[Ringing telephone...]

Magnus: Hello?

Rexor: Dude, what's up?

Magnus: Hey man, not too much. Just trying to get out of here.

Rexor: Slow night?

Magnus: Brutal.

Rexor: Shitty. Listen man, are you still coming tonight?

Magnus: To Zordok's party? Shit yes, once I'm done here.

Rexor: Do you know how to get there?

Magnus: No... I thought I'd grab a lift with you.

Rexor: Can't do it, my chariot's fucked. Sherry's going to let me borrow her steed and there's only enough room for the two of us. But I can give you directions.

Magnus: Fuck... ok... hold on...[rustling of scrolls] okay shoot.

Rexor: All right, you know where Hawkblood Mountain is?

Magnus: Yeah.

Rexor: It's on the other side.

Magnus: In relation to what?

Rexor: In relation to where you are right now.

Magnus: O.k..... so he's on the same side as the Manticore's cavern?

Rexor: Yeah exactly, but you have to go around the mountain, you can't take the Tunnel of Thieves?

Magnus: Why not? It's like a million times quicker.

Rexor: I know, but the Sorcerers have been busting a lot of those Orcish punks for drinking mead up there and torching some Tree People. It'll be a fucking hassle.

Magnus: ok. so I go the long way... then what?

Rexor: Uou know where the Emerald Claw Tavern is?

Magnus: Yeah, I think so... on the old Berserker's Warpath? Where they're building that new Starbuck's?

Rexor: Exactly... go left when you get to that intersection and keep going till you reach the Well of Confusion.

Magnus: Well... of... Confusion... ok, that's perfect because I need smokes anyway.

Rexor: Don't get 'em there, get them from the Swamp Mage. She's like a block away from Zordok's and they're way cheaper.

Magnus: All right... so where after that?

Rexor: After the Well take another left, go two or three blocks and take a right at the nearest Soul-Chasm. He's right on that street, near the Tree of Eternally Rotting Flesh. If you see the Edge of Time you've gone too far.

Magnus: Got it. When are you heading over?

Rexor: Sherry and I are leaving in, like, twenty minutes.

Magnus: Are you bringing your cell?

Rexor: No, it's dead. You'll be all right, it's easy to find. the boys'll probably be jamming anyway so you'll definitely hear us.

Magnus: Cool man. I'm just gonna finish closing up here then I'll grab some Elixir and head out.

Rexor: Don't bother with the Elixir, Zordok picked up like four kegs.

Magnus: Four?! How big is this party?

Rexor: It's gonna be pretty nuts man, so don't worry about booze. Just make sure you bring some gold.

Magnus: Will do. Do you uh... do you think Janelle's gonna be there?

Rexor: Sherry was just talking to her, I think she's there already. Why? Are you gonna tap that?

Magnus: I’m gonna try... she just broke up with Dekram.

Rexor: I heard. I hope he doesn't show up, I fucking hate that guy.

Magnus: Douche bag. Thinks he's so fucking mighty. Do you think I should bring my sword?

Rexor: I'm bringing mine, do it.

Magnus: Awesome. So I guess I'll be there in like an hour and something? Rexor: Sounds good man. See you in a bit.

Magnus: cool. Tell Sherry to put in a good word for me.

Rexor: Will do. later.

Magnus: Later.

[click]

Image from

http://images.google.ca/imgre...://www.atpm.com/6.10/images/graphics-wasps.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.atpm.com/6.10/grap...:&tbnh=80&tbnw=121&prev=/ images%3Fq%3Dbig%2Bwasps% 26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26 lr%3D%26sa%3DG

The sound of dead and dying leaves; the smells emitted by trees and plants slowly stumbling into their winter comas; the sidewalks a sea of sweaters and scarves; the cool mountain air roaming in and scaring the humidity out of town.

It was because of these things that I let my guard down.

And it was because I let my guard down that the wasp attacked me and chased me for two city blocks.

When the temperature dips low enough to warrant the breaking out of the leather coat, I officially stop worrying about wasps, bees, flies, dragon flies and Atlas moths.

But the wasp I faced today was no lazy ‘I buzz around a trash bin stealing sugar from soda cans’ wasp.

It was bigger, stronger, faster

and probably angrier.

An autumn wasp.

The fact he's even living at this time of the year is a testament to his (or her) awesome strength.

And since I had the guff to stroll around downtown with an ‘I'm allergic to wasps but what-fucking-ever’ kind of look written across my face, he (or she) decided to chase me.

So I walked faster.

Still being chased.

So I walked faster while casually swatting (flailing?) my arms all around me.

Still being chased, he’s/she’s going for the face.

I am running down the sidewalk like an idiot.

Flapping my ‘wings’.

Saying, "Fuck off!" and "Shit!" and "Hey, cool belt. Le Chateau?"

When I thought I had enough of a lead on him I ducked into an alley and waited, pretending to tie my shoe so as not to look like I was kind of lurking in an alley/hiding from a tiny insect.

When I felt safe enough I continued on my way.

If anyone happened to see this go down... I was practising some new dance moves... I'll show you on the weekend.

Violets are Blue

I Hate Mel Gibson

Because Gibson Hates Jews

September 26, 2006

Croatian Cultural Centre - medium capacity

It is exciting to experience a band, firsthand, when its popularity has not quite taken off. That is the selfish side of me - the one who wants to hear great music, but is unwilling to experience it at an arena-like venue. If The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus can maintain its present momentum, stadium venues are not far off.

Two bands opened for RJA; unfortunately I missed the first band (Lorene Drive) but was able to catch the next. Monty Are I ('Are I' as a play on Rhode Island) banged out their first tune and kept their high energy throughout the entire set. Monty Are I consists of Steve Aiello (vocals, guitar), Ryan Muir (vocals, trumpet), Andrew Borstein (trombone, keyboard, synthesizer, sequencer), Mike Matarese (bass), and Justin Muir (drums). This was an act that was fun to watch - be it for the geometrical hair styling of the lead singer, or the wild dancing and gyrations of the trombone playing keyboardist. The audience may have been small, but they were true 'Monty Are I'ers ' singing along with Aiello for many of the songs. The band also seemed sincere as they repeatedly thanked the audience for their enthusiasm, as well as thanked The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus for the touring opportunity. Vocally, Monty Are I could have sounded better (clearer), but given the venue (the smallest of Croatian's rooms) it was overlooked. Definitely a band worth checking out when they return to our area.

When Red Jumpsuit Apparatus came on, the adoration factor hit an all time high. This group has exploded onto the music scene via clever internet marketing and word of mouth buzz. As with Monty Are I, the audience was small in numbers, but huge in sound and feedback. The set opened with 'In Fate's Hand' (a nod to a prior band Ronnie Winter and Duke Kitchens had been in as well as the song chosen to be on Madden 2007 video game). I was immediately aware of RJA's similarity to Story of the Year - the two bands seemingly interchangeable. During one song, "Your Guardian Angel', Winter could have chosen to lip synch because the crowd was so loud (and accurate) in their sing-along.

Winter physically resembles a younger, healthier, pre-cosmetic surgery Axel Rose in his movements and style. He also appears to be a laid-back, confident singer speaking to the audience as if casually conversing in his back yard. He deadpanned a few statements that were very humorous, but initially hard to gauge whether he was joking or not. At one point, he scanned the audience and remarked that he could see many of the 'dudes' swaying in the background, doing some kind of 'kumbaya thing'. Then he remarked that if we were in Jacksonville, Florida, the audience would show these 'dudes' some serious moshing. That remark made the Croatian Centre a bona fide mosh pit.

The one downside to the RJA gig was the length of time that passed between songs. This could have been due to instrument malfunctions, or provided filler for a small repertoire of songs. After the seamless, (in regards to length of time between songs), energetic set of Monty Are I, this time mismanagement was akin to a bucket of cold water thrown on those eager to mosh. The moshers would have their pogoing set to 'high', only to have to stop and wait for the next tune.

On a superficial note, this band definitely fulfills the 'eye candy' requirements of a video band, perhaps a detriment to Winter's serious lyrics such as 'Face Down' (a song about domestic abuse).

The Red Jumpsuit Appartus recently released their debut cd, 'Don't You Fake It' in July of 2006 . Purchase it today - it's worth the investment.

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus consists of:

• Ronnie Winter - Lead Vocals

• Duke Kitchens - Guitar, Piano, Vocals

• Elias Reidy - Guitar, Backing Vocals

• Joey Westwood - Bass, Vocals

• Jon Wilkes - Drums, Vocals

Note: Due to line-up changes over the years, the above noted members of RJA may vary with exception to Winter and Kitchens.

http://www.redjumpsuit.com/ http://www.newburycomics.com/...

Swanktrendz: So you are in Vancouver for a short while and then you are on to Seattle. How has your time been here, thus far?

James Walsh: Great - I have relatives here. My aunt (from his father's side) and cousins live here and they are coming to the show tonight.

ST: I don't want to repeat a lot of the usual questions - I know where the band's name comes from. I was hoping to ask you more about your song writing style. Do you find that you are writing for an outcome rather than from a feeling? For example, the pressure of the next cd being bigger and better than the one before it.

JW: Yeah, I think you definitely have to fight that battle. Every time you write a song now you fight it. I think the main way to combat that is to write as much as possible and just get it all down, absolutely everything, and some of it will turn out quite commercial sounding, inadvertently catchy sounding, and some of it will be quite weird. As long as you're not afraid to let it all go down on tape. Sometimes I will just sing into a mobile phone.

ST: So when an idea hits, that's when you get it down.

JW: Yes, because if you just sit down and say, okay I am writing an album now, everything has to be a certain way and it doesn't work that way.

ST: Now the first cd was hugely successful and then you have that period of time of the 'second album slump' where the pressure is so huge to produce a hit. How does it come naturally? How do you not get jaded with the recording industry?

JW: Yeah, well ... like I said, when I am in the mood, I just write it down as quickly as possible and don't try to think of what is expected.

ST: You write the lyrics - which are brilliant - I especially like the lyrics to 'In the Crossfire'. I've noticed your lyrics are becoming more politicized. I also wonder, when you are writing, do you have the melody first or do the lyrics come first?

JW: I generally have the melody first, and then the lyrics follow. I usually have a riff or a melody and then I take it from there. The songs kind of write themselves. Generally the slow songs, I write myself like, Jeremiah and Restless Heart.

ST: Yes, with Jeremiah (the murdered youth) did you read about it or hear it through word of mouth... how did you come to know of this individual?

JW: I heard it on the radio.

ST: And it just sparked something?

JW: Yeah.

ST: I remember reading that The Clash used to watch the news, read newspapers, listen to the radio and come up with songs regarding the times. I've also noticed your lyrics becoming more politically aware. This current cd (compared to the debut) has a stronger rythymic element and I find that it is stronger lyrically (with global awareness). For example, "In the Crossfire '- is that aimed at the Iraq war?

JW: Yeah, absolutely.

ST: And how else do you feel about the war? What did you think of Tony Blair's decision to join in?

JW: Uhm, I think he is between a rock and a hard place. I think the alternative is another Tory government. I also think he's in bed with Bush for better or worse.

ST: Blair's decision surprised me as I always thought that Canada and the UK were aligned in thought, so when Canada said no to going to war, and Blair said yes, I was quite surprised.

JW: It goes without saying that war is wrong. It costs a lot money as well, which is useful for the economy.

ST: War always stimulates economy. The US started with a great economy, but as the war has dragged on, the economy is suffering.

JW: Well Blair kind of got the house in order for us and he did some good things.

ST: And what is your alternative? Again, about the cd - it is more rhythmic and more of a 'rocker' than the previous cds. Was this your intention?

JW: I think it kind of evolved. All the gigs we did were key to it (the evolution). A lot of people who came... well the first cd was such a huge success that that tag stuck with us - they had us down as plaintive, acoustic balladeers. The people who were expecting that music have come away from the concerts hopefully enjoying our new songs. We wanted to get a balance between the two sounds, and hopefully the fans will enjoy it. That balance was our key motivation.

ST: Do you have a family?

JW: I have a wife and a little girl, four.

ST: What's your little girl's name?

JW: Niamh. It's an Irish name that is pronounced Neve.

ST: That's a great name, Niamh Walsh. I want to get your perspective on fans' loyalty. I was wondering what makes the fans (and other indie groups) turn on an indie band when they become successful? When you are an indie band the fans love you, but when you become a commercial success they accuse indie acts of selling out. What do you make of this phenomena?

JW: I'm not sure why that happens, I think people just like having their own little secret -their own little club. I think also the innocence and the amateur nature that a lot of the first albums take on - well you can't recreate that. And that is what the fans want.

ST: That's a good point, you can never go back. There is that whole innocence of discovering an indie band, and as the band progresses the people are unable to move forward, or progress, along with the band.

JW: And some people can't or don't accept the change and rather than move on with the band, they move on to another band. I think with a lot of the young fans, they are more like that. They tend to be heavily influenced by what their favourite DJ is saying and if someone on the radio makes a negative statement, they tend to go along with it.

ST: When you achieve some form of success, do you find you have more people agreeing with whatever you say, or do you have people in your camp who point out when you are being an ass?

JW: Oh, we definitely have people pointing out when we are being asses. I think that is what a wife is for... I think there's enough people around who don't like us and kick us to the ground.

ST: I would think you'd need a thick skin to put up with that. Someone telling you that 'you suck' when they don't even know you.

JW: It just drives you on and makes you want to prove them wrong.

ST: I hear that when you opened for the Stones you wowed the crowd.

JW: The crowd really enjoyed our set.

ST: And this is an older crowd - so you turned on a whole new generation.

JW: The most important thing was that the Stones liked us as well. Especially Mick.

ST: Well that's a compliment in itself. You began touring for this cd 'On the Outside' last October (05)? When do you take time off?

JW: I am not sure now - we might be coming back out. We are set to go home in October. But in the middle of October we might be doing something else - I can't say too much because of the usual things like finances.

ST: Did you find that with the release of the videos the download sales went up?

JW: Yeah.

ST: What do you think of the downloading industry? I had someone tell me that in the 90's a band could sell 30 million cds and now they are lucky to sell 1 million. Without the internet, you wouldn't be as famous, yet with the downloading, you aren't as wealthy as you could be.

JW: I think the main thing that must be affecting album sales is reviews now and as well, on some of the sites, it says 'download this'. It will list 5 tracks from the album and every band will have a similar chart. Unfortunately, people will download those 5 songs and not bother with the rest of the album. That must be affecting album sales. A friend of mine made a good point the other day when he said somehow music has been cheapened. People are quite happy to pay $10.00 for the cinema and $3.00 for popcorn, but they expect to get a cd for $10.00. A sports game, like Liverpool football, is like 30 pounds for 90 minutes. If you sold your albums for 30 quid, nobody would buy them.

ST: I would like to hear about the most interesting gig you've played. In terms of interest or excitement.

JW: Probably the Stones gig. That was pretty special. We also played in a Town Square in Belgium and we were the headline act with Ice-T and the Sugarbabes opening for us. That was a great experience and it was a landmark for us. It was the first big thing that we've headlined. Definitely a boost going out on stage knowing that people were waiting to see you.

ST: Especially when they waited through Ice-T. Where do you find your numbers (in terms of audience) are really huge? In regards to your fan base.

JW: At the moment it would be France and Belgium. It happened by accident when a remake of one of our songs became a big club hit.

ST: Which song?

JW: Four to the Floor. And it kind of grew from there where a lot of people discovered the band. I guess a lot of dance music fans might have listened to the album and thought, that's not for me, but a lot of people bought the album off the back of that song. It's like America and the UK liking similar things. The French speaking parts of Europe listen to similar music - France, Belgium and Switzerland.

ST: When you played at Sundance, which I don't think is a great venue for a band, you came away from the experience a little sour. Was it bad press for you, or did it just leave a bad taste?

JW: We just felt like a lounge band. I think the thing that said it all was when the security at the venue asked the sound engineer to 'turn it down because people were eating'. We weren't briefed in any way about what this gig was and if we had have been we would have turned it down. We understand the industry and there are some things that seem awful but they will benefit us down the line, but this had no benefit to us.

ST: What do you despise most - photos, interviews or meet and greets, and don't say none as you've been around long enough to tire of something?

JW: I guess I would say meet and greets as we meet so many people like, 'this is a friend of a friend of Bob's gym and they play your music'. But really, I would say it's not so bad.

Well, the tour manager, Chris, popped in to say I went over my time (surprise) and I was on my way. Check out Lezah's review of the live performance.

At long last, the book is launching! "The Rap Canterbury Tales", published by Talon Books, is now in stores, on Amazon.com, Chapters.ca, and dozens of other sites. To get the book you have many options, some cheaper than others; however, there is only one way to get a signed copy, and that is to buy it from me!

For those of you outside the Vancouver area, you can order the book from my website at the link below.

For those of you close enough to make it, please come to my book launch party. The official launch event is on Tuesday, October 3rd at the Media Club (corner of Georgia and Cambie). There will be a catered reception and book signing from 7:30 - 9:30, which will include a performance by myself and a display of Erik's illustrations, and afterwards we can stay at the club and have a night out.

I haven't been writing many exciting emails lately, mainly because I've been in the studio recording new music. First, I re-recorded and re-mixed the entire Rap Canterbury Tales album to correspond with the book launch. There is new music and much of the material has evolved since I put out the original CD two years ago. As a special promotion, everyone who orders the book online can have a free download of "The Rap Canterbury Tales - Second Edition". Simply write "mailing list" in the paypal comment box and I'll send you a link to download the tracks.

I've also been working on my new full-length rap album, entitled "Lit-Hop", which will be fully mastered and ready for release in two weeks. This disc is musically and lyrically miles ahead of anything I've put out yet, and features production and guest appearances from Josh Martinez, Moka Only, Lucid Notion, Jonny Quality, Disraeli, Infinite Potential, John Tennant, Torez, Lin G, and numerous others.

Finally, I am leaving the day after the book launch for my fall tour of the Eastern USA. Between October 4th and December 4th I will be performing at college campuses, schools, festivals, and various venues in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Montreal, Ottawa and many other cities. I have an agent coordinating all of my events for this tour, and we also have visits planned to Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virginia, etc.

Recently I emailed a teacher who bought my CD online, to ask about the possibility of bringing my show to her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, and I got this response:

Hi Baba -

HOLY COW! I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME VISIT COLUMBIA, SC!

::happy dance::

We will be reading the CTales October/November/December ish sometime - OH MY GOSH this would be fantastic...

To quote any further would be a bit gratuitous, but the point of this exercise is that I still have quite a few open dates in my tour schedule, and I was hoping you might be able to make some introductions. If you know anyone living in the general vicinity of the Eastern USA who might have a similar reaction to the prospect of booking a performance, please put me in touch with them so I can fill my schedule and stay as busy as I was this spring in the UK. Many of my gigs come from these kind of personal connections, and I can't overemphasize their value in making this process work.

Touring in the USA will be an entirely new experience for me, so any and all friendly people will be more than welcome along the way, especially if they have a guest-room and/or couch to spare a traveller.

Hope to see many of you at the book launch on the 3rd,

baba

Link: http://www.babasword.com/inde...

Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport

by Terry Lowe

The world of professional chess has many unexamined corners, and Jennifer Shahade's lively book shines a light into the one where the girls hang out. Her book is a history of women in chess, some profiles of same, and where possible, their thoughts on what it means to compete in an area traditionally dominated by men.

"Chess? Who cares about chess?"

Beyond North America, a lot of people is who. The governments of China, India, Vietnam, and most countries formerly in the USSR all have programs to develop and nuture chess players. That represents about one-third of the world's population. That's who.

Ms Shahade knows whereof she speaks: she plays at the Master level (that's 2 spots away from the top) and is the two-time American Women's Champion. Not bad for 25 years old. Her provocative title - which the New York Times refused to print - was chosen to reflect the sometimes surprisingly sexist attitudes prevalent in the chess world.

Women had to fight their way into the world of chess, and this book outlines the history of that fight. Shahade has researched old chess publications from the 1920s onward, and presents a series of chapters showing the decade-by-decade progress of women in the chess world.

The most interesting chapters are, of course, those covering the recent decades, because she knows all these players and is able to interview them on their home turfs (chess players travel a lot).

Thus, she is able to visit the astonishing Judit Polgar at home in Budapest. Judit is one of three sisters who caused a small tsunami in the chess world, beginning in 1984 when older sister Susan became the top-ranked woman player in the world.

Judit was eight years old then, and two years later began winning tournaments herself. She refused to play in "women-only" tournaments, and attained Grandmaster status (the highest level) when she was 15, beating Bobby Fischer's record for "youngest ever Grandmaster" by several months. Judit went on to defeat Garry Kasparov (2002), and in 2003 placed one point ahead of Vladimir Kramnik (then world champ) in a tournament in Holland. She has since taken some time off to raise a family, but remains one of the top 20 ranked players in the world. She is considered a superstar in Hungary, and young girls hang posters of her on their bedroom walls.

One of the surprises in this book is the debunking of the stereotype that one needs to be a brain to excel at chess. Not necessarily so. An IQ that'll put you into low-earth orbit is not required; the determination to work at it for eight hours a day (day in and day out) is. Intuition is helpful, self-confidence and the ability to process vast amounts of complexity is required. Sounds a lot like software development to me, and it came as no surprise to later learn that many of these young women also have degrees in computer science. Some of them play poker as well, which they find intellectually similar, and has more opportunities to make money.

Ms Shahade writes, teaches, and works in the Chess In Schools program in New York. This I'd heard of before (one of the elementary schools in my neighbourhood has something similar). The premise is that teaching kids how to play chess improves their self-esteem: a little 8-year-old wins against a 13-year-old, and suddenly feels a great wonder light up in her: "WOW! I never knew I could do that!" This, in turn, improves her performance in other subjects. The program has been studied by a great many academics and they agree that it works. Curiousity about that probably was what led me to get this book in the first place.

I'll leave the last word to Jennifer Shahade. You rock, girl!

I like that chess is one of the few areas in which women's performance is not affected by their looks. I don't want women chess players to feel like they need to be gorgeous to get invitations and sponsorships. On the other hand, I do think that people are pleasantly surprised when they read Chess Bitch by how many young, adjusted and stylish women are playing chess, and that's definitely a positive thing for the game.

Link: http://jennifershahade.com/in...

What is it about Steve Irwin that made his death such a big deal around the world? I mean, without meaning to sound morbid, if someone of the celebrity status of Paris Hilton, or Britney Spears, was to meet a tragic end, would the world mourn them as intensely as they have Steve Irwin?

Maybe I’m being idealistic, but I think not.

Steve Irwin was an entertainer, a TV personality, a great hands-on father, a devoted husband, an excellent croc-wrangler, and certainly a passionate conservationist. But look around the various other programs on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, or National Geographic, and you’ll come across a half-dozen or more similar personalities, but without being able to leave the same electrifying impact that Irwin so easily could.

So what is it that made Stevo unique? Methinks, his unbridled, uncensored, undiminished, unbounded love of life, nature and the creatures that live among us. His methods may have appeared dangerous, wacky, funny, but his heart was always in the right place, his intentions always noble, his message always clear: Conservation. Conservation. Conservation.

So what has his life, or specifically the way he lived it, taught me?

Simple, really. Live every day like it’s your last. Soak up every second. Absorb every minute. Enjoy every hour. Make every day COUNT for SOMETHING.

Most of us are lucky people. We just don’t seem to realize it. We are not stricken with disability, nor straddled with poverty, nor cursed with disease. And yet, there are those who number themselves among the disabled, the poor, the sick, who have been able to rise above their lot in life and live in a manner of such honour, respect and nobleness that it shames the rest of us, the so-called ‘normal’ folk.

I’m short, skinny and wear glasses. I tend to think I have a large nose, small jaw, and all-round unattractive face. My skin is oily and, unfortunately, acne-prone. And for too long, I’ve let myself be too distracted by all of these negative thoughts to the extent that they have stopped me from concentrating on my good points. I’m not gonna elaborate on them because this isn’t a boast post, but be assured I do actually have good points.

So it’s about time I stop moping about, and get a move on with this thing called 'life'. I’ve always wanted to learn another language (or two or three) pick up a musical instrument, make a short film, write a book, enrol in a gym (and actually stick to it), maybe even get into kung-fu…

But that’s just the self-improving part. There are community service projects to be involved, charities to donate time, money and effort to and environmental messages to raise, etc. I cannot promise that I won’t be tardy in keeping to these goals, since it’s gonna take me a while to slip my life into high-gear, but I sure am gonna try.

Who knows? We too could die a sudden death sooner than expected and wouldn’t it be a shame if we were to die alone and forgotten, all memories of who we were and what we’ve done simply fading away…

Life. It ain’t one, if you’re not living it.

What fun! I want to go the Hemingway Days Festival. It sounds like a hoot.

What's that saying, "When one door closes... another one opens?"

I recently got some really swell news: hot on the heels of my rejection (not getting the full time job at the college where I teach) I DID get a letter on Friday from a writers residency with the Djerassi Resident Artists Program (in Northern California) who said that my "application was ranked very high by our panel of professionals from your field, and you have been placed on alternate status for 2007."

Hooray! I'm actually very thrilled and honored to be even considered for alternate status. i had started to lose my faith in the whole writers residency thing-- having never gotten one, and having been rejected by several of them over the past 5-6 years. But this totally renews my faith.

Now I just hope someone decides to drop out! the residency, which is a 4-5 week stay, would not be until spring-summer of 2007, but that's great-- gives me enough time to finish the current book and get my stuff together for the 2nd book.

Cross your fingers for me.

Ok, back to planning my Fall Creative Writing Class--I'm sort of making my own reader-- I'm xeroxing a bunch of handouts, anyway. As soon as I'm done i'll post my final reading list (made up of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry) soon, but below are a few of my potentials. In fact, if anyone has suggestions for great SHORT nonfiction essays, short fiction, and poetry let me know. I emphasize SHORT-- meaning they should be an average of 5 pages (at least for the nonfiction); I know, that's short but it's because the class is HUGE and in addition to these short texts students have to read each others' work--AND because the class is so HUGE I'm encouraging the writing of SHORT short pieces; there is just not enough time to read 20, 30 page stories, novel chapters, or novelas. And anyway, it is just an Into to creative writing. I'm currently gathering all of The New Yorker Talk of the Town and other short pieces that I have.

So far I'm considering:

FICTION

Rick Moody, "Twister," from Ring of Brightest Angels Around Heaven

John Cheever, "The Reunion," from The Stories of John Cheever (Believe me, if we could read the whole book I would assign it)

Jamaica Kincaid, "Girl"

Helen Schulman, "Pushing the Point," from Not a Free Show

Judy Budnitz, "Art Lesson," from Flying Leap

Manuel Munoz, "The Wooden Boat," from Zigzagger

Ann Beattie, "Janus"

Brady Udall, "The Wig" (If you haven't read this-- it is fricken amazing)

John Dufresne, "Lemonade and Paris Buns," from Johnny Too Bad (a heartbreaker of a story)

NONFICTION

Jonathan Franzen, "Countdown" (from The NewYorker)

Mary Gordon "Pilgrimage" (from The NewYorker)

Nicole Krauss "My Summer in Poland" (from The NewYorker)

POETRY

Shit, so many I want to use! Whitman, Plath, Mark Doty, etc. etc.

Suggestions for any of the genres are certainly welcome! (And, even better, if you're one of my writer friends who has a great short story, essay or poem published out there somewhere that you think would be great for me to teach in my class, let me know).