Chick lit to be taught at Harvard this fall!
Since the popularity of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary (1998) and Melissa Bank's The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing (1999), a debate has raged over whether the ensuing slew of "chick lit" novels -- novels about modern women trying to find their place in the world (both in relationships and at work) -- were serious literature, fluff/froth, both, neither, and whether the term itself was derogatory.
When Curtis Sittenfeld wrote a New York Times review of Melissa Bank's latest novel The Wonder Spot last year, and concluded that it was chick-lit, and that it should have been a little better, many female authors decided that Sittenfeld's review was unfair and snobbish.
Bank herself said she considered the term "chick lit" denigrating, and also said she would never read reviews again because of the Sittenfeld piece.
Meanwhile, women continued to enjoy reading about the struggles of characters like them. The books were studied in a literary way as well, traced back to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Stephanie Hartewski at the U. of Penn (a delightful and kind person) wrote her dissertation on the subject. (I was one of the authors she interviewed in the interview section about their chick lit books.)
And according to the Harvard Crimson, is a little more evidence of the swath chick lit has cut through literature in the last eight or so years: it's going to be taught at Harvard!
Excerpted, the article says:
Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality 1122. “The Romance: From Jane Austen to Chick Lit.” If last spring’s Kaavyagate was any indication that Chick Lit is in, then the Women, Gender, and Sexuality department has certainly taken notice. “The Romance: From Jane Austen to Chick Lit” will compare classic Austen novels to modern revisions such as Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Here's the article.
The course is going to be in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality department.
So how about that, gals?
Chick lit: It isn't just for beaches* anymore. ;)
*Who you callin' a beach?
7/11/2006
7/10/2006
Random updates
By unpopular demand
By unpopular demand
Please allow for a moment of silence for The Blob. Note the impression he left, not just on the sidewalk above, but on all of us.
Taken yesterday. I am constantly amazed by the beauty of the open road.
I don't love when people sneak up on me in my office on a hot day and take a random bad photo of me when I'm not paying attention. Scoundrels! Oh well.
7/06/2006
Today on my way to work, I saw this...this...mess on the sidewalk. Since there were no injured pigeons around to worry about this time, I was left to just stare and wonder what it was.
My commute gets more dangerous every day!
Do you think you know what this stuff is?
Take a guess. Think about it.
Don't scroll down yet...a major clue
is
just
below....
I knew there was a lot of dough in this town.
7/05/2006
7/04/2006
Happy Independence Day
With reference to yesterday's entry, you may be surprised to know that pirates actually still do exist. (Not just the Johnny Depp variety). Here's a BBC story about two attacks in one week. Really strange, isn't it?
Brief update on writing
It occurred to me that since it's now July, it's only about a month until this collection of short stories by women comes out, in which I have a story.
Next summer, the New Jersey memoir book comes out, including my piece about sleeping in my car while I worked at an amusement park. If you are a very close friend, I might have told you the story already.
Anyway, sleep in a comfortable bed tonight. Night!
With reference to yesterday's entry, you may be surprised to know that pirates actually still do exist. (Not just the Johnny Depp variety). Here's a BBC story about two attacks in one week. Really strange, isn't it?
Brief update on writing
It occurred to me that since it's now July, it's only about a month until this collection of short stories by women comes out, in which I have a story.
Next summer, the New Jersey memoir book comes out, including my piece about sleeping in my car while I worked at an amusement park. If you are a very close friend, I might have told you the story already.
Anyway, sleep in a comfortable bed tonight. Night!
7/03/2006
7/02/2006
Pre-Independence Day
You may have heard that New Jersey gov't is temporarily shut down. We try to do this once a year -- two years ago, McGreevey did it for a few minutes by announcing something shocking on TV. It was less costly that way.
Lovely weekend
Hope you all had a lovely weekend. A roundup of mine will be posted tomorrow. I enjoyed a boat trip, which was a new experience for me.
Followup to Friday's posts
Thanks to all the people who responded to the question about iPods. I called Apple and surprisingly, they do not allow you to download songs from your iPod and put them back on your computer!
So while you can download songs from a computer to an iPod, you can't do the reverse. That means if your music library gets wiped out on your computer, you cannot use your iPod to put those songs back on.
Thus, if you want to put your songs on a friend's iPod as well as yours, you can do it from your computer to their iPod (I think), but not from your iPod to their computer.
But there WAS a solution...I am allowed to do a one-time re-downloading of any songs I purchased on iTunes, back onto my computer. So that's good news.
Also, several people e-mailed me with links to computer enthusiasts who have figured out ways to do it. Also useful. Thank you!
Someone also wrote to me to praise Kevin Smith's "Jersey Girl," and someone else to bury it. Since it's my blog I'm going to break the tie. Verdict: "Jersey Girl" was an excellent movie. Move to adjourn.
You may have heard that New Jersey gov't is temporarily shut down. We try to do this once a year -- two years ago, McGreevey did it for a few minutes by announcing something shocking on TV. It was less costly that way.
Lovely weekend
Hope you all had a lovely weekend. A roundup of mine will be posted tomorrow. I enjoyed a boat trip, which was a new experience for me.
Followup to Friday's posts
Thanks to all the people who responded to the question about iPods. I called Apple and surprisingly, they do not allow you to download songs from your iPod and put them back on your computer!
So while you can download songs from a computer to an iPod, you can't do the reverse. That means if your music library gets wiped out on your computer, you cannot use your iPod to put those songs back on.
Thus, if you want to put your songs on a friend's iPod as well as yours, you can do it from your computer to their iPod (I think), but not from your iPod to their computer.
But there WAS a solution...I am allowed to do a one-time re-downloading of any songs I purchased on iTunes, back onto my computer. So that's good news.
Also, several people e-mailed me with links to computer enthusiasts who have figured out ways to do it. Also useful. Thank you!
Someone also wrote to me to praise Kevin Smith's "Jersey Girl," and someone else to bury it. Since it's my blog I'm going to break the tie. Verdict: "Jersey Girl" was an excellent movie. Move to adjourn.
6/30/2006
iPod help
My music library got wiped out on my regular computer. I still have all the songs on my ipod, though. Anyone know how to put them back onto my computer? E-mail me.
Fun in the sun
A sudden downpour in the metro area yesterday evening during rush hour caught a lot of people by surprise, but was a nice break from the stifling heat. Here's one of the local bus stations.
Hope y'all have a good weekend and good weather. (In the case of yesterday, the rain kind of was good weather! But not for the dude in the photo.)
I will put some more photos of poor soaked commuters on the weather blog if I get a chance at some point. That blog could use an update, no?
Agreeing to disagree
A friend of mine wrote me angrily saying that she doesn't understand how I could have liked "Jersey Girl." Well, I thought it was a good movie. We'll have to agree to disagree.
Someone else complained that I don't post my political opinions here. Maybe someday, but do you really need to hear what I think of the flag burning amendment when 60,000 other bloggers are spouting off about it? Go read dailykos.
My music library got wiped out on my regular computer. I still have all the songs on my ipod, though. Anyone know how to put them back onto my computer? E-mail me.
Fun in the sun
A sudden downpour in the metro area yesterday evening during rush hour caught a lot of people by surprise, but was a nice break from the stifling heat. Here's one of the local bus stations.
Hope y'all have a good weekend and good weather. (In the case of yesterday, the rain kind of was good weather! But not for the dude in the photo.)
I will put some more photos of poor soaked commuters on the weather blog if I get a chance at some point. That blog could use an update, no?
Agreeing to disagree
A friend of mine wrote me angrily saying that she doesn't understand how I could have liked "Jersey Girl." Well, I thought it was a good movie. We'll have to agree to disagree.
Someone else complained that I don't post my political opinions here. Maybe someday, but do you really need to hear what I think of the flag burning amendment when 60,000 other bloggers are spouting off about it? Go read dailykos.
6/29/2006
Interesting
What would you do if you were in a foreign country and didn't speak the language, and someone stole all your money and ID? It just happened to Dutch blogger Jan in France, and he posts about it.
What would you do if you were in a foreign country and didn't speak the language, and someone stole all your money and ID? It just happened to Dutch blogger Jan in France, and he posts about it.
Three things of interest to probably nobody except media types
1. I only just learned that thirtysomething fiction writer Curtis Sittenfeld and thirtysomething nonfiction writer Seth Mnookin are cousins. Who knew? Well, maybe lots of people, but I didn't.
2. Dawn Eden gets into a wee-weeing match with Gawker in her post today.
3. A lot of public relations people have been phoning me at work lately and starting with the question, "Do you have a quick second?" Is a 'quick second' faster than a regular second? How slow is a slow second?
Disclaimer: PR people are just doing their job, and some of them are sometimes useful
1. I only just learned that thirtysomething fiction writer Curtis Sittenfeld and thirtysomething nonfiction writer Seth Mnookin are cousins. Who knew? Well, maybe lots of people, but I didn't.
2. Dawn Eden gets into a wee-weeing match with Gawker in her post today.
3. A lot of public relations people have been phoning me at work lately and starting with the question, "Do you have a quick second?" Is a 'quick second' faster than a regular second? How slow is a slow second?
Disclaimer: PR people are just doing their job, and some of them are sometimes useful
6/28/2006
6/27/2006
View askew
Pretty good article about Kevin Smith & "Clerks II" in the Sunday NY Times. Although I disagree that Dogma was a good movie, and Jersey Girl a bad one. JG is underrated.
Pretty good article about Kevin Smith & "Clerks II" in the Sunday NY Times. Although I disagree that Dogma was a good movie, and Jersey Girl a bad one. JG is underrated.
Construction near my office
I'm always a bit worried about construction projects that leave doors to nowhere.
This reminds me of the classic poem recited by Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners":
As he stepped out into
the cold night air
little did he realize
the fire escape
was not there
I like the wall across from it better.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
Robert Frost
Combonym of the day
Gawkward - What some of us have been since about when we hit puberty.
Trivia tonight
Extra prizes to be had: Tickets and merchandise related to the Putnam County spelling bee musical. Yay!
I'm always a bit worried about construction projects that leave doors to nowhere.
This reminds me of the classic poem recited by Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners":
As he stepped out into
the cold night air
little did he realize
the fire escape
was not there
I like the wall across from it better.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
Robert Frost
Combonym of the day
Gawkward - What some of us have been since about when we hit puberty.
Trivia tonight
Extra prizes to be had: Tickets and merchandise related to the Putnam County spelling bee musical. Yay!
6/26/2006
6/23/2006
A hot night in the life of a chick-lit author
Last night, I visited a celebration for Sarah Mlynowski's new young-adult book.
Last night, I visited a celebration for Sarah Mlynowski's new young-adult book.
That's Sarah, signing said book.
At the reception, I traded info with writer friends.
Then I hiked uptown to meet a college friend. The sun was setting.
. I saw my college friend, whose reflexes are apparently still whip-fast.
Then I headed home on the subway. Th' end.
6/21/2006
Are you ready for the summer?
Are you ready for the summer?
Are you ready for the good times?
Are you ready for the birds and bees,
the apple trees,
and a whole lot of foolin' around?
I think that song's from the movie "Meatballs," which everyone in my first grade class saw except for me. Luckily, it was shown on cable 8,888 times.
Anyway, summer starts today at 12:26 p.m. You've made it! Congratulations!
It's already very hot, which will mean air conditioner overuse and blackouts. Yeah, I know they fixed the problem, but thousands of simultaneous air conditioners can't be good.
Today's date is significant for another reason. "Clerks II" premieres in exactly a month. I love writer/director Kevin Smith's dialogue and sense of humor, so I am quite looking forward to it.
Are you ready for the summer?
Are you ready for the good times?
Are you ready for the birds and bees,
the apple trees,
and a whole lot of foolin' around?
I think that song's from the movie "Meatballs," which everyone in my first grade class saw except for me. Luckily, it was shown on cable 8,888 times.
Anyway, summer starts today at 12:26 p.m. You've made it! Congratulations!
It's already very hot, which will mean air conditioner overuse and blackouts. Yeah, I know they fixed the problem, but thousands of simultaneous air conditioners can't be good.
Today's date is significant for another reason. "Clerks II" premieres in exactly a month. I love writer/director Kevin Smith's dialogue and sense of humor, so I am quite looking forward to it.
Non-secret project
A while ago, I said I had a secret project that I would reveal on May 1. Well, I never really had time to work on it, and probably won't have time for a long time. Too much else to attend to.
But here it is. At least it's a place for my photos.
Check out the "towns" link. NewJerseyIsBeautiful.com.
'Chick lit is here to stay'
...says U.S.A. Today in the article below. Good! Cuz I've got a book ready...
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-06-20-chick-lit_x.htm
A while ago, I said I had a secret project that I would reveal on May 1. Well, I never really had time to work on it, and probably won't have time for a long time. Too much else to attend to.
But here it is. At least it's a place for my photos.
Check out the "towns" link. NewJerseyIsBeautiful.com.
'Chick lit is here to stay'
...says U.S.A. Today in the article below. Good! Cuz I've got a book ready...
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-06-20-chick-lit_x.htm
6/20/2006
Ah, summer
I re-discovered this link to my pix of a short road trip to Upstate NY. Summer mornings can be lovely.
I re-discovered this link to my pix of a short road trip to Upstate NY. Summer mornings can be lovely.
6/19/2006
Trivia
I will be hosting trivia with a friend (I'm not sure if I can reveal her name here; I have to ask her first) next Tuesday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. Come play if you can!
But you can also play tonight, Tuesday, June 20. Neil and Jon B are hosting.
Here's the linkage, if you are unfamiliar with team trivia at the Baggott Inn in the West Village: http://www.dempseyspub.com/trivia.html
Note Bene: There will be no trivia on July 4.
Everyone loves a wiener
Recently, I went to a baseball game. The company was excellent. Unfortunately, said "company" did not find his hot dog equally excellent. He promptly lobbed 11.5 inches of his disgusting foot-long hot dog to the ground. I thought hot dogs were supposed to taste better at a baseball game?
I always enjoy the electricity and atmosphere of America's pastime, the green of the field, the shine of the lights. And my pretzel was excellent. Much better, apparently, than the wilted wiener.
I will be hosting trivia with a friend (I'm not sure if I can reveal her name here; I have to ask her first) next Tuesday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. Come play if you can!
But you can also play tonight, Tuesday, June 20. Neil and Jon B are hosting.
Here's the linkage, if you are unfamiliar with team trivia at the Baggott Inn in the West Village: http://www.dempseyspub.com/trivia.html
Note Bene: There will be no trivia on July 4.
Everyone loves a wiener
Recently, I went to a baseball game. The company was excellent. Unfortunately, said "company" did not find his hot dog equally excellent. He promptly lobbed 11.5 inches of his disgusting foot-long hot dog to the ground. I thought hot dogs were supposed to taste better at a baseball game?
I always enjoy the electricity and atmosphere of America's pastime, the green of the field, the shine of the lights. And my pretzel was excellent. Much better, apparently, than the wilted wiener.
6/18/2006
Scam artists
When I was at the Book Expo a few weeks ago, I picked up a card for a company and it said, "I don't want people to die with a book still inside of them."
Ow, that would hurt. But really, there are several companies around to take advantage of writers' dreams: Including scam publishers and scam agents. I can't even imagine the thought process: "Hey, let's find people out there who have a dream, and rip them off by falsely leading them to believe we can make their dreams come true."
One popular bait-and-switch goes like this: An agent will advertise that he or she is looking for new writers. (Real agents do NOT need to place display ads desperately seeking writers.) Then they send you a letter back saying they love your book, and for $1,000 they will send it out to editors. Or even better, they say that if you use such-and-such editing company to get your book in shape, for a pretty penny of course, they will represent it. They are in partnership with the editing company.
Recently, a list has been going around of the "20 worst agents." One agent got so incensed that she's on it that she successfully shut down a website mentioning her. Someone else wrote about it on a blog:
Remember Barbara Bauer, that horrible old harridan and scam agent who tried to get me fired because I reproduced the Twenty Worst Agents list and she was on it?
Apparently Barbara Bauer made a screaming, abusive phone call to one Stephanie, the person who owned the web host. Bauer claimed that having AW's scamhunters post her email address at AW was illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)...
For more discussion:
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007577.html
Note: I do not believe that the company that had the "book inside them" quote was itself a scam publisher; it seems like it just offers tips. I thought their sloga was cute. But there are scam artists out there.
Agents should not charge you for representation. The way they make money is: They love your book, they sell your book, and THEN they get 15 percent of the profits. You don't pay them up front. That's why they're picky about what they take on.
When I was at the Book Expo a few weeks ago, I picked up a card for a company and it said, "I don't want people to die with a book still inside of them."
Ow, that would hurt. But really, there are several companies around to take advantage of writers' dreams: Including scam publishers and scam agents. I can't even imagine the thought process: "Hey, let's find people out there who have a dream, and rip them off by falsely leading them to believe we can make their dreams come true."
One popular bait-and-switch goes like this: An agent will advertise that he or she is looking for new writers. (Real agents do NOT need to place display ads desperately seeking writers.) Then they send you a letter back saying they love your book, and for $1,000 they will send it out to editors. Or even better, they say that if you use such-and-such editing company to get your book in shape, for a pretty penny of course, they will represent it. They are in partnership with the editing company.
Recently, a list has been going around of the "20 worst agents." One agent got so incensed that she's on it that she successfully shut down a website mentioning her. Someone else wrote about it on a blog:
Remember Barbara Bauer, that horrible old harridan and scam agent who tried to get me fired because I reproduced the Twenty Worst Agents list and she was on it?
Apparently Barbara Bauer made a screaming, abusive phone call to one Stephanie, the person who owned the web host. Bauer claimed that having AW's scamhunters post her email address at AW was illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)...
For more discussion:
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007577.html
Note: I do not believe that the company that had the "book inside them" quote was itself a scam publisher; it seems like it just offers tips. I thought their sloga was cute. But there are scam artists out there.
Agents should not charge you for representation. The way they make money is: They love your book, they sell your book, and THEN they get 15 percent of the profits. You don't pay them up front. That's why they're picky about what they take on.
6/17/2006
6/16/2006
Books
Ned Vizzini's new novel is being reviewed Sunday in the Times Book Review. That's swell!
It looks like it will be a beautiful weekend. The sun has come out to kiss you all with his big yellow cheeks. Enjoy!
Ned Vizzini's new novel is being reviewed Sunday in the Times Book Review. That's swell!
It looks like it will be a beautiful weekend. The sun has come out to kiss you all with his big yellow cheeks. Enjoy!
6/15/2006
Am I on candid camera?
My young adult novel is tentatively called "Paper and Fire." So anyway, just now I went to my office mailbox and there was a package in it. I opened it and in it was a published novel called...Paper and Fire!
It's just a coincidence. But, ergh. It's not similar at all (this one's about Iraq), and titles aren't copyrighted, and the title is generic enough that it can be used a few times. Still, it had me goin' there for a second. It was like I just wrote a book, and here's a copy of it in my box...
Pigthkin
One of the trivia team names at Wed trivia last night was "Ben Toothlessberger."
My young adult novel is tentatively called "Paper and Fire." So anyway, just now I went to my office mailbox and there was a package in it. I opened it and in it was a published novel called...Paper and Fire!
It's just a coincidence. But, ergh. It's not similar at all (this one's about Iraq), and titles aren't copyrighted, and the title is generic enough that it can be used a few times. Still, it had me goin' there for a second. It was like I just wrote a book, and here's a copy of it in my box...
Pigthkin
One of the trivia team names at Wed trivia last night was "Ben Toothlessberger."
6/14/2006
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
The broadcasters of your area in voluntary cooperation with the federal, state and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency.
If this had been an actual emergency, the Attention Signal you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or instructions.
This blog serves the tri-state area.
This concludes this test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
The broadcasters of your area in voluntary cooperation with the federal, state and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency.
If this had been an actual emergency, the Attention Signal you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or instructions.
This blog serves the tri-state area.
This concludes this test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
6/13/2006
Data dump
Okay, I got a new card reader. Here are some street scenes from the last two weeks, that I was finally able to download this evening. Starting with:
OLD FRIENDS - I saw these two women together and thought they looked cute, so I took a picture...
When I turned on the camera to take it, I saw this scene through my viewfinder and though it looked neat, so I snapped it too:
Meanwhile, a few months ago, the nice couple that owned the dry cleaners up the street sold their building (for a pretty penny) and high-tailed it to Florida.
They took their quiet old Labrador, Baby, who used to put his paws on the counter when I came in and say hello. One time I said to him, "Have you had breakfast? Go eat your kibble." And he actually got down and went to his huge bag of dog food. I don't really think he understood, but it was a little weird.
Anyway, once the sign was removed, it unearthed that before the dry cleaners, there was...another cleaners!!
This woman knew how to protect herself on a windy day. I liked the pink and green here.
This photo is actually in Brooklyn Heights. I enjoy finding old signs, especially ones that look like they say "TOILET FLATS," because I have the sense of humor of a five-year-old.
That concludes the boring slide show for today. Who will turn up next in my evil viewfinder? Beware - it might be YOU!
Okay, I got a new card reader. Here are some street scenes from the last two weeks, that I was finally able to download this evening. Starting with:
OLD FRIENDS - I saw these two women together and thought they looked cute, so I took a picture...
When I turned on the camera to take it, I saw this scene through my viewfinder and though it looked neat, so I snapped it too:
Meanwhile, a few months ago, the nice couple that owned the dry cleaners up the street sold their building (for a pretty penny) and high-tailed it to Florida.
They took their quiet old Labrador, Baby, who used to put his paws on the counter when I came in and say hello. One time I said to him, "Have you had breakfast? Go eat your kibble." And he actually got down and went to his huge bag of dog food. I don't really think he understood, but it was a little weird.
Anyway, once the sign was removed, it unearthed that before the dry cleaners, there was...another cleaners!!
This woman knew how to protect herself on a windy day. I liked the pink and green here.
This photo is actually in Brooklyn Heights. I enjoy finding old signs, especially ones that look like they say "TOILET FLATS," because I have the sense of humor of a five-year-old.
That concludes the boring slide show for today. Who will turn up next in my evil viewfinder? Beware - it might be YOU!
6/12/2006
Update: No data dump
I brought my camera yesterday to J&R Camera World and asked which card reader would work with that camera. The guy specifically showed me the one. And today, I went to use it and it doesn't fit at all. Now I have to trudge all the way back to the WTC area to return it and trade it. Hopefully they'll have the right one. I want to put new pix up. How irksome.
Book 'em
Remember that book I've been working on for three years? I put it aside three months ago to finish up some others. But I had the urge to work on it recently, so I did so this morning. I was able to look at it with a fresh eye, and it was more obvious what I needed to cut in the beginning. I'm glad about that.
Data dump
I bought a digital card reader for my camera, because I haven't been able to download anything for three weeks due to some sort of power cord problem. So tomorrow I'll post some random outdoorsy pix that I haven't gotten to post in the past few weeks.
Random poem of the day*
Shake and shake
The ketchup bottle
None'll come and
Then a lot'll
*(I have to Google the author's name later and put it here, because I can't think of it now. And no, it's not me.)
I brought my camera yesterday to J&R Camera World and asked which card reader would work with that camera. The guy specifically showed me the one. And today, I went to use it and it doesn't fit at all. Now I have to trudge all the way back to the WTC area to return it and trade it. Hopefully they'll have the right one. I want to put new pix up. How irksome.
Book 'em
Remember that book I've been working on for three years? I put it aside three months ago to finish up some others. But I had the urge to work on it recently, so I did so this morning. I was able to look at it with a fresh eye, and it was more obvious what I needed to cut in the beginning. I'm glad about that.
Data dump
I bought a digital card reader for my camera, because I haven't been able to download anything for three weeks due to some sort of power cord problem. So tomorrow I'll post some random outdoorsy pix that I haven't gotten to post in the past few weeks.
Random poem of the day*
Shake and shake
The ketchup bottle
None'll come and
Then a lot'll
*(I have to Google the author's name later and put it here, because I can't think of it now. And no, it's not me.)
6/11/2006
Why, thank you
Yesterday, as I was stepping off the PATH train, I noticed that a girl was writing in her journal. I read the top line, and it said, "There are a lot of cute people on the train."
Shucks.
"Keeping up with the Steins" is a really good movie. There are some sweet, evocative moments that are nuanced enough to not be overdone. I think it's hard to do a family film these days without resorting to cliches, and they really did a good job. I don't know how much longer it'll be in theaters. If you go, see it with a sensitive guy (or gal, if that is your preference).
My friend Jane said that after reading a recent entry of mine, she backed up the documents that were on her portable hard drive. So yes, please back up your stuff.
Yesterday, as I was stepping off the PATH train, I noticed that a girl was writing in her journal. I read the top line, and it said, "There are a lot of cute people on the train."
Shucks.
"Keeping up with the Steins" is a really good movie. There are some sweet, evocative moments that are nuanced enough to not be overdone. I think it's hard to do a family film these days without resorting to cliches, and they really did a good job. I don't know how much longer it'll be in theaters. If you go, see it with a sensitive guy (or gal, if that is your preference).
My friend Jane said that after reading a recent entry of mine, she backed up the documents that were on her portable hard drive. So yes, please back up your stuff.
Take on the Garden State
I'm revising my essay today that will go in this anthology of New Jersey memoirs, to be published next June by Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. It's nice enough that I have this vehicle for my writing, and just an extra bonus that I'm getting a check for it this September too.
I'm revising my essay today that will go in this anthology of New Jersey memoirs, to be published next June by Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. It's nice enough that I have this vehicle for my writing, and just an extra bonus that I'm getting a check for it this September too.
6/09/2006
Wanna hook up? (No, that's not what it means)
Since I'm writing a young-adult novels, I'm on a listserv (that's a newsgroup, to you usenet veterans) for young-adult writers. Sometimes, we authors post questions about teen lingo.
I wanted to know about teen dating terms, because my main character has a boy she really has the hots for (he's a poet and a loner, naturally...)
So I posted this to the group:
Hi. I'm wondering about teen terms for dating. I know that kids say "hooking up" these days, and that can mean anything from kissing to sex (I think). But do they still use "going out" for dating, or "making out" for kissing etc? Any other terms I should know?
Here are some responses:
Subject: Re: teen terms
According to my 17 yo teen, kids "go out" or are "going out," but she neveruses the terms "going WITH" or "steady" even if they are steady dating for along time. They're always just "going out." She also never uses the term"dating." :-)
Subject: Re: teen terms
Ditto in Florida in the world of 11 to 13 year olds. "Going out" is what I used to think of as "going steady" and, at least with the 11-year-olds, doesn't seem to involve actually "going" anywhere.-- Phyllis.
Subject: Re: Hooking up
Teens still say "making out," but the term "parking" is archaic. Then there's the silly slang like "tongue tango" and "swapping spit."
Subject: Re: Hooking up
"Going with someone" is dating with commitment.
And "talking" is the stage right before you commit, when you are actually dating, kissing, and doing everything that is still considered "slightly innocent."
I think the term "talking" is a bit more urban. But it'll be used like, "Oh, yeah, we hung out Friday night, but we're just talking."
Subject: Re: Hooking up
Last weekend we had a party and my mom was saying how they went to some place and got "High." But when she says it she means drinking alcohol. So I said, "Ma, you have to stop using that in mixed company because it means drugs to most people." And she said all of her friends know what it means.
So see there, two different generations, two different phrases, two people who won't let go of their phraseology. LOL
Just thought you folks would find that interesting.
No bull
A guy wrote to me the other day saying he likes hearing about New York life from my blog. So here's another slice:
I went to Nobu Wednesday evening. It's the swanky NYC restaurant that I often joke about with a certain friend of mine because it's where wealthy Wall Street dudes bring their dates. There was an article in NEW YORK Magazine a few years ago about how the recession was hurting guys who couldn't afford to take women to Nobu. That just broke my heart. Also, in the movie "Kissing Jessica Stein" (which I love; it's quite funny), Jessica gets a message from her mom on her answering machine: "Honey, your dad got us reservations at Nobu, and not at 5:30 this time!" I remember a bunch of people in the theater laughed, but one guy in my row said to his wife, "I don't get it."
Well, normally I don't get it either. But hey, thanks to the generosity of a good friend and her momma, we went. (And no, the friend is not a Wall Street fella, although I'm sure a few of them are nice.)
So, the food was delicious and interesting. They brought lots of small fish-based dishes for us to try, one at a time. I also had a fig martini.
Highly recommended.
6/07/2006
Snowball's chance
Today I was wondering what happened to Snowball. Last year, during Hurricane Katrina, CBS showed footage of a police officer taking a little dog away from a boy as his family got on the bus to leave the Louisiana Superdome. The boy cried, "Snowball, snowball!" and threw up. People across the country saw this and were outraged.
It was reported a few days later that the dog had been captured and was safe and sound. But then another report said the first one wasn't true.
To this day, no one knows where the boy is, or the dog. Even though thousands of dollars in reward money have been put up by animal lovers for returning the dog to his boy. Even though you'd think the cop would have brough the dog SOMEWHERE. Even though the House of Representatives just passed the Federal Pet Evacuation and Transportation Law, spurred by the images of Snowball.
There is also an organization called Snowball's Chance that helps to reunite pets with their owners. Sadly, their message boards are currently frozen out of respect for one of their volunteers, a beautiful 36-year-old woman who apparently killed herself last week. (It says it vaguely and you have to read between the lines.)
When a creature gives you so much love and doesn't understand what is happening, to lose that animal is heartbreaking. I am glad that lawmakers are seeing fit to make sure animals are taken care of in times of crisis.
Someone mentioned in a newspaper column that the officials were right to reject pets during the hurricane, as 15,000 people could have meant 7,500 pets. Maybe, but they shouldn't have all been left to drown or turn into wild animals. People are still put first - but some of those people love their pets.
Passing on
I saw an obit in the paper today of someone whom I think it would have been neat to know:
Jean Keenan, 83
Mrs. Keenan was a writer for the Silver Burdett Co. in Morristown for many years before retiring. Earlier, she was an English teacher at Hillside High School and worked in the advertising department for Hahne's department store in Newark. She was also a copy editor in Chicago.
...Mrs. Keenan was a member of the Short Hills Ski Club, the Hunterdon Hiking Club, the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey and the Union County Hiking Club. She was also a member of the Morristown Free Wheelers and the Frost Valley Trail Walkers.
First off, she was 83 and involved in all of those organizations. Even if she was only involved in her 70s - wow. Also, it seems like she was a smart working girl back before it was common for women to work in corporations. I'd have loved to hear what it was like to advertise a Nylon sale at Hahne's, or copyedit at some big buliding in Chicago, as the only woman on the 20th floor.
She also was born in Detroit and was working on a Ph.D at Rutgers.
I think she really would have had some cool stories to tell.
Today I was wondering what happened to Snowball. Last year, during Hurricane Katrina, CBS showed footage of a police officer taking a little dog away from a boy as his family got on the bus to leave the Louisiana Superdome. The boy cried, "Snowball, snowball!" and threw up. People across the country saw this and were outraged.
It was reported a few days later that the dog had been captured and was safe and sound. But then another report said the first one wasn't true.
To this day, no one knows where the boy is, or the dog. Even though thousands of dollars in reward money have been put up by animal lovers for returning the dog to his boy. Even though you'd think the cop would have brough the dog SOMEWHERE. Even though the House of Representatives just passed the Federal Pet Evacuation and Transportation Law, spurred by the images of Snowball.
There is also an organization called Snowball's Chance that helps to reunite pets with their owners. Sadly, their message boards are currently frozen out of respect for one of their volunteers, a beautiful 36-year-old woman who apparently killed herself last week. (It says it vaguely and you have to read between the lines.)
When a creature gives you so much love and doesn't understand what is happening, to lose that animal is heartbreaking. I am glad that lawmakers are seeing fit to make sure animals are taken care of in times of crisis.
Someone mentioned in a newspaper column that the officials were right to reject pets during the hurricane, as 15,000 people could have meant 7,500 pets. Maybe, but they shouldn't have all been left to drown or turn into wild animals. People are still put first - but some of those people love their pets.
Passing on
I saw an obit in the paper today of someone whom I think it would have been neat to know:
Jean Keenan, 83
Mrs. Keenan was a writer for the Silver Burdett Co. in Morristown for many years before retiring. Earlier, she was an English teacher at Hillside High School and worked in the advertising department for Hahne's department store in Newark. She was also a copy editor in Chicago.
...Mrs. Keenan was a member of the Short Hills Ski Club, the Hunterdon Hiking Club, the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey and the Union County Hiking Club. She was also a member of the Morristown Free Wheelers and the Frost Valley Trail Walkers.
First off, she was 83 and involved in all of those organizations. Even if she was only involved in her 70s - wow. Also, it seems like she was a smart working girl back before it was common for women to work in corporations. I'd have loved to hear what it was like to advertise a Nylon sale at Hahne's, or copyedit at some big buliding in Chicago, as the only woman on the 20th floor.
She also was born in Detroit and was working on a Ph.D at Rutgers.
I think she really would have had some cool stories to tell.
6/06/2006
Book 'em
Something I read today: An inmate held in the Essex County Jail says that there is a plot by the Bloods gang to assassinate incoming Newark Mayor Cory Booker. Is Newark so messed up that they can't have an orderly transition of mayors without gang threats? There are bigger cities that seem to elect a mayor without these problems.
Booker says "My hope is that in a year or two, every resident feels as safe and secure as I do." GOOD. Newark is a $1.50 PATH ride away from Manhattan. It could be beautiful someday.
Something I read today: An inmate held in the Essex County Jail says that there is a plot by the Bloods gang to assassinate incoming Newark Mayor Cory Booker. Is Newark so messed up that they can't have an orderly transition of mayors without gang threats? There are bigger cities that seem to elect a mayor without these problems.
Booker says "My hope is that in a year or two, every resident feels as safe and secure as I do." GOOD. Newark is a $1.50 PATH ride away from Manhattan. It could be beautiful someday.
Today
Today is 06/06/06. Watch out for true evil!
Too much time
I am going to cut down on the time I spend on the internet. Usually, my main purpose is just to e-mail whatever writing project I'm working on to myself, so it doesn't get lost if my hard drive crashes.
But then I have to check e-mail, and then I start checking blogs, and links...I'm going to cut down, at least, at night.
Records
Ever since I finally got a record player a few weeks ago, I've developed a temporary tradition of playing records on Sunday mornings. I'm not sure why I enjoy it so much, but I think it's because it's something done for pure pleasure. Often, I end up mixing pleasurable things with work; I eat at my desk, or I watch a movie in my room while I'm filing papers. I tend to do two things at once. But it's nice to gingerly lift a vinyl record, especially one I remember from the '80s, and place it on the platter, listening to the scratchy notes ring out. Last week I listened to a Steely Dan song, Kid Charlemagne, that I grew to really like when I first discovered classic rock stations in high school. I taped the song back then, of course, and then listened to it dozens of times before I learned that it was about a drug dealer in San Francisco. I kind of miss the discovery of music and what it meant, now that it's so easy to just download it or look the lyrics up. But teenage years are a time for discovering so many things - music, love, new interests, and of course, yourself. For a few years, all of those discoveries rushed at me, and I wouldn't trade the feeling for anything.
Today is 06/06/06. Watch out for true evil!
Too much time
I am going to cut down on the time I spend on the internet. Usually, my main purpose is just to e-mail whatever writing project I'm working on to myself, so it doesn't get lost if my hard drive crashes.
But then I have to check e-mail, and then I start checking blogs, and links...I'm going to cut down, at least, at night.
Records
Ever since I finally got a record player a few weeks ago, I've developed a temporary tradition of playing records on Sunday mornings. I'm not sure why I enjoy it so much, but I think it's because it's something done for pure pleasure. Often, I end up mixing pleasurable things with work; I eat at my desk, or I watch a movie in my room while I'm filing papers. I tend to do two things at once. But it's nice to gingerly lift a vinyl record, especially one I remember from the '80s, and place it on the platter, listening to the scratchy notes ring out. Last week I listened to a Steely Dan song, Kid Charlemagne, that I grew to really like when I first discovered classic rock stations in high school. I taped the song back then, of course, and then listened to it dozens of times before I learned that it was about a drug dealer in San Francisco. I kind of miss the discovery of music and what it meant, now that it's so easy to just download it or look the lyrics up. But teenage years are a time for discovering so many things - music, love, new interests, and of course, yourself. For a few years, all of those discoveries rushed at me, and I wouldn't trade the feeling for anything.
6/05/2006
You know what's weird?
Do you? Well, what's weird is when they use one type of food to describe another type of food.
For instance, I've eaten cheese that is described as having a "nutty" taste. But there aren't any nuts in cheese.
I bought some Cerignola olives from FreshDirect that were described as having a "fruitier" taste than most. Is there fruit in the olives?
And...how can a tomato be meaty? Or more specifically, beefsteak?
Also, is Sprite really CRISP and clean? And how can air be crisp?
The truth is, there just aren't enough adjectives for food, so you have to kind of manipulate the ones you have for certain foods. If you've done occasional food reviewin' like I have, you've found that there are only so many times you can say "succulent," "savory," and "tasty" before someone hits you.
By the way, I just had a really meaty salad with some crisp, cool club soda. The tomatoes were beefy and the cheese was both nutty and fruity.
Floppy disk drive you up a wall
Today I had to find an old essay I wrote in college in order to include it as part of a book proposal. I went through about 20 of my old Macintosh disks from the '90s to find which one it was on. I had to go down the street to the print shop that has one Macintosh with a floppy disk drive. I would insert each disk, listening to it humming (or clicking if it was broken), and see what showed up. Some of the old disks wouldn't even show up on a new Mac. Some of my disks were named after things in the news at the time that I named the disk (there's one called "Clinton").
Eventually I found the essay. When I was putting all the disks back in the box, I realized that at some point, I had printed out a list of what was on each disk. So I could have just checked the lists. D'oh!
But anyway, I had a truly lovely weekend. Hope y'all did too.
Do you? Well, what's weird is when they use one type of food to describe another type of food.
For instance, I've eaten cheese that is described as having a "nutty" taste. But there aren't any nuts in cheese.
I bought some Cerignola olives from FreshDirect that were described as having a "fruitier" taste than most. Is there fruit in the olives?
And...how can a tomato be meaty? Or more specifically, beefsteak?
Also, is Sprite really CRISP and clean? And how can air be crisp?
The truth is, there just aren't enough adjectives for food, so you have to kind of manipulate the ones you have for certain foods. If you've done occasional food reviewin' like I have, you've found that there are only so many times you can say "succulent," "savory," and "tasty" before someone hits you.
By the way, I just had a really meaty salad with some crisp, cool club soda. The tomatoes were beefy and the cheese was both nutty and fruity.
Floppy disk drive you up a wall
Today I had to find an old essay I wrote in college in order to include it as part of a book proposal. I went through about 20 of my old Macintosh disks from the '90s to find which one it was on. I had to go down the street to the print shop that has one Macintosh with a floppy disk drive. I would insert each disk, listening to it humming (or clicking if it was broken), and see what showed up. Some of the old disks wouldn't even show up on a new Mac. Some of my disks were named after things in the news at the time that I named the disk (there's one called "Clinton").
Eventually I found the essay. When I was putting all the disks back in the box, I realized that at some point, I had printed out a list of what was on each disk. So I could have just checked the lists. D'oh!
But anyway, I had a truly lovely weekend. Hope y'all did too.
6/04/2006
'What gives fandom a bad name'
Okay, I am down to 47 e-mails now. Some of them were just me e-mailing my novel to myself so there was a copy in cyberspace in case something got lost (highly recommended, but I also back things up on another drive. Do it, people...back up, back up, back up).
There are still some links to music etc. that people have sent me, and I have to follow the links.
One thing I had e-mailed myself was this message on the "Greatest American Hero" listserv. I was a big fan of that show in the '80s, but usually I don't have time to read the messages. But I read this one and found it an amusing example of how seriously some fans take things:
P[Name of girl redacted by me] I'm sick and tired of the bashing you've given me and my site for years. You either stir up trouble with members, complain constantly about the site because it doesn't please you, or attack me personally for not selling you a cape, or something else from my collection. For years I stood by and have taken your abuse, I constantly interact with fans ("Do you know what PP says about you?") that inform me of the bashing I get from you in personal e mails to them. Once again you were banned for impersonating William Katt with a post on the new board, your ISP was traced and matched. Those kind of activites will not be tolerated. Your love/hate relationship with this show and everything in general IS WHAT GIVES ALL FANDOM A BAD NAME. It's childish and pathetic. Now since I've asked over and over to stop mentioning me or my site in a negative manner and you will not stop, you will be hearing from my attorneys.
Okay, I am down to 47 e-mails now. Some of them were just me e-mailing my novel to myself so there was a copy in cyberspace in case something got lost (highly recommended, but I also back things up on another drive. Do it, people...back up, back up, back up).
There are still some links to music etc. that people have sent me, and I have to follow the links.
One thing I had e-mailed myself was this message on the "Greatest American Hero" listserv. I was a big fan of that show in the '80s, but usually I don't have time to read the messages. But I read this one and found it an amusing example of how seriously some fans take things:
P[Name of girl redacted by me] I'm sick and tired of the bashing you've given me and my site for years. You either stir up trouble with members, complain constantly about the site because it doesn't please you, or attack me personally for not selling you a cape, or something else from my collection. For years I stood by and have taken your abuse, I constantly interact with fans ("Do you know what PP says about you?") that inform me of the bashing I get from you in personal e mails to them. Once again you were banned for impersonating William Katt with a post on the new board, your ISP was traced and matched. Those kind of activites will not be tolerated. Your love/hate relationship with this show and everything in general IS WHAT GIVES ALL FANDOM A BAD NAME. It's childish and pathetic. Now since I've asked over and over to stop mentioning me or my site in a negative manner and you will not stop, you will be hearing from my attorneys.
6/03/2006
176...it's a magic number
I have 176 e-mails in my box. They have been collecting over the last few weeks of writing/revising mayhem. I think I have at least responded to all of them with at least a short message and a "more later", but if for some reason something fell through the cracks, I apologize.
I will try to catch up on some e-mails soon rather than spending the time making lame Pitt jokes on this blog. Someone sent me a good one that ends in Jolie-Pitt but now I forgot which of the 176 saved e-mails it is.
[Update: It's "Peanutbutter Ann Jolie-Pitt," submitted by Sam from Hawaii. Thank you, Sam. You know, I like that name, Peanutbutter Ann. If I ever have a little girl, maybe I will name her that.]
My writing group meets this week. I'll have to bring the beginning of one of my new attempted novels so they can all trash it to bits.
I have 176 e-mails in my box. They have been collecting over the last few weeks of writing/revising mayhem. I think I have at least responded to all of them with at least a short message and a "more later", but if for some reason something fell through the cracks, I apologize.
I will try to catch up on some e-mails soon rather than spending the time making lame Pitt jokes on this blog. Someone sent me a good one that ends in Jolie-Pitt but now I forgot which of the 176 saved e-mails it is.
[Update: It's "Peanutbutter Ann Jolie-Pitt," submitted by Sam from Hawaii. Thank you, Sam. You know, I like that name, Peanutbutter Ann. If I ever have a little girl, maybe I will name her that.]
My writing group meets this week. I'll have to bring the beginning of one of my new attempted novels so they can all trash it to bits.
6/02/2006
Second-class phones, they're making second-class phones
My dial tone is missing. I guess the storm soaked the phone lines at home. This happened once before and it came back on once it dried out. Meanwhile, I called the phone company, and they have scheduled a technician to come look at the problem some time between later and forever.
Thanks to the two people who send me "Mosh Pitt" as a final name for the young lad.
My dial tone is missing. I guess the storm soaked the phone lines at home. This happened once before and it came back on once it dried out. Meanwhile, I called the phone company, and they have scheduled a technician to come look at the problem some time between later and forever.
Thanks to the two people who send me "Mosh Pitt" as a final name for the young lad.
6/01/2006
They just can't stop Pitt
I can't get into my personal e-mail from work today, for some frustrating reason, so if you sent me something breathelessly fabulous, sorry I haven't responded yet.
And if you called me mean names, I just haven't seen them yet. So I'm telling you in advance: Nyah nyah back to you.
I'm sure there are a bunch of Pitt names we are missing. How about Pum Pitt? Vom Pitt? Well, that's stretching it (stretching Pitt)... Inspector Gadge Pitt?
How about, Watch Where Yousssss Pitt?
His favorite song will be: Q. Pitt, throw back your bow...and let your arrow go.
He is likely to attend college at U. Pitt.
This blog has sunk to a new low. And that's not easy!
Oh well. I really just can't....
I really just can't Hel Pitt.
I can't get into my personal e-mail from work today, for some frustrating reason, so if you sent me something breathelessly fabulous, sorry I haven't responded yet.
And if you called me mean names, I just haven't seen them yet. So I'm telling you in advance: Nyah nyah back to you.
I'm sure there are a bunch of Pitt names we are missing. How about Pum Pitt? Vom Pitt? Well, that's stretching it (stretching Pitt)... Inspector Gadge Pitt?
How about, Watch Where Yousssss Pitt?
His favorite song will be: Q. Pitt, throw back your bow...and let your arrow go.
He is likely to attend college at U. Pitt.
This blog has sunk to a new low. And that's not easy!
Oh well. I really just can't....
I really just can't Hel Pitt.
5/31/2006
Updates
Sam from Hawaii notes that we all missed:
Just Whip Pitt.
Also, apparently I'm not alone in only recently hearing the word "platform" used to describe writers with some sort of track record - the sudden proliferation of the term just got written about today on a major literary blog!!!
Sto Pitt, Stu Pitt!
Wes suggests: "Personally, I like Trum Pitt and Butterscotch Crim Pitt. "
Not bad. Mickey noted that I forgot "Stu Pitt."
I found out at a publishing gathering this evening that fabulous author Melissa Senate sometimes reads this blog. Thanks!
It was back to work for me today, but I'm still revising by night so I can get this stuff out at the end of the week. What comes next? The real fun: Waiting to see if someone thinks it's publishable! Hey, less carpal tunnel syndrome that way.
Sam from Hawaii notes that we all missed:
Just Whip Pitt.
Also, apparently I'm not alone in only recently hearing the word "platform" used to describe writers with some sort of track record - the sudden proliferation of the term just got written about today on a major literary blog!!!
Sto Pitt, Stu Pitt!
Wes suggests: "Personally, I like Trum Pitt and Butterscotch Crim Pitt. "
Not bad. Mickey noted that I forgot "Stu Pitt."
I found out at a publishing gathering this evening that fabulous author Melissa Senate sometimes reads this blog. Thanks!
It was back to work for me today, but I'm still revising by night so I can get this stuff out at the end of the week. What comes next? The real fun: Waiting to see if someone thinks it's publishable! Hey, less carpal tunnel syndrome that way.
5/28/2006
Whoopee doo
And now the news you've been waiting for:
"Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie welcomed daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt into the world amid secrecy in Namibia."
I was going to die if I had to wait another day!
But I was hoping for one of these names instead:
Peach Pitt
Arm Pitt
Carr Pitt
Don't Dro Pitt
Stoh Pitt
I Said Stoh Pitt (Frequent dialogue between me & my brother when little)
John Wayne Bob Pitt
Rip Pitt
U Can't Kee Pitt
Tarr Pitt
Zip Pitt!
Watermelon Pitt
Pack-A-Day Hab Pitt
Exhib Pitt
Who Framed Roger Rab Pitt
Abracadab Pitt
Should Have Been Anison's Kid Pitt
Moxie Crimefighter
And now the news you've been waiting for:
"Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie welcomed daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt into the world amid secrecy in Namibia."
I was going to die if I had to wait another day!
But I was hoping for one of these names instead:
Peach Pitt
Arm Pitt
Carr Pitt
Don't Dro Pitt
Stoh Pitt
I Said Stoh Pitt (Frequent dialogue between me & my brother when little)
John Wayne Bob Pitt
Rip Pitt
U Can't Kee Pitt
Tarr Pitt
Zip Pitt!
Watermelon Pitt
Pack-A-Day Hab Pitt
Exhib Pitt
Who Framed Roger Rab Pitt
Abracadab Pitt
Should Have Been Anison's Kid Pitt
Moxie Crimefighter
Disclosure
I haven't mentioned it here, but I might as well reveal the reason I started writing really crazily again recently. It's that my agent is leaving her agency. That means I have to find a new agent.
The fact that I've already been published will of course help me get one (that's called my "platform," which I just learned). BUT it's no use for an agent to take me on if I don't have a product to sell.
I had one semi-humorous/semi-literary novel almost done with my other agent (at least, attemptedly humorous; obviously others will have to judge), and a fun Young Adult novel for teens. So I moved up my week off from work to finish working on these two projects.
Time is of the essence because a lot of editors go away for long periods during the summer, so I want to get these things to agents soon.
I did a lot of writing and finishing this week, and should be able to mail this stuff to agents by Wednesday and Thursday. Whee!
I may be going to Virginia in two weeks for a Top Secret Mission, so I should have at least a day not on my computer, which will be a relief.
Anyway, that's what's happening on my end. Y tu?
5/26/2006
5/25/2006
Is it me for a moment?
Someone famous e-mailed me to say I look like this famous chick from Comedy Central:
Question
Is "owl" a two-syllable word?
Then how come "howl" is one?
You think that question's for the birds?
Wow, you are no fun.
Someone famous e-mailed me to say I look like this famous chick from Comedy Central:
Question
Is "owl" a two-syllable word?
Then how come "howl" is one?
You think that question's for the birds?
Wow, you are no fun.
5/24/2006
Owl's well
I kind of like that even though I'm in a city, I can still wake up some mornings and hear "Wee-hoooo, hooooo, hoooooooooo" coming from my back yard.How many of you New Yorkers can say that?
Now if I can pay someone to come by on Sunday morning and make lawnmower noises, it'd be complete.
Attention readers
If any of you female readers are willing do me the favor of taking a look at one page (just the first page) of my young-adult novel and giving me any reactions, let me know. It's the first page; I'll e-mail it to you post haste. Thanks! E-mail me at lizzner@aol.com. (Yes, girls only; sorry boys.)Will Gore run?
A friend writes that when asked if Gore would run for president on Monday, James Carville's comment on CNN was: "Running for president is like having sex. You don't do it once and say, 'Well, I've already done that, I'll move on to something else.'"That Carville. Always has a way with words.
5/23/2006
Hmmmmmm
Shouldn't fans of the Yankees be called "fankees"?
As predicted
I logged onto my computer this morning to see this on my homepage.
WhatEVER.
Shouldn't fans of the Yankees be called "fankees"?
As predicted
I logged onto my computer this morning to see this on my homepage.
WhatEVER.
5/22/2006
Update update
The Post just put their version of the McGreevey story on-line. It makes it sound like the book is really sleazy, which it isn't. Their story says this:
"Excerpts from the tome were printed yesterday by The Star-Ledger of Newark after the newspaper obtained them at a publishing-industry convention in Washington."
Yeah, I KNOW.
The Post just put their version of the McGreevey story on-line. It makes it sound like the book is really sleazy, which it isn't. Their story says this:
"Excerpts from the tome were printed yesterday by The Star-Ledger of Newark after the newspaper obtained them at a publishing-industry convention in Washington."
Yeah, I KNOW.
They stole my scoop!
I was in Washington D.C. this weekend on literary business and I got sort of a semi-scoop on former Gov. McGreevey's new book, but the Star-Ledger reporter was also down there and I knew he'd write something. Sure enough, I just checked the Ledger's webpage and their story is on-line already.
That means the Associated Press will probably pick it up for today and tomorrow's newspapers. Drat. So that means it will appear in a newspaper near you - in fact, after you read this, look in your paper and it's probably there.
I still have a quote or two that they don't, I think. It's too bad my paper is a weekly and can't come out sooner, but no biggie. It's not as if it was a big secret; it's just that it was McGreevey's first public appearance in a while. Not much is secret in journalism.
On another note, I am posting this at 4:19 a.m., and yes I'm revising my book. I think I will cook a delicious feta omlette now. But the question is: Will it count as breakfast, or dinner?
5 a.m. update: Even more in a NEW post below!
I was in Washington D.C. this weekend on literary business and I got sort of a semi-scoop on former Gov. McGreevey's new book, but the Star-Ledger reporter was also down there and I knew he'd write something. Sure enough, I just checked the Ledger's webpage and their story is on-line already.
That means the Associated Press will probably pick it up for today and tomorrow's newspapers. Drat. So that means it will appear in a newspaper near you - in fact, after you read this, look in your paper and it's probably there.
I still have a quote or two that they don't, I think. It's too bad my paper is a weekly and can't come out sooner, but no biggie. It's not as if it was a big secret; it's just that it was McGreevey's first public appearance in a while. Not much is secret in journalism.
On another note, I am posting this at 4:19 a.m., and yes I'm revising my book. I think I will cook a delicious feta omlette now. But the question is: Will it count as breakfast, or dinner?
5 a.m. update: Even more in a NEW post below!
Monday again
It was just Monday last week. What a conspiracy.
I came up with all sorts of topics to write about in the blog today, and rejected them, as I frequently do. Top reasons are:
1. Someone will misunderstand it and get offended...just like last year when I put a brief, funny poem up here and two people thought it was about them and they wrote to apologize for something they did, but the poem wasn't even about them! Honest!
2. I want to share personal things in my life with the closest people in my life, not necessarily with the world. And the most intimate, private things in my life with the most intimate, private people in my life. I think relationships end up being devalued a bit if you can't share exclusive intimacies.
3. It's boring.
4. Other people already write too much about the issue (like politics).
5. There is no reason #5.
But it's Monday, and you've come here for a brain-break, which is so nice of you I can't stand it. Thank you for coming.
Here's an observation, then: I hate when pizza places charge $2 extra for putting onions on the pizza. They put five savory crescents of onion on a darn pizza, and you get charged $2 for a topping.
4 a.m. update: New post below...
It was just Monday last week. What a conspiracy.
I came up with all sorts of topics to write about in the blog today, and rejected them, as I frequently do. Top reasons are:
1. Someone will misunderstand it and get offended...just like last year when I put a brief, funny poem up here and two people thought it was about them and they wrote to apologize for something they did, but the poem wasn't even about them! Honest!
2. I want to share personal things in my life with the closest people in my life, not necessarily with the world. And the most intimate, private things in my life with the most intimate, private people in my life. I think relationships end up being devalued a bit if you can't share exclusive intimacies.
3. It's boring.
4. Other people already write too much about the issue (like politics).
5. There is no reason #5.
But it's Monday, and you've come here for a brain-break, which is so nice of you I can't stand it. Thank you for coming.
Here's an observation, then: I hate when pizza places charge $2 extra for putting onions on the pizza. They put five savory crescents of onion on a darn pizza, and you get charged $2 for a topping.
4 a.m. update: New post below...
5/21/2006
Goodbye Heather; hello, Hannah
Here is a site that tells you the popularity of names over specific years, and also even shows them during the 1400s! Check this out. A great way to waste time.
I had something like it up here a while ago, but this is an even better one. I'm fascinated by this stuff.
Here is a site that tells you the popularity of names over specific years, and also even shows them during the 1400s! Check this out. A great way to waste time.
I had something like it up here a while ago, but this is an even better one. I'm fascinated by this stuff.
5/18/2006
Hooray
Thank God it's
On another note
Five things I love about dogs
1. The way they try to walk far in front of you, stretching their leash, in order to show how independent they are, but still continually look back at you to make sure you're there.
2. The puzzled expression on a puppy's face after he sneezes for the first time
3. When a dog's nails get clipped and he walks funny on the sidwalk because he's not used to the absence of tapping, and you can see each paw spreading out to get the full brunt
4. When they face into the wind and their ears flap like sails
5. Their pure, unconditional love
Thank God it's
On another note
Five things I love about dogs
1. The way they try to walk far in front of you, stretching their leash, in order to show how independent they are, but still continually look back at you to make sure you're there.
2. The puzzled expression on a puppy's face after he sneezes for the first time
3. When a dog's nails get clipped and he walks funny on the sidwalk because he's not used to the absence of tapping, and you can see each paw spreading out to get the full brunt
4. When they face into the wind and their ears flap like sails
5. Their pure, unconditional love
5/17/2006
99 problems
When I was a kid, sometimes I'd crawl into bed, amidst my B. Kliban Cat comforter and cat sheets and cat pillows, and be scared about some big problem in school (usually related to bullies) that I couldn't figure out how to solve. Sometimes my fears had to do with something more serious, like an ill relative or my disintegrating family unit. But more often it had to do with something that seems silly in retrospect, but was a big deal in elementary school -- the fact that I was required to do something specific in school that surely would get me picked on. For instance, when we had an annual art class assignment to paint a poster of a favorite famous person, I intentionally ducked the assignment for literally weeks and got a zero because I knew whatever I drew would make me ripe for teasing. Kids would pain John Belushi or David Lee Roth and I didn't know who either of them were, and I was sure if I picked someone I knew of, say, Billy Joel, whose songs I practiced on the piano, it'd make me more vulnerable. Even picking a Greek God to do a report on scared me. Believe me, kids can find anything about you to pick on. (Do you remember the classic Judy Blume book "Blubber," and how Blubber got that name because she did a report on whales or something? Exactly.) Yes, this all sounds silly and immature, but I'm talking about elementary school, so cut me some slack.
I remember the night before I was to hand in my Greek God or Goddess report, which I hadn't done, lying in bed and wondering when the last time was that I didn't have something to worry about, and wishing it was a night like that again. And I vowed that if I ever went to sleep again without being nervous and scared, I'd appreciate that it was a night without problems.
So occasionally, I WOULD have that sort of period, brief though it lasted because kids have no control over their lives, and I'd crawl under my cat comforter and realize I *didn't* have any major problems (no kids picking on me, family temporarily not fighting, no one sick), and I would be very appreciative, although I didn't know how long it would last.
Anyway, I was thinking about that today because right now, I have no major problems. There are the usual ongoing minor dilemmas, but nothing at crisis level, nothing that makes it hard to sleep. And I'm very grateful.
Of course, right now I'm in a time in my life where I'm not completely in charge of anyone's well being. I have no pets or kids right now. I do manage a writing staff, but I haven't reprimanded anyone in a few days so I think no one hates me right now (although being a boss, it's hard to tell. Yeahhhh...TPS Reports...do you have those TPS Reports?)
Some day I will have more people/things to worry about. But at this moment, even though I'm without cat comforter, I can curl up and feel relieved.
Thanks
Thanks to Wes, Carl, and "Blogfan Sam" from Hawaii for reminding me that the essay I was looking for was back in Aug of '03. I didn't think it was so long ago. I have always depended on the kindness of stranglers, I mean, strangers.
When I was a kid, sometimes I'd crawl into bed, amidst my B. Kliban Cat comforter and cat sheets and cat pillows, and be scared about some big problem in school (usually related to bullies) that I couldn't figure out how to solve. Sometimes my fears had to do with something more serious, like an ill relative or my disintegrating family unit. But more often it had to do with something that seems silly in retrospect, but was a big deal in elementary school -- the fact that I was required to do something specific in school that surely would get me picked on. For instance, when we had an annual art class assignment to paint a poster of a favorite famous person, I intentionally ducked the assignment for literally weeks and got a zero because I knew whatever I drew would make me ripe for teasing. Kids would pain John Belushi or David Lee Roth and I didn't know who either of them were, and I was sure if I picked someone I knew of, say, Billy Joel, whose songs I practiced on the piano, it'd make me more vulnerable. Even picking a Greek God to do a report on scared me. Believe me, kids can find anything about you to pick on. (Do you remember the classic Judy Blume book "Blubber," and how Blubber got that name because she did a report on whales or something? Exactly.) Yes, this all sounds silly and immature, but I'm talking about elementary school, so cut me some slack.
I remember the night before I was to hand in my Greek God or Goddess report, which I hadn't done, lying in bed and wondering when the last time was that I didn't have something to worry about, and wishing it was a night like that again. And I vowed that if I ever went to sleep again without being nervous and scared, I'd appreciate that it was a night without problems.
So occasionally, I WOULD have that sort of period, brief though it lasted because kids have no control over their lives, and I'd crawl under my cat comforter and realize I *didn't* have any major problems (no kids picking on me, family temporarily not fighting, no one sick), and I would be very appreciative, although I didn't know how long it would last.
Anyway, I was thinking about that today because right now, I have no major problems. There are the usual ongoing minor dilemmas, but nothing at crisis level, nothing that makes it hard to sleep. And I'm very grateful.
Of course, right now I'm in a time in my life where I'm not completely in charge of anyone's well being. I have no pets or kids right now. I do manage a writing staff, but I haven't reprimanded anyone in a few days so I think no one hates me right now (although being a boss, it's hard to tell. Yeahhhh...TPS Reports...do you have those TPS Reports?)
Some day I will have more people/things to worry about. But at this moment, even though I'm without cat comforter, I can curl up and feel relieved.
Thanks
Thanks to Wes, Carl, and "Blogfan Sam" from Hawaii for reminding me that the essay I was looking for was back in Aug of '03. I didn't think it was so long ago. I have always depended on the kindness of stranglers, I mean, strangers.
5/15/2006
5/14/2006
Happy Mother's Day!
Me and Mom.
Obnoxious t-shirts spotted yesterday
On a short, muscular guy talking into his cellphone: A picture of a fan with the words "This blows."
On a tall, blonde woman: "I had a nightmare I was a brunette."
Me and Mom.
Obnoxious t-shirts spotted yesterday
On a short, muscular guy talking into his cellphone: A picture of a fan with the words "This blows."
On a tall, blonde woman: "I had a nightmare I was a brunette."
5/10/2006
Losing it
One of the most frustrating things to happen is when you lose something you really need. You retrace your steps looking, and are furious at yourself for the split second it took to misplace it.
And you also wish that if anyone would find it, they'd call you quickly, but sometimes they don't (if they bother trying to find you at all).
This morning on my way to work, I saw what looked like someone's tax refund checks on the ground. It didn't seem like a safe thing to be dropping, even if it was just the pull-off part. I picked it up and it was two sealed checks from the DIVISION OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND HEALTH SERVICES, TRENTON, NJ addressed to a guy at the Homeless Shelter.
Obviously he needs these for his health care, or it's disability or whatever. I called the shelter and told them the guy could come pick them up at my office, or they could send someone. They said to just drop them in the mail.
I declined to, because what if the mail takes two days or sends them back to Trenton? This guy finally got his disability checks and somehow dropped them. He probably needs them in a hurry.
There's no reason he has to wait and fret when he clearly has enough problems as it is. Plus, the shelter is like seven blocks from me.
Anyway, I'm gonna sprint down there tonight and drop them off. It's good exercise. So see, I'm really doing it for selfish reasons, you Ayn Rand junkies (ewww).
One of the most frustrating things to happen is when you lose something you really need. You retrace your steps looking, and are furious at yourself for the split second it took to misplace it.
And you also wish that if anyone would find it, they'd call you quickly, but sometimes they don't (if they bother trying to find you at all).
This morning on my way to work, I saw what looked like someone's tax refund checks on the ground. It didn't seem like a safe thing to be dropping, even if it was just the pull-off part. I picked it up and it was two sealed checks from the DIVISION OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND HEALTH SERVICES, TRENTON, NJ addressed to a guy at the Homeless Shelter.
Obviously he needs these for his health care, or it's disability or whatever. I called the shelter and told them the guy could come pick them up at my office, or they could send someone. They said to just drop them in the mail.
I declined to, because what if the mail takes two days or sends them back to Trenton? This guy finally got his disability checks and somehow dropped them. He probably needs them in a hurry.
There's no reason he has to wait and fret when he clearly has enough problems as it is. Plus, the shelter is like seven blocks from me.
Anyway, I'm gonna sprint down there tonight and drop them off. It's good exercise. So see, I'm really doing it for selfish reasons, you Ayn Rand junkies (ewww).
5/09/2006
Now that I've met you
Just in case anyone out there needs one, here's a great big ((((((((((((hug)))))))).
Let me know if I can help.
Three
I have two writing projects whose revisions should both be done within the next month.
And neither of them is the third one, which I've been working on for four years.
Writing what you know is a lot easier than writing what you love, sometimes...but the research is fun just the same.
In any case, I hope to have two things sold by September. I haven't sold anything in a while. So yeah, I'll be in literary seclusion for a lot of this month.
You think September is far away, but it's not. Huh huh huh huh, I said 's not.
Obladi, obladah...
"Come on, where are you guys already?!" - Becca Thatcher, talking to her breasts
If that means anything to you...or the names Tyler Benchfield, Corky Thatcher, or Jesse McKenna do, guess what's out today on DVD!!!
The rumors are NOT true that the series was originally called, "That's retarded!"
Just in case anyone out there needs one, here's a great big ((((((((((((hug)))))))).
Let me know if I can help.
Three
I have two writing projects whose revisions should both be done within the next month.
And neither of them is the third one, which I've been working on for four years.
Writing what you know is a lot easier than writing what you love, sometimes...but the research is fun just the same.
In any case, I hope to have two things sold by September. I haven't sold anything in a while. So yeah, I'll be in literary seclusion for a lot of this month.
You think September is far away, but it's not. Huh huh huh huh, I said 's not.
Obladi, obladah...
"Come on, where are you guys already?!" - Becca Thatcher, talking to her breasts
If that means anything to you...or the names Tyler Benchfield, Corky Thatcher, or Jesse McKenna do, guess what's out today on DVD!!!
The rumors are NOT true that the series was originally called, "That's retarded!"
5/08/2006
Linkage
Seems like a lot of blogs have been boring lately. If you're looking for stuff to read, here are some things:
Kevin Smith gives TMI about his sex life:
http://silentbobspeaks.com/?p=227
Rivers Cuomo of Weezer talks about being a regular Harvard student:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513079
I just started a really paranoid blog:
http://www.aparanoidblog.blogspot.com.
Seems like a lot of blogs have been boring lately. If you're looking for stuff to read, here are some things:
Kevin Smith gives TMI about his sex life:
http://silentbobspeaks.com/?p=227
Rivers Cuomo of Weezer talks about being a regular Harvard student:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513079
I just started a really paranoid blog:
http://www.aparanoidblog.blogspot.com.
5/06/2006
Regina
One day in college, I was leaving CVS and crossing the street back onto the campus. CVS was part of a bank of stores just off-campus, a place I rarely went. Off-campus was like this netherworld where you had to fear muggings and spend your own cash.
When I returned to the grassy campus area, I spied, a little bit in the distance, my friend Regina.
What was unusual was that rather than her walking on the paved path through campus, she had stepped upward onto one of the high, thin, long raised gray curb-beams that bounded it. And she was balancing on it as she walked, as if it was a balance beam.
That's something you do as a kid, walk on any balance beam-like thing you see, with your hands out. It's sort of like the kiddish need to hold your arm out in school when you walk through the hallways, barely glancing the wall with the ends of your fingertips. Jumping up and balancing on something is not what you're supposed to do as an adult, and yet, Regina just happened to be doing it. And she didn't expect anyone to see her. I thought it was pretty funny, the way she was walking along like that.
It was kind of charming. I still do childish things like that too, even though I suppose I shouldn't. But why not? Sometimes at work I take the stairs two at a time, jumping onto the floor at the end. If I'm not supposed to have that kind of energy anymore, I say, bah!
One day in college, I was leaving CVS and crossing the street back onto the campus. CVS was part of a bank of stores just off-campus, a place I rarely went. Off-campus was like this netherworld where you had to fear muggings and spend your own cash.
When I returned to the grassy campus area, I spied, a little bit in the distance, my friend Regina.
What was unusual was that rather than her walking on the paved path through campus, she had stepped upward onto one of the high, thin, long raised gray curb-beams that bounded it. And she was balancing on it as she walked, as if it was a balance beam.
That's something you do as a kid, walk on any balance beam-like thing you see, with your hands out. It's sort of like the kiddish need to hold your arm out in school when you walk through the hallways, barely glancing the wall with the ends of your fingertips. Jumping up and balancing on something is not what you're supposed to do as an adult, and yet, Regina just happened to be doing it. And she didn't expect anyone to see her. I thought it was pretty funny, the way she was walking along like that.
It was kind of charming. I still do childish things like that too, even though I suppose I shouldn't. But why not? Sometimes at work I take the stairs two at a time, jumping onto the floor at the end. If I'm not supposed to have that kind of energy anymore, I say, bah!
5/05/2006
5/03/2006
Reading details for Sunday
I'll be reading on Sunday from a hopefully-humorous book-in-progress. I will have one or two co-readers. If it's not too far for you to come, it'll be great to see ya there!
It's 6:30 p.m. this Sunday, 5/7 at Barbes, in Brooklyn off the F train - directions:
From Manhattan, Take the last car of the train to 7th Avenue, Brooklyn. Exit at the southwest corner exit.
Make a u-turn and walk downhill on 9th street towards 6th Avenue. Barbes is on your left at 376 9th Street, a couple of stores in from the corner of 6th Avenue.
www.barbesbrooklyn.com
E-mail me if you have questions (about that or anything else).
Phone convo I had just now:
PERSON: So, are you into Idol?
ME: Billy Idol?
PERSON: No, American Idol.
ME: Uh...no. But I might be if they sang Billy Idol.
E-mail of the day
don't plagiarize or you may lose your million dollar book deals (lol). isn't that somethin'? love, dad.
I'll be reading on Sunday from a hopefully-humorous book-in-progress. I will have one or two co-readers. If it's not too far for you to come, it'll be great to see ya there!
It's 6:30 p.m. this Sunday, 5/7 at Barbes, in Brooklyn off the F train - directions:
From Manhattan, Take the last car of the train to 7th Avenue, Brooklyn. Exit at the southwest corner exit.
Make a u-turn and walk downhill on 9th street towards 6th Avenue. Barbes is on your left at 376 9th Street, a couple of stores in from the corner of 6th Avenue.
www.barbesbrooklyn.com
E-mail me if you have questions (about that or anything else).
Phone convo I had just now:
PERSON: So, are you into Idol?
ME: Billy Idol?
PERSON: No, American Idol.
ME: Uh...no. But I might be if they sang Billy Idol.
E-mail of the day
don't plagiarize or you may lose your million dollar book deals (lol). isn't that somethin'? love, dad.
5/01/2006
Owww
I just saw United 93 and it gave me a headache. The first 15 minutes are very slow chatty stuff to show what a normal morning it was - I'd recommend going in 15 minutes late. There's a lot of other slow stuff to fill time. Then you're on a doomed plane. The camera angles are weird through the whole thing and made me a little dizzy. So in short, don't bring the kids. Except that some of the money is going to WTC charities so I guess I should encourage that part.
I just saw United 93 and it gave me a headache. The first 15 minutes are very slow chatty stuff to show what a normal morning it was - I'd recommend going in 15 minutes late. There's a lot of other slow stuff to fill time. Then you're on a doomed plane. The camera angles are weird through the whole thing and made me a little dizzy. So in short, don't bring the kids. Except that some of the money is going to WTC charities so I guess I should encourage that part.
4/29/2006
Reading
Why is it that I have shelves full of books I have to read, and I still go to the library to take out more? I think I subconsciously believe that one weekend, there will be a bad snowstorm and I'll be stuck with just cocoa and all my books, and I'll need plenty to read.
Anthology
I will have a short story in this anthology that will be out at the end of the summer. It got posted on Amazon today. It should be shipped well before its official pub date.
Reflecting
The topic of blogs came up in my writing group, and someone said, "Isn't that narcissistic?" Actually, I feel like today's entry is pretty narcissistic. I promise that next week I won't write about my works-in-progress. I know it's gotten a little boring.
Generally, though, criticizing blogs as narcissistic is silly. They're just diaries that a few friends are privy to, or in my case, friends and people who are goodly enough to have read my writing. A diary is SUPPOSED to be about yourself.
It's not like there are only, say, five addresses on the web and each of us is dedicating one to our solipsistic screeds. I'm just putting some thoughts into cyberspace in case anyone cares, and I don't falsely believe that hundreds of people do (because they don't). Mostly, I use this blog as a way to keep up with friends and readers.
An interesting take
...on what publishing is like for a young writer whose idea is not tailor-made for the market.
Not every Ivy scribe gets a big book deal.
T.G.I.F.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. (Note to self: I have to write my "Regina" post on Monday or Tuesday. Nothing scandalous; I just thought of it today and should write it.)
Why is it that I have shelves full of books I have to read, and I still go to the library to take out more? I think I subconsciously believe that one weekend, there will be a bad snowstorm and I'll be stuck with just cocoa and all my books, and I'll need plenty to read.
Anthology
I will have a short story in this anthology that will be out at the end of the summer. It got posted on Amazon today. It should be shipped well before its official pub date.
Reflecting
The topic of blogs came up in my writing group, and someone said, "Isn't that narcissistic?" Actually, I feel like today's entry is pretty narcissistic. I promise that next week I won't write about my works-in-progress. I know it's gotten a little boring.
Generally, though, criticizing blogs as narcissistic is silly. They're just diaries that a few friends are privy to, or in my case, friends and people who are goodly enough to have read my writing. A diary is SUPPOSED to be about yourself.
It's not like there are only, say, five addresses on the web and each of us is dedicating one to our solipsistic screeds. I'm just putting some thoughts into cyberspace in case anyone cares, and I don't falsely believe that hundreds of people do (because they don't). Mostly, I use this blog as a way to keep up with friends and readers.
An interesting take
...on what publishing is like for a young writer whose idea is not tailor-made for the market.
Not every Ivy scribe gets a big book deal.
T.G.I.F.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. (Note to self: I have to write my "Regina" post on Monday or Tuesday. Nothing scandalous; I just thought of it today and should write it.)
4/28/2006
Ooh
A girl just quoted from one of my novels on her Livejournal - it's actually a pretty good quote that I forgot about, if I may egotistically shamelessly pat myself on the back in the midst of wanting to rewrite most of what I've written.
It's about dating. Take a gander.
A girl just quoted from one of my novels on her Livejournal - it's actually a pretty good quote that I forgot about, if I may egotistically shamelessly pat myself on the back in the midst of wanting to rewrite most of what I've written.
It's about dating. Take a gander.
Things we learned this week
Those $500,000 book deals might not be all they're cracked up to be. If you get one, turn it down immediately!
There are ways to get Jared Paul Stern off the literary gossip pages for a day or so.
If you get into a literary scandal, have a hard-to-pronounce name so people can't use it as a punchline.
Westfield Garden State Plaza is actually in Paramus.
And most importantly, I just found the perfect destination for a road trip!! Who wants to come?!?!
E-mail me and let me know.
Those $500,000 book deals might not be all they're cracked up to be. If you get one, turn it down immediately!
There are ways to get Jared Paul Stern off the literary gossip pages for a day or so.
If you get into a literary scandal, have a hard-to-pronounce name so people can't use it as a punchline.
Westfield Garden State Plaza is actually in Paramus.
And most importantly, I just found the perfect destination for a road trip!! Who wants to come?!?!
E-mail me and let me know.
4/27/2006
Hi, Sweetie.
I want to confess something. I'm secretly in love with you.
No, not you. You.
No, him.
NO, NOT YOU!!! BEHIND YOU! OVER THERE! AROUND THE CORNER!!!
Yes, that cute English bulldog over there. I love English bulldogs. They're cuddly.
Anyway...
Thanks to everyone who sent me historical information about the malls of North Jersey. I didn't know I was being read by a bunch of mall rats.
Ned Vizzini has been writing up a storm in his blog lately. His new novel, It's Kind of a Funny Story, is great, so I should write more about it when I have a chance. And no, I'm not kissing up. He can't help me out of my literary stupor right now, nor can anyone else. I'm working on three things, and I have to get one of them finished already and out there.
I spent yesterday revising a few pages of Novel 3, then ended up realizing it was much better the old way. That's fine, though. Sometimes you just have to try all angles. It's part of the process.
This stupid, irksome process!
I have a bunch of stuff I'd like to improve about Carrie Pilby, but sometimes you have to let it go. Or as Dante Hicks says in Clerks, "Sometimes you have to let those hard-to-reach chips go." The VCR ate my videotape of Clerks recently, incidentally, so I'll have to get the DVD at some point. Especially since it's in my top 5 movies. I was watching it as I cleaned my apt. last month. Which I have to do again before my writing group comes over.
P.S. I really do think you're swell.
I want to confess something. I'm secretly in love with you.
No, not you. You.
No, him.
NO, NOT YOU!!! BEHIND YOU! OVER THERE! AROUND THE CORNER!!!
Yes, that cute English bulldog over there. I love English bulldogs. They're cuddly.
Anyway...
Thanks to everyone who sent me historical information about the malls of North Jersey. I didn't know I was being read by a bunch of mall rats.
Ned Vizzini has been writing up a storm in his blog lately. His new novel, It's Kind of a Funny Story, is great, so I should write more about it when I have a chance. And no, I'm not kissing up. He can't help me out of my literary stupor right now, nor can anyone else. I'm working on three things, and I have to get one of them finished already and out there.
I spent yesterday revising a few pages of Novel 3, then ended up realizing it was much better the old way. That's fine, though. Sometimes you just have to try all angles. It's part of the process.
This stupid, irksome process!
I have a bunch of stuff I'd like to improve about Carrie Pilby, but sometimes you have to let it go. Or as Dante Hicks says in Clerks, "Sometimes you have to let those hard-to-reach chips go." The VCR ate my videotape of Clerks recently, incidentally, so I'll have to get the DVD at some point. Especially since it's in my top 5 movies. I was watching it as I cleaned my apt. last month. Which I have to do again before my writing group comes over.
P.S. I really do think you're swell.
4/26/2006
Short thrills
Reactions to yesterday's post:
"Why haven't I heard of this Short Hills Mall before? It sounds amazing!" - A friend from California who now lives in NYC
That's what we Jerseyans are for - bringing malls to the transplanted masses!
Two people wrote and complained that I said the Garden State Plaza mall was in Westfield and not in Paramus, so I fixed it. I got confused because it had changed its name to "Westfield Garden State Plaza," but that's the name of the company, not the town it's in.
So here is one more update on the alleged plagiarism controversy, from the Harvard Crimson.
In other news, I am blogging right now to procrastinate from an evening of revisions to Novel-in-Progress #3.
Now back to our regularly scheduled grind. Oh yeah, buy my books. Summer's coming.
Reactions to yesterday's post:
"Why haven't I heard of this Short Hills Mall before? It sounds amazing!" - A friend from California who now lives in NYC
That's what we Jerseyans are for - bringing malls to the transplanted masses!
Two people wrote and complained that I said the Garden State Plaza mall was in Westfield and not in Paramus, so I fixed it. I got confused because it had changed its name to "Westfield Garden State Plaza," but that's the name of the company, not the town it's in.
So here is one more update on the alleged plagiarism controversy, from the Harvard Crimson.
In other news, I am blogging right now to procrastinate from an evening of revisions to Novel-in-Progress #3.
Now back to our regularly scheduled grind. Oh yeah, buy my books. Summer's coming.
4/25/2006
170 specialty shops later...
The Harvard Crimson has posted updates on the plagiarism allegations, as well as additional instances they found of similarities in Megan McCafferty's trilogy and How Opal Mehta...etc.
I don't really want to comment on the allegations any more, as a fellow writer. Enough people will do that.
But here's another important question. One interesting similarity between the two books is the joke about "170 specialty shops later"... Besides the fact that the wording is similar, there's another question to ask: Since both characters live in NJ, if they were talking about a real mall, which North Jersey mall would they be talking about?
As a North Jerseyan myself, I just had to solve this important riddle.
Well, Opal refers to "the Plaza," which I guess is Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus.
But if you go by 170 shops, it might just be the uber-swanky Short Hills Mall! Here's what the mall website says:
Nowhere else in the world can you find such an oasis of luxury shopping under one roof. This one stop shopping destination includes over 170 specialty stores and restaurants including Cartier, Chanel, Crate & Barrel, Dior, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Legal Sea Foods, Louis Vuitton, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co. and anchors Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Over 40 boutiques have their only New Jersey location at The Mall at Short Hills, the region's preeminent shopping center.
Malls across the country offer different denominations of "specialty stores" and "specialty shops", like 150, 160, 170...and the Menlo Park Mall in Central Jersey also boasts 170. AND of course, it may have been a number picked at random by McCafferty.
This discussion was pretty pointless, but hey, so's the blog!!! Now, go buy Carrie Pilby. Yeah.
The Harvard Crimson has posted updates on the plagiarism allegations, as well as additional instances they found of similarities in Megan McCafferty's trilogy and How Opal Mehta...etc.
I don't really want to comment on the allegations any more, as a fellow writer. Enough people will do that.
But here's another important question. One interesting similarity between the two books is the joke about "170 specialty shops later"... Besides the fact that the wording is similar, there's another question to ask: Since both characters live in NJ, if they were talking about a real mall, which North Jersey mall would they be talking about?
As a North Jerseyan myself, I just had to solve this important riddle.
Well, Opal refers to "the Plaza," which I guess is Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus.
But if you go by 170 shops, it might just be the uber-swanky Short Hills Mall! Here's what the mall website says:
Nowhere else in the world can you find such an oasis of luxury shopping under one roof. This one stop shopping destination includes over 170 specialty stores and restaurants including Cartier, Chanel, Crate & Barrel, Dior, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Legal Sea Foods, Louis Vuitton, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co. and anchors Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Over 40 boutiques have their only New Jersey location at The Mall at Short Hills, the region's preeminent shopping center.
Malls across the country offer different denominations of "specialty stores" and "specialty shops", like 150, 160, 170...and the Menlo Park Mall in Central Jersey also boasts 170. AND of course, it may have been a number picked at random by McCafferty.
This discussion was pretty pointless, but hey, so's the blog!!! Now, go buy Carrie Pilby. Yeah.
4/24/2006
Spying on you
I'll be reading from a new novel-in-progress May 7, Sunday, in Brooklyn. Hello to all new readers, by the way. Check out my published novels & stuff.
I'll be reading from a new novel-in-progress May 7, Sunday, in Brooklyn. Hello to all new readers, by the way. Check out my published novels & stuff.
4/23/2006
Literary snark and scandal
The author of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life is being accused of plagiarism. Reminder: Innocent until proven guilty...anyway, the story was broken by the Harvard Crimson yesterday, and by last night, it had made the Associated Press Wire. By the time you read this, or at least by Tuesday, I imagine it will be the literary scandal d'jour.
It is easy to accidentally reuse a phrase from another book if it sticks in the back of your mind, so hopefully that's what happened. In any case, I'm sure we'll be hearing more about it.
I worry about the author, though. The knives had been sharpening for her as soon as she got a $500K book deal at the tender age of 19.
If you are a young author (say, 29 or under, but especially 25 or under), and you get a major book deal (say, six figures), the knives come out. It's so hard to get published in general, and to get such a high sum in particular, that if people can poke holes in your story, or in you personally, they will. But when you accidentally (or purposely) give them extra fodder, it only gets worse.
The book they're saying she allegedly plagiarized is Sloppy Firsts, a very popular novel in the teen/tween genre (between teen and adult).
After the Harvard U. sophomore's novel finally came out April 4, some reviews said it was a charming book, some others (in fact, one in a Harvard student magazine and the other written by a Harvard sophomore in the NY Observer) wrote about the book and its author with a negative slant.
It goes to show that a huge advance definitely has its downside for a young author - the scrutiny is pretty intense.
Thank god I didn't get $500,000 for Carrie Pilby (ha ha).
The author of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life is being accused of plagiarism. Reminder: Innocent until proven guilty...anyway, the story was broken by the Harvard Crimson yesterday, and by last night, it had made the Associated Press Wire. By the time you read this, or at least by Tuesday, I imagine it will be the literary scandal d'jour.
It is easy to accidentally reuse a phrase from another book if it sticks in the back of your mind, so hopefully that's what happened. In any case, I'm sure we'll be hearing more about it.
I worry about the author, though. The knives had been sharpening for her as soon as she got a $500K book deal at the tender age of 19.
If you are a young author (say, 29 or under, but especially 25 or under), and you get a major book deal (say, six figures), the knives come out. It's so hard to get published in general, and to get such a high sum in particular, that if people can poke holes in your story, or in you personally, they will. But when you accidentally (or purposely) give them extra fodder, it only gets worse.
The book they're saying she allegedly plagiarized is Sloppy Firsts, a very popular novel in the teen/tween genre (between teen and adult).
After the Harvard U. sophomore's novel finally came out April 4, some reviews said it was a charming book, some others (in fact, one in a Harvard student magazine and the other written by a Harvard sophomore in the NY Observer) wrote about the book and its author with a negative slant.
It goes to show that a huge advance definitely has its downside for a young author - the scrutiny is pretty intense.
Thank god I didn't get $500,000 for Carrie Pilby (ha ha).
4/21/2006
4/20/2006
Into print
A co-worker brought in her little girl today.
GIRL (to me): I don't think I can write a book.
ME: I bet you can!
GIRL: But I can write a movie script.
ME: Then do one.
GIRL: I did. It's at home.
ME: Remember, they have to be 110 pages.
GIRL: (Pause) WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
MOMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYY!
(No. Actually what she said was, "It doesn't have to be like a 3-hour movie" and I said, "OK." No use dashing her dreams.)
A co-worker brought in her little girl today.
GIRL (to me): I don't think I can write a book.
ME: I bet you can!
GIRL: But I can write a movie script.
ME: Then do one.
GIRL: I did. It's at home.
ME: Remember, they have to be 110 pages.
GIRL: (Pause) WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
MOMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYY!
(No. Actually what she said was, "It doesn't have to be like a 3-hour movie" and I said, "OK." No use dashing her dreams.)
4/19/2006
4/18/2006
Go to your room!
That used to be the worst punishment as a kid. Having to go to my room. Everyone else would be watching TV in the den. I'd hear them in there. Not only was my family all there without me, but I was missing all the good shows.
Sure, I liked to draw comic strips, but I liked doing it in front of the TV, where everyone else was. I didn't like being away, missing the party. There was NOTHING to do in my room.
I doubt that's a big punishment anymore. Kids have everything in their room - the internet, probably a TV, video games, a phone. I never had any of those in my room. If there was TV to be watched, it was on the big set in the living room, and my brother and I basically controlled it after the news was over. My mom watched what WE wanted. We knew the prime time schedule by heart. She couldn't stand Laverne & Shirley, but we still tortured her with it every Tuesday.
I wonder about today's kids and certain things that have just slowly gone out of fashion or changed without me realizing it. What are punishments today? Probably no internet. No talking on the phone.
I had another example of this, but I forgot it. It happens when you get old.
That used to be the worst punishment as a kid. Having to go to my room. Everyone else would be watching TV in the den. I'd hear them in there. Not only was my family all there without me, but I was missing all the good shows.
Sure, I liked to draw comic strips, but I liked doing it in front of the TV, where everyone else was. I didn't like being away, missing the party. There was NOTHING to do in my room.
I doubt that's a big punishment anymore. Kids have everything in their room - the internet, probably a TV, video games, a phone. I never had any of those in my room. If there was TV to be watched, it was on the big set in the living room, and my brother and I basically controlled it after the news was over. My mom watched what WE wanted. We knew the prime time schedule by heart. She couldn't stand Laverne & Shirley, but we still tortured her with it every Tuesday.
I wonder about today's kids and certain things that have just slowly gone out of fashion or changed without me realizing it. What are punishments today? Probably no internet. No talking on the phone.
I had another example of this, but I forgot it. It happens when you get old.
4/17/2006
Sunday best
This weekend, I actually went to Easter services - only because my friend Dawn had her Confirmation at the services to become the Catholic she was. Here is Dawn's site.
Anyway, I decided to wear Easter colors. Ah, spring.
This weekend, I actually went to Easter services - only because my friend Dawn had her Confirmation at the services to become the Catholic she was. Here is Dawn's site.
Anyway, I decided to wear Easter colors. Ah, spring.
4/16/2006
Impo'tant dates
I will be reading in Brooklyn on Sunday, May 7 around 6 p.m. as part of the Barbes series that Jessica runs. Still don't know who my two co-readers are yet. I'll read from the funnier (hopefully) of the two projects I'm finishing up. It'd be swell to see you there.
If you're reading this on Monday, April 17, I have a story in the Daily News today. Here is the link.
In other news, as pointed out by Derek, Gawker allowed former Page 6 staffer Jared Paul Stern to post info all weekend, which resulted in some very harsh comments.
Weekend
I posted stuff this weekend; scroll down if you like.
I will be reading in Brooklyn on Sunday, May 7 around 6 p.m. as part of the Barbes series that Jessica runs. Still don't know who my two co-readers are yet. I'll read from the funnier (hopefully) of the two projects I'm finishing up. It'd be swell to see you there.
If you're reading this on Monday, April 17, I have a story in the Daily News today. Here is the link.
In other news, as pointed out by Derek, Gawker allowed former Page 6 staffer Jared Paul Stern to post info all weekend, which resulted in some very harsh comments.
Weekend
I posted stuff this weekend; scroll down if you like.
4/15/2006
This weekend's thoughts...
Mirror image
Is it possible that everyone in your life can remind you of someone else in your life? This guy I work with reminds me of my friend Angela's husband. They even write the same way. I only realized recently that my friend Valerie reminds me of a girl named Valerie in college, who also had red hair and a similar personality. It's weird.
Iraq
On Tuesday I went to a comic bookish reading and then stopped at a bar with fellow reading attendees Ned Vizzini, Todd S., and [Censored] (inside joke). The three of them talked about Iraq for a half hour, then used comic book metaphors to explain their arguments. I was lost on both counts, but was impressed on their worldly knowledge. I should start following the ins and outs of the war again instead of being such an ignoramus. I used to be such a policy wonk toward the end of my college career, when Clinton had just taken office. Maybe I should write about that some day.
Straw men
If you want to buffer your political argument, sometimes you create a "straw man" to represent the other side, and then argue against that exaggerated, invisible man. Like, "A lot of Republicans hate poor people, but I don't," that kind of thing. Sometimes, though, you don't need a straw man. I was on a date two years ago when a guy said he's against big government because he doesn't like his money going to "Welfare mothers with 13 kids." I was incensed that someone who seemed intelligent would use such a lazy, uninformed, and cliched argument. I didn't know where to begin to argue about that. But anyone who argues something like that ought to actually have at least MET a Welfare mother with several kids, to prove they exist -- and he had not. So he certainly hadn't talked to one to find out what her life was really like.
Similarly, last week, someone made a comment to me that giving to the homeless is bad because a lot of them are "con artists." Since a person standing on the street asking for money in New York all day is unlikely to get rich, I said I doubted they were just pretending to be homeless. His reply that most of them are going to use the money for an addiction and not food. Okay, but that's not a con. They're still hungry, even if their shi**y life means they use drugs as well.
Check, mate
Thursday I got a check in the mail that gave me a great deal of satisfaction. I wasn't sure why. It was a check for a short story that I'm going to have in an anthology. I've gotten much larger checks for my writing, so why did this one make me happy? Of course, to make any money off of fiction writing is an exciting thing -- and even though I got rejected for ten years before I finally sold fiction, people can write for years and get rejected for years more and still not get published, and I never forget that. But that still didn't explain why this particular check made me so happy.
I realized today that maybe it was because it was sort of like the old days, when a young writer would send off a story to, say, Harper's or some literary magazine and then barely hear anything until he/she got a check in a small envelope. Then that person would run to the bank to cash it. It just felt very writerly, getting that check. I liked that.
Your taxes are due
So stop reading this.
That's all for tonight. I'm caught up now. Remember to do your homework in the dark and eat your cereal with a fork.
Mirror image
Is it possible that everyone in your life can remind you of someone else in your life? This guy I work with reminds me of my friend Angela's husband. They even write the same way. I only realized recently that my friend Valerie reminds me of a girl named Valerie in college, who also had red hair and a similar personality. It's weird.
Iraq
On Tuesday I went to a comic bookish reading and then stopped at a bar with fellow reading attendees Ned Vizzini, Todd S., and [Censored] (inside joke). The three of them talked about Iraq for a half hour, then used comic book metaphors to explain their arguments. I was lost on both counts, but was impressed on their worldly knowledge. I should start following the ins and outs of the war again instead of being such an ignoramus. I used to be such a policy wonk toward the end of my college career, when Clinton had just taken office. Maybe I should write about that some day.
Straw men
If you want to buffer your political argument, sometimes you create a "straw man" to represent the other side, and then argue against that exaggerated, invisible man. Like, "A lot of Republicans hate poor people, but I don't," that kind of thing. Sometimes, though, you don't need a straw man. I was on a date two years ago when a guy said he's against big government because he doesn't like his money going to "Welfare mothers with 13 kids." I was incensed that someone who seemed intelligent would use such a lazy, uninformed, and cliched argument. I didn't know where to begin to argue about that. But anyone who argues something like that ought to actually have at least MET a Welfare mother with several kids, to prove they exist -- and he had not. So he certainly hadn't talked to one to find out what her life was really like.
Similarly, last week, someone made a comment to me that giving to the homeless is bad because a lot of them are "con artists." Since a person standing on the street asking for money in New York all day is unlikely to get rich, I said I doubted they were just pretending to be homeless. His reply that most of them are going to use the money for an addiction and not food. Okay, but that's not a con. They're still hungry, even if their shi**y life means they use drugs as well.
Check, mate
Thursday I got a check in the mail that gave me a great deal of satisfaction. I wasn't sure why. It was a check for a short story that I'm going to have in an anthology. I've gotten much larger checks for my writing, so why did this one make me happy? Of course, to make any money off of fiction writing is an exciting thing -- and even though I got rejected for ten years before I finally sold fiction, people can write for years and get rejected for years more and still not get published, and I never forget that. But that still didn't explain why this particular check made me so happy.
I realized today that maybe it was because it was sort of like the old days, when a young writer would send off a story to, say, Harper's or some literary magazine and then barely hear anything until he/she got a check in a small envelope. Then that person would run to the bank to cash it. It just felt very writerly, getting that check. I liked that.
Your taxes are due
So stop reading this.
That's all for tonight. I'm caught up now. Remember to do your homework in the dark and eat your cereal with a fork.
4/14/2006
Super super super
Recently, I was in a conversation with my friend The Anonymous Blogger about the next Superman movie, and he stated that there was a Superman IV released years ago, and it was horrible. It was co-written by Christopher Reeve. I didn't believe him. I have never heard of such a film. But I looked it up, and of course, the comic book nerd was right. This film came out 19 years ago! Here's the link if you don't believe us either.
Recently, I was in a conversation with my friend The Anonymous Blogger about the next Superman movie, and he stated that there was a Superman IV released years ago, and it was horrible. It was co-written by Christopher Reeve. I didn't believe him. I have never heard of such a film. But I looked it up, and of course, the comic book nerd was right. This film came out 19 years ago! Here's the link if you don't believe us either.
4/13/2006
4/10/2006
Pigeons and dogs
I haven't seen the pigeon with the broken wing since before the blizzard. At least I haven't seen his body, either, so maybe he's alive somewhere. I wonder if I could have helped him. If I'd called the humane society's 'pigeon rehabilitator' the pigeon would have been captured and maybe kept in a cage to heal, but would that have scared him for weeks? I don't know.
What is odd, though, was that he was always in front of the exact same address, whether pecking in the street or just sitting near the doorway eating. Pigeons all look alike to me, so imagine how many of them you are passing every day that are the same pigeons in the same places, and you didn't even realize it...pigeons have an address too.
More odd animal behavior: Dogs know you by your scent, and it's completely different from everyone else's scent. But to you, you smell like absolutely nothing. And you use soap, shampoo, etc. So how does a dog differentiate? Well, it does. A dog can go years without seeing someone, and then happen to walk past them and all of a sudden recognize their smell and go crazy wagging. Amazing.
I haven't seen the pigeon with the broken wing since before the blizzard. At least I haven't seen his body, either, so maybe he's alive somewhere. I wonder if I could have helped him. If I'd called the humane society's 'pigeon rehabilitator' the pigeon would have been captured and maybe kept in a cage to heal, but would that have scared him for weeks? I don't know.
What is odd, though, was that he was always in front of the exact same address, whether pecking in the street or just sitting near the doorway eating. Pigeons all look alike to me, so imagine how many of them you are passing every day that are the same pigeons in the same places, and you didn't even realize it...pigeons have an address too.
More odd animal behavior: Dogs know you by your scent, and it's completely different from everyone else's scent. But to you, you smell like absolutely nothing. And you use soap, shampoo, etc. So how does a dog differentiate? Well, it does. A dog can go years without seeing someone, and then happen to walk past them and all of a sudden recognize their smell and go crazy wagging. Amazing.
4/09/2006
Always check Snopes
I got an e-mail forward from my cousin entitled "Fwd: Racism still exists."
It was about some incident on a British Airways flight where a woman in first class demanded to be reseated so she wouldn't have to sit next to a black woman. The stewardess instead kicked her out of her seat for being racist, and the passengers all cheered.
Of course, I looked it up on Snopes and it's fake. So I passed my cousin the info.
She wrote back:
Miss Lizzner, why did you really feel the need to pee pee on my cute uplifting racism story with your indepth analysis to the contrary?
I got an e-mail forward from my cousin entitled "Fwd: Racism still exists."
It was about some incident on a British Airways flight where a woman in first class demanded to be reseated so she wouldn't have to sit next to a black woman. The stewardess instead kicked her out of her seat for being racist, and the passengers all cheered.
Of course, I looked it up on Snopes and it's fake. So I passed my cousin the info.
She wrote back:
Miss Lizzner, why did you really feel the need to pee pee on my cute uplifting racism story with your indepth analysis to the contrary?
4/08/2006
April showers
It rained all day here in the metro area. It is going to rain a lot this month. It always does in April. And people start forgetting that it does this every year, and they complain, "I can't believe it's raining this much." Don't be surprised.
I saw an '80s cover band called Spit-Roast Muppet yesterday. Those guys are talented.
I got a nice e-mail today, this one from a mom in Arkansas:
I've only before been compelled to write to an author whose book I despised so this is new for me. I so enjoyed Carrie Pilby and identified with her that I had to write and tell you.
It's still saying on Amazon that it takes 3-6 weeks to get copies, but it's not true. I have to write and bug them. My editor said that they definitely do have copies.
Has everyone heard about the Page 6 New York Post author who supposedly tried to extort $$ from a subject of the columns? If true: Dumb. Very dumb.
It rained all day here in the metro area. It is going to rain a lot this month. It always does in April. And people start forgetting that it does this every year, and they complain, "I can't believe it's raining this much." Don't be surprised.
I saw an '80s cover band called Spit-Roast Muppet yesterday. Those guys are talented.
I got a nice e-mail today, this one from a mom in Arkansas:
I've only before been compelled to write to an author whose book I despised so this is new for me. I so enjoyed Carrie Pilby and identified with her that I had to write and tell you.
It's still saying on Amazon that it takes 3-6 weeks to get copies, but it's not true. I have to write and bug them. My editor said that they definitely do have copies.
Has everyone heard about the Page 6 New York Post author who supposedly tried to extort $$ from a subject of the columns? If true: Dumb. Very dumb.
4/06/2006
Opal Mehta watch
The Times writes about a novel called "How Opal Mehta got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life" today, in which a h.s. girl comes up with a 6-point plan to get a life and get into Harvard. Someone alerted me that the Amazon page for today shows that some people who bought Opal Mehta also bought Carrie Pilby. Yay!
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/books/06opal.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The Times writes about a novel called "How Opal Mehta got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life" today, in which a h.s. girl comes up with a 6-point plan to get a life and get into Harvard. Someone alerted me that the Amazon page for today shows that some people who bought Opal Mehta also bought Carrie Pilby. Yay!
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/books/06opal.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Love the afternoon
Dialogue from work, just now:
GRAPHICS PERSON: Why do we care that this nurse [in an article we're writing] met her husband at the hospital?
ME: I care.
GRAPHICS PERSON: It's like 'General Hospital.' It's like Luke and Laura.
ME: Luke and Laura didn't work at the hospital.
GRAPHICS PERSON: They didn't?
ME: No. They just lived near it.
GRAPHICS PERSON: Didn't they live in Bobbi's brownstone?
ME: Bobbi worked at the hospital. She's a nurse.
OTHER GRAPHICS PERSON: What the HELL are you guys talking about?
Dialogue from work, just now:
GRAPHICS PERSON: Why do we care that this nurse [in an article we're writing] met her husband at the hospital?
ME: I care.
GRAPHICS PERSON: It's like 'General Hospital.' It's like Luke and Laura.
ME: Luke and Laura didn't work at the hospital.
GRAPHICS PERSON: They didn't?
ME: No. They just lived near it.
GRAPHICS PERSON: Didn't they live in Bobbi's brownstone?
ME: Bobbi worked at the hospital. She's a nurse.
OTHER GRAPHICS PERSON: What the HELL are you guys talking about?
**updates below**
Space: The final fronteir
A writer told me that I should have a MySpace account. Everyone has one, she said.
Ugh. That's what I need. Just one more thing to stalk people on. Maybe I can do that, and delete my stupid Friendster account.
Hey, for some reason it's nearly impossible to buy copies of Carrie Pilby off Amazon. We are working to rectify the situation.
Heh heh, heh heh, I said rect...
Space: The final fronteir
A writer told me that I should have a MySpace account. Everyone has one, she said.
Ugh. That's what I need. Just one more thing to stalk people on. Maybe I can do that, and delete my stupid Friendster account.
Hey, for some reason it's nearly impossible to buy copies of Carrie Pilby off Amazon. We are working to rectify the situation.
Heh heh, heh heh, I said rect...
4/04/2006
Frustrated Incorporated
I am forcing myself to take a month of revising one of the two books that is near completion. I need to look at it fresh.
But - argh! - I keep wanting to work on it. I hear of other people's book deals, and I want to not be sitting idly by while everyone else keeps working.
I have to remind myself that there are authors that write a first novel and then it takes them 10 years to come out with a second one. There are people like Junot Diaz (and no, I am NOT comparing myself to him - he's a great writer) who wrote a first book ("Drown," a collection of short stories, in 1997) and we're still waiting for his first novel that he keeps talking about (tentatively called "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" or something similar). It was exerpted in the New Yorker several years ago, and it was absolutely wonderful, but I wonder when the whole thing is coming out. It takes time to write a book. So I have to stop paying attention to the listservs I'm on where people just sold four-book deals.
There is such anxiety out there from leaving projects unfinished, though. Each week, I get Publisher's Lunch Weekly, listing all of the previous week's publishing deals. I read it breathlessly to make sure no one has just sold something like mine.
I have a few other ideas for books I want to start, but if I do, it will take years to finish them. To create a whole world, with backstory and unique characters and unique plots and problems, and keep it interesting for 300 pages, is no mean feat.
And it IS possible to sell a book just on a proposal and a few chaps, if you've been published before. But not all agents will do it. It depends on the book, too. Agh, frustrating.
Arrogant jerk
So there is an article in New York Magazine this week about a guy who started mastrubating in front of a woman on the subway. She took his photo. It ended up on the cover of the Daily News. A few people recognized it. He was exposed (literally) as a popular restauranteur.
So New York Mag has an interview with him this week and the last paragraph is him saying, "Well, if she met me, I'm sure she'd think, 'Hey, interesting guy. He owns a cool restaurant.' I bet she'd even go out with me."
Is that arrogant, or what?
F-f-foolin'
It really IS going to snow a little tonight. So much for my April Fool!
When I was in college, I said as an April Fool that Hillary Clinton would be our commencement speaker. And she was!
Update
Okay, I just looked up Junot Diaz on Google to see when his next book is coming out. Someone who just saw him read wrote this on a blog:
Of, course Junot rocked the house. He read excerpts from the piece he read at [the VONA Workshop], "The Sun, The Moon, The Stars". He also read from the novel, "A Cheater’s Guide to Love" that he has been working on for several years now. From what I heard last night, once he’s finished it and gets it in the hands of the publisher, it's going to be amazing. I don't know what the delay is, but whatever it is, it has nothing to do with the man’s skills. He’s got game.
Yes, what IS the holdup? I Googled the "Cheater's Guide" and there are websites that say it was going to come out in 1997. I guess he's still working on it. I'm sure, as this person says, "It's going to be amazing." But it's not even listed on Amazon, so that means it's at least six months off.
Well, sorry you had to read about my literary frustrations on my blog again, but at least now you know the answer - if you're a friend of mine - to why I keep saying I'm working on a book, but it's not actually done.
Disclaimer: I was in high school with Diaz, but that's not why I praise his work - in fact, I praise it in SPITE of my jealousy. I really do love his straightforward writing style. I don't think he liked me then, anyway; I was a complete geek and grade-grubber and he was a ... school-hater (but in some ways, I imagine, still a geek).
I am forcing myself to take a month of revising one of the two books that is near completion. I need to look at it fresh.
But - argh! - I keep wanting to work on it. I hear of other people's book deals, and I want to not be sitting idly by while everyone else keeps working.
I have to remind myself that there are authors that write a first novel and then it takes them 10 years to come out with a second one. There are people like Junot Diaz (and no, I am NOT comparing myself to him - he's a great writer) who wrote a first book ("Drown," a collection of short stories, in 1997) and we're still waiting for his first novel that he keeps talking about (tentatively called "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" or something similar). It was exerpted in the New Yorker several years ago, and it was absolutely wonderful, but I wonder when the whole thing is coming out. It takes time to write a book. So I have to stop paying attention to the listservs I'm on where people just sold four-book deals.
There is such anxiety out there from leaving projects unfinished, though. Each week, I get Publisher's Lunch Weekly, listing all of the previous week's publishing deals. I read it breathlessly to make sure no one has just sold something like mine.
I have a few other ideas for books I want to start, but if I do, it will take years to finish them. To create a whole world, with backstory and unique characters and unique plots and problems, and keep it interesting for 300 pages, is no mean feat.
And it IS possible to sell a book just on a proposal and a few chaps, if you've been published before. But not all agents will do it. It depends on the book, too. Agh, frustrating.
Arrogant jerk
So there is an article in New York Magazine this week about a guy who started mastrubating in front of a woman on the subway. She took his photo. It ended up on the cover of the Daily News. A few people recognized it. He was exposed (literally) as a popular restauranteur.
So New York Mag has an interview with him this week and the last paragraph is him saying, "Well, if she met me, I'm sure she'd think, 'Hey, interesting guy. He owns a cool restaurant.' I bet she'd even go out with me."
Is that arrogant, or what?
F-f-foolin'
It really IS going to snow a little tonight. So much for my April Fool!
When I was in college, I said as an April Fool that Hillary Clinton would be our commencement speaker. And she was!
Update
Okay, I just looked up Junot Diaz on Google to see when his next book is coming out. Someone who just saw him read wrote this on a blog:
Of, course Junot rocked the house. He read excerpts from the piece he read at [the VONA Workshop], "The Sun, The Moon, The Stars". He also read from the novel, "A Cheater’s Guide to Love" that he has been working on for several years now. From what I heard last night, once he’s finished it and gets it in the hands of the publisher, it's going to be amazing. I don't know what the delay is, but whatever it is, it has nothing to do with the man’s skills. He’s got game.
Yes, what IS the holdup? I Googled the "Cheater's Guide" and there are websites that say it was going to come out in 1997. I guess he's still working on it. I'm sure, as this person says, "It's going to be amazing." But it's not even listed on Amazon, so that means it's at least six months off.
Well, sorry you had to read about my literary frustrations on my blog again, but at least now you know the answer - if you're a friend of mine - to why I keep saying I'm working on a book, but it's not actually done.
Disclaimer: I was in high school with Diaz, but that's not why I praise his work - in fact, I praise it in SPITE of my jealousy. I really do love his straightforward writing style. I don't think he liked me then, anyway; I was a complete geek and grade-grubber and he was a ... school-hater (but in some ways, I imagine, still a geek).
4/03/2006
Amusement park
Sunday I was at an amusement park with friends (it was free). They had one of those booths where people try to guess your age and weight. I paid a woman to guess my age. She guessed 24! That was certainly prize enough, but I won a stuffed dog anyway because she was so far off.
Here are some photos of the experience on Sarah's blog. The captions are UNDERNEATH the corresponding photo -- just so you don't think I'm Jon or Sarah.
Sunday I was at an amusement park with friends (it was free). They had one of those booths where people try to guess your age and weight. I paid a woman to guess my age. She guessed 24! That was certainly prize enough, but I won a stuffed dog anyway because she was so far off.
Here are some photos of the experience on Sarah's blog. The captions are UNDERNEATH the corresponding photo -- just so you don't think I'm Jon or Sarah.
