Organizing your writing life

SPLIT THIS: Found out this morning that the Split This Rock Festival in D.C. has turned down the panel we (the we being wonderful poets David Matthew-Barnes, Karen Head and Theresa Davis) proposed on writing queer poetry in the south. We had high hopes for the panel, but I guess we didn't impress the organizers. It's disappointing as hell, but probably a blessing in disguise.

I noticed on Saturday evening driving home from Dustin Brookshire's birthday party (happy b-day again, D) that my battery light was on. Driving home from Java Monkey Speaks on Sunday night (more on that in a minute), the alternator in my car gave up the ghost. I was able to make it home, but had to have the car towed to a shop on Monday morning. After $600 of repairs, I'm seriously broke again. I had thought about going up to D.C. anyway, but with no panel, no readings lined up and no cash, I'll be sitting at home splitting pennies instead. Maybe next year. 

I was one of the featured poets at Java Monkey Speaks for a reading from the CRUX anthology. We had a big audience and it was a treat to be back at Java. I don't get to go as often as I used to, so going back for the open mic and features is always fun. Alice Lovelace, Theresa Davis, Karen G., Lisa Tuttle, Kodac Harrison and Tamara Madison all gave powerful readings of their work. You can still order the anthology at this link. All the money raised is going to buy school supplies for children in South Africa. 

There probably won't be a full American Idol recap tonight because I'm going to Jim Elledge's reading at Outwrite Books, which starts at 8 p.m. I'll try and catch some of it on YouTube and offer up a few thoughts on Thursday. The auditions have been pretty boring, so I'm glad we're about to get on with the actual competition.