Nessun Dorma

So many things lately… I realized a life long dream and saw Lucy, aka Dinkenesh, at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  She is truly awe-inspiring.  I was an anthro major as an undergrad and to see her, to see this font of humanity… I teared up, I admit.  It is amazing to just be bare inches away from so much history!  The entire exhibit is amazing, with a huge amount devoted to Ethiopia’s history and culture.  It’s a grossly ignored country and truly deserves all of the positive attention it can get.  I highly recommend, if this exhibit comes to your town, see it ASAP.  Then go see it again.  It’s gorgeous.

Helluo librorum

www.newyorkhack.blogspot.com is, in my opinion a fascinating and amazing blog. The woman who writes it has just had her book, Hack, published and it’s all about her experiences as a female cab driver in New York.  Her blog holds nothing back and she’s nothing if not blunt, which I really respect.  Anyway, check out her blog and support her book by purchasing a copy toute de suite!

Cacoethes Scribindi

I’m reading a lot of Virginia Woolf right now and there’s a very interesting article about Virginia and Leonard (her husband) and why they founded Hogarth Press and how it moved away from it’s original purpose and the outcome of that.  I’m not much of a modernist nor am I much a fan of the style but reading about the Bloomsbury Group and this press that was founded so that writers could write FOR themselves rather than FOR someone else got me thinking: how much has the publishing world changed in the past 100 years?  A LOT.   Do writers today really write for themselves more than our literary ancestors or do writers today aim for pleasing a mysterious other, this publisher or agent or audience we have yet to meet?  Well, that’s trickier.  I think all writers start out writing for themselves and those that are truly blessed and very lucky continue doing so.  You can pick up any book, I think, and know just from a chapter or two if it was written out of passion or because the author just wanted the proverbial paycheck.  Maybe I’m growing cynical in my third decade, ha ha, or maybe I’m overanalyzing styles and perceived tones.

per aspera ad astra

Today, ladies and gents, is the big 3-0 for yours truly!  I dreaded this one for ages but now that it’s here… it isn’t so bad. One day in and I’m still alive!  Now I just celebrate this one nine more times and I’m good to go!  Today was a heavy writing day but not the fun kind.  This was the academic kind… which I suppose could be fun, too, for some folks.  I don’t much enjoy picking a book to dry bits until all that’s left is dust.  But one does what one must and hopes to learn something from the experience.  Right now, I’m learning Virginia Woolf and Tiramisu are a great combination for study breaks.

Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent

If you haven’t heard of Dua Khalil or Nothing But Red, I suggest you check out this link.  It will tell you her story and explain the project.  If you feel you can, please take part.

http://nothingbutred.wordpress.com/

Ab initio

Let’s see if this works… I keep accidentally deleting my posts! Some writer I am, huh? Well, here it is, my inaugural post for this blog. I am pleased as pie and quite honored to be in the process of publishing my very first novel with Drollerie Press! I’ve had short stories and journalism pieces posted in my “other life” but this is the first full length novel so it’s quite a thrill ride–yes, even the editing process sounds exciting from this side of things! I’ll try and keep this updated frequently so come back often!