My favorite day of the year!
I love "falling back" -- that's what we call it here in America when we set our clocks that 1 hour back. I love having an extra hour in the morning to myself. I know, I know; I already get out of bed before dawn. You're probably wondering why I need an extra hour of that once a year. I don't suppose I really need it; I just like it. And I love winter -- I love when it's already dark by 5 o'clock. I think it's because I'm such a homebody, and early darkness and winter and lights on in people's windows (including my own) just makes me feel that much more homebody-ish.
Or it could just be that darkness by 5 o'clock signals that cocktails can start that much earlier...
Okay!
Picture this: a gleaming white stove in a pristine kitchen, but this stove has nine -- yes, nine -- burners right up front. NINE. That's how many writing and/or editing projects I have going on right now, gang. I'm not sure how that happened but I'm happy as a little clam! And so far, I'm managing it.
The newest project has to do with Red Lemonade. I'm not sure if I'm really supposed to discuss it publicly yet or not, so for now, I'm just going to say that if you write alternative, cutting edge (yeah, yeah, yeah -- I know; we need a new vocabulary for this stuff, gang), but if you write alternative, cutting edge fiction or nonfiction, go visit the site. Better yet -- jump in and get involved! Or just write to me and tell me about your work and we'll both get you involved! (Also, if you will be in Chicago for AWP this March, it looks like I might be there scouting for you, so let me know how to find you!!)
Also, I think I might be writing a monthly column for genre writers about self-publishing. I will keep you posted on that. Even if you're not a genre writer, it might be a column that would be of interest to you as we sail boldly forth into this shining new era of "no money for book publishing" etc., etc., etc.
Meanwhile, the weather here continues to be absolutely perfect fall weather. On Friday, I was in the neighborhood where my mom grew up, where my grandparents lived until they died in the mid-1980s. It's a really pretty neighborhood -- the kind of neighborhood where none of the houses look the same. They each have their own character and architectural loveliness from a bygone American era. I believe my grandfather had his house built in 1939 or 1940, something like that.
Anyway, in this neighborhood, they have those old-fashioned alleyways. Basically, where the garbage trucks drive down to collect the trash so that the trash isn't out in front, cluttering up the tidy street. (The houses also have milk chutes -- remember those?? We had milk chutes in most of the houses I grew up in. But I don't really remember milk being delivered; I do, however, remember Charles Chips being delivered! Yay!! Do you remember Charles Chips in those cool cans??? I loved those. I also remember the Fuller Brush man who came door to door -- my mom always bought this cool hand lotion that squirted out of a can like shaving cream does. God, I'm old.)
Wow, I digress! Imagine that! Anyway, on Friday afternoon, back in my mom's old neighborhood, standing in the alleyway in perfect fall weather, I took a photo with my cell phone just for you!! And I regale you with it now. (Doesn't that alleyway look like it goes on forever? Kind of like my childhood?)
Okay, well, you guys have a terrific Sunday wherever you are, and enjoy the heck out of that extra hour today, gang. And don't forget to contact me if you will be at AWP... See ya! Thanks for visiting.
Or it could just be that darkness by 5 o'clock signals that cocktails can start that much earlier...
Okay!
Picture this: a gleaming white stove in a pristine kitchen, but this stove has nine -- yes, nine -- burners right up front. NINE. That's how many writing and/or editing projects I have going on right now, gang. I'm not sure how that happened but I'm happy as a little clam! And so far, I'm managing it.
The newest project has to do with Red Lemonade. I'm not sure if I'm really supposed to discuss it publicly yet or not, so for now, I'm just going to say that if you write alternative, cutting edge (yeah, yeah, yeah -- I know; we need a new vocabulary for this stuff, gang), but if you write alternative, cutting edge fiction or nonfiction, go visit the site. Better yet -- jump in and get involved! Or just write to me and tell me about your work and we'll both get you involved! (Also, if you will be in Chicago for AWP this March, it looks like I might be there scouting for you, so let me know how to find you!!)
Also, I think I might be writing a monthly column for genre writers about self-publishing. I will keep you posted on that. Even if you're not a genre writer, it might be a column that would be of interest to you as we sail boldly forth into this shining new era of "no money for book publishing" etc., etc., etc.
Meanwhile, the weather here continues to be absolutely perfect fall weather. On Friday, I was in the neighborhood where my mom grew up, where my grandparents lived until they died in the mid-1980s. It's a really pretty neighborhood -- the kind of neighborhood where none of the houses look the same. They each have their own character and architectural loveliness from a bygone American era. I believe my grandfather had his house built in 1939 or 1940, something like that.
Anyway, in this neighborhood, they have those old-fashioned alleyways. Basically, where the garbage trucks drive down to collect the trash so that the trash isn't out in front, cluttering up the tidy street. (The houses also have milk chutes -- remember those?? We had milk chutes in most of the houses I grew up in. But I don't really remember milk being delivered; I do, however, remember Charles Chips being delivered! Yay!! Do you remember Charles Chips in those cool cans??? I loved those. I also remember the Fuller Brush man who came door to door -- my mom always bought this cool hand lotion that squirted out of a can like shaving cream does. God, I'm old.)
Wow, I digress! Imagine that! Anyway, on Friday afternoon, back in my mom's old neighborhood, standing in the alleyway in perfect fall weather, I took a photo with my cell phone just for you!! And I regale you with it now. (Doesn't that alleyway look like it goes on forever? Kind of like my childhood?)
Okay, well, you guys have a terrific Sunday wherever you are, and enjoy the heck out of that extra hour today, gang. And don't forget to contact me if you will be at AWP... See ya! Thanks for visiting.
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