From the inbox

This is the best email I've received in YEARS!

"Dear Friends of American Short Fiction,

As the year draws to a close, we are putting the finishing touches on our first issue of 2009, our biggest and most ambitious to date: nine authors ranging from the renowned Joyce Carol Oates to the emerging writers Rachel B. Glaser and Amelia Gray. . .

Can't wait to see it!

AWP - Chicago 2009

Anybody going?

Totally

I've started reading the comics again because I can't stand waking up to real news anymore. This is today's F Minus.

One Sentence

Kind of awesome:

One Sentence: True Stories Told in One Sentence

Friday funny

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

This makes me wish we had done a musical while we were all in Texas.

Happy Cyber Monday?

It is the time of year when people start making lists. Even though the "best of" lists only cover a year (and some years are more fruitful then others), I always get sucked in. I always read the list and look for new voices, female voices, young voices, voices that aren't Roth. I sometimes regress and decide that the literati is something moldy and obsessed with 9/11. Then, I root for my favorite authors and try to figure out who made my list this year.

So here's the NY Times books of the times (they will narrow this list to 10 on Wednesday).


But more importantly who made your list this year? Or if you are like me and have a three year delay (hello! who can afford hardbacks?), what's the best book you've read recently?

UPDATE: Here are NPR's Lists

books for juniors

So, everytime I come here and ask for suggestions for books/stories, there are many, many good suggestions. And I always end up taking them, and my class is grateful. This means I'm going to keep shamelessly using you for lesson plans.

Last year, the sophomores read "Fight Club," and they loved it so much they quote it all the time. Now I have them as juniors, and they can apply any number of analytical processes to it. If I'm explaining something new, I can say, remember that time in "Fight Club" when...and they get it.

This was some successful teaching last year. I need another book like that. Something exciting and freaky and banned in some states. Something cool and socially relevant, but still smart and literary and all that. I was thinking Bret Easton Ellis, but I think he's kind of dated now. Or, the books I've read are dated - Less Than Zero and American Psycho and Rules of Attraction. I can pretty much do anything I want. Last year, she also taught "Geek Love."

And I'd like to introduce them to somebody other than Palahniuk - just because some have already gone out and read "Choke," and I want them to see there are other writers out there doing similar, wonderful stuff. I was thinking about Jesus' Son, but that's a little short - I'd like something we have to spend time on.

I was going to make them read "The Road," but somebody told me I'd up the teen suicide rate.

Any suggestions?

Confession

When I went for my interview outside of Chicago (cold, middle of a cornfield, bleak but charming, went well by all stretches of my imagination, still haven't heard anything), I was able to spend a day in Chicago visiting my old haunts, including one of my favorite bookstores in the city, where I found the anthology I'm in healthily stocked on the shelves! I had no idea it was out! It was a pretty great moment that - job or no job - made the trip worthwhile.

And then, check out how narcissistic I am: first, I told the employees ringing me up how happy I was that they had it in stock, and that I was buying two because I am in the book. I wanted the world to stop. I wanted everyone in that store, on the street, all through Chicago to stop what they were doing because they'd heard me. When that didn't happen I asked them if they had ever had authors sign anthologies, or if they'd ever even heard of such a thing, because I sure haven't, but damn did it seem like a good idea, to try on the life of a writer again (in a big city! my favorite bookstore!). One of them said, "No. Never." We all agreed. I handed him my credit card, not even sure if I had enough credit to buy a book I'm in (even journals give you two copies!). I said, "Yeah, me either." I signed my slip, more self-conscious than I've ever been of my signature (too vertical, too nervous, too horizontal, too squished, so White-Outable. Why didn't I try harder in high school, filling margins during Chemistry, Saturday school, abandoned notes? Seriously, when does one get signature practice?) The other employee said, "Suppose it wouldn't really hurt sales." We all awkwardly shrugged, agreed. I thought that after I left maybe one of the workers would push the cash register's "No Sale" button and find my receipt, check out the book during a break, maybe remember my name. That's what I was hoping for. And then there I am signing an anthology that I'm 1/18 or 1/20 of, because one of the employees had gotten the stack off of the shelves when I was leaving; I was happy to be carrying a bag of anything, because it proved that I'd actually been shopping, out onto the streets of a cold Chicago. They watched me sign, and I did so quickly, like a pro. I whipped through those cover pages (front matter?) like it was a hassle, like this was the last stop on tour. Now there's an "Autographed Copy" sticker on 10 covers somewhere, maybe still on those shelves, maybe in a lap, and I'm in love with them.

p.s. Right next to a half-naked S & M cover!

sf where are you?

These fires scare me. How and where are you and your family, Faulk?
I hope everything is okay.

Jentel

For those of you who don't know, Mark and I quit our jobs and are taking a year to focus on writing (we call it the Barrggenheim). We've also applied to several artists residencies, and we were both just accepted to Jentel in Wyoming. We're very excited to write on the ranch!

books on writing

Can somebody point me in the direction of some good books of essays on writing? This summer, I read Baxter's "Burning Down the House," "On Writing" by Eudora Welty, and a bit of DuFresne's (sp) book about truths and lies or whatever. I've also tried to read Joyce Carol Oates' book, and Stephen King's. Baxter's essays were pretty great, but I don't remember a thing about them now that I don't have the book right in front of me. And the others were just okay. Lately, the only essays that have stuck with me are Octavia Butler's in "Blood Child."

I feel a little lost with the writing right now. But when I went to the book fair and heard Richard Price and ZZ Packer and Andrew Sean Greer and Robert Boswell and Mark Jude Poirer talking about craft and stuff, I remembered all kinds of things and got fired up again. I guess I just want somebody good in my ear saying they didn't know what they were doing, either. But then they discovered how and all that. Point me to those books.

If oxford researchers can

compile a list of the ten most irritating expressions

(1- At the end of the day

2 - Fairly unique

3 - I personally

4 - At this moment in time

5 - With all due respect

6 - Absolutely

7 - It's a nightmare

8 - Shouldn't of

9 - 24/7

10 - It's not rocket science)



then why can't we?
Well maybe b/c we aren't curmudgeons. But I'm seriously sick of the word "seriously". and I am all for bringing back some old classics like "talk to the hand."

AM/PM

Do keep commenting on Molfe's post below, as I am currently a rotten egg.

Announcing: Featherproof Books has accepted AM/PM, my collection of linked short-shorts, for publication. The release date is set for mid-February, aligned with AWP. It is going to be a thing.

cha cha cha

I'm starting a new unit on autobiography/memoir for comp 1 and need your favorites/best ideas for short nonfiction, documentaries, music, whatever that either move you or simply work well in the classroom. We just read Sarah Vowell's "Shooting Dad" and then I read them a profile from the Texas Monthly about a professional trapper out in west Texas. Not really sure why I read them the trapper piece other than finding it oddly beautiful and full of voice. Gimme yer guns! And this time we're gonna play a game called Whoever comments last is a rotten egg.

Happy Halloween Regionalism?!

Some nostalgia today for our first year in the program. Tell me some good jokes, or your best Halloween costume, trick, memory. (I meant to post this this morning, but I've been busy. First trick or treaters just arrived at the new digs in NM.) I guess my best or funniest Halloween memories are my brother getting busted for taking a hatchet to some old guy's tree (my brother was Jason that year), or me going as Richard Nixon, wearing one of my dad's suits, at ten years old, and telling an Alzheimer's joke. Today I had a Chinese Emperor, crunk dancer and Samurai Warrior in my classes.

H20 update**So all these kids are coming to my door sticking their hands out, and I keep saying, "What?! What's your trick?" or, "Do you have a joke for me?" See, growing up in my neck of the suburban woods, you had to earn your candy. Apparently not so in the great Southwest. I stressed over my trick or treat joke every year, even the Alzheimer's one. We absolutely HAD to tell a joke before we got our piece of candy. I need to know if this is/was regional, suburban, old, pagan, whatever. I'm totally pissed that I can't even laugh tonight but instead have to make kids cry even though I'm giving them candy.

Story

The Two of You is up at Barrelhouse.

Dinner

My story "Dinner" is live at Shelf Life Magazine.

In The News

I just logged on to salon.com, and guess what's in the top stories on the 24/7 Wire?

Gardner-Webb Beats Presbyterian!

Growl!

Purple Novel

They're fierce political opponents, but it turns out that the presidential candidates do agree on a literary matter: Each man picks Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls as a favorite.
Read on for comments from Robert Stone.

You are not required to read this

My story formerly known as "pretty girls" made the notable list for the best american nonrequired reading 2008.

I miss you.

To Build A Fire With A Glass of Water

For those of you who teach power and privilege, race, civil rights, economic hardship, etc, here's a great site (I sure could have used it back in the 1310 days) with some interesting lesson plans: understanding prejudice .

It wants to be a single word

Keep praising Jack below. I just found a couple of links and haven't posted in quite some time. On the unapologetic, crazy ambition of the short story; and a story by Dago in last month's Harpers.

Exclamation Marks!

I got a piece of flash into barrelhouse online!

And guess what? It's not about gender.

Future Serial Killer

www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/03/australia.zoo.carnage.ap/index.html

I think we all have to write a story about this.

I can't help it; I really wanted the article to end with "and then the crocodile ate the boy."

Ouch

"The U.S. is too isolated, too insular. They don't translate enough and don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature," Engdahl said. "That ignorance is restraining."

Endahl=permanent secretary, voting member, spokesman for the secretive panel that selects the winners of the nobel prize in literature.

This article was, I think, originally posted in the nytimes. It is kind of fun to read the comments pile up on the nytimes book blog, papercuts.

Also, guess who's birthday it is, today?

Another good article

I'm sorry I'm always a-postin.

Burried in a pretty funny article about writers who teach, was this little fact.

Writers are second only to medical students in instances of hypochondria

Learn something new every day.

Cool article

Students who had had more exposure to fiction tended to perform better on social ability and empathy tests

Infinite Jest

David Foster Wallace died.

Thinking about you now

Any dispatches from Texas?

I'm glued to the t.v. and worried.

Stranger than fiction

Wow, best selling authors are a wild set

Someone needs to write a one act play of the events leading up this, um, unfortunate event.

Victoria, we have a birthday!

Wowzer's it's an important day!

Richard Wright. Kodak. Geronimo. And most importantly...Carmen!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Bobcat boogie

Carmen mentioned this a while back. Here's a video. Aren't there like seven hundred billion strutters, are these the super strutters?

UPDATE: Here's a longer clip in this one sharon talks! (Thanks Tina!!!)

Another one of my cool friends

First, please pay attention and respond to the two posts below this. (i don't want to end those threads)

Second, besides all of you, I have another cool friend, perhaps familiar because I have posted about his art. But he's got a new blog it seems and boy, is it funny. Please join him and me in hating McCain. www.housekeysformccain.blogspot.com

Keyhole Magazine

"The Picture Window" is up today. I somehow have to teach tomorrow.

The Birds and the Bees

This reminded me of Amelia's story about the vultures.

And I just have to share these random videos.

Query

does anyone find themselves drinking too much or way too often and at normaly considered inappropriate times of the morning, I mean day?

I need more stuff

Can anybody suggest:

1. short stories by American authors that are mini-quests - ike Araby, maybe, or A&P, or On the Rainy River. Except not those.

2. short stories by American authors that are not pulpy sci-fi, but depict a dystopian American future

Roadrunners

I took four classes at UNM for the fall, so I'll be sticking around ABQ a few more months. The campus is flat, so is the architecture, and I will teach in a building near a pretty duck pond. Part of my required orientation next week is to learn how to use the copy machine. There is also an ice breaker. I hate ice breakers. In my experience ice has never broken; it melts. And ice breakers harden my heart.

Other, more interesting news:

Rebecca's story is now up on Agni's site. It's good and makes me jealous. Although it inspired me to submit again yesterday to three new places.

Happy birthday to Jack and Amelia. I think they both have birthdays this weekend.

You can now pre-order Cool Thing, the anthology that promises to make me gay famous.

The other day I read about a German priest who has people lie in open graves as a form of therapy. (I'm not sure if that's the correct use of lie, but I like it.)

The 5 Things Show Comes to Austin

I mentioned a few posts back that I'm thinking of starting a reading series, and now things are starting to actually happen. I found a great venue in the form of the fabulous do512 offices on South Lamar. I've got the date: second Friday of every month, starting September 12.

And now, I have the concept: I buy/find 5 things fitting in a theme and distribute them to five funny people. Fiction writers, poets, standup comedians, improv types, musicians--a good mix for each show. Their goal, in turn, is to create a funny, short (5 minute-ish) piece inspired by their object, which they bring to share. Part show-and-tell, part art. One dollar admission buys the band their beer.

The goal is to have a fun show that brings fun artists together. Because I miss having writers around, and I miss you guys. If you're in town, I hope you can read for me. I have a few spots left for the first show...

Ronald Sukenick ABR Innovative Fiction Prize

Heads up folks, if you're interested:
Now announcing that the Ronald Sukenick American Book Review Innovative Fiction Prize is about to commence.

Applications open on August 15th and run through November 1st.

Application Fee $25
Prize $1,000 and publication by FC2
Manuscripts need to be bound with a spring clip or rubber band, no stapples or binding please.

For more of the necessary info go to www.fc2.org

I should also reassure everyone too--I'm not asking you to submit to this contest, because I'm going to pick my friends as the winners and runner-ups. I have nothing to do with this FC2 contest besides receiving the manuscripts and then mailing them to people in Utah. So this is totally legit.

We still haven't got the website completely updated with the recent move of FC2 from Florida to Victoria, TX so if you notice that, don't become alarmed. Contest rules and info are correct as well as the address to which you send the manuscript.

Meeting Your Daily Laugh Quotient One Site at a Time

Please do yourself a favor and go to the website www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com

You Whities!
(lest that be taken as white person agression, I should add that I am so white it's shameful and embarrassing.)

Question

I just received in the mail a solicitation to purchase season tickets for Texas State Football. On the front page of the pamphlet, under a montage of celebrating helmet-clad youths, is the tag:

"BOBCAT PRIDE: THE ULTIMATE TEST DRIVE."

My question: what will this test drive prepare me to buy? Some other type of pride, perhaps? A more ultimate pride? Or do I have to commit to Bobcat Bobcat?

I'm thinking of starting a monthly reading series. It's a lot of work.

Dolly, Strutters, and a new pair of shoes

Hurricane Dolly is making our move a little difficult. We are safe and fine, but the rain is not our friend.

The Texas State Strutters won advancement to Las Vegas on a television show called "America's Got Talent" or something like that. I'm not sure of the exact name of the show.

I haven't bought new shoes in a long time, but it seemed I needed a third thing for the title of this post. What's the newest pair of shoes you guys have purchased? Or your favorite natural disaster?

Advice

Last month, I finished the story I posted on google groups, and then sent it to a million places. The impetus for finishing it, finally, was an email I got from the Adirondack Review, saying they wanted another story - the one that went into "I Am This Meat."

I finished it, I sent it in, and today I got an acceptance from them, with the caveat of what seems like a major rewrite. I checked out their site, and have found that they are now exclusively an online journal. I could have sworn I'd seen them on the shelves at the UT bookstore. I thought they were print, or, you know, that awesome combination of both.

I really wanted this story to find a home in print somewhere, though, because my other two stories are in online journals, and I have this hangup. But here's my question: should I take the acceptance from AR and suck it up and rewrite so I have another publication under my belt, even though it's not print? I'm not fucking Johnathan Franzen. It's not like I can be picky about shit.

Or should I wait for the print rejections to come pouring in in about four months?

Postcards from the Edge

Here are some pics from my weekend trip to northern New Mexico or, reasons to visit.


View from a road between Christ in the Desert Monastery and O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch.

View from inside the church at the monastery.

From the Rio Grande Gorge bridge, near Taos (there's a scene from Natural Born Killers that was filmed here).

DH Lawrence memorial.

View from the Lawrence ranch.

Road to nowhere.

Things you find when lost that don't make you feel any better.

My dot

Everyone is moving around. I see the dots on the map. Mine is Black Mountain, NC--even though that is half an hour from where I am right now. I see Michael's and Carmen's and Amelia/Jack/Rebecca's and I see Jack's in the valley dot and I see Sarah and Bearden on opposite ends of the country. I just want to know where you each are. Emotionally, creatively, physically.

I guess that is a weirdo question. Because I don't know how to answer it. I don't even know where I am. I busted out of Texas so fast, I feel like I don't recognize anything. I didn't know how to say goodbye, so I didn't. My house sold. I told the lady who bought it that Dago and Denis had been there and that Barry had stayed across the street. She listened, but I could tell she'd never heard of any of them. It felt haunted by us though, I'll tell you that. The emptier it got, the more I remembered our time there. North Carolina is pretty and it smells good. But I am not here yet. I'm here. But I'm off in the clouds. Running errands all the time.

I miss you. check in.

AGNI online

My story "City of Bridges" (formerly "Slanina in Prague"...sex, graveyard, ashes) has been accepted for publication on AGNI-online. Details TBA.

Sweeping Generalizations

This caught my eye today while I was on the Chronicle website. The article defends the notion that lecturers shouldn't be evaluated on students opinions alone -- and with good reason! I'm sure I've had students complain about me to department heads using all the standard gripes: grades ("I don't understand why this essay got a C"), fairness ("I think she hates George Bush and therefore hates all Republicans, which is what I am), and rigor ("She expects us to read this ten page Alice Munro short story!").

Besides the fact that my number one way to deal with students when they come to me with their excuses is to say: figure it out.

So yeah, I'm definitely on it.

http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2008/05/2008052001c/careers.html

Announcing

My story "Backbone" is a finalist in Redivider's 2nd Annual Quickie Contest, and "There Will Be Sense" is a finalist in the DIAGRAM Innovative Fiction Contest. The latter will appear in DIAGRAM's summer issue.

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

The New York Times has a piece on a new British book called “1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.” (It is technically 1002 books if you count the guidebook.) The actual list can be found here.

I was surprised to see House of Leaves, personally, and Finnegans Wake might be better suited for the sequel, "1001 Books You Must Pretend to Read Before You Die." Which books on the big list could you do without?

Lynda Barry

I'm big fan of Lynda Barry, thanks to Bianca. I teach the first chapter of her novel Cruddy in 1320, and every single semester, there has been at least one student to go out and buy the book and read it and come back to me completely freaked out.

Cruddy is truly the most harrowing book I've ever read. So much so that it took me about three months of putting it down and picking it up again to get through it the first time. I have yet to read it again in its entirety, but it's up there in my top five books of all time.

She's a cartoonist, and she painted the first draft of Cruddy (it's about 250 pages). I'm just saying.

Bianca found this today. She has a new book out about process.

Finally, a REAL job....

This seems such a strange announcement. But I'm not making this up. I got a job. One with job security, one where I won't be on the chopping block every new semester. Starting in August, I am The Writer's Liason for FC2 Publications at The University of Houston in Victoria, Texas. Part glorified secretary, part editor, part already convinced I'm going to fuck this job up and fuck it up bad, I'm just mostly excited.

I am so excited.

An article that made me lose sleep and start writing and the 08s that made me dance

First, the article:
I don't know what to say about this. It made me revisit my quirkiest story. It also made me feel like I have questionable taste. Like I'm not special or something.

And now commencement:
They didn't hood the MFA--or any of the masters candidates---this year. I guess it was a time saver. But it was sad so here's a pic of us looking sad.





Jack and I were there as adjuncts this year and so we took it upon ourselves to hood the Johns so that's what's going on in the second picture.

In other graduation news, Susan P. finished at UT. Robin, who is with child again (hooray!!!) graduated this semester. Katya did too. And also those other 08s we all know and love.

Yesterday the 08s held a prom at club de ville. My date was Michael. Maybe I will post a picture of us doing the wizard dance move when I can.

I don't have pictures from the KAP reading...

but a year ago today we were reading and singing and clapping for ourselves.


It doesn't seem like it has been a year. Some days it seems like it has been ten years. Some days I still look for your cars at the river pub. Wonder what next year will feel like.

Kevin Brockmeier at BookPeople

I'm editing this post to add some literary content. I realized after I posted the link that it was kind of the blogger's equivalent to posting a dilbert cartoon, or perhaps a picture of a funny looking cat with the caption of "don't talk to me before my morning coffee!" So, I'll leave it at the bottom, but add some content, as well.

I mistakenly saw Kevin Brockmeier at BookPeople last night - I caught the end of his reading and picked up his new collection of short stories "The View From the Seventh Layer." By the time I got up there, he was earnestly invested in the Q&A, and I was very sorry I had missed the meat of the reading. He handed out a list of his Fifty Favorite Books, though, and I thought I might post his top ten here. Just because. Also, in answer to Abby's last post, I think I might choose a few books from his longer list to put on my summer reading list.

Here, also, is an interview with him in which he talks about several of these books.

1. A Death in the Family, James Agee
2. THe Complete Short Stories, JG Ballard
3. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
4. The Baron in the Trees, Italo Calvino
5. Orthodoxy, GK Chersterton
6. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
7. All the Days and Nights, William Maxwell
8. Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars, Daniel Pinkwater
9. The His Dark Materials Trilogy, Philip PUllman
10. Housekeeping, Marilyn Robinson


From Meg Rosoff's website: "secrets to becoming a successful writer."

Summer reading

So this got me thinking about summer reading lists. (Do you make them? Are they shaped by your friends or your interests or what? Basically I want to know not what you are reading, but what you are planning on reading this summer and why?)

A snapshot of student reading habits over two decades
From Why do Men Have Nipples? to the novels of J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen, surveys identify ephemeral, and enduring, undergrad reading choices


And here's an unrelated anecdote about Harper Lee (happy birthday, Lady!!!) from the Writer's Almanac:

To support herself while writing, she worked for several years as a reservation clerk at British Overseas Airline Corporation and at Eastern Air Lines. In December of 1956, some of her New York friends gave her a year's salary along with a note: "You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas." She decided to devote herself to writing and moved into an apartment with only cold water and improvised furniture.

Cupey Cake

This is a picture of a piece of paper I found in a hotel tablet that I stole from the Days Inn. It was a Days Inn Amelia and I stayed at when we went to Carmen's wedding. I've had the tablet forever, but never got to the middle where I found this treasure.

What's going to happen?

Yesterday, Jack mentioned an article in the University Star about Texas State severing ties with the Mitte Foundation. (Their website is under construction or I'd post it.) I mentioned it to Michael and he found it in the NY Times, the Chronicle, and the Austin American Statesman.

Robert Stone

Wish I was in Texas for Robert Stone's visit to TSU. Anyone going?

I paid something like 15 bucks back in the fall to hear Stone interview Ken Burns for The War doc. It was O.K. At least in was in a nice space-- the NYPL--and there was free wine. I wish I could hear him talk only about books.



I

Maiestro List

As we come up on the blog's birthday (MAY!!!!), I think we should have a master list of places we've been published and long works we've completed. First of all--is this a bad plan???? I don't want to violate anyone's privacy, but between us we've written a novel, been anthologized, started a journal,started countless jobs and Amelia alone has been published ten zillion times. I'm losing track. Thoughts??

My idea is that we could list them as a links function in the sidebar with titles like "we work", "we've been published" and "we've written" or something like that?

Process

I've never written a song, but reading about Suzanne Vega's songwriting process on this blog, made me think of how much my process has changed since I was a tween.

Uncovering a stash of my old journals dating back to the late 80's didn't hurt either. I guess that's the upside of packing.

I miss talking about process with you all.

Reading

Hey, barring any more trouble with American Airlines, Patrick Ryan will be reading at my school this Tuesday from 4-5 pm. I've been teaching his first book, Send Me, to my College Writing classes, and I was fortunate enough to get some money from my department for him to visit. I hope you can make it. Email me if you're interested and I'll give you directions/more info. And pass the word along to anyone else who might be interested.

Nobleness Strikes Back!

This has been cracking me up today.

Teaching with an MA in CW?

Here's a random question for the blog: how possible is it to teach with an MA in Creative Writing? A friend of mine was accepted into Boston's MFA program with no funding and Cincinnati's MA/CW program with a full ride, TAship, and salary. I say it's a no brainer to go to Ohio but he worries that finding a job will be more difficult.

twofold

First, I want to ask about the google groups thing, now that we've all had some time to look at it. A few folks have posted already, which is awesome, and leads me to this question: how does this format feel to you? and will this format serve our needs as writers and readers? and if not, is there perhaps a better venue? If the answers all point to google groups, I'll throw down the deadline (for those of us who really need the deadline to do anything. me.)

Also, I'm reading Watership Down to the boys. It's my favorite book of any book ever, still, after fifteen years of reading a whole bunch of probably much better books, and the boys are enjoying it a lot. I turned out the light tonight and Max asked if there was another Watership Down after this one (he reads a lot of series books like Jaques and Rowling), and I told him sadly, no, just something called Tales from Watership Down, which is not really a sequel. Just a supplement.

And then I closed the door and got to thinking about the trip I took with my family one Christmas to Cancun, and about how I'd gone to the bookstore with them beforehand. It was my first trip to Barnes and Noble. I think I was 19. I got Tales from Watership Down and Shirley Jackson's Just an Ordinary Day. Jackpot. I still remember that plane trip, and the experience of reading those particular books, one after the other. I hadn't even known about these books before I stepped inside the B&N.

Growing up, my bookstores were mall bookstores. My birthday presents entailed trips to B Dalton. I never went to the dismal public library much after elementary school. We had a tiny Hastings in Seguin, but there were few shelves that weren't full of bestsellers and romance novels. In high school, I managed to get my hands on the annotated Lolita there (romance), but otherwise, pickings were slim. I thought that real books could only be found at North Star Mall. That was it. I think I depended on my brother's hand me downs and the scholastic book club thing that came around three or four times a year.

How did you get your books? Before the internet happened? Before monster chain bookstores?

29 is a beautiful number

How about a rousing bi-coastal round of "for he's a jolly good fellow" in honor of the birth of one Mr. Wolfe.

We raise our pens to you, friend!

Cool!

My story "I'll Pay You Back When I Get Home" has been accepted for the anthology Cool Thing, to be published by Running Press in Fall '08. Here's the blog.

Also, dialogue vs. dialog?

Do you all have a preference? I've only ever used dialogue. I know both are acceptable, but the frequency of dialog I've seen lately makes me wonder if I missed a memo? Maybe I haven't paid attention? Ever?

Foundation chief Mitte arrested in cocaine case

By Joshunda Sanders Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 10:51 AM

Scott Mitte, president of the board of the philanthropic Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation, was charged Monday with cocaine possession after sheriff’s officials found about an ounce of the drug in his car, Travis County sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade said.

According to an arrest affidavit, Mitte, whose full name is Michael Scott Mitte, was working with the sheriff’s office as a cooperating individual (also known as a criminal informant) to help officials gain access to an illegal drug supplier.

When he showed up for the operation at about 11:30 a.m. at the sheriff’s department headquarters on Airport Boulevard, officials searched his two-door 2008 Silver Porsche and found about an ounce of cocaine inside a pack of Marlboro 100’s ultra lights cigarettes.

Sheriff’s officials routinely search the vehicles of civilians aiding in such operations.

When the cocaine was found, Mitte said to the investigator, “I’m sorry, I (messed) up.”

Wade said Mitte, 51, admitted that the cocaine was his and was immediately arrested. He was released from jail Monday after posting bail of $20,000, Wade said.

Mitte was unable to be reached for comment this morning and his lawyer did not return calls seeking comment. The executive director of the Mitte Foundation, Cheryl Nolting, said the foundation also had no comment on the incident.

According to the Mitte Foundation Web site, Mitte is a native Texan who graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in history in 1991. He is the senior vice president of the Mitte Foundation, and he manages its six-member board.

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Animated Poetry

I just found this animated film of the Billy Collins poem "The Country," and I think it might be good for the classroom.

There are a few more animated poems of his on youtube, as well.

I'm teaching a unit on visual art and story, so if you have any suggestions or ideas, pass them on.

Where the Wind Blows

Abby got the job, folks. She's probably in the process of calling all of you who are not in this building, but I wanted to post it up here, anyway.

The Wipers

Was anyone else forced to watch these in junior high school? I was, by Ms. Demars, during second period in the annex. This morning I'm marveling at the amount of suck I endured throughout my english education.

Post Program Vices

I've been playing this vocabulary game called free rice. I read about it in the NYtimes. It is a vocabulary game, but when you answer correctly they donate rice to people who need it.

Any new guilty pleasures?

for all you teachers out there

I ran into Honor Mooreman yesterday (she and stephanie are the senior lecturers at TSU that teach the undergraduate english teachers how to be teachers). I found this video from her blog (www.englishteacherteacher.blogspot.com) . Highly recommended, it is full of resources (see the blog roll especially). Just wanted to share. Also www.readwritethink.org has some good lesson plan ideas (for those paper turn in days).

Two step

I am lamenting that we don't all live together in the same old great city/region/state. Today was an exciting day here. Bill Clinton came to the LBJ student center to hug a bobcat or two. (I was teaching so I missed the big unexpected visit). There was the primary and then the caucus and now the long wait for the results. I feel like we'd all be at the river pub right now trading funny stories.

Google Group

Sarah suggested the possibility of a Google Group in the last post, so I want to ask you some questions.

If I set up a group, what is the likelihood that you might like to participate in a monthly (or quarterly - I'm not asking for miracles) read and respond thing?

Here's what I think: We wouldn't have to call it a workshop, we wouldn't have to necessarily post finished pieces, and we wouldn't necessarily even have to post fiction. Two good paragraphs, 75 good words, an ancient and confusing first draft, the fragment of a poem, an essay, whatever.

That way, there would be a deadline, but it would not be a deadline for a story. It would be a deadline for whatever you happened to be working on, at whatever stage. And maybe there could be 2-way conversation between author and readers?

So that's what I think.

What do you think?

What Would You Do?

So I met with a student today to talk about a story of hers or his that was workshopped on Tuesday. Yes, I'm privileged. But it comes with some responsibility, some serious responsibility, like when you see what a student is capable of and you start to consider the potential influence you may have and, in the best, most humbly capable moment, despite his or her having no aspirations whatsoever for a writing life, decide that he or she needs to be encouraged, stoked, need I say inspired to tell the truth, and then something inside you crumbles. A little bit. It's sad. And exciting. Right? If not, then it's just another kid who needs a degree, and creative writing is nothing more than college writing is nothing more or less than biology or philosophy or dance.

So I sent this person an afterthought email, kind of like Dago was famous for after a workshop. And it was this wonderful purge where I got to talk about writing, specific to a story and author, and I pressed send without caring what the student would think but knowing that it had felt good to write it - that it was honest, that it had helped me to write it - and to send it, to communicate about writing. I guess what I'm saying is, can we all talk about writing again? Concretely. Because I miss it even though I'm talking about it, and doing it and living it, however clumsily and resentfully. This (writing, reading), I think, is the only thing that's real. I tell my students that Story is my religion, like any other, and most of them look at me like I'm insane. Is it not? Can you serve two masters? If I could take a graduate degree in myth or story right now, then I would, but I'm afraid I already have. Will you guys tell me I'm crazy? Or help. Until then, I'll continue to follow my own, and do as I've suddenly started preaching: lie, fantasize, dream, wonder, fear, risk, change, fight, surrender. Guided reading, solitary living, boingo boingo fun fun!, yearn for more discipline (DEADLINES!), fuck it all and do nothing. And in doing nothing know what's possible. Hope for guidance.

I mean I'm happy, I'm okay. It's all good! How are you?

p.s. i love lurkers who don't comment! voyeurz rok, but exhibitionists do it better!

Three links/ questions

What's the story of your life in six words?

What are your feelings on the semicolon ?

Okay this one isn't going to work as a question. It's just an essay I loved that I somehow missed when it came out this summer in the Book of the Times section. I guess if forced, I would say the real question is: what kind of support do you need right now?

Interview and a contest

Over at Litpark there's an interview with Oronte Churm, the fellow who writes “Dispatches from Adjunct Faculty at a Large State University” for McSweeney's. Along with the post is a contest, deadline March 7, to write your own 75-word nonfiction "truth" in the comments section. Judge is Steve Davenport, Creative Nonfiction Editor of Ninth Letter, four prizes, grand prize is $100. Do it. Do it.

Good luck, Ms. Hall!

Reminder: The Austin Chronicle short story contest winners will be announced tonight at 7pm at BookPeople.

Here's a link to the weird back story

And one to the first place story

And here's Pringle's story

For those of you who are teaching

or know someone in college. Here's a contest.

Happy Fat Tuesday

I can't get anything done today even though Super Tuesday results won't be in for a while. I'm dying to know what's happening in NY and California. Tell us something, anything.

Here's my favorite quote today:

The first voter to emerge from one New York City polling station said he had voted for Obama.

"For so many reasons. I think Hillary has so much baggage, I want a black president whose middle name is Hussein and he seems like a great guy," said Stuart Bernstein, 47, a literary agent.

Well, AWPers? What news?

While I wait for dispatches (and I know I won't get any until the weekend is over). Here's a link about the long wait from final draft to bookshelf.

अव्प

Whose going to be in NY this week? I will only be at the BIG EVENT on Saturday to man the asf booth, but I was thinking we should get those representing the tsu-sm class of 07 together for a drink? My suggestion is to head down to the lower east side or even to brooklyn. there's not much happening in the way of night life up by the hotel. I know Abby, Jack, and Wolfe aren't coming. But Carmen, are you and Tall T gonna be around? Rebecca, you and Mark are coming right? Amelia, you're coming, too, if I remember correctly? Sarah, you coming or staying in Cali? If you are coming is James coming with?

If anyone is up for it, we could meet up Thursday night if that works.

If you have any getting around questions, please ask. I can maybe help.

Austin Chronicle

I'm a finalist in the short story competition. I hope the other nine are you guys, plus maybe a few former/current Texas-Staters.
The event:
http://www.bookpeople.com/calendar_of_events.php?view=detail&id=325
Hmmm...I missed that lesson on linking.

Two links

For those of you going to AWP:
A cool contest Please win and buy me a copy of the mag?

And I'm dying to know what you think of this dilemma surrounding Nabokov's unfinished work.

PS- don't let this interrupt the POV thread below.

POV

What are your favorite stories to study for POV?

I have a second person story and a collective first (we) that switches to third. I guess I'm looking for quality examples of third person - both near and far, or close and distant, or a little switcharoo, or whatever language it is you use these days.

I'm not so interested in first person at this point, because I think it will be easier to use first person stories to talk about voice, but probably I've got it all wrong.

Also, a dog peed on me a few nights ago. A toy poodle.

Drop it like it's hot

You know how when an album is being released people say it is going to drop? Well. I like that. So I think whenever I have something coming out, I'm going to go around saying "my story drops in June."

anyway. I'm giving an in-class final and I just thought this would be a good time to remind you that this drops Monday.

Inkwell

My story "The Ice Hotel" has been accepted for publication by Inkwell. (BTW "La Maison du Fada" is now out in Redivider, alongside a poem by my graduation photo body double, Nick Courtright.)

Dickie gone be dog gone proud

The Southwestern Writers Collection just acquired Cormac McCarthy's papers. Fo' rizzle.

Announcing

"Death of a Beast" is up at Juked, "A Javelina Story" is up at Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens, and my Museum of the Weird was a finalist in the Rose Metal Press Chapbook Competition.

Purple Prose!

Let's see who can show up Danielle Steel.
StoryQuarterly

---

announces the SQ Love Story Contest

Open to fiction and nonfiction entries,

the contest offers

a First Prize of $2,500, a Second Prize of $1,500, a Third Prize of $750,

and ten Finalists each will receive $100.

Deadline for entries: March 31, 2008.