Rare Words

I received, among other things, a new book for Christmas titled Rare Words and wanted to share a few:
basial (BAY-zee-uhl)
adj. pertaining to kissing

indaba (in-DAH-bah)
n. 1. a conference or discussion. 2. a person's business, problem, or concern (originally a Zulu word for conference).

theophany (thee-AH-fuh-nee)
n. a visible manifestation of God; God in human form (from the Greek theo, "god," + phainein, "to show").

anlage (on-LOG-uh)
n. inherited disposition to certain traits or a particular character development.

This book makes me think of another I've always found interesting--my first masters is in Early American Lit, which features primarily non-fiction/public speeches/religious zealousness/autobiography, as the country was new, etc. The word "several" did not exist/work it's way into circulation until much later. Instead, the word was "divers" i.e. "We gathered divers people for the sermon." I wish I knew who coined "several" or the year it came about. Does any one else happen to know? Or want to share your own favorite rare word, or your favorite word that isn't rare?

Cindy '08

Don't forget!

Today is the postmark deadline for the Austin Chronicle's Short Story Contest. You don't need to be a resident to enter, and there are no entry fees.

Speaking of cool contests, Kelly Link is judging DIAGRAM's $5 Innovative Fiction Contest. Deadline is 3/15/08, prize is $1000 plus publication.

Pub News

So this job dilemma has been keeping me in a funk the last few weeks, but some good news today. I just found out my story, "The Rooftop" will appear in the August issue of The Southeast Review.

And it looks like Amelia and I are really going to New York for AWP. You guys should really come with us . . . .

A response about neutral vs. emotional lit

Here you will find a blog post about emotional vs. neutral lit. The actual post is less interesting than the discussion that follows, partly because the writer throws emotional lit into hyperbole - even calling it "emotional lit" kind of makes it sound like writers employing the use of emotions are trapped in some Victorian-era psych ward for hysteria cases. Also problematic is that the "neutral" writer is defined as one who "only expresses what actually happens, without including their own judgements," which is actually impossible unless you're some kind of New Critic who believes ultimately that a single interpretation is possible with the right order of words.

If emotional writing acts as "a sort of propaganda" by using emotions to manipulate the reader "into thinking in ways that are not rational," a "neutral" tone (I even have problems with using the word "neutral" here, since it's affected, neutrality is impossible - maybe one reason why the author switches to "dead-pan" to cover his tracks a bit) uses that same kind of propaganda, using emotions to manipulate the reader. The only difference, perhaps, is the goal of the "neutral" manipulation is to get the reader to think in ways that are rational.

In reading the comments on Tao Lin's stories, I see a lot of "I have always felt this way but was never able to express it so succinctly" kind of sentiment. That's the power of neutral writing - it enters your brain like a fact you always knew. On the other hand, "neutral" writing is just as affected as "emotional" writing and, if done poorly, the seams start to show. From one of the blog comments:

I guess I just feel like the overwrought detachment that I see in the work of people like Tao Lin, to me is an empty gimmick. I understand depression, have it myself, but am being finally, I think treated sucessfully. I understand that detachment is a function of the way the modern world with all its technology and distractions makes us and blah blah blah etc...; however, I don't want to read a writer who doesn't see the world as a dynamic, wonderous thing. [...]

Tao Lin responds to the criticism, suggesting that sarcasm or irony are involved and says "that is a kind of thinking that could lead to thinking that you are 'right' and other people are 'wrong' in terms of art," which I think is true and also pretty soundly refutes the blog post they are discussing.

This is all interesting to me because I think I've been pushing harder towards detachment in my own writing over the past few months. It hasn't been a conscious movement, but I read it as funnier, sharper, and ultimately more true when the world happens to a character who observes acutely but is largely unimpressed. In turn, that kind of fiction is most likely to grab me, particularly when it is flash fiction. (My own reasons for writing in terms of fact over emotion may have more to do with the goal of a story as a philosophical statement, but that's a topic for another day.)

Anyway, what do you guys think of this short-form literary nihilism?

Possible Lesson Plan or Class Discussion

This is the last week of classes here at CSU-MB. I haven't met with my students in the classroom in over a week because we were having individual conferences. I needed a writing activity to get them focused back on writing and our assignment this week, final portfolios. They have been asked to think about their growth these last few months, so when I came across this article about the "dumb-ification" of today's youth, the two kinda fit together.

I handed the article out and they responded to it. It was just explosive. A very good way to get the class to reflect on their past experiences, including my class.

It was surprising how many of them blamed themselves for this "laziness" problem and not their parents, teachers, schools. etc.

Just thought I would share. Sue would be so proud.

Love you guys.

Giving

I propose we all chip in 15-20 dollars to buy a painting of Nathan Altman, former MFA student, who died of cancer a couple of years ago. Matt Stuart painted them, and they are now available for 100 dollars. Half of the proceeds go to Lance Armstrong's Foundation, LiveStrong, and the other half go to the Nathan Altman Creative Writing Scholarship (in conjunction with the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation). Our fiction class might consider donating the painting itself to the department, to the KAP House, or to some other local literary space in need of good artwork.

From Matt's website (www.matthewdstuart.com):

"I am donating 100% of the money collected through the sale of these prints. 50% of the money goes to LiveStrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The other 50% goes to the Nathan Altman Creative Writing Scholarship that Nate’s parents are establishing in conjunction with the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation. I’ll make the donations quarterly in Nate’s name. For more information about the Lance Armstrong Foundation, visit www.livestrong.com.

"To order the signed and numbered print, please email me (mds.art@gmail.com) and I’ll reserve one for you. The cost is $100. The painting is reproduced on high-quality, archival watercolor paper and measures 18 x 24 inches. Once you’ve ordered, please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery."


So, can we search the seat cracks and shake the piggies for a good cause?

Story up:

"This Quiet Complex" is up at Monkeybicycle. Representing the fabulous Summit Apartments in San Marcos, where they once found a dead guy in the dumpster.

R.I.P. Lady I've Never Heard of

Elizabeth Hardwick, co-founder of the NYT Review of Books, died. It's a good obit.

Sympathy

I need some.

CSUMB just told me they only have one class for me to teach next semester (even though they told me they'd have more when they interviewed me in August). I feel lied to and completely upset about the whole thing. Tell me you love me.

This is when I really wish that i was back in Austin (I wish that all the time) and we could all drink and lament our jobs (except Bearden--woot! for you). And you could buy me some bourbons and cokes and then we would jump in the River together (remember that?) You guys are such good friends. There's just nobody like you out here.

Now, the job hunt begins.

Announcing:

My story "Kids Say the Darndest Things" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Johnny Paycheck

Remember that Johnny Paycheck song "Take This Job and Shove It," well, sorry Johnny, but I'm taking a job.

Today, after a rigorous interview process, the provost at The King's College offered me a job! I'm speaking of the full-time variety. I feel more than fortunate. I feel lucky. The position doesn't start until next Fall. But it's great knowing it will be there.

In other news: Next week Laura and I will have our second home study interviews for the adoption. At the beginning of February our social worker will come to our house for the final interview. So things are moving fast. But will slow down after March, when we expect to start the wait for our match.

Hope everyone is well. Would be fun to go to the alum reading. Throw back Shiner on the porch for me.

What're yer notables?

Here are the NY Times'top 100 books of 2007 and here are the top 10 and here are the National Book Critic's Circle's list(s).


In other news, G-train went simultaneous.

Number of days till Amelia reads at the KAP house: 1.

Things that today I am loving

1. "In art, as in love, as in dancing the hora, if you don’t know the moves, you really can’t fake them."

2. Painting my fingernails, finding tiny imperfections, removing the paint, painting my fingernails, finding tiny imperfections, removing the paint

3. The new Caketrain, which arrived today and looks beautiful.

4. Bologna and cheese sandwiches. I have had three today.

5. Fighting this book. Potentially to the death.

Countdown and a link

Number of days till one of our own (one lovely Ms. Gray) reads at the KAP House: 5

So that means that you've got five days to conjure up some good vibes--from NY to Cali and back down to Arkansas and Austin.

And here's a link:Some worry that the increasingly cozy relationship between Hollywood and publishing companies is changing expectations of literary success — and may even be changing the way novelists approach their work.

the ghost of b.c.

two things that made me wish the summerhill-colemans still lived here:

seeing no country for old men

arkansas beating no. 1 lsu in overtime

happy long weekend, everyone. i miss you all.

On a lighter note:

Stacy sent me this very fun video (with Ira Glass and Terry Gross) from the National Book Awards.

Some Staggering Stats

I know I just posted, but I couldn't resist:

The percentage of adults who are proficient in reading prose has fallen at the same time that the proportion of people who read regularly for pleasure has declined.

the percentage of high school graduates deemed by employers as "deficient" in writing in English (72 percent).

Literary readers are more likely than non-readers to engage in positive civic and individual activities – such as volunteering, attending sports or cultural events, and exercising.8

And now this
article from the NY Times on adjuncts.

Thanksgiving poems

I watch Home for the Holidays and also for some reason, the Big Chill around this time of year. And I was thinking about that the other day when I came across this post by the Academy of American Poets about Thanksgiving poems. But they didn't have this one by Lucille Clifton. I like it because it is sad and happy and to me that's what holidays always feel like. The good ones anyway.

The lesson of the falling leaves


The leaves believe
such letting go is love
such love is faith
such faith is grace
such grace is god

I agree with the leaves.


Okay that's the end of the poem. What are your Thanksgiving stories, movies, poems? What's in your bag of tricks? Or is it just me?

resounding applause

Wow. I wonder how B.R. Myers feels today.

I haven't read the book (I know), but the review was off the charts scathing. Like, made us wince.

Two links that made my week better

Check out this rockin pic of Cindy standing between Sherman Alexie and Robert Haas at the National Book awards. Am I the only one who didn't know Denis is in Iraq?

Also, this helped me with my cv. You can click on the "footnotes" of the sample cv and they tell you how to make it better.

Novels

I'm having my students write book reviews, and I'm giving them a list to select from. Because most of the students are entirely out of touch with current work, I'm putting only novels published in the last five years on the list. So I'm looking for suggested titles. Right now my list is fairly male dominated and white guy. I need diversity on the list for my students and for my own reading pleasure.

Camp

I need stories about camp (noun, not verb).

Abby gave me this awesome collection called "Sleepaway," and I know about "The Acorn People" and "Tongues of Angels," and "Brownies," but I'm short on more titles. I'm ready to give my camp story another go now, and would like to see what else is out there. Anybody know of anything else - novels, stories, nonfiction?

Laundromats and Fire

My story "Big and Confidential" has been accepted for the Spring '08 issue of Phoebe.

Thanks to all who workshopped the original and the revision.

Cold Comfort

I'm at a coffee shop applying for jobs that I am either overqualified for or under-qualified for and listening to music that is either too sad (Elliot Smith) or too stupid (R Kelly). TSU sent some of us letters that we'd probably go from full-time to part-time in the spring. This means: get a second job and don't have a health crisis because you won't be getting any insurance. Thus, the job search is on for spring and fall. Sad. But not surprising.

Here's a statistic that I just learned:

Long-term adjuncting means losing self-respect. Friends and family rarely know the odds, that only 40 percent of English Ph.D.'s will ever get tenure-track jobs. Nonacademics rarely know that one has to be able to move anywhere, to strange and unknown locales, to land a semi-permanent, reasonably-paying job.

Maybe this is interesting. Maybe it is depressing. I like to think that those of who want to teach will be the exception?

BookWoman

So, BookWoman might be closing. Their situation is just like the one the fictional book store Madwimmin Books finds itself in in Alison Bechdel's "Dykes To Watch Out For" series. And in the book, the store closes.


Here's what they say:

Dear friends and customers of BookWoman,

My staff and I are so grateful for the outpouring of support being shown to BookWoman. We're still in the early stages, but the many shoppers, contributions, pledges, event plans, and other volunteer activities are tremendously encouraging. This past weekend we had particularly strong sales both at the store and at the Texas Book Festival.

Please check out the new website, www.savebookwoman.com. We're still tweaking it but the key pieces are in place, including a PayPal link for making contributions online and information about volunteer opportunities. We'll be updating it often, posting our fundraising progress and upcoming events.

Also, we have ³Save and Sustain BookWoman² post cards available at the bookstore - and t-shirts are here but going fast!

With your help we can give BookWoman a new lease on life. Thanks so much for all you do.

Peace,
Susan


......................

Be a BookWoman!

.....................

BookWoman
918 West 12th Street
Austin Texas 78703

http://www.ebookwoman.com

Mempho

This weekend Jack and Abby stayed with me in Jonesboro, so they could attend SCMLA which was hosted in Memphis, TN. Here's some things we did:
1) they brought me breakfast tacos and I ate them
2) we smoked a lot of cigarettes
3) took a driving tour of Arkansas State University
4) checked out AR 's impressive display of Fall colors at the local park
5) heard Jack give an awesome paper
6) marveled at the stupidity and lack of etiquette of some panel attendees
7) drank at The Flying Saucer
8) roamed Beale Street
9) considered getting our group photo made in a ten foot chair
10) watched an elderly man fall off the curb and smack his face on the pavement
11) ate catfish
12) watched the movie Art School Confidential
13) met Jack's best friend, Adrian

It was soooooo much fun and exactly the break I needed this late in the semester.

Stories Stories everywhere

Today is a good day for us double o sevens.

Jack's story went live here today.

Carmen's story is here. I linked this one to the table of contents so you could check out her bio pic and Tom's story as well. Tom Williams, that is, not Grimes.

While I was trolling around the internet, I found this blogpost about Rebecca.

and soon I'll be in Quarterly West. (Just found out today!)

What else is up?

For the record, I liked George Elliot's Middlemarch

It's fall fiction week at Slate. Today's dispatch is all about contemporary writers spilling the beans about what great classics they haven't read. I know we did a post like this before, but it was interesting to see what other writers (like ourselves) keep meaning to make the time for.

my non-fiction book interest

There is No Me Without You

Been reading this book about the orphan problem in Ethiopia. By some estimates, there are up to 6 million orphans in Ethiopia. The book is a fascinating history of a country ripped apart by war, famine, and the AIDS pandemic. I'm finding the section on the origin theories of AIDS interesting. You can't help but be outraged with how the moral majority reacted to the crisis in the 80s & 90s. This book came out in 2006 and made a lot of best of lists. Greene has written for the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Salon. et al. Good journalistic book.

Why am I into this? Well, Laura and I have started the paper work for international adoption and Ethiopia is the country we've chosen. It's going to be a long process, but we've started. I predict it will be at the speediest a year, more likely a year and a half, before we have a child in our home. But we are pumped!

fantastic advertisements

this year i asked for subscriptions to lit mags for my birthday. my folks got me the believer, swivel, and tin house, and i can say that it's pretty terrific to get these in the mail the week they come out, rather than pore over them at book people and then and berate myself for leaving them behind, for not being serious enough of a writer to take a chance on people i've never heard of. it's better to have the matter out of my hands altogether.

that said, the new tin house came to my house a couple of days ago, and damned if there isn't a full page ad for the texas state mfa program on the second page. lots of famous names! and the rose scholarship number! and frontporch's url. i felt kind of proud and defensive.

also, i'm not all the way through the journal, but i have to say that the aimee bender story, as far as aimee bender is concerned, is not so fantastic. i don't know.

Ring of Fire

So the Witch fire currently burning in San Diego stopped just 9 miles from my house in San Diego. I live in a town called Solana Beach. Behind Solana Beach is a town called Rancho Santa Fe. Beyond Rancho to the east is where the Witch fire started. It traveled very quickly west, toward the ocean, toward my house, at an alarming rate. My mother had to evacuate the house and go manage the crisis unit down at the hospital. I'm sure you've heard about this in the news, but it is the most destructive fire, maybe in the entire history of this nation. To date is there have been a total of 23 wildfires of various danger, and the total acres burned is over 700 square miles! Luckily, on Wednesday, the wind began blowing northeast instead of west, and my house was spared. My mom was allowed to leave the hospital and go back to the house. When I go home in December, I'm sure the devastation will take my breath away. My mom had to leave town the air quality is so poor. She went to Vegas yesterday. I say, good fucking move.

Crazy.


P.S. the article above is a good, comprehensive source--in case you were interested.

Love to you all!

variations on a theme

If you can possibly stand it, here is jean thompson's reaction to King's assertions about the state of the short story. i think she's fair, actually.

i'm grading. or procrastinating, i guess.

This beautiful land

I'm in Tucson this week. I can't get cell phone reception where my parents live, and they're on dial-up, so I'm spending the morning at this coffee shop. My reliance on a high-speed Internet connection seems to have snuck up on me.

This town is intensely beautiful. It's perfect October weather here during the day, and the desert gets cold at night. There are mountain lions and javelinas and hawks. I think it's because I've not spent much of my adult life here that Tucson remains kind of a fantasy land to me.

There's this McDonald's across the street from the coffee shop. I keep staring at it. It's the most beautiful McDonald's I have ever seen. I wonder if their hash browns are delicious. I bet they are.

My story "Diary of the Blockage" will appear in the upcoming Caketrain.

I miss you guys.

A World Without Writers

"Networks are hording scripts like squirrels saving nuts for winter, putting as many in storage as they can, hoping they don’t run out before a possible strike is settled."

Just in case anyone else fantasizes about being a tv writer.

The Big Royalty Check

My story, "I'll Pay You Back When I Get Home," was just accepted by Menda City Review. It will go online the day of the next full moon, Oct. 26. They will pay me $4.20, or I can choose to donate that money to help save children. Um, here are some Van Morrison lyrics:

I'm waiting for my royalty check to come, and it still hasn't come yet.
It's about a year overdue. I guess it's coming from the big royalty check in the sky.
I waited and the mailman never dropped it in my letter box.

Oh oww uh ow ow ow

I guess it's a big royalty check in the sky.

Ooohh, baby.

But you caaaan't.....beee the tax man, and me, all at once.

Star Trek Poetry

I was watching Star Trek on Saturday, and it was the one where Spock takes a crack at "poetry night" on the ship. Observe this poem he wrote for his cat, Spot:

"Ode to Spot"
   
      Felis catis, is your taxinomic nomenclature
      An endothermic quadriped, carnivorous by nature?
      Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses

      Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.
      I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations,
      A singular development of cat communications
      That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection

      For a rythmic stroking of your fur, to demonstrate affection.
      A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents
      You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
      And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,

      It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.      
      O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
      Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
      And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,

      I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

I don't know, it was funny at the time. It was probably the Merlot I
was drinking, and my stack of 65 un-graded papers. 

"How To Best" Nods

Owen Egerton got a "Best of Austin" nod, reports Austinist, which included a great quote from Owen:

"Best Author in Austin? Living in the same town as Tim O'Brien, Dagoberto Gilb, Larry Wright (who won a Pulitzer this year), Spike Gillespie, Ric Williams and so many other brilliant writers and getting awarded Best Author in Austin makes me think either I'm a damn good writer... or people aren't doing enough reading," said Owen. "I'd put money on the latter, but I plan on believing the former. I urge all of you to do the same."

go denis

and give a listen to the changing meaning of the multitude of best seller lists

New story out

Check out my story, Kids Say the Darndest Things, online at Titular.

Boom Boom Jacka Jacka Jacka Boom

Jack got news this weekend that "I Am This Meat" will be anthologizing her story "Anatomy, Mechanics!" The anth0logy should be up by the 31st of October.

Props.

WHAT DOESN'T SUCK-- or stuff I like and you might too

Tree of Smoke -- i'm only 300 in, but damn I love this book. funny, scary, and god obesessed.

The Assassantion of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford --great meditational western flick. maybe a bit thick in the Malick and Altman love, but hey I love those guys. Forget Darjeeling Limited, Assassantion has more style to spare, yet it's not sickeningly sweet. I still think No Country will the badassenestawsomest this fall. that and the flick about dylan.

Lee Stringer 's Grand Central Winter--homeless guy turned writer turned pal of Vonnegut. has anyone here read him? i have yet to read the entire book, but i had my comp class read a couple of chapters. damn this guy's good. must finish Tree and then I'm on to GCW.

Mescalito by Ryan Bingham. twenty-five year old texas singer guy with a killer band in tow. this is for those who like joe ely, butch hancock, terry allen. apparently, bingham was a bull rider for a while. the real deal. wolfe and I saw him play a couple of time for free. now he's on lost highway records, so it'll cost more for that kind of fun.

College Football. Hell Yes!

My wife .

The Feast of Love

I saw Feast of Love over the weekend with my mother. I think Baxter would be truly proud of this movie. In my opinion, it was damn good. After the movie ended, everyone just kind of sat there, soaking up the message. Myself included, even though I already knew what was going to happen from the novel. True, it was mostly middle-aged woman in the theater, but I'll take it. In Amelia's words: hot stuff.

Excellently casted. Adaptation was spot on save for a few details. The brilliant last line from the novel made it into the movie: "And so, we begin again." Soundtrack was mellow and enticing. Go see it.

By the way you guys, it's gloriously open.

my complicated relationship with the king

i think king is interesting. i think his entertainment weekly column, his book "on writing," his claims to soon retire (completely false, remember michael jordan?), the schlocky horror novels, the few truly interesting stories, the stacks of cash to which he dedicates a good part of his introductions, his claim to be on the very cutting edge of all media technology...all these point to a very public and sometimes humiliating moral quandary. he seems driven by fame and money in a way that does not align him with the struggling writer (even the struggling writer who is driven by dreams of money and fame still often pretends to be concerned with art over material goods) - so his championing of them seems patronizing and foolish.

he's conflicted, i think. he wants so badly to be relevant. and sometimes he is. in this article, he tries. but he's like that guy in class who won't shut the fuck up - that guy who sometimes says the most important things - more important than the teacher or the smartest kids in the room, even - but he's got it so wrong in so many other ways that the important things get buried.

he can't be quiet, delicate, soothing. even in his books, he's like: IT'S SO QUIET! YOU HEAR THAT? ME EITHER!

i recently went to half price books and bought a couple of his books - i was jonesing for king. there's no other way to put it. when i got home from ireland, for some reason i was overwhelmed for weeks with this weird nostalgia. so i truly loved "children of the corn" and the story about being a door, and "the bachman books" when i was coming up. and i read all the other ones too, like everyone else, but i stood behind those few stories when king's name would pop up in random conversation.

so, at half price, i bought "it" and "everything's eventual," which is a collection of short stories. the introduction is so self-congratulatory and self-referential that i almost stopped reading. and then the first couple of stories were so incredibly bad that i did stop reading. there is no heart, there is no openness that he's talking about. nothing glorious, nothing even pretty on the surface, and i didn't have the heart to try anymore. i still don't.

he gets under my skin, his writing, his persona, his comments, his fight for the little writer. but i don't let him go. i keep my eyes trained for him, and sometimes pick up his books in stores to see how he will piss me off next, to see if he will delight the part of me that knows both centaurs and axe murderers are walking around me all the time. bianca reported to her sister in boston that i was making my way through "everything's eventual," and i was mortified. so embarrassed. i do not know what this means. any of it.

this was a comment, but it was too long. so now it's a post.

in other news, i want to recommend caitlyn cary to everyone. she plays the fiddle, and sings a song called "sorry for my shame," and you should hear it.

do yourself a favor

and read this article by Stephen King. (You'll have to register for NYTimes). He edited the BASS this year and, surprisingly, has a lot of interesting things to say about the plight of the American short story. All I wanna do now is read Poe.

And because it's funny, here's part of an email I received last week:

"Hello,

I am a photographer/writer for The Megaphone. I am contacting you to tell you that you have been nominated by your students as a one of the most attractive professors on campus. I was hoping I could take a snapshot and create a profile on you which would be featured in our next issue.

Please e-mail me back if you would be interested or uninterested in participating. Please let me know when you can meet. This will only take about 2 min. of your time.

It is all in good fun and you should feel no pressure.

Lone Star Bound

Y'all -

I will be back in Austin next Thursday through Sunday morning. James and I are flying back to attend his brother's wedding. I am anticipating that we will have a fair amount of time to hang out with our friends. Yay! So call me or I'll call you. Or just plan on going out with me to get a drink or laying out in the sun at Barton Springs sometime that long weekend.

PS: Amelia - I might crash at your house one of these nights. Grandma Spears won't let James and I share the same bedroom. How great is that? I think I might have to give him a break from the couch. I love the South !!

Faulknerific

So I just walked to my mailbox to get the mail. The latest issue of Iron Horse was in there, and I got excited, just like I do each time a lit mag comes because it's something fun to read. Something that's not about teaching. But this time is even better. Faulkner's "A Night, An Hour, a Minute" is in this issue. Damn, that story is good Faulk, and the issue looks great.

The work, the product

I just finished a book by an old friend, Carson Mell. We were in a Ron workshop together at ASU, and since then he moved to LA, found an enthusiastic agent, and had this very strange book of his shopped around for a year. When there were no biters, he self-published, and sold out his entire run. An interactive animated short companion to the book appeared in Wholphin. It's a great, funny book. Now I'm looking around for things to mail back.

I guess that's neither here nor there, besides the fact that I hope I'll always find myself looking around for things to send back to each of you, in trade for our little and large successes.

It feels fantastic to quit a crappy job. Carmen got me thinking about this after I quit my crappy job at the fish house. So I figure, here is my advice to the world, whenever you're in a slump in your life, roll down to the HEB or the Blockbuster, fill out an application, wear an ironed shirt and talk about how much you really, really enjoy bagging groceries or stocking movies or whatever, stick around a week, make fifteen bucks, and then go in one day and say, you know what? Fuck this job. Fuck this job.

The key here is to make sure you don't like any of the people at the job, and you don't remotely like the work, and there's no health insurance or growth potential that might make you regret leaving the job. When I left Target, I did slightly regret leaving, because they have this great system set up in their registers that rewards you with the letter "G" if you completed the transaction very quickly. I genuinely liked that. That's all it takes, sometimes.

I cannot believe I am still writing this stupid screenplay. The problem is I love it so much.

Sarah said it best

Not that I've been spying or anything. Okay I've been spying. Describing our blog to her Pa, Sarah said, "My grad school friends and I posting about writing, teaching, publication news, and other MFA-related nonsense. Basically, we miss each other."

So true!

I miss reading fresh writing--early drafts and still warm from the printer--and I miss knowing without having to ask what everyone is reading, what is tugging at your attention. Now more than ever, I miss the things we just learned about eachother from being in close proximity--teaching styles, relationship styles, future plans--the things you pick up unconsiously.

And when my spying taught me that one of us is a baker by night and a writer by day. A really freakin talented cupcake maker from the looks of it (shout out to http://cuppincakesforyou.blogspot.com/). It made me want to know what other dreams you have for yourselves. What besides writers, teachers and tech-writers will we become? And what would we be if we weren't this?

Wedding Bells

Carmen Dee is "The Bride"

Wedding Bells

Me and my ladies. On my left with the black hair is my sister, Kara. Below me is my niece, Sophia-Kara's daughter. On my right is Tasha, one of my close friends since childhood.

New York, New York

I propose a grand adventure. AWP is in New York this Winter. I think I remember Carmen said she was going with Tom. And Bearden will probably catch the subway to go check it out. But what about the rest of us? I'm going to plan on going as well. I say we all do!

This year the conference is from January 30th (a Wednesday) to February 2nd (a Saturday). Now, it won't be sunny, but it's New York! View the line-up here. Oates, Karr, and Hempel . . .
And Dagoberto Gilb! Oh man, good times. Maybe we could even sweet talk our way into getting free passes (Hello, Ms. Rebeckah Love).

Who's in? We could split costs of the hotel . . . .

Anyway, I saw this picture of Foer on the AWP site.
And I thought, here is the kind of guy who could use a punch in the face. Who's with me?

Get those stamps

Belated "Happy September 1" to everyone, as journals open their doors again to our submissions. Here are a few that just opened:

Iowa Review (through November)
The Cincinnati Review (through May)
The Southern Review (through May)
Gettysburg Review (through May)
Indiana Review (through May)
New England Review (through May)
One Story (through May)
The Pinch (through March 15)

Rock it, boys and girls.

green grass is green

I have questions for those of you teaching these days. And for those of you not teaching, I have a need for you to chime in on your experience at TSU. I'm back again, teaching four sections of 1320. I prefer 1320, so this is good for me.

I've been noticing some things, though, lately, about my students. I think I've had kind of a personal problem with TSU since I got here. As many of you know, this is the school where my parents met, where my grandfather got his masters in education, where two of my aunts went, and, most importantly, where all the average and/or sub-par kids from my high school ended up. Only two of my graduating class went to UT. A few ended up at ATM, the valedictorian went to the Naval Academy, and EVERYBODY else went to TSU. I swore I'd never end up here, or end up a (god forbid) teacher like my parents, and everyone else in my entire family.

And here I am, happy for the first time in my life, pretty much, teaching at TSU. The irony is not lost on me. I once sincerely thanked god I didn't have to deal with "a gay thing," too, and look at me now. I think I called TSU "third rate university" way too much. I think I was a jerk about that, and now I'm sorry.

So anyway, I'm finding that I truly love my students. I did last year, and I do again this year. And, in hearing about some other classes that are being taught across the state (St. Ed's, Southwestern), I've really been considering how to meet the differing needs of my students - those of whom I have come to respect as first generation college students, speakers of different languages, immigrants, nontrads, emerging stars (who told me they were "the dumb kids who didn't REALLY get into TSU)...instead of thinking of them as the kids who ostracized me through all four years of Seguin High School. Maybe this is because of the relatively few Greek kids I have in class. Or maybe it's because Julian is a kindergartner whose teachers don't really get him and are having trouble even trying. Whatever the reason, the students look new to me this time.

And I guess I'm wondering how the rest of you are faring in different schools - who your students are and how you find yourself relating to them. Are you discovering you need to change your pedagogy, your standards, your very tone of class? Are the goals of the students different? And are yours?

Back to Cali

So here I am. BACK HOME. James and I have made the big move to Monterey Bay from Austin. I am teaching at California State University - Monterey Bay and he's at Evan-Moor, working as a senior editor. I always meant to post about this very fast move (two and half weeks ago we decided to do it), but time has been, well, fleeting. We are both tired from the last month of job hirings, the packing of bins, and the driving across the country. Now, right now I mean, I am sitting in my empty house, looking at my air bed, digesting the not-so-good Mexican food (oh Texas!). When does the moving truck arrive, you ask? Not until next Monday. It feels very very very weird to be home. But Wolfe tells me this is going to fade soon, and I'm sure it will, but damn. California. It's 76 degrees here. I ran on the beach yesterday. I wrote outside. Things I always do in Cali. How surreal. That being said, the minute I see my old lover, the Pacific, it always feels right.But it would appear, Texas has somehow inched its way into my soul. SHH, don't tell James. I'll never here the end of it.

I have 65 students. 3 sections. They asked me why I moved back to California from Texas, and before I could answer, some kid in the front went, "duh, it's CALIFORNIA." Made me laugh, cocky little fuckers.

Here's to you, friends.
You make my heart hurt.

DJ Love Fest

Here's a glowing review of Denis' new novel, Tree of Smoke.

A few kudos:

"What’s amazing is that Mr. Johnson somehow manages to take these derivative elements and turn them into something highly original — and potent."

"His heat-seeking eye for detail and his ability to render those observations in hot, tactile prose, however, immerse us so thoroughly in the fetid world of the war and the even more noxious world of espionage that they effectively erase the book’s occasional longueurs."

"He has written a flawed but deeply resonant novel that is bound to become one of the classic works of literature produced by that tragic and uncannily familiar war."

Get your papers and pencils

School is in! I'm not sure who ended up taking teaching work. I know Wolfe did and I hear rumor Sarah did. Anyone else? I ended up taking work at two schools to make it work financially. At the faith based school that meets in the ESB, I'm teaching one section--the school only offers four sections of english 1 and I'm the only adjunct in the english department. At Queensborough Community College--yes, in Queens like that lame tv show, and also the community college Tom Grimes attended--I'm teaching two sections. Does that mean I have the next Will in my class? Anyway, at QCC I'm one of fifty adjuncts in the english dept. and one of 800 at the college. Shazam, that's a lot of adjuncts.

As far as NY goes, Laura and I are settling back into life here in Brooklyn. Though--seriously, and I mean very seriously-- beer just costs way too much here in the bars. But besides that we are happy. Laura starts her phd next week and she has picked up part time work at a cool knitting store in our neighborhood for some play around scratch and a nice diversion from the rigorous study.

I do miss Texas.

Food Photos

Here are a couple pictures of food that I've been shooting for The Onion:


Key Lime Tart at Buenos Aires Cafe.


Star Cakes at Star Seeds Cafe -- the only food I actually got to eat.


Something involving fish and a frying pan at Polvos. Probably delicious!

G-town

There's nothing like moving to a new town that will make you see anew, possibly even, dare I say, inspire you to write again? Let's hope. Here's a very short and quickly growing list of things I've seen/experienced/dropped my jaw at over the past couple of weeks:

-Things close for no reason. Like the DPS on a Wednesday. (This, after three years without changing my license plates.) And gas stations (because they are "on vacation.") Gas stations. Exxon. On vacation.

-Denied for beer (trying to buy for those who helped me move), yet again, at 28, by the gas station I live behind, for having an out-of-state license. I tried to play the "I work at the university" card and it got me absolutely nowhere.

-I've been looking for furniture so I went to The Caring Place, a Methodist thrift store (note: there are 4 Methodist churches in town - the first having held services in Swedish up until a few years back) and the nicest couch I found had a used pregnancy test underneath the left cushion.

-A truck with the personalized plate: CHRUCK. And spray-painted on the back of the cab: OLD-WHITE GUY.

-Then the dream of the woman who eats books in front of me, at me.

-There's a restaurant called Chinesefood.com. That's what's in neon on the storefront. You can eat inside. I'm not sure if they deliver or if you can order online.

-$15 luncheons at the library to hear "best-selling hill country authors" read from their works.

-The bookstore on the square with the empty upcoming events calendar.

-Gray hair, pleated Dockers, antiques.

-This used to be a dry county. There's one official bar, The Office Lounge, and it's fucking scary.

This is all to say visitors are forever welcome and strongly encouraged, even those who have moved or are moving. I have a couch, sans used preggers test, which sleeps two, and a bed which used to sleep two on occasion. I'm curious to hear about everyone else's culture shocks, whether it's in the working world, a new geography, or otherwise.

New Story

My story, "Babies," is appearing in the web magazine Guernica.

kelly link

amelia, have you read any kelly link?

because, i'm rereading "magic for beginners," and thinking about you the whole time.

One more, for the road

I'd like to propose a toast....

It's tough to capture how lovely the wedding was, how lush Reno is or how beautiful Carmen and Tom looked. I was too busy crying (happy tears!) to take many pictures but here's
the get-away car (tom is wearing a sear-sucker suit and carmen's wearing this cute get-away dress). Then there's the church. The hotel. The town. And of course, the lovely couple....

So here's to Carmen and Tom and love. I never was good at toasts--somebody help me out...

Back in Brooklyn. Much culture shock. Certainly not San Marcos and not Sewanee,TN. I've taken on two more classes at Queensborough Community College. That's three classes for the fall including the one at the King's College--the one in the ESB-- and I think that'll do it for me. I have to see how the load is while trying to finish the novel.

Books by people I met--some new friends.

Currently out is Emily Mitchell's The Last Summer of the World. Check it out. Turns out she'd friends with Stacy Swann out in Cali and went to school at Brooklyn College with my new boss at the King's College.

Next up is a guy I did quite a bit of hanging around with, Jeff Parker. His book comes out this month on Tin House Press and is called Ovenman. This is some funny sh*t. If you like Tom McGuane, Hannah, et al. check it out. Plus, he's a super cool fellow and deserves to be read. I saw a glowing review over on Emerging Writers.

Next is Joshua Furst, another late-night pal from Sewanee. Josh was known to request Replacement songs from yours truly as well as Townes Van Zandt's Poncho and Lefty. He's extremely intellgent and his writing is heartbreaking. Currently, I'm reading his collection Short People. He has a novel--The Sabotage Cafe--coming out at the end of the month on Knopf. If you like smart fiction that plays around with pov check out this book. He read a portion of it at the conference and I was duly impressed.

Finally, a guy names Derik Nikitas has a book called Pyres coming out in October. It falls into the literary genre camp-- a personal favorite--and sounds like Ellroy going for cool style. Derik read on day one. I immediately made a note to buy this book when it comes out and now I encourage you to do the same.

I realized how important it is for US to support new writers. If we don't who's going support us when our books come out?

Ok, that's it for now. I promise not to mention Sewanee again, except to perhaps post a picture of me and Diane Johnson, who I have to say I'm very fond of. Who'd haver thought?

Redividing

My story "La Maison du Fada" will appear in the fall issue of Redivider.
Yip skip, I'm announcing.

holy freshmen, batman!

congrats to bc, who just got word he'll be teaching in the empire fucking state building!

writing conference update.

more great writers here than you think should be possible. most of those writers are your age. after the initial shock of this, you settle in and are inspired, challenged.

favorite moments so far. seeing barry, richard bausch on the the commandments of writing, rockin some stones front porch style till the wee wee hours, your truly on guitar, james wood, critic and senior editor at the new republic on drums made from trashcans, ashtrays, coffee cans. and oh yes, mr wood seemed to enjoy honky tonk women so much he asked for an encore performance.

making some friends. making new friends who live in NYC. that's real cool.

as for my work, tony e. has upped the anty on my novel. i realize what the novel i'm working on could be and what it is now.

let's see. it seems we are constantly having cocktail parties.

oh, carmen, jill mccorkle seems real cool. i've seen here singing on the porch drinking lite beer. i have a feeling the two of you would be good friends. her reading was excellent.

more later.

i am henry sugar

carmen is right about kevin brockmeier. i finished the brief history of the dead before i even opened it. because it is so good. i liked the truth about celia, but i devoured the brief history of the dead, and it was like being near a good friend who didn't say anything wrong, ever, or tell me that i'm over reacting, or try to open-mouth kiss me.

which hasn't happened in a long time, but still.

this is the best book i've read in a long, long time.

Happy, Happy, and Bittersweet

First the Happy:
Jack and Amelia both have upcomming or current publications. But what these demure young Masters wont say is that they also have recently encountered editors who have communicated either privately or publically that they are honored to publish their stories.

Kaulfus' "Analog is Warmer" will appear in e-mag 10 x 10 x 10. Details and links to follow.

Gray's "The Movement" is now online at STORYGLOSSIA! It was blurbed by Steven J. McDermott on his blog.

And now the bittersweet:
Coleman leaves tomorrow for the Sewanee Writers Conference and then joins Laura in NYC where she will pursue her phD in Social Work. Fiction Faculty at Sewanee this year are Richard Bausch, John Casey, Tony Earley, Diane Johnson, Randall Kenan, Alison Lurie, Jill McCorkle, and Claire Messud. Bearden will be rocking it with Tony Earley.

Buy that for a dollar

Found these two great books at Savers today for $2.50 all-told. The C.K. Williams was twenty-nine cents. I've been looking for that Shirley Jackson book for years (it includes uncollected and early unpublished stories) but I could never find it below $25. Sweet!

Also found the blazers I'll need for work. I have to wear a blazer to work? Really?

Props to Ms. Gray

This was in The Onion this week.

Writing Your Place

I'm reading Joy Williams' Honored Guest at Molfe's suggestion, and while the first four were transcendent, intense, unforgettable stories--particularly "Congress"--I'm finding the stories about Tucson are falling a little flat with me. Maybe I'm distracted by the details of my hometown, but these stories seem so much more in love with place than the first stories, which focussed more on her great, strange characters.

I've long been of the opinion that Arizona doesn't yet have its novel (recommend me one, if you disagree, probably Ed Abbey has one, though I'm thinking less along the lines of natural or social writing). Something about our non-regional dialect and a heat that's oppressive enough to keep us in climate control also keeps us from having much of a regional identity. I've read a couple good tries that attempt to crack open that non-identity identity, but nothing that sticks with me. I've certainly never tried to write Arizona--not lately, anyway.

What are the signs of a great regional story? How does it feel to read your own hometown? Is it easier to write your old home after you've left it? Many of you are already great at this stuff.

My story series work continues, working through a week-long bad-story snag I hit when I was presented with the idea that flash fiction operates on "punchline" endings--an idea I don't wholly disagree with, though that's for another post. Looks like the rain will keep us from pointing fire at the sky, cheers to that.

two links

The trailer for Feast of Love
and
a contest for the worst first sentence of a novel

now that's a happy monday

joyce help

it's shameful, but this is my first time through "Dubliners." really. i mean, i'd read a couple of the stories, but this is my first time to read them for real. does anyone have any leftover notes and/or suggestions for good outside resources for me? There's a ton of stuff out there on the net, but i'm not so into sparknotes, and TSU's library sucks.

i'm also reading Yeats for the first time.

also, i got all the way through a masters in english without ever taking a class in shakespearian lit. also, i've never read moby dick. or the crucible.

McCorkle Does it Better

Many of you have heard me sing the praises, and many of you have yourselves, of Charles Baxter's Feast of Love. If you like that structure, you may want to check out Jill McCorkle's Carolina Moon. Same structure, minus the cheezy prologue and epilogue, minus the distracting conceit that Charles Baxter--the author, is also Charles Baxter--the character.

Yep, here's my two cents guys--Jill McCorkle does it a helluva lot better.

Remember this?

The day of Michael's defense . . . .

Go, Girl!

Ab-fantab's story, Pretty Girls was "picked up" (as they say) by Bellevue Literary Review. Congratulations!!

I tend to go big when I get lazy

I freelance writing some marketing copy, ok? Check out this blurb rewrite I have to do about fashion schools in Nevada.

Hi, Sarah,

I’m sending this blurb back for a rewrite, along with the assignment spreadsheet. My concern is that you’ve made a lot of sweeping generalizations, which the request specifically warned against. Statements like “Because it's a fashion epicenter, Nevada is spilling over with fashion schools." is, at best, unsubstantiated. As a lifelong Nevada resident, I can say with all confidence that it’s NOT a fashion epicenter, and that it almost certainly is NOT “spilling over” with fashion schools.” However, this doesn’t mean a manifest lack of opportunities for Nevada-based fashion designers (you made good mention of big-name boutiques in Vegas, for example). Do a little more research on fashion opportunities in the area. Reread the request, follow the instructions, and send the blurb back ASAP. Feel free to write me with any questions you may have about content, formatting, research, etc.

Best,

THE MAN

Now, then. You Guys. Freelancing.

I'm Just Saying.

p.s. Ms. Gray, you KNOW who sent me this.

it's impolite to read on a lunchdate

All right. I'm currently washing windows. I'm not hating it, but what I am hating is the all-too-familiar internal cringe when someone asks, innocently enough, what I do. I feel like it's classist to be ashamed of doing what I do, and besides, I love the company, what it stands for, and the people who employ me. And I hate qualifying what I'm currently doing with "I just graduated, and I'm looking for a job," even though it's true, and probably smart to say so to EVERYBODY, since according to Barbara Ehrenreich in "Bait and Switch," nobody gives a shit about your paper resume (don't, by the way, pick up that book right now. Wait until you are gainfully employed in a career you love).

So, my problem is that while I don't want to necessarily wash windows forever, I'm loathe to enter into the job search market. And suddenly, I have a friend who is emailing me tips like "don't take a summer vacation from your job search! It takes three to six months to move into a management position!" and offering books on networking called: "Never Eat Alone."

AAGGH!

I feel like it's important to maybe go to a lunch with an academic adivsor since I'll be applying for some academic advising jobs come August. I think that's wise. I think I can handle a lunch with someone who might be able to help me. But it really throws the fear of god into me to think that I might need to buy a suit and start attending power lunches.

I'm just saying.

Summer (Book) Lovin

Since I don't think I'm going to be allowed out of my cube for a vacation this summer (the lovely ms. Dee's wedding doesn't count because it is only a weekend and I'm going to be so excited that I won't want to pull out my book light and reading glasses), here's some good beach books.
(These are according to the Longhorn Literati--which you'll notice includes Van, my beloved creative writing teacher from undergrad).

The reason I bring this up is that lately I've seen a ton of these types of features (take note ms gray--I smell a very funny satire). There are everywhere: they are on NPR, in those horribly addictive women's magazines, in newspapers, college web pages. I know what Barbara Kingsolver's reading, what maude from that blog I read and michael silverblat from bookworm recommend.

And then I was thinking that in our three years as bobcats, we learned eachothers writing heros and sheros. Bearden =Barry. Tracy = Willa Cather. But I don't know what you read to relax. So...what's in your proverbial beach bag?

This is How We Rolled

I was promised to secrecy, made to take a serious, serious oath that invovled blood letting, feathers, and a hoop of cheese so as to insure I would never share this recipe with anyone still within the boundaries of Texas. But, you know....
2 shots tequila
1 shot Cointreau
2 shots simple syrup
2 squeezed limes
add1 or 2 tteaspoons of olive juice, if you prefer dirty
serve with olives=
poof, a Mexican Martini

Baby Got Job

Molfey's working the DOMAIN, Bearden the DEPOT, and now I've gone and done grown up, too. On July 6th (after a trip to Seattle and Vancouver) I'll be assuming the title of Grand Poobah of Junior Estimating for a commercial flooring company. Nice people, decent salary, VCT galore. A Junior Estimator in Texas. I never dared dream.

Good Reads

So there's this site, Good Reads, and it's a little almost like myspace, but for people who read. You simply enter what you've read and rate each book on a five-star scale and look at what everyone else is reading. It's a good thing really.

And Front Porch 3.0 is here, in case you didn't know. Help spread the word. Wo rd.

No Country for Old Men Movie Clips

Check out these clips for No Country for Old Men, slated for release in November. I'm usually not a clip-watcher, but I had to see what the Coen brothers were going to do with it. I was worried they'd cast John Goodman as Ed Tom Bell, Clooney as Llewelyn, etc, but it looks fantastic. I'm loving Javier Bardem as Chigurh, even if his haircut does make him slightly resemble a little lad.

I'm reading The Pugilist at Rest and hoping for rain.

Once upon a mini-workshop

I heard one of our workshop leaders talking about this, and I just thought it was one of those writer rumors. I remember thinking that it would make a funny comedy sketch for an improv troup or SNL. But no, Tim never lies. The Quills are here...
Check out the nominees. Check out the categories. What is going on? Who are these people and what is going to happen when they get on television? Can writers be sincere on television? Besides the big names (you know, dorrie greenspan and amy sedaris and old cormac mcC) which books have we collectively read? Who is hosting the central texas party when this crashes into our televisions? I'm saving up for some top shelf tequilla.

rockin Mexico City, now have strep

Laura and I just got back from deep in the heart of Mexico where we were doing a sponsor project/vacation. We are involved with one of those organizations that let's you sponsor kids--you know "for the cost of a cup of coffee..." We sponsor a little boy in Mexico and a girl in Ethiopia. Anyway, we went down with a group and met our little boy. It was humbling beyond belief.

We also saw some of the sights of Mexico City. It felt a lot like New York and got us pumped to move back to the big city. Here's Laura's blog . Everyday this week she's throwing up pictures of the trip. She started yesterday, so scroll down a little to the beginning.

Also, I picked up strep down there on the last day and Laura got muy inferma in the stomach. Now she's fine and I'm on penicillin and a high doseage of pain pills. Did I mention that I started teaching at Badgerdog today? and that eight of my ten students were born in Korea? and the other two--brothers--are first generation from India? And, oh yes, I start back up again behind the cash register at the Kyle Home Depot. Swing by if you need a peice of plywood or a plunger.

The Work

Justin and I successfully moved Rebecca's massive credenza into my new place. The furniture-moving spirits smiled on us, and we didn't even run into the walls in the stairwell. I'm writing this from my desk, which faces a window with no screen in it. I was going to tell the landlord, but I like the view better without the screen, and now I have an easy exit if this writing thing doesn't pan out.

My project continues. There are good days and bad -- here's one of the bad, 6/8 AM:

Hey baby, you give me hives. You're lucky, because I happen to think it's an essential function of any relationship that one party be covered in hives at all times. Even in business relationships, and even secret hives. You know what I'm talking about.

I love 6/8 AM like an ugly child.

I have errands to run today, but if anyone wants to come over after work for some pie, I should be around.

blue goat, M26

here are a couple of pictures from the past year. carmen, i've got more if you want me to send them along.

More Pics from Grad Night

Taken by my father (so Im in every picture). Oh well. Enjoy!

P.S Abby, where the hell were you when we were taking these? I love you, girl!

Honeymoons Over

So today was my grand re-entry into the writing world. After taking a good long month (and a half) off from writing, today I sat down to let the magic happen.

In a phrase: It didnt.

I wrote a horrible three paragraphs (in two hours) about a girl in rehab who must rat out a friend to the police. It was REALLY BAD. I scrapped the whole thing except for this line:

"We hang out in bars."

So day one of being a writer post-MFA has gone pretty much as bad as it can go. But tomorrows a new day. Ill let you know how it goes.

I have some pics from graduation I want to post on the site, does anyone know how to do that?

Love all you guys.