Cups Running Over

Filed under: Personal, Travel — joy at 8:14 am on Monday, October 30, 2006

I got back from Italy on Friday. I have been very happy all weekend. I’m not sure why, but it is a delightful bubbling joy.

Travel makes you think about your life, from your government to how you dress to all the things you do or do not have. I came back from this trip loving Italy, and also loving my life here in California–my house, my husband, my job, my cat. I am filled with admiration for all my blessings. This may very well be the golden period of my life, do you realize that? It may simply get no better than this. So why do I spend so much time bemoaning the small things that go wrong when so much goes so right?

I have new resolutions based on things I learned in Italy. I want to walk with perfect posture like Italian women do. I want to get up at 6 a.m. every day. I want to stop shopping at corporations as much as possible because I came to realization during this trip that the biggest problem with America really is corporate control. And I want to love what I have, to truly appreciate that I have the kind of life where you can go to Italy for 10 days.

And read good books. And discover new bands. And eat pasta, but also sushi and Chinese and Mexican and hamburgers. And fill the home with plants and candles. And e-mail with friends. And lay in bed with the husband under a down comforter. And write. And love. And pray. And rejoice, rejoice.

Olive Trees and Arch

More Italy pictures coming soon.

Word Pirates Interview Creative Nonfiction

Filed under: Writing and Publishing — joy at 4:05 pm on Monday, October 16, 2006

Word Pirates have another interview up. This time it’s with Creative Nonfiction, one of my favorite literary journals. From their website:

Creative Nonfiction heightens the whole concept and idea of essay writing. It allows a writer to employ the diligence of a reporter, the shifting voices and viewpoints of a novelist, the refined wordplay of a poet and the analytical modes of the essayist.

I know I definitely learned a thing or two reading this interview. Check it out if you are so inclined.

When Good Lit Events Go Wrong

Filed under: Personal, Writing and Publishing — joy at 8:56 pm on Sunday, October 15, 2006

On Saturday night, Marcia and I went to Lit Crawl in the city. Lit Crawl is the finale of Litquake, San Francisco’s Literary Festival. In one evening, 31 venues host readings from everyone from travel writers to novelists. And it’s all free.

So, we picked the three events we wanted to go to, drove to San Francisco, circled around the Mission for 40 minutes before finding a parking spot, and walked to the first event … only to find that the bar it was held in was so packed, people were standing on the sidewalk trying to get in.

It was the beginning of our disillusionment. Every event we went to was so overcrowded, shoving your way in was like walking into someone’s mouth–hot, humid, and kind of gross. Once inside, jammed between people, bags, and bar corners, you found that you were not listening to the type of famous, brilliant writer who would warrant all the ado. Nope. You were listening to an average writer who very often hadn’t even published that much.

As usual, there was a lot of what I call San Francisco stuff–discussions about gender studies, observations about sex toys, woo-woo spiritual stuff. Not that those things can’t be interesting in some contexts, but in San Francisco, they take it to another level. For example, sex over 60 is an important topic. But an old lady trying to teach the audience sex tips? A bit much.

However, at least that was interesting. Much of it wasn’t. Or might have been, except so many writers read in such a dreadful monotone, I couldn’t force myself to pay attention. But I would still take that over the Jesus story, a feable attempt at religious satire that quickly denigrated to a long-winded bad joke. (So Buddha and his followers were sitting around one day, and one follower said, “Hey Buddha, show me what’s under your sarong…”)

All that said, I do know there were some good writers a Lit Crawl. Maybe we just ended up picking the wrong events. In any case, by the end of the evening, Marcia gave Litquake a new nickname, which you can read about here.

I will be in Italy for the next 10 days. When I come back, Italy pictures!

Haircut!

Filed under: Personal — joy at 1:53 pm on Monday, October 9, 2006

me

My Favorite Month

Filed under: Personal — joy at 8:34 am on Thursday, October 5, 2006

Things to be happy about:

  • It’s raining.
  • Last night, it was smoky and cloudy and warm outside. Kyle and I went for a walk and I ate late-season blackberries. The bank of purple clouds was streaked with orange and pink.
  • It is soup weather.
  • We go to Italy in less than two weeks.
  • I don’t have to water my garden because of the rain.
  • It is apple weather.
  • Litquake starts on Saturday.
  • Our friends are giving us a real fridge, so I no longer have to use a fridge from the 1980s.
  • Most people look better in scarves and long-sleeves than shorts.
  • It is book weather.
  • Leaves are starting to turn.
  • We lit a fire in our fireplace the other night.
  • Blankets!