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.