Friday, February 23, 2007

Second Story

I finally sent Henry some of the new book...and after re-reading it tonight, I feel good about it. Really good. It's requiring some research on stalkers...who'da thunk. I always wonder what the lady at the Circulation desk thinks of me. Hunger, Starvation, Fasting, Stalking, Salinger. Light reading fare...

The poems are coming along nicely...54 and counting. Today I wrote a nasty bad-love poem using each of the twelve Chinese horoscopic (is that a word?) animals.

I've been reading a lot lately. I finished The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood which just made me cry -- maybe too close to home. I am reading Chris Bohjalian's newest The Double Bind now, which I am amazed by. I'm not sure how he's going to pull off the sort of literary high jinks he seems to be up to in this one, but I'm just along for the ride.

We're talking about putting a second story on the house, and I've been fantasizing about a new office/library. That and a tub that doesn't require the contortionism our existing tub does. Not in the library, I don't think. Though that that might be an idea...

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Freezing Rain Allelujah

Amen, it's raining ice! Just when I thought I might lose my mind, the weather went berzerk, and I got a grown-up snow day (and suspect I'll get another tomorrow). Time to catch up on all my work. Time to catch up on the house which is falling into massive disrepair around me.

Today was a weird day. I finally got confirmation from UMD that the position I applied for has been filled...a disappointment, but good to know I made it so far along in the selection process this time. And, the director of the search committee is also the director at Breadloaf, and asked me to join them for a night and a day this summer while I'm in Vermont. So exciting!

I've submitted my poems to two contests so far: The Iowa Review and The Florida Review. Both have a $1000 prize. Now wouldn't that be a treat??!! I am fairly certain my poems aren't quite the caliber they're looking for, but I swear I'll get a poem published before the year is out. All part of the resolution.

I sent Henry the first 40 pages of the new book. God, my heart just aches that Two Rivers is dead in the water. Move on. That's all I can do.

Sorry this is so schitzy. My brain is fractured and fragmented these days.