Thankshanks

Thanks to all who came out for the reading. It was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed Steve Almond's sense of humor and his dedication to his ideals. He read about places his semen had been and about some clever responses to hate e-mail he had received when he resigned from the Boston College (Don't exactly know which one, even though I remember reading about it.) because Condalesa (Sp?) Rice was going to speak at the commence ceremony. His sincerity made me think of Emily Dickinson's poem on war which I can't quote exactly: (Well yes, I can)

Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host
Can tell the definition
So clear of Victory

As he defeated--dying--
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!

I'll just leave that hanging there for you to ponder.
Litquake is coming up in SF and I want to go hear the readers but I hate battling the crowds.
Might go see some of the more spacious venues, like at the SF library.

Whoa or Woe

Yes, I know
I meant to do that
No
A Freudian slip?
You'll never know

MID-SEPTEMBER

Just a quick update--dropped by the USF reading series to hear Nona Caspers read from her short story collection Heavier than Air. Just some perfect lines in her story "Country Girls." The way (some) Midwesterners have cruel practicality around their emotions--it takes me back. Something in the universe is telling me something because I'm just on a country kick via my reading schedule. I don't know what. I'll have to read my Tarot cards. Or else just go back to Iowa to visit. I can't wait to dig into her collection. As for what's on second, any suggestions? As for the last sentence to my short story "Ration Coupons" on VerbSap--I do think there's forgiveness out there and inside, too. Whoa to those who carry vengeance. All right time to go.

Whew, Labor Day Weekend Over

Well, my husband had the flu and so we were sort of housebound. Poor Mikey. Took those kids school shopping, though, and did some writing. Storyglossia picked up my story "Stories I heard when I went home for my grandmother's funeral." It will be out sometime in October. I'm so happy--I love that zine. Finished Rock Springs, which makes me sad. Mike's reading it now and we are talking about Montana, where we both lived our own lives for a long time and then met each other just before I moved to California. I'll make sure I remind everyone of the Sept. 20th reading once or twice before then, don't worry. It's great to see your posts. Keeping it short because although WCCUSD started a week ago, my kids' school starts tomorrow, so I gotta' go beddy early. Yuk--not a morning person. I've tried it, but I think biologically I am programmed to REM sleep around the hours of six to seven-thirty. If I had a nine to five, I'd be okay, but...or even a night job. Wah.

What's coming up?

So, I have several stories coming down the pipe this fall and wanted to post those again for friends and family to find. Look for my short-short story, "Ration Coupons" on one of my favorite zines, VerbSap.com, in Octoberish. It's a story about a divorced couple who go to a funeral of young man together. And also in October, I think, look for my short story "From Dirt to Vine to Grape to Glass" on R.KV.RY: A Literary Journal. You have to type in ninetymeetingsinninetydays.com to get to it. This story is about a woman who ponders giving up five years of sobriety in an instant when someone hands her a glass of wine at a winery. (Probably shouldn't go to those all day events if you're not supposed to be drinking. Then again, October or Novemberish, I have a super-short piece of flash called "Dry and Yellow" coming out on Iowa Writes, a zine published by the University of Iowa. It's so short, I don't want to describe it, but there is a dream-box in it. And finally, some folks from San Francisco started a new magazine called Farallon Review, and my short story "A Good Swim" will be in that, hopefully by the end of 2007. The title of the story speaks for itself. I'm having a great summer/fall for publishing.

What else is new? Looking forward to my reading on September 20th. School's back in session and I'm loving my new group of students. They're smart and full of energy and it should be a great year. What I'm reading right now? Still on that book by Richard Ford, Rock Springs--still in love with it. In fact, I put it down during the last story because I couldn't bear for it to be over. I'll have to read his novel Independence Day. I know some of you old-schoolers are saying, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I've often said, I've had gaps in my education. Also reading the textbook Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway.

As far as writing is concerned--just tweaking and revising. Finished a weird story called "Rat Stories." September is a slow month for me because of back to school, so I take it in stride.