazing and even though they have their moments of being too chatty, I adore them. I don't remember if I was as smart or savvy as some of them are at 14. And if I was, go me!
Knitting project update:
February Lady still not done. It's pure laziness at this point. I'm making Thanksgiving my deadline for this one.
Rushing River Socks. One down, but I can't find the other skein or my size 1 1/2 needles.....blurg!
Leaf Lace Scarf: There's really no rush to finish this. I guess if I commit to working on it for 20 minutes every day I could probably be done in about two weeks. Might be nice to have for the coming winter months.
Spring Forward Socks from Knitty: You might ask why did I start a project when I already had three on the burner...well, it was time to get on a plane and I didn't have the needles I needed for the RR socks, so I thought, why not cast on something with the awesome Lorna's Laces sock yarn I have It's PINK and so soft, so why not? I'm on the foot quickly approaching the gusset decrease. Hopefully I will cast on sock number 2 by the end of the week.
END Knitting update.
Writing:
Well, I did edit a story a couple of weeks ago. But I'm so insanely busy, and still getting acclimated to my new schedule, that I'm finding it difficult to get it all done. As previously mentioned, I've been waking up around 5 in the morning. It's great, but I need to make it work to my advantage. Which means, going to bed around 9 or 10 instead of 11 or 12. It would be awesome to make those early mornings work for me. A finished draft by the end of December isn't looking good..
The jobs is good --there's nothing like good old fashioned hard work, right? But it's a lot of work and I have to say I'm not convinced I like getting up at 5AM. I am convinced that I am in love with teaching. My students are amazing and even though they have their moments of being too chatty, I adore them. I don't remember if I was as smart or savvy as some of them are at 14. And if I was, go me!
Knitting project update:
February Lady still not done. It's pure laziness at this point. I'm making Thanksgiving my deadline for this one.
Rushing River Socks. One down, but I can't find the other skein or my size 1 1/2 needles.....blurg!
Leaf Lace Scarf: There's really no rush to finish this. I guess if I commit to working on it for 20 minutes every day I could probably be done in about two weeks. Might be nice to have for the coming winter months.
Spring Forward Socks from Knitty: You might ask why did I start a project when I already had three on the burner...well, it was time to get on a plane and I didn't have the needles I needed for the RR socks, so I thought, why not cast on something with the awesome Lorna's Laces sock yarn I have It's PINK and so soft, so why not? I'm on the foot quickly approaching the gusset decrease. Hopefully I will cast on sock number 2 by the end of the week.
END Knitting update.
Writing:
Well, I did edit a story a couple of weeks ago. But I'm so insanely busy, and still getting acclimated to my new schedule, that I'm finding it difficult to get it all done. As previously mentioned, I've been waking up around 5 in the morning. It's great, but I need to make it work to my advantage. Which means, going to bed around 9 or 10 instead of 11 or 12. It would be awesome to make those early mornings work for me. A finished draft by the end of December isn't looking good..
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Short Shorts From the last week
These were both written in five minutes with a 150 word count limit
1.
I always forget. Sometimes, like today, it's the snorkel. Other times, I forget to bring a bottle of wine because I've brought so many bottles to so many other parties. There was one time where I forgot to bring my partner to a wedding where we both had already RSVP'd. He was in the process of leaving me and I was too busy mourning the end of something not so great. Another time I forgot my bathing suit, but that was because I gained 10 pounds and hated the way the sides of body spilled over the edges of my bikini. This, not coincidentally, is also the same time I forgot to bring my own snorkel. I'm not sorry. It was on purpose. (123)
2.
There are things she knows for sure. She knows that her mother will wake her in the morning by sitting down on the edge of her bed. That she will whisper in her ear, it's time to get up. She knows that the sound of her mother's voice will make her smile in her sleep. Her mother will smell like coffee and that first morning cigarette. She knows that after she's dressed, had breakfast and put her backpack on she will ask her mother about that cigarette and her mother will say, I quit, remember? She knows her mother will run the shower water so the temperature is just right, and she'll cook the eggs perfectly, not too runny and with a thin layer of American cheese melted on top. But what she doesn't know is how the first day of school will treat her. Will there be pop quizzes and mean girls and gross school lunches? She doesn't know these things so when her mother sits on the edge of the bed and whispers into her ear, she takes a deep breath and inhales all the things she knows. (190--whoops...)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Baltimore
I am officially living in Baltimore City. Well...I'm living in my friend's spare room until the 1st of September when I move into my kick ass house in Hampden. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the rent (split between three) is cheaper than my rent Iowa City, the house is 50x nicer, and I have a private deck. The roommates seem awesome and it's close to school. Real Estate perfection!
On the job front, I had my first interactions with the class of 2011. Wow. It's going to be a very interesting year to say the least. Also people, I'm a homeroom teacher. This seems so wrong on so many levels given my lifestyle up until now. The two are separate right?
On the job front, I had my first interactions with the class of 2011. Wow. It's going to be a very interesting year to say the least. Also people, I'm a homeroom teacher. This seems so wrong on so many levels given my lifestyle up until now. The two are separate right?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Teaching Panic
What me panic? This is not surprising, although I haven't really leave things to the last minute, I still have about 3 weeks to go before I have to step foot in a classroom full of 9th graders. Still, I worried when I got an email from the woman who (I think) will be my teaching mentor, letting me know that she's available for questions. Right after that email came, I had a million and one questions! All of them I have certainly asked before, but for some reason the answers left me. Instead of just listing these questions one by one, I started to panic. Were they serious? Was I really in charge of teaching 20-30 students English? How does one teach English? Isn't this something we just magically knew and went to college all prepared? Did I even take an English class in the 9th grade? I mean, I vaguely remember a teacher, bottle blond, 50ish, Northeast Philly accent, last name Green. Yes! I remember her, and her voice but did she actually teach me anything? I also vaguely remember 10th grade English, where most of the time I decided the assignments were "dumb" (because honestly, they were unless someone can tell me the value of a Macbeth Quilt made of construction paper pictures of scenes from the plan) so I didn't do half of them and still managed to be the only 10th grader in an 11th grade English class and have the highest average. What did I learn in high school English?
These are the books I remember:
Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (not H.S. material at all!)
Pride and Prejudice
Much Ado About Nothing*
Emily Dickinson
The Stranger
A Brave New World
Macbeth
Beloved*
This is all I remember about high school English. I remember my teachers, the other students, and so little of the curriculum it's no wonder college scared the shit out of me.
I don't want my students to have that experience. I don't want them to walk away thinking, "What was that bullshit?" Or worse "I hate reading." On top of all this stress, I have been told over and over again that this year is going to be hell. That the parents will complain no matter what I do, that the students will complain no matter what I do, that this year is going to be the most stressful of my teaching career. I'm beginning to believe them and to be honest, I'm a little frightened.
Here are the books I'm teaching:
Persepolis I and II
Oedipus
Macbeth (There will be no quilt making in this class)
A Raisin in the Sun
Short Story Section
Silas Marner
Shipwrecks
The Bible As/In Literature
I think a large part of my approach will be to pair these things up. So though the beginning focus is on drama I'll throw in a short story that illustrates some of the other literary device. And music, I like to use a lot of music in my lessons, it makes the text more exciting and keeps them focused.
The panic is dissipating. Now all I need is my copy of Persepolis II...packed somewhere in a box....I hope.
These are the books I remember:
Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (not H.S. material at all!)
Pride and Prejudice
Much Ado About Nothing*
Emily Dickinson
The Stranger
A Brave New World
Macbeth
Beloved*
This is all I remember about high school English. I remember my teachers, the other students, and so little of the curriculum it's no wonder college scared the shit out of me.
I don't want my students to have that experience. I don't want them to walk away thinking, "What was that bullshit?" Or worse "I hate reading." On top of all this stress, I have been told over and over again that this year is going to be hell. That the parents will complain no matter what I do, that the students will complain no matter what I do, that this year is going to be the most stressful of my teaching career. I'm beginning to believe them and to be honest, I'm a little frightened.
Here are the books I'm teaching:
Persepolis I and II
Oedipus
Macbeth (There will be no quilt making in this class)
A Raisin in the Sun
Short Story Section
Silas Marner
Shipwrecks
The Bible As/In Literature
I think a large part of my approach will be to pair these things up. So though the beginning focus is on drama I'll throw in a short story that illustrates some of the other literary device. And music, I like to use a lot of music in my lessons, it makes the text more exciting and keeps them focused.
The panic is dissipating. Now all I need is my copy of Persepolis II...packed somewhere in a box....I hope.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The 15 Most Overrated Writers
Ugh. I wanted to write a response to this list that was eloquent, but after ranting to my aunt about it from Philadelphia to Delaware Saturday night (and I assure you she didn't care one bit but was quite amused by my anger). But Mayumi already did it, and did it quite well. Anna over at Jezebel had a nice send up too, I checked over at the Huff Post and they have a poll going on about who's right. Jezebel (aka "Girls") or Shavani. The Girls are winning.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Seriously, it doesn't take much...
to cheer me up. On my way back east, I stopped to visit my friends Jen and Patrick in Ann Arbor, MI. I love this town for many reasons, but they are the top two!
To help me cope with leaving Iowa (Weird right? I mean I seriously had a hard time leaving Iowa for the east coast. Who knew that would happen?) They greeted me with this dinner:
This meal was love. I arrived in Ann Arbor, tired, emotional and in a wrinkled party dress after having driven for 8 hours. I also ate anchovies for the first time. Yummy.
The following night we had this deliciousness. From the cookbook Modern Moroccan. Once I start making money, and have a kitchen, I'm buying this book.
Then it was my turn. I kept it simple with a recipe I really like that combines my love of all things Italian with pork and sage.
Then there is a restaurant in Ann Arbor that I love called the Jolly Pumpkin which offers these yummy selections:
I will learn to make these (the martini). Mayumi over at May in the Bay is all about making the perfect gin martini. This is one of my goals. After becoming an awesome teacher, guidance counselor, novelist, etc.
Oh yeah, and this was the very delicious Manhattan Patrick made for me during Mad Men.
Jen said, "What should we do with this fresh melon?" and I said. "Make margaritas?" Patrick got to work.
Last one, I swear. Somewhere in all this for lunch we had a simple Italian meal, on of my favorites in fact. Perfect summer food. Also another good use of melon.
That's it. There are no pictures of the Zingerman's sandwiches but rest assured they looked as good as they tasted.
To help me cope with leaving Iowa (Weird right? I mean I seriously had a hard time leaving Iowa for the east coast. Who knew that would happen?) They greeted me with this dinner:
 | |||
| Baked salmon with veggies in some yummy anchovy sauce. The beverage of choice? Pink Champagne. |
This meal was love. I arrived in Ann Arbor, tired, emotional and in a wrinkled party dress after having driven for 8 hours. I also ate anchovies for the first time. Yummy.
The following night we had this deliciousness. From the cookbook Modern Moroccan. Once I start making money, and have a kitchen, I'm buying this book.
 | |||||||||||
| Roasted chicken with a saffron, apricot, and poppyseed sauce accompanied by a saffron rosewater risotto. |
 | ||
| Pork and beef sage (plus some other yumminess inside)meatballs over rigatoni. |
Then there is a restaurant in Ann Arbor that I love called the Jolly Pumpkin which offers these yummy selections:
 |
| Truffle salted french fries. |
 |
| Strawberry Balsamic Martinis |
Oh yeah, and this was the very delicious Manhattan Patrick made for me during Mad Men.
 | |||
| Mad Manhattan |
 | |||||||||
| Fresh melon margarita |
 | ||||
| Proscuitto e melone |
This is about Writing
My first story has been accepted for publication (more details when I get them). Needless to say I am overjoyed. A week after this good news fell into my lap, an agent with whom I'd been sharing some emails and eventually, the same story, contacted me to tell me she enjoyed the read. Always nice for a writer to hear. She asked for a synopsis of the novel in stories in progress and I mailed that off with promises of a few sample stories/chapters.
My novel is in a weird place these days. All my writing feels as if it's in a weird place. My novel in particular is in desperate need of editing. I know that if I just sat down with it for two days and did nothing else, I could probably figure things out, which would allow me to continue with the narrative. I want a draft by December dammit! A complete (if largely unedited) draft!
On top of it all, I'm kind of in between homes, about to start a new job and all my papers are buried underneath boxes of clothing a books in my car. AND I'm all tied up in writing my Iowa story about New Yorkers who move to Coralville from New York City in search of a better life only to get there just as the river was rising in June 2008. Whoops....(FYI: Coralville, the little town next to my first apartment in Iowa City was flooded, destroying the strip. It was so close and so flooded that when I saw pictures of it on CNN, I was sure they were talking about some other Iowa place and not half a mile from my house).
My novel is in a weird place these days. All my writing feels as if it's in a weird place. My novel in particular is in desperate need of editing. I know that if I just sat down with it for two days and did nothing else, I could probably figure things out, which would allow me to continue with the narrative. I want a draft by December dammit! A complete (if largely unedited) draft!
On top of it all, I'm kind of in between homes, about to start a new job and all my papers are buried underneath boxes of clothing a books in my car. AND I'm all tied up in writing my Iowa story about New Yorkers who move to Coralville from New York City in search of a better life only to get there just as the river was rising in June 2008. Whoops....(FYI: Coralville, the little town next to my first apartment in Iowa City was flooded, destroying the strip. It was so close and so flooded that when I saw pictures of it on CNN, I was sure they were talking about some other Iowa place and not half a mile from my house).
Traveling Woman II: The Stats
Miles Traveled: 1,031
Hours Spent in the car: 19 (over two days)
# of stops made along the way: 9 (4 to Michigan, 5 to Pennsylvania)
Party Dresses Worn While Driving: 2
Color of Sunglasses: Neon Green
Cups of Coffee: 6 (this seems absurdly low)
States Driven Through: 6--Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania
# of Fast food stops: mercifully only 2
# Times I broke down in Tears while Driving: 2 1/2 (Why is "The Way We Were" on a mix in my car?")
Knitting projects completed: 1 (Yay Traveling Woman Scarf!)
Zingerman's sandwiches: 2 delicious #44's in two days. That's $30 worth of sandwiches. Best $30 I spent!
#of Pages Written: 2 before I realized I am not in the state of mind to work on my Iowa story
# of Hearts broken along the way: 1, mine. I miss you Iowa.
Hours Spent in the car: 19 (over two days)
# of stops made along the way: 9 (4 to Michigan, 5 to Pennsylvania)
Party Dresses Worn While Driving: 2
Color of Sunglasses: Neon Green
Cups of Coffee: 6 (this seems absurdly low)
States Driven Through: 6--Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania
# of Fast food stops: mercifully only 2
# Times I broke down in Tears while Driving: 2 1/2 (Why is "The Way We Were" on a mix in my car?")
Knitting projects completed: 1 (Yay Traveling Woman Scarf!)
Zingerman's sandwiches: 2 delicious #44's in two days. That's $30 worth of sandwiches. Best $30 I spent!
#of Pages Written: 2 before I realized I am not in the state of mind to work on my Iowa story
# of Hearts broken along the way: 1, mine. I miss you Iowa.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
This is not about Writing, Reading, or Knitting.
If I were to say that on Saturday I didn't shed a single tear as I left Iowa City, I'd be lying. I woke up crying, feeling frantic and downright uncertain that I could make the move. I'm getting ahead of myself.
Last week was one of the more interesting weeks I've ever had in Iowa City. I somehow found myself partnered up with someone. Like together nearly 24 hours a day partnered up. It is and it isn't what you think. But there was a level of intimacy there that I don't believe I've ever experienced. I'm not very good at relationships. I usually want too much from the other person, or I don't want anything and it frustrates my partner. This time, I didn't put any thought into, just dove right in. What are we having for brunch? Will you pick up a ginger ale? Can you move over? Where are my sunglasses? What time should I pick you up from work? What should we watch? I'm too tired. I'm stressed out. What are we doing tonight? Who was on the phone? Why didn't you call me back? Thank you. No thank you. Ours, not mine, not yours, ours. This was my week. And the intensity of a week like this escaped me until I woke up alone on my last morning in Iowa.
I'm not saying that I fell in love as I was leaving town, that's far from what happened, but I did realize how much in love I was with my life in that town and with the people who were part of that life. I don't remember feeling this way when I left New York for Iowa--perhaps because I had a strong idea of what I as in for. I was going to train to be a writer. To become someone who made literature. Yes, it was a daunting task, but it was one that made sense, and I had a clear idea of what I was getting into and seven months to prepare. This time around, I had less than half the time and half the confidence. I know what my job is going to be I just have no idea how I'm going to do it. My fauxmance (what else do you call it?) was the perfect excuse to not deal with any of these feelings and yet, it created a whole new set of emotions.
I learned a few things about myself in this last week an the most important one seems to be my complete inability to recognize intimacy, whether it's real or the kind that shields me from dealing with reality. It was much easier to walk around holding his hand than to pack up my life. It was much easier to spend time with him than my friends, because he's "super cute" (and he was) and I'm not attached to him, he won't make me cry.
So put it on the list of things I need to improve on as I continue on this new journey.
As for the Fauxmance? We're friends right now, we might see each other in a week or so or we might not. And that is okay.
Last week was one of the more interesting weeks I've ever had in Iowa City. I somehow found myself partnered up with someone. Like together nearly 24 hours a day partnered up. It is and it isn't what you think. But there was a level of intimacy there that I don't believe I've ever experienced. I'm not very good at relationships. I usually want too much from the other person, or I don't want anything and it frustrates my partner. This time, I didn't put any thought into, just dove right in. What are we having for brunch? Will you pick up a ginger ale? Can you move over? Where are my sunglasses? What time should I pick you up from work? What should we watch? I'm too tired. I'm stressed out. What are we doing tonight? Who was on the phone? Why didn't you call me back? Thank you. No thank you. Ours, not mine, not yours, ours. This was my week. And the intensity of a week like this escaped me until I woke up alone on my last morning in Iowa.
I'm not saying that I fell in love as I was leaving town, that's far from what happened, but I did realize how much in love I was with my life in that town and with the people who were part of that life. I don't remember feeling this way when I left New York for Iowa--perhaps because I had a strong idea of what I as in for. I was going to train to be a writer. To become someone who made literature. Yes, it was a daunting task, but it was one that made sense, and I had a clear idea of what I was getting into and seven months to prepare. This time around, I had less than half the time and half the confidence. I know what my job is going to be I just have no idea how I'm going to do it. My fauxmance (what else do you call it?) was the perfect excuse to not deal with any of these feelings and yet, it created a whole new set of emotions.
I learned a few things about myself in this last week an the most important one seems to be my complete inability to recognize intimacy, whether it's real or the kind that shields me from dealing with reality. It was much easier to walk around holding his hand than to pack up my life. It was much easier to spend time with him than my friends, because he's "super cute" (and he was) and I'm not attached to him, he won't make me cry.
So put it on the list of things I need to improve on as I continue on this new journey.
As for the Fauxmance? We're friends right now, we might see each other in a week or so or we might not. And that is okay.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Packing Up and Shipping Out...
...in 10 days anyway. Maybe 11 days. I'm shooting for 10. I've packed about 6 boxes, all books and for some reason, I keep committing myself to things that take me away from packing...College counseling, teaching children how to crochet....cooking for parties....Someone make me stop. But seriously, I guess it has to do with a reluctance to cut ties with certain elements of Iowa City. Now there are some things that I will eagerly leave behind, but there are a few things (mostly people) that I wish I could strap down to the roof of my car and make them come with me to B'more. Look forward to a bunch of posts where I complain about packing, being sad about moving, moving between elation and depression and how I'm going to learn to take certain things and cut them out of my heart (too dramatic? yeah, probably).
Monday, July 5, 2010
Detox
So I spent the last four days with a terrible summer cold. It totally knocked me on my ass. After ingesting too much high sodium chicken soup, NyQuil, and Theraflu (none of which really work by the way) I'm going on a detox. My lungs are still weak but I do feel a lot better and I'm excited to get things done. And there are a lot of things to get done.
More WIP's
Ugh. I'm about to start the packing process and, while my yarn will be one of the last to be put away there are so many UFO's in my apartment that I think it might be the hardest to sort out. The books are easy. The ones I need for school and the books I need to have eyes on (Interesting Women, etc.) will go in one box for my office (yes, I have an office now and it is big and awesome!!) the rest, storage until I find an apartment. The yarn...well, I like to have it around me, so I'll be carting around a whole bunch of yarn for about a month. So, I'm setting some impressive goals for myself in this last month of easy living.
1. Finish my February Lady sweater. I'm down to the last sleeve and then I need to rework the cuff of the other sleeve, block it and sew on buttons. It's about 4 hours of work (or less?).
2. Baby Sophia's sweater. Actually, I think this will be more of a "I can't believe I left Iowa to take on a real life job and I need to knit to de-stress" project.
3. My Clapotis scarfy-shawly type thing. I started it back in January and estimated it would take me about two weeks to finish. Ha! seven months later, I'm just picking it back up. I went through nearly one skein of the yarn (Ella Rae lace merino--YUM) before it got all tangled up and I got so annoyed that I stopped dealing with it. Now that we're all untangled, I'm going to wind the second skein and hopefully get it done this week.
4. Dad's socks...eh....
5. Jen's fingerless gloves...These are another August/Spetember project. They're fair isle and lovely but time consuming. I'm optimistic she'll have them for the fall.
6. Elizabeth Zimmerman's Mitered mitts....One down one to go. I definitely need to finish the thumb on the first one. Really I need to finish them both because I did them the E.Z. way and I need some hand holding for making the thumbs. The person whose hand I need to hold is here in Iowa.
8. Socks! My fishnet anklet needs to me completed, something I could literally do in an hour or two. Also my Rushing River sock, one done, one to go.
9. Traveling Woman, I'm 1/3 of the way done. This week, or next
10. Two at at a time two up socks. I need to restart them with yarn I really like and a patten that's exciting. I have both. I really just need to start them and get to the heel. More hand holding is involved.
So that's July. Oh yeah and I need to pack and clean my apartment. And plan a semester of 9th grade English. Hahahaha....shoot me.
1. Finish my February Lady sweater. I'm down to the last sleeve and then I need to rework the cuff of the other sleeve, block it and sew on buttons. It's about 4 hours of work (or less?).
2. Baby Sophia's sweater. Actually, I think this will be more of a "I can't believe I left Iowa to take on a real life job and I need to knit to de-stress" project.
3. My Clapotis scarfy-shawly type thing. I started it back in January and estimated it would take me about two weeks to finish. Ha! seven months later, I'm just picking it back up. I went through nearly one skein of the yarn (Ella Rae lace merino--YUM) before it got all tangled up and I got so annoyed that I stopped dealing with it. Now that we're all untangled, I'm going to wind the second skein and hopefully get it done this week.
4. Dad's socks...eh....
5. Jen's fingerless gloves...These are another August/Spetember project. They're fair isle and lovely but time consuming. I'm optimistic she'll have them for the fall.
6. Elizabeth Zimmerman's Mitered mitts....One down one to go. I definitely need to finish the thumb on the first one. Really I need to finish them both because I did them the E.Z. way and I need some hand holding for making the thumbs. The person whose hand I need to hold is here in Iowa.
8. Socks! My fishnet anklet needs to me completed, something I could literally do in an hour or two. Also my Rushing River sock, one done, one to go.
9. Traveling Woman, I'm 1/3 of the way done. This week, or next
10. Two at at a time two up socks. I need to restart them with yarn I really like and a patten that's exciting. I have both. I really just need to start them and get to the heel. More hand holding is involved.
So that's July. Oh yeah and I need to pack and clean my apartment. And plan a semester of 9th grade English. Hahahaha....shoot me.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Traveling Woman
I took a little detour on my latest trip to Baltimore to take care of some business. Naturally I had to check out the LYS (that's local yarn shop for you non-knitters). I discovered one in the neighborhood I'm hoping to move into. It was Lovely, seemingly laid back and of course lots of new (and old favorites) yarn to get my little hands on. I met the owner and while she wasn't hiring she was always interested in people to teach classes. Especially a lace class. A lace class that teaches the Traveling Woman shawl. I've never made a shawl so I thought I should get right on it. After all, it's a perfect excuse to make use of the Pear Tree yarn I bought last autumn.
The photo is from the designer's website. See how pretty!
I love lace, it's so pretty and delicate and it just makes me happy. So this is less of a challenge and more of a "Yay, a reason to knit some lace and finally use some of my stash".
I will admit that I'm not loving the set up row, CO 3 K6 rows and then pick up 6 stitches along the long side of the knitting and the cast on row. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to tell the truth, but once I got started, I fell in LOVE. And I haven't even made it to the chart yet! Really, it's the yarn. Like butter. But because I think I'll enjoy knitting this project, I'm already thinking about doing a second version with yarn from the shop in B'more.
I like the idea of a scarf called Traveling Woman. I'll be leaving Iowa City pretty soon, road tripping across the country to my new home, where old friends and new friends await me. So this scarf just makes sense. I hope that like this, other good things will fall into my lap.
P.S. I'll also admit that I'm totally charmed by the fact that the designer is a fan of Bones and some of her knits are inspired by the show. Normally I'd be annoyed (the way I feel about Twilight, Harry Potter and Dr. Who knits) but today, in my good mood, I'm charmed.
I bought the yarn at Home Ec. in Iowa City. Seriously, if you are not a knitter, if you say you don't like wool, then this is the yarn that will change everything!
The photo is from the designer's website. See how pretty!
I love lace, it's so pretty and delicate and it just makes me happy. So this is less of a challenge and more of a "Yay, a reason to knit some lace and finally use some of my stash".
I will admit that I'm not loving the set up row, CO 3 K6 rows and then pick up 6 stitches along the long side of the knitting and the cast on row. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to tell the truth, but once I got started, I fell in LOVE. And I haven't even made it to the chart yet! Really, it's the yarn. Like butter. But because I think I'll enjoy knitting this project, I'm already thinking about doing a second version with yarn from the shop in B'more.
I like the idea of a scarf called Traveling Woman. I'll be leaving Iowa City pretty soon, road tripping across the country to my new home, where old friends and new friends await me. So this scarf just makes sense. I hope that like this, other good things will fall into my lap.
P.S. I'll also admit that I'm totally charmed by the fact that the designer is a fan of Bones and some of her knits are inspired by the show. Normally I'd be annoyed (the way I feel about Twilight, Harry Potter and Dr. Who knits) but today, in my good mood, I'm charmed.
I bought the yarn at Home Ec. in Iowa City. Seriously, if you are not a knitter, if you say you don't like wool, then this is the yarn that will change everything!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Justin Cronin's "The Passage"
I wasn't going to buy the book. I feel like I tell myself that almost every time I go to a reading and I have no money. I say, I'm not going to buy the book and I give myself a million reasons why--most of them having to do with a lack of finances. No offense Mr. Cronin but $27.00 is a lot these summer days when you've spent the last year as an adjunct. So, like I said, I wasn't going to buy the book, even though "Mary and O'Neill" is one of my favorites (still can't find my copy). Also, I wasn't going to buy the book because, don't we have enough vampire stories out there? So, I wasn't going to buy the book, but I'd go to the reading. I mean, that's free, my friends were going and I genuinely admire the author's work. So I went to the reading, in fact I planned a whole night around it. Reading, then drinks and dinner with the ladies.
It's always the damn readings that do me in. It was a good reading. So good that I bought the book. And then, I read the whole goddamn thing in two days. All 766 pages of it. And I was terrified and I was sad and I was like, wait a minute, I'm reading a vampire novel and I'm liking it. What?
Well, that's because it's not your typical vampire novel. "The Passage" is the first of a planned trilogy that will span 1000 years and will focus on, amongst other characters, a young girl named Amy Harper Bellafonte, also known as The Girl from Nowhere or the girl that lived 1000 years. So, what's different? This isn't a story that relies on mythology to tell a story about the undead. A science experiment goes wrong and the world changes irrevocably. This is a concept that's not so hard to believe in, is it? Mankind driven by it's own arrogance screws up the world (BP, I'm talking to you and your friends). Not really a shocker. It was also quite refreshing to read a science fiction piece that paid as much attention to the prose as it does to the action. There are times when things feel overwritten but there were also some really beautiful sections. The story itself moves fairly well with a few lags where I just wanted to thumb through and get to more interesting stuff. By more interesting, I meant the character development, the further development of this world that these character inhabited where it was the part of the novel that takes place in an America that might resemble ours in the next five to six years or the world that America becomes 92 years after the change. Perhaps there was a little too much on the side of these terrifying battles in the wilderness. But I'll give those to Mr. Cronin. It is after all, a vampire novel.
It's always the damn readings that do me in. It was a good reading. So good that I bought the book. And then, I read the whole goddamn thing in two days. All 766 pages of it. And I was terrified and I was sad and I was like, wait a minute, I'm reading a vampire novel and I'm liking it. What?
Well, that's because it's not your typical vampire novel. "The Passage" is the first of a planned trilogy that will span 1000 years and will focus on, amongst other characters, a young girl named Amy Harper Bellafonte, also known as The Girl from Nowhere or the girl that lived 1000 years. So, what's different? This isn't a story that relies on mythology to tell a story about the undead. A science experiment goes wrong and the world changes irrevocably. This is a concept that's not so hard to believe in, is it? Mankind driven by it's own arrogance screws up the world (BP, I'm talking to you and your friends). Not really a shocker. It was also quite refreshing to read a science fiction piece that paid as much attention to the prose as it does to the action. There are times when things feel overwritten but there were also some really beautiful sections. The story itself moves fairly well with a few lags where I just wanted to thumb through and get to more interesting stuff. By more interesting, I meant the character development, the further development of this world that these character inhabited where it was the part of the novel that takes place in an America that might resemble ours in the next five to six years or the world that America becomes 92 years after the change. Perhaps there was a little too much on the side of these terrifying battles in the wilderness. But I'll give those to Mr. Cronin. It is after all, a vampire novel.
WIP's
I've been so neglectful of this space and I know why. My life, for the last year has been fairly uninteresting, meaning that I haven't really had any major changes. Usually, when life feels calm, I have little to say to the internets, my feeling being that the people I love and know are around to hear most of what I need to say so why post it online?
Well, now there's some news. After nearly three years in Iowa City, I'll be leaving at the end of July to take up a post teaching English on the East Coast. Home at last. But this change does lead me to think about my time here in Iowa. Although I'm leaving, I realize that my connection to this place is a lot like some of my knitting projects, the ones I start and will probably never get around to finishing, on Ravelry, they call them WIPs (Works in Progress), I'll never quite be done with Iowa City.
I came here to write, which I did, maybe less than some but more than I could have hoped to accomplish in New York.
I cam here having fallen out of love. While I was here, I fell in love. Fell out of love. Fell back in love, with myself. Fell in love with writing. Fell out of love with writing. Fell even further out of love with writing, only to get close to the end and fall back in love with my writing. Can you say DRAMA? I can. I also realized that you never really fall out of love, you just move on and discover new (and hopefully) more fulfilling love (I know, it kind of sucks but really it's kind of awesome).
I learned to live alone. Learned that I love living alone, learned that I should probably learn to live with others.
I learned to knit (a skill I will always treasure).
I learned to drink whiskey (a skill I will always treasure and a skill I'm sure I'll regret time and time again).
I learned how to be a teacher. I even wrote (for a failed job application) a statement of my educational philosophy from where I got this gem of a line: "What I learned about the classroom environment at Sarah Lawrence is the very thing I try to make the foundation of my classes at Iowa: that while we have university-designated roles—teacher and student—we are all learners."
I learned to knit a cardigan. A freaking cardigan.
I learned more about friendship that I ever did before. Taking those failed friendships in New York, the friendships that are still so dear to me from the time I live in NYC, and the amazing people I connected with here in Iowa, I learned what it mean to have a friend and to be a friend.
I learned how to be a writer from some really good teachers. And I hope I can pass this on to other young writers I will encounter in my future.
I learned that even though you will continue to lose the ones you love, life goes on.
In all these sentences, I used the past tense when really, I should have used the present. Like the unfinished baby blanket, the socks that have no mates, and well, the cardigan (it's missing a sleeve) I'm a work in progress. I'm hoping the finished product will be last long and look awesome.
Well, now there's some news. After nearly three years in Iowa City, I'll be leaving at the end of July to take up a post teaching English on the East Coast. Home at last. But this change does lead me to think about my time here in Iowa. Although I'm leaving, I realize that my connection to this place is a lot like some of my knitting projects, the ones I start and will probably never get around to finishing, on Ravelry, they call them WIPs (Works in Progress), I'll never quite be done with Iowa City.
I came here to write, which I did, maybe less than some but more than I could have hoped to accomplish in New York.
I cam here having fallen out of love. While I was here, I fell in love. Fell out of love. Fell back in love, with myself. Fell in love with writing. Fell out of love with writing. Fell even further out of love with writing, only to get close to the end and fall back in love with my writing. Can you say DRAMA? I can. I also realized that you never really fall out of love, you just move on and discover new (and hopefully) more fulfilling love (I know, it kind of sucks but really it's kind of awesome).
I learned to live alone. Learned that I love living alone, learned that I should probably learn to live with others.
I learned to knit (a skill I will always treasure).
I learned to drink whiskey (a skill I will always treasure and a skill I'm sure I'll regret time and time again).
I learned how to be a teacher. I even wrote (for a failed job application) a statement of my educational philosophy from where I got this gem of a line: "What I learned about the classroom environment at Sarah Lawrence is the very thing I try to make the foundation of my classes at Iowa: that while we have university-designated roles—teacher and student—we are all learners."
I learned to knit a cardigan. A freaking cardigan.
I learned more about friendship that I ever did before. Taking those failed friendships in New York, the friendships that are still so dear to me from the time I live in NYC, and the amazing people I connected with here in Iowa, I learned what it mean to have a friend and to be a friend.
I learned how to be a writer from some really good teachers. And I hope I can pass this on to other young writers I will encounter in my future.
I learned that even though you will continue to lose the ones you love, life goes on.
In all these sentences, I used the past tense when really, I should have used the present. Like the unfinished baby blanket, the socks that have no mates, and well, the cardigan (it's missing a sleeve) I'm a work in progress. I'm hoping the finished product will be last long and look awesome.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Ferocious and Relentless
Tonight a watched a documentary on the Philadelphia Flyers from '73-'77. Everyone called them The Broad Street Bullies because they attacked without abandon. They set a goal and got shit done. People didn't like them very much outside of Philly, but they were back to back Champions.
I'm from Philadelphia. I've decide to attack my novel and my 30's like the Broad Street Bullies.
I'm gonna be the Bobby Clarke of writing. With more teeth and less punching.
I'm from Philadelphia. I've decide to attack my novel and my 30's like the Broad Street Bullies.
I'm gonna be the Bobby Clarke of writing. With more teeth and less punching.
New Writes, New Reads and New Knits
I'm just returning from a whirlwind trip to Philadelphia and New York. Not only did I get to celebrate my own fabulous 30th year, but also I wanted to celebrate with
von Hottie and
May in the Bay And let me tell you, these ladies know how to get down. We are all 30 and FABULOUS!
I did get some things done (other than celebrating). First, while I was in Philly, I spent my days at the Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. So far it is my favorite place in Philly to have coffee (it's where I get my espresso for homemade lattes)and write. There's no internet, it's quiet, and no one talks to you. It's perfect. I wrote a draft on one of one of my novels short chapters. Yay!
I finished Yiyun Li's newest novel "The Vagrants". One word people: Phenomenal. Okay, maybe a second word: Devastating. I mean that second word in the way good fiction should knock the wind out of you. I finished and I though. Jesus H. Christ that was hard. Admittedly, I didn't really get into it at first. I was interested in most of the characters, but there were so many that I sometimes needed to take a break and pick up something else less complex. When I finally went back to it, I couldn't put it down. There was something kind of enrapturing about the strong convictions of some of these characters and the knowledge that their convictions will do them no good by the end. And for those without conviction, without loyalty, well, I felt for them too.
A good read people.
And as for the yarn....well...I visited three yarn shops. Purl Soho (of course), Loop in Philadelphia and The Tangled Web also in Philadelphia. Purl, has just moved from it's teeny tiny shops on Sullivan St. to an expansive and beautiful location on Broome St. They never, never disappoint. Also, I had a lovely conversation with Joelle Hoverson, one of the owners. I was seriously star struck once she introduced herself. While I was there, I picked up some Habu textiles raw silk lace weight yarn. I'm planning on making my mother some lacy thing with it. Jared Flood has a pattern or two I'm thinking of. At the Tangled Web--which is a nice shop--I picked up some Jojoland Melody sock yarn in a pretty reddish pink, that I am going to turn into cute lace anklets, the pattern on the Purl Bee site. Seriously, that website makes me want to knit all the time. Lastly, I picked up some lace alpaca yarn from Loop. I met a friend there and while it was nice to be reunited after two years, I did not love the shop and that made me sad. Their website is so delicious that I thought I'd walk into Philadelphia's version of Purl. I work in a yarn shop, and I try to give my customers space, but I at least talk to them a little, ask what they're working on, if they need help, or ideas. at Loop...Well, the woman working behind the counter was way more interested in her computer screen than the only two customers in the shop. Also, I wasn't super impressed by their stock. I think it's because I'm spoiled by the shop I work in and also the other shops in town. We all have different, but exquisite yarns and the people who work at the shops in my area are all awesome. Seriously. Still it was a lovely yarn adventure.
Before I left for the east coast, I was gifted some really pretty yarn. A Funky Zauberball (I have one already and I can't wait to knit them both up!!) Some Jojoland Rhythm, Lorna's Laces sock yarn in a sweet pink, and a skein of Mini Moochi. So it's basically been a good two weeks for my stash.
What's next? Knitting anklets, a baby blanket and some finishing some socks. I've started reading Arvind Adiga's "White Tiger" and working on one of the more challenging parts of my book.
I have to say, I'm loving 30!
von Hottie and
May in the Bay And let me tell you, these ladies know how to get down. We are all 30 and FABULOUS!
I did get some things done (other than celebrating). First, while I was in Philly, I spent my days at the Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. So far it is my favorite place in Philly to have coffee (it's where I get my espresso for homemade lattes)and write. There's no internet, it's quiet, and no one talks to you. It's perfect. I wrote a draft on one of one of my novels short chapters. Yay!
I finished Yiyun Li's newest novel "The Vagrants". One word people: Phenomenal. Okay, maybe a second word: Devastating. I mean that second word in the way good fiction should knock the wind out of you. I finished and I though. Jesus H. Christ that was hard. Admittedly, I didn't really get into it at first. I was interested in most of the characters, but there were so many that I sometimes needed to take a break and pick up something else less complex. When I finally went back to it, I couldn't put it down. There was something kind of enrapturing about the strong convictions of some of these characters and the knowledge that their convictions will do them no good by the end. And for those without conviction, without loyalty, well, I felt for them too.
A good read people.
And as for the yarn....well...I visited three yarn shops. Purl Soho (of course), Loop in Philadelphia and The Tangled Web also in Philadelphia. Purl, has just moved from it's teeny tiny shops on Sullivan St. to an expansive and beautiful location on Broome St. They never, never disappoint. Also, I had a lovely conversation with Joelle Hoverson, one of the owners. I was seriously star struck once she introduced herself. While I was there, I picked up some Habu textiles raw silk lace weight yarn. I'm planning on making my mother some lacy thing with it. Jared Flood has a pattern or two I'm thinking of. At the Tangled Web--which is a nice shop--I picked up some Jojoland Melody sock yarn in a pretty reddish pink, that I am going to turn into cute lace anklets, the pattern on the Purl Bee site. Seriously, that website makes me want to knit all the time. Lastly, I picked up some lace alpaca yarn from Loop. I met a friend there and while it was nice to be reunited after two years, I did not love the shop and that made me sad. Their website is so delicious that I thought I'd walk into Philadelphia's version of Purl. I work in a yarn shop, and I try to give my customers space, but I at least talk to them a little, ask what they're working on, if they need help, or ideas. at Loop...Well, the woman working behind the counter was way more interested in her computer screen than the only two customers in the shop. Also, I wasn't super impressed by their stock. I think it's because I'm spoiled by the shop I work in and also the other shops in town. We all have different, but exquisite yarns and the people who work at the shops in my area are all awesome. Seriously. Still it was a lovely yarn adventure.
Before I left for the east coast, I was gifted some really pretty yarn. A Funky Zauberball (I have one already and I can't wait to knit them both up!!) Some Jojoland Rhythm, Lorna's Laces sock yarn in a sweet pink, and a skein of Mini Moochi. So it's basically been a good two weeks for my stash.
What's next? Knitting anklets, a baby blanket and some finishing some socks. I've started reading Arvind Adiga's "White Tiger" and working on one of the more challenging parts of my book.
I have to say, I'm loving 30!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Thirty, Thirty
I turned 30 two days ago. I spent a couple of weeks being really, really, sad about this fact. And, perhaps I buried myself into things other than knitting, writing and reading. But now that it's done. The party festivities have come and gone. I've sung the song that was in my heart and showed what a champ I was in the bar room. I'm 30 years old. It feels surprisingly good.
I'm beginning to notice that as my friends all reach this stress-inducing age we all seem to be learning something. One friend is learning how to say "No" while I'm learning to stand up for my heart.
What I'm saying is, you don't have to be afraid of 30. It sneaks up on you and it looks like it's going to do some damage to your psyche but really, it's a big old tease.
Fun news!! I had a chance to visit the new Purl Soho location in N.Y.C. It's beautiful. The whole damn place is like porn for knitters. I'm saving my big yarn purchase for this coming weekend, when I indulge in some koigu mori. Today, I kept it simple. I bought some Habu Textiles raw silk lace weight yarn. It's yummy looking and I can't wait to find a lovely lace scarf pattern for it.
I'm beginning to notice that as my friends all reach this stress-inducing age we all seem to be learning something. One friend is learning how to say "No" while I'm learning to stand up for my heart.
What I'm saying is, you don't have to be afraid of 30. It sneaks up on you and it looks like it's going to do some damage to your psyche but really, it's a big old tease.
Fun news!! I had a chance to visit the new Purl Soho location in N.Y.C. It's beautiful. The whole damn place is like porn for knitters. I'm saving my big yarn purchase for this coming weekend, when I indulge in some koigu mori. Today, I kept it simple. I bought some Habu Textiles raw silk lace weight yarn. It's yummy looking and I can't wait to find a lovely lace scarf pattern for it.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Whole Catastrophe
Ah the monthly salon.
Once a month, I gather with my writing/knitting friends and we have a salon. We take turns reading our work out loud and offer constructive and thoughtful words about writing. I both hate and love it.
I hate it because I hate deadlines. I hate having to prepare for things. I write best when I have no set dates, when no one is expecting anything from me. I like it that way. Unfortunately, if I want to have a real writing life, that ain't gonna work. I also, have a little bit of stage fright. Even though they're my friends--best friends in town--I still get nervous. And let me tell you, the shot of whiskey and or tequila I treat myself to before reading is not really appropriate for these nights.
I love it because my friends are awesome. They say kind things and they make me feel like a real writer. They are as dedicated to the craft as I am and they believe in my talent. What's not to love? Also, I leave those ladies after hearing their extraordinary works in progress and I'm inspired.
Today I've been doing my least favorite thing. I've been editing. Yep, I'm editing the story that will NEVER be done. at least I think it will never be done. It feels like it will never be done. I thought I'd finish up with it today in time for submitting it to a couple of places, but....that's not happening. Which is fine. I really want this piece to go out and be as good as I can make it Once it gets there, I'm sure (I hope) it will find a home. In the mean time, back to editing.
Last two things, one book related and one knitting related.
I'm working hard on my February Lady sweater. I still hope it will be done in time for my trip to NYC next week. So far, it looks good and that makes me happy.
And...I'm reading "The Vagrants" by Yiyun Li. SO GOOD. And, last week I went to hear Adam Haslett read from his new novel. It was a great reading, though I felt bad for the guy who tried to make a snarky Marilynne Robinson comment. She was in the audience. I picked up Haslett's collection of short stories but I have no idea when I'll actually get to them. The "Tower of Books" it tall ya'll. Real tall.
One more thing. And this is totally a vanity moment, and one that will probably never happen again (well, it happened the night f the election, so I'll tell both stories). Last week I was buying a very necessary Red Velvet cupcake and the girl behind the counter called me by name and said she was at a reading I'd given. I believe she used the word legendary. Though, she could have been talking about the cupcakes.
This happened once before, the night of Obama's election. I was leaving a big celebratory party downtown and a very inebriated young man hugged me and said "Go Obama!" Then he said, "I loved your reading." The two did not deserve to be in the same breath, but it was flattering just the same.
I'm done. Back to knitting and editing, the only two things I'll be doing until the weekend.
Once a month, I gather with my writing/knitting friends and we have a salon. We take turns reading our work out loud and offer constructive and thoughtful words about writing. I both hate and love it.
I hate it because I hate deadlines. I hate having to prepare for things. I write best when I have no set dates, when no one is expecting anything from me. I like it that way. Unfortunately, if I want to have a real writing life, that ain't gonna work. I also, have a little bit of stage fright. Even though they're my friends--best friends in town--I still get nervous. And let me tell you, the shot of whiskey and or tequila I treat myself to before reading is not really appropriate for these nights.
I love it because my friends are awesome. They say kind things and they make me feel like a real writer. They are as dedicated to the craft as I am and they believe in my talent. What's not to love? Also, I leave those ladies after hearing their extraordinary works in progress and I'm inspired.
Today I've been doing my least favorite thing. I've been editing. Yep, I'm editing the story that will NEVER be done. at least I think it will never be done. It feels like it will never be done. I thought I'd finish up with it today in time for submitting it to a couple of places, but....that's not happening. Which is fine. I really want this piece to go out and be as good as I can make it Once it gets there, I'm sure (I hope) it will find a home. In the mean time, back to editing.
Last two things, one book related and one knitting related.
I'm working hard on my February Lady sweater. I still hope it will be done in time for my trip to NYC next week. So far, it looks good and that makes me happy.
And...I'm reading "The Vagrants" by Yiyun Li. SO GOOD. And, last week I went to hear Adam Haslett read from his new novel. It was a great reading, though I felt bad for the guy who tried to make a snarky Marilynne Robinson comment. She was in the audience. I picked up Haslett's collection of short stories but I have no idea when I'll actually get to them. The "Tower of Books" it tall ya'll. Real tall.
One more thing. And this is totally a vanity moment, and one that will probably never happen again (well, it happened the night f the election, so I'll tell both stories). Last week I was buying a very necessary Red Velvet cupcake and the girl behind the counter called me by name and said she was at a reading I'd given. I believe she used the word legendary. Though, she could have been talking about the cupcakes.
This happened once before, the night of Obama's election. I was leaving a big celebratory party downtown and a very inebriated young man hugged me and said "Go Obama!" Then he said, "I loved your reading." The two did not deserve to be in the same breath, but it was flattering just the same.
I'm done. Back to knitting and editing, the only two things I'll be doing until the weekend.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Food and Fiction
One of the happiest days of every month is the day my Real Simple arrives. It's truly joyous. What I love most are the recipes. Every month, for days I pour through the magazine and pick out delicious things to make for dinner. Nothing is ever too complicated, but in the end, it's always yummy.
For the last three days, I've been making dinner from recipes found on RealSimple.com The first day was a variation on a couple of recipes, basil and garlic beef with heirloom tomatoes and an arugula and parmigiano with a lemon, olive oil dressing. Yesterday, I made the Paprika spiced pork chops with spinach (minus the raisins). Tonight, chicken wrapped with prosciutto, with arugula salad and broccoli. As you can see, I've been eating rather well. And eating well, makes me feel, well, good.
But I haven't written in two weeks and that is making me feel not so good. Part of this is due to the fact that I worked the entirety of spring break, and it was exhausting. The other part is what I like to call, story exhaustion. I'm just tired of looking at it. At all of it.
I think the main problem is that I need to learn how to look at it in a different way, and I also need to address the insecurity that surrounds my writing. I always think my work is too simple. That it's not compelling enough to get an agent or literary magazine editor's attention. And so, I go through long periods of time where I don't want to write, where I get tired of the words on the page. I find myself in a place where my characters annoy me and their troubles are trivial. (Never mind the fact that I created those troubles and their personalities etc.) Because they're so simple, I get bored.
But, today, while I was making lunch, I realized something about the kind of food that I like to cook: It's simple, but it's full of flavor
The truth it, storytelling is a fairly simple thing. Everyone does it, but some people just do it better. What makes a story "good" is the same thing that makes a piece of chicken taste "good". When it comes down to it in the kitchen, it's all in the seasoning, the method of cooking, and the freshness of the ingredients. On the page, it's the flair of the language, the narrative structure, the freshness of the material. And both can be clearly complex, with a variety of ingredients or multiple story lines. In fact, I think we often think of complex as being a good thing, as being better that which is simple. But you know what? Give me plain old salt and pepper any day. Aren't those the foundations of any good recipe? The basics. And I need to get used to the fact that I like the basics.
Of course, I also like good olive oil and coffee.
UPDATE: Went out for dinner after the Adam Haslett reading (He was great! I picked up his first book and can't wait to read it.) and had an awful bowl of chicken chilli at a restaurant in town. Sent it back. First time I have ever sent something back for being gross.
For the last three days, I've been making dinner from recipes found on RealSimple.com The first day was a variation on a couple of recipes, basil and garlic beef with heirloom tomatoes and an arugula and parmigiano with a lemon, olive oil dressing. Yesterday, I made the Paprika spiced pork chops with spinach (minus the raisins). Tonight, chicken wrapped with prosciutto, with arugula salad and broccoli. As you can see, I've been eating rather well. And eating well, makes me feel, well, good.
But I haven't written in two weeks and that is making me feel not so good. Part of this is due to the fact that I worked the entirety of spring break, and it was exhausting. The other part is what I like to call, story exhaustion. I'm just tired of looking at it. At all of it.
I think the main problem is that I need to learn how to look at it in a different way, and I also need to address the insecurity that surrounds my writing. I always think my work is too simple. That it's not compelling enough to get an agent or literary magazine editor's attention. And so, I go through long periods of time where I don't want to write, where I get tired of the words on the page. I find myself in a place where my characters annoy me and their troubles are trivial. (Never mind the fact that I created those troubles and their personalities etc.) Because they're so simple, I get bored.
But, today, while I was making lunch, I realized something about the kind of food that I like to cook: It's simple, but it's full of flavor
The truth it, storytelling is a fairly simple thing. Everyone does it, but some people just do it better. What makes a story "good" is the same thing that makes a piece of chicken taste "good". When it comes down to it in the kitchen, it's all in the seasoning, the method of cooking, and the freshness of the ingredients. On the page, it's the flair of the language, the narrative structure, the freshness of the material. And both can be clearly complex, with a variety of ingredients or multiple story lines. In fact, I think we often think of complex as being a good thing, as being better that which is simple. But you know what? Give me plain old salt and pepper any day. Aren't those the foundations of any good recipe? The basics. And I need to get used to the fact that I like the basics.
Of course, I also like good olive oil and coffee.
UPDATE: Went out for dinner after the Adam Haslett reading (He was great! I picked up his first book and can't wait to read it.) and had an awful bowl of chicken chilli at a restaurant in town. Sent it back. First time I have ever sent something back for being gross.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
February Lady Sweater and a book
One of the lovely things about knitting is that, when you can't find something to accompany your perfect outfit, you can make it. I have a job interview(s?) coming up and let's be honest people, I'm not really a suit wearing kind of lady (that's right,lady, not girl, I'm almost 30 people!). I have this vision of the perfect interview outfit: black knee length flared skirt, a simple white shirt and a cardigan with a cute pair of black flats. (can you see my color palette?)
Seems simple, right? Sadly, I'm having a hard time finding the perfect skirt. I'm either going to try and get my friend to make one for me or switch to pants. The shirt is probably in my closet somewhere. And the cardigan...well...I wear a black cardigan every day. It's starting to look a little rough. So I went through the Cascade 220 (Peruvian wool) wall at work and found a nice muted green yarn and made some plans to cast on the February Lady Sweater a pattern based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater. My friend Ann who made one last year, looked at my color choice, scrunched up her face and said, (in a voice that I swear sounded like my mother's when I tell her I don't mind being single) "I just wish you would wear more color."
After mulling it over for a couple of days, I decided to go with a nice heathery purple, which is a color I love and don't wear too much of. Hopefully, I get it done by April 1st or 2nd which will be just enough time to block it. Here's a picture of Ann's sweater. I jacked it from her Ravelry page.
Seems simple, right? Sadly, I'm having a hard time finding the perfect skirt. I'm either going to try and get my friend to make one for me or switch to pants. The shirt is probably in my closet somewhere. And the cardigan...well...I wear a black cardigan every day. It's starting to look a little rough. So I went through the Cascade 220 (Peruvian wool) wall at work and found a nice muted green yarn and made some plans to cast on the February Lady Sweater a pattern based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater. My friend Ann who made one last year, looked at my color choice, scrunched up her face and said, (in a voice that I swear sounded like my mother's when I tell her I don't mind being single) "I just wish you would wear more color."
After mulling it over for a couple of days, I decided to go with a nice heathery purple, which is a color I love and don't wear too much of. Hopefully, I get it done by April 1st or 2nd which will be just enough time to block it. Here's a picture of Ann's sweater. I jacked it from her Ravelry page.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Purl Soho
Oh dear....I have to be in NYC the second week in April and I think this will require a trip to Purl SoHo...Oh the things I will buy. I've already decided: good food and yarn instead of bad men and alcohol....well, maybe some alcohol. I finished my Jared Flood Beaumont Tam. I'll post photos when it's nice and blocked. I need project suggestions and a reason to buy the yarn I already know I'm going to pick up.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Beaumont Tam by Jared Flood
Just a picture so you can see where I am with this project. I am LOVING the results. The photo was taken by my good friend, Manal Abu Shaheen who is a brilliant photographer.
Monday, March 15, 2010
New Hat!
Every couple of months, I get tired of my hair and I march myself down to the local beauty school and pray they have a Black girl on staff who can blow my hair out. Currently, I'm sporting a curly afro. But this is not hair that goes well with all the cute little berets that I've knit. On Saturday I started Jared Flood's Beaumont Tam. I'm about 25 rows away from finishing. It's my first adventure with Fair Isle knitting (where you knit with both hands) and I'm excited about in the way knitters are excited about these things. I took a picture of the project! And because I haven't written in a couple of days, I took a picture of the tam in progress. It's sitting on some of the books from my binge last week.
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