WINDING UP A RELAXING WEEKEND: This has been one of the most relaxing weekends I've had in awhile...mainly because it was all "me time." We're heading into a busy production schedule at work for the April edition, plus I have a couple of poetry events to attend. I'll be judging students for the Poetry Out Loud recitation project on Tuesday morning up in Roswell to see who goes on to state and on Wednesday night, Poets & Writers and Five Points lit mag are hosting a reading by Delisa Mulkey and Lauren Watel, the winners of last year's Writer's Exchange contest. I've never met or heard Delisa (who won for poetry) read, so I'm looking forward to this. I'm also sitting on a writing critique panel at Portfolio Center on Tuesday night. Mid-week is going to kick my ass.
Anyway, a relaxing weekend. I am slightly envious of all those poets who went to the AWP conference in Austin this weekend. A good number of the poetry bloggers were in attendance and looks like a fab time was had by all. Sadly, I couldn't make this trip and go back to Texas again next month for the book release in San Antonio and the Austin Poetry Festival. Speaking of AIPF, I received a phone call Saturday morning from the editor of the di-verse-city 2006 anthology that my poem What I'm Wearing was selected for this year's edition. That was a great way to kick off the weekend!
On Saturday evening, I met my friends Malory and Maria for dinner at Fellini's Pizza. It was in the high 70s this weekend, so everyone was out on the patio enjoying their pies and beer. We chatted about politics and who the Republicans might be putting up for their 08 presidential candidate. We're guessing McCain will win the nom, and Hillary will get the Dem nom. I'm already practicing saying "President McCain." At least he's a moderate. Sigh...
We went over to Border's after dinner and I spent way too much money. I picked up the two-disk edition of All The President's Men (one of my all-time favorite films), a copy of Time Out magazine from London (gotta keep current!), and Augusten Burrough's memoir, Running With Scissors. Malory has been on my ass for a year trying to get me to read this, and I finally broke down. I'm at the halfway point and it is brilliant. However, like James Frey, me thinks Augusten embellishes just a tad. The mother...who fancies herself as an Anne Sexton type poet...is finely drawn. Whether she's as fabulously crazy as Burrough's makes her out to be is up for debate. While it's a memoir, it reads like fiction, and I don't really care. The writing is good, the story is entertaining. Hell, I'm happy just to be reading a book that's not poetry at the moment. I have a stack of novels to read, and I've made a late New Year's promise to spend more time reading fiction this year.
Sunday night was the Java Monkey Speaks Slam. The weather, again, was beautiful and the patio area was packed. Jon Goode and Icon sailed through to the finals, which are next month. Tonight I was just a spectator and I relished it. I got to speak to a bunch of my poetry pals and just relax.
Anyway, a relaxing weekend. I am slightly envious of all those poets who went to the AWP conference in Austin this weekend. A good number of the poetry bloggers were in attendance and looks like a fab time was had by all. Sadly, I couldn't make this trip and go back to Texas again next month for the book release in San Antonio and the Austin Poetry Festival. Speaking of AIPF, I received a phone call Saturday morning from the editor of the di-verse-city 2006 anthology that my poem What I'm Wearing was selected for this year's edition. That was a great way to kick off the weekend!
On Saturday evening, I met my friends Malory and Maria for dinner at Fellini's Pizza. It was in the high 70s this weekend, so everyone was out on the patio enjoying their pies and beer. We chatted about politics and who the Republicans might be putting up for their 08 presidential candidate. We're guessing McCain will win the nom, and Hillary will get the Dem nom. I'm already practicing saying "President McCain." At least he's a moderate. Sigh...
We went over to Border's after dinner and I spent way too much money. I picked up the two-disk edition of All The President's Men (one of my all-time favorite films), a copy of Time Out magazine from London (gotta keep current!), and Augusten Burrough's memoir, Running With Scissors. Malory has been on my ass for a year trying to get me to read this, and I finally broke down. I'm at the halfway point and it is brilliant. However, like James Frey, me thinks Augusten embellishes just a tad. The mother...who fancies herself as an Anne Sexton type poet...is finely drawn. Whether she's as fabulously crazy as Burrough's makes her out to be is up for debate. While it's a memoir, it reads like fiction, and I don't really care. The writing is good, the story is entertaining. Hell, I'm happy just to be reading a book that's not poetry at the moment. I have a stack of novels to read, and I've made a late New Year's promise to spend more time reading fiction this year.
Sunday night was the Java Monkey Speaks Slam. The weather, again, was beautiful and the patio area was packed. Jon Goode and Icon sailed through to the finals, which are next month. Tonight I was just a spectator and I relished it. I got to speak to a bunch of my poetry pals and just relax.
Comments
I agree that authors in general need to cover their tracks better, "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." - A.E.
Congrats on the relaxing weekend too! We all need one now and then. Mine was nice, but I was also filled with jelousy for all those attending AWP and buying all the wonderful books on sale there. Spring break for me actually. Shaping up to be a nice week! Loved Acid Flashback by the way.
also, i am jealous of the weekend you had. wife was busy with a writing deadline all weekend, and i was all cooped up with her. damn writers.