Recently, I have been distracted from my true purpose in life: viewing The Idol. Last week, I had a flash of what it's really all about. After witnessing Chris's amazing performance of "Walk the Line," I actually felt (really!) that if I had not seen it, I would be less of a human being.
Now, I know what you're thinking, how can "American Idol" be this good? I don't know. I really don't. All I can say is, it IS this good. And if you're not watching, you're not just missing out on some really amazing musical performances, you're missing out on some life changing experiences.
I know that you all will think I'm crazy, but I am being totally serious. I loved Chris's performance and I think Paris has the best voice in, well, a long time.
Here are my predictions for the bottom three this week: Bucky (again), Lisa (again), and. . . Kelly. It's only a matter of time before the charm of her blondeness and stupidity wear off. But I think Bucky will go. He has to. Son will be sad. Bucky is his favorite.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Finally, the last thing I'll say about AWP
On Saturday, I went to a panel about blogging. One of the questions posed was whether blogs were the 21st Century salons. The panel, mostly men, talked, etc, blah blah blah. But one guy, I forget who, said that women weren't blogging as much as men.
Say what?
I made the comment that women ARE blogging just as much as men but that, in general, maybe women's blogs didn't maintain that (artificial) divide between professional and personal. I pointed out that on many women's blogs there were discussions of writing, publishing, BIG IDEAS, but that they weren't separated from the entries about children and what I made for dinner.
So, next year I'm going to propose a panel about women and blogs and genre. Do we write differently when we blog? Is blogging a new genre, distinct from other non-fiction? Is there a gender gap in how men and women approach blogs? Is there, or should there be a public/private split that reflects the split between the professional and the personal?
I met some great women, including Terribe Mother (see A Blog of Her Own to the right). I look forward to thinking about this as I read women's blogs.
So, women bloggers, what do YOU think about the questions posed above?
Say what?
I made the comment that women ARE blogging just as much as men but that, in general, maybe women's blogs didn't maintain that (artificial) divide between professional and personal. I pointed out that on many women's blogs there were discussions of writing, publishing, BIG IDEAS, but that they weren't separated from the entries about children and what I made for dinner.
So, next year I'm going to propose a panel about women and blogs and genre. Do we write differently when we blog? Is blogging a new genre, distinct from other non-fiction? Is there a gender gap in how men and women approach blogs? Is there, or should there be a public/private split that reflects the split between the professional and the personal?
I met some great women, including Terribe Mother (see A Blog of Her Own to the right). I look forward to thinking about this as I read women's blogs.
So, women bloggers, what do YOU think about the questions posed above?
Monday, March 20, 2006
Language vs. Plot: The AWP Smackdown! (warning: graphic content!)
Friday I went to a panel entitled "Revealing Words: Fiction and the Event of Language" with four FC2 authors. The description included "novels are imagined as composed primarily of characters and actions, only secondarily of diction, syntax, rhythm, metaphors, sounds. Why? This panel. . .addresses the relation of fiction to its verbal medium, and asks how stories 'reveal' their words. Is formally experimental writing an attempt to disclose the importance of fiction's language? Is there a narrative equivalent of language poetry?"
Sounds good, right? Right up my alley. I won't name the panelists, as I may, in the course of this post, insult them. But I respect them all as writers and thinkers, it's just. . .well, I'll get to that.
The first woman who spoke looked hauntingly like Aimee Mann. She cited some strong influences on her writing and thinking: Virginia Woolf (yes!), Gertrude Stein (yes!), Margarite Duras (okay, maybe), and Kathy Acker. Hmm. It may be unpopular to say, especially among "experimental" writers (whatever that means) but I'm not a huge fan of Kathy Acker. I mean, I see what she was doing, but she's impossible to read, and by read I mean comprehend, understand, enjoy. Is a collection of words on a page a "story"? I don't mean to be a genre fascist (and those of you who know me, know that I'm the opposite), but if there is a narrative equivalent of language poetry, doesn't it have to be narrative? And if it's not, isn't it just language poetry? Why make a separate category?
Anyway, she went on to say some provocative things, many of them seemed (to me) to be merely provocative, such as "Language should not be made to suck the dick of plot." (It's not an exact quotation, but close. ) And "Women are closer to language let loose. But they don't necessarily know it."
Okay. I like Helene Cixous, I may even love her writing, but as a feminist theorist, she's a bit sketchy. I mean, yes, I'm a woman, I have a vagina, does that make me more "receptive"? I thought experimental writers were supposed to be skeptical of metaphor. Then why do they all want to make the woman's body a metaphor for writing? I realize that many of the French theorists are not being metaphorical when they say we should "write the body." But really.
This woman panelist went on to talk about how language and event (I think that was her word) behave as lovers. But language in this scenario was definitely the woman, the receiver. I mean, if plot has a dick, language has to have an orifice, right? And is sucking dick always bad? Many heterosexual women and gay men would say no. Maybe we (language) like to give plot head. Maybe it's enjoyable.
Did I mention that Alvin Greenberg, nice, poems about dogs, married to Janet Holmes, was sitting next to me? He did laugh, quietly, at the language/plot comment. But as soon as the panel was over he hightailed it out of there. So I didn't have to make eye contact with him, which was good.
The other panelists were less provocative. I have to say my favorite comment of the panel was when a Male Writer compared the commercialization of publishing to McDonalds. He said mainstream novels were no different from the "death patties" that McD's is peddling. I agree.
Many of the panelists lamented the commercialization of publishing. They are selling products, not art. True. They also had me on the use of the term "experimental." Almost meaningless.
R.M. Berry, one of the editors of FC2, gave a great, humorous talk on ethics. Very smart.
An audience member questioned the homogeny of the "experimental" writers. This sub-culture becomes its own group that then enforces certain norms on its members. As an example, he cited hip people who all wear black, drink espresso, and listen to the same music. The Female Writer said there is a difference between forming tribes, and what he was talking about. I agree. But I also think it's interesting that the "norms" he cited were all products, and what the panelists were talking about were really ideas. I agree that sub-cultures can become just as oppressive as the mainstream. But what if the organizing principle is experimentation? I think, sometimes, there can be certain kinds of expectations of what constitutes "experimental." But in theory isn't experimentation itself a norm? And, as such, can't it be an inclusive rather than exclusive norm? More on this in a later post.
Another audience member asked for recommendations of experimental novels. They named some I recognized, Ben Marcus, for example. Also Carol Maso's Ava. But some of their recommendations begged the question, what is a novel? If they are using the term to include any longer book that uses words, doesn't the term itself become meaningless? Again, I'm no genre fascist, but if they are using the word so broadly, doesn't it cease to mean anything? I don't think anything Ben Marcus has written can be, even loosely, interpreted as a "novel." Maybe we need to talk about novels as historical documents, not in terms of form. But if we do talk about novels formally, don't we need to set out the terms of what we mean? Does a novel have to have characters? Does it have to have "plot"? If we are going to conceive of novel broadly, can't we also have a broad concept of plot? Can't interesting writing have both?
And here, I come back to the question posed by Audience Member #1. Is our tribe making excluding some writers because of simplistic reasons, reasons just as simplistic as the exclusion of other writers (presumably ourselves) from mainstream publishing on the basis of the ambiguous meaning of "experimental"?
Which brings me to my final point: I don't want to read writing that focuses on EITHER plot or language. I want both. I'm demanding. What's wrong with that?
Sounds good, right? Right up my alley. I won't name the panelists, as I may, in the course of this post, insult them. But I respect them all as writers and thinkers, it's just. . .well, I'll get to that.
The first woman who spoke looked hauntingly like Aimee Mann. She cited some strong influences on her writing and thinking: Virginia Woolf (yes!), Gertrude Stein (yes!), Margarite Duras (okay, maybe), and Kathy Acker. Hmm. It may be unpopular to say, especially among "experimental" writers (whatever that means) but I'm not a huge fan of Kathy Acker. I mean, I see what she was doing, but she's impossible to read, and by read I mean comprehend, understand, enjoy. Is a collection of words on a page a "story"? I don't mean to be a genre fascist (and those of you who know me, know that I'm the opposite), but if there is a narrative equivalent of language poetry, doesn't it have to be narrative? And if it's not, isn't it just language poetry? Why make a separate category?
Anyway, she went on to say some provocative things, many of them seemed (to me) to be merely provocative, such as "Language should not be made to suck the dick of plot." (It's not an exact quotation, but close. ) And "Women are closer to language let loose. But they don't necessarily know it."
Okay. I like Helene Cixous, I may even love her writing, but as a feminist theorist, she's a bit sketchy. I mean, yes, I'm a woman, I have a vagina, does that make me more "receptive"? I thought experimental writers were supposed to be skeptical of metaphor. Then why do they all want to make the woman's body a metaphor for writing? I realize that many of the French theorists are not being metaphorical when they say we should "write the body." But really.
This woman panelist went on to talk about how language and event (I think that was her word) behave as lovers. But language in this scenario was definitely the woman, the receiver. I mean, if plot has a dick, language has to have an orifice, right? And is sucking dick always bad? Many heterosexual women and gay men would say no. Maybe we (language) like to give plot head. Maybe it's enjoyable.
Did I mention that Alvin Greenberg, nice, poems about dogs, married to Janet Holmes, was sitting next to me? He did laugh, quietly, at the language/plot comment. But as soon as the panel was over he hightailed it out of there. So I didn't have to make eye contact with him, which was good.
The other panelists were less provocative. I have to say my favorite comment of the panel was when a Male Writer compared the commercialization of publishing to McDonalds. He said mainstream novels were no different from the "death patties" that McD's is peddling. I agree.
Many of the panelists lamented the commercialization of publishing. They are selling products, not art. True. They also had me on the use of the term "experimental." Almost meaningless.
R.M. Berry, one of the editors of FC2, gave a great, humorous talk on ethics. Very smart.
An audience member questioned the homogeny of the "experimental" writers. This sub-culture becomes its own group that then enforces certain norms on its members. As an example, he cited hip people who all wear black, drink espresso, and listen to the same music. The Female Writer said there is a difference between forming tribes, and what he was talking about. I agree. But I also think it's interesting that the "norms" he cited were all products, and what the panelists were talking about were really ideas. I agree that sub-cultures can become just as oppressive as the mainstream. But what if the organizing principle is experimentation? I think, sometimes, there can be certain kinds of expectations of what constitutes "experimental." But in theory isn't experimentation itself a norm? And, as such, can't it be an inclusive rather than exclusive norm? More on this in a later post.
Another audience member asked for recommendations of experimental novels. They named some I recognized, Ben Marcus, for example. Also Carol Maso's Ava. But some of their recommendations begged the question, what is a novel? If they are using the term to include any longer book that uses words, doesn't the term itself become meaningless? Again, I'm no genre fascist, but if they are using the word so broadly, doesn't it cease to mean anything? I don't think anything Ben Marcus has written can be, even loosely, interpreted as a "novel." Maybe we need to talk about novels as historical documents, not in terms of form. But if we do talk about novels formally, don't we need to set out the terms of what we mean? Does a novel have to have characters? Does it have to have "plot"? If we are going to conceive of novel broadly, can't we also have a broad concept of plot? Can't interesting writing have both?
And here, I come back to the question posed by Audience Member #1. Is our tribe making excluding some writers because of simplistic reasons, reasons just as simplistic as the exclusion of other writers (presumably ourselves) from mainstream publishing on the basis of the ambiguous meaning of "experimental"?
Which brings me to my final point: I don't want to read writing that focuses on EITHER plot or language. I want both. I'm demanding. What's wrong with that?
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
AWP Austin: Part the Second, being a shorter narrative of the next day
On Thursday, the first full day of the conference, I planned nothing until my panel was over. Sylvia and I met up with Margot, a friend from Utah who now lives too far away, in a mid-western state. It was great!! to see her. We went to the bookfair, where we proceeded to run into more friends, HighTouchMegaStore, a friend from Utah who now lives in Vegas, VP Jen, Otterbutt, who was happily staffing her lit-mag table, and we made some new friends.
We returned to the hotel for much need caffeine and to meet with my panel peeps. Luckily we ran into Nick Flynn again, and while I was talking to him Emily, from the Tin House conference, showed up. She knows him AND she was on my panel. Then the others showed up and we went up to the panel room. The panel was fine, just what I expected. Afterwards, Sylvia went off to do something, and I had to get some food.
I wandered 6th street alone. I wanted a salad, but I was not optimistic. I stumbled on a Thai-Vietnamese place, so I went in. HighTouchMegaStore was lunching there, so I joined her. We had a great lunch and great chit-chat. We wandered back to the hotel, where we parted. I think she was a good girl and went to some panels. I went up to look at the pool, then I changed into my suit and went back to the pool. It was great, an eighth floor affair with free citrus water, but windy conditions. I swam, sat in the hot tub, swam and then returned to my room.
Had dinner with Felicia, Bert, the adorable Macy, and Margot. The food was so-so. The margarita was pretty good. It was fun.
Here I must pause to say I love the AWP "hosted reception." What this means is cash bar and free Hors d'Oeuvres. What does cash bar mean? The "host" has drink tickets, which they will gladly give you. Thursday night we made it to the University of Utah and University of Houston affairs. The Houston one was packed. This is where I saw Mark Doty and his boyfriend (hot!), Tony Hoagland, and various others. At the Utah one, I reunited with several grad students who moved on in my first years in the program, to various jobs around the country. Former Graduate Secretary Karl showed up with pics of his cute daughter. Sig, whose first book just came out, was there. All in all, it was big fun.
VP Jennifer and I went to the Walter Mosley keynote, which was great. I bought Devil in a Blue Dress (just finished it. good! worth reading!) and had him sign it. The talk was perfect. As Jennifer said, it was "shapely." He is a good speaker.
What happened next? I don't recall, so it must have been good. Maybe we had more drinks or something. I think I went back to the room thinking "American Idol" might be on, but it wasn't, so I watched some "Law and Order" of one kind or another. As usual, it takes me years to fall asleep. I am tired, very tired, and my blood sugar is all messed up due to alcohol, etc. Sigh.
We returned to the hotel for much need caffeine and to meet with my panel peeps. Luckily we ran into Nick Flynn again, and while I was talking to him Emily, from the Tin House conference, showed up. She knows him AND she was on my panel. Then the others showed up and we went up to the panel room. The panel was fine, just what I expected. Afterwards, Sylvia went off to do something, and I had to get some food.
I wandered 6th street alone. I wanted a salad, but I was not optimistic. I stumbled on a Thai-Vietnamese place, so I went in. HighTouchMegaStore was lunching there, so I joined her. We had a great lunch and great chit-chat. We wandered back to the hotel, where we parted. I think she was a good girl and went to some panels. I went up to look at the pool, then I changed into my suit and went back to the pool. It was great, an eighth floor affair with free citrus water, but windy conditions. I swam, sat in the hot tub, swam and then returned to my room.
Had dinner with Felicia, Bert, the adorable Macy, and Margot. The food was so-so. The margarita was pretty good. It was fun.
Here I must pause to say I love the AWP "hosted reception." What this means is cash bar and free Hors d'Oeuvres. What does cash bar mean? The "host" has drink tickets, which they will gladly give you. Thursday night we made it to the University of Utah and University of Houston affairs. The Houston one was packed. This is where I saw Mark Doty and his boyfriend (hot!), Tony Hoagland, and various others. At the Utah one, I reunited with several grad students who moved on in my first years in the program, to various jobs around the country. Former Graduate Secretary Karl showed up with pics of his cute daughter. Sig, whose first book just came out, was there. All in all, it was big fun.
VP Jennifer and I went to the Walter Mosley keynote, which was great. I bought Devil in a Blue Dress (just finished it. good! worth reading!) and had him sign it. The talk was perfect. As Jennifer said, it was "shapely." He is a good speaker.
What happened next? I don't recall, so it must have been good. Maybe we had more drinks or something. I think I went back to the room thinking "American Idol" might be on, but it wasn't, so I watched some "Law and Order" of one kind or another. As usual, it takes me years to fall asleep. I am tired, very tired, and my blood sugar is all messed up due to alcohol, etc. Sigh.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
AWP Austin: Part the First
I returned this morning from the balmy atmosphere of Austin, Texas. I am tired (please read with Texas accent, as in tai'rd) and can barely keep my eyes open, so this will have to serve as the first of several posts in which the exploits of Dr. Write are reported, if not as fact, well then, as certainly a version of truth, however distorted by wine, dirty martinis, and too much sun.
We had our first "look! there's a writer!" moment in the Salt Lake City airport, when I spotted Lance Larsen and his wife waiting to board the same flight we were on. We caught up with them on the layover in Phoenix, and chatted in line. Luckily we were not seated near them so they didn't have to see the wine debauch that resulted from high altitudes, too little dinner, and an overly generous stewardess (they are a dying breed, aren't they? and I nearly made fun of her hair.). We shared a cab with them after the flight to the downtown Hilton.
Sylvia sat up front with the African cab driver, while he spouted conspiracy theories about the origin of AIDS, and some economic/politics that I'm sure only Sylvia could follow. I sat in back with Lance & Jacqui. We talked about documentary film.
We pulled up at the Hilton and instantly saw Nick Flynn. After kisses and greetings all around, we finally actually entered the hotel and checked in. Our room was great, beautiful, wonderful, but we needed some french fries. Didn't we?
We went down to the bar, which was full but not packed. Sadly, they did not have fries on their appetizer menu, so we started to leave. But wait! First we had to greet Janet Holmes, who will be coming to Writers at Work this summer as the editor of ahsahta press. She was as lovely as I remembered her, and I got to meet her husband, Alvin Greenberg (who will appear again in a later installment of this narrative). I loved some of his poems, and he turned out to be a very sweet guy. What a great couple. We groused about a certain bitter poetry contest person who shall remain nameless, and talked about Dan Beachy-Quick's book, published by ahsahta. A bold initial foray into conference culture.
We left the hotel and wandered the famous 6th street until we found a bar. We had fries, and chips, salsa, and guac, and two of the hugest ice waters I've ever seen. It was great to see a city with a vibrant night life that included people of all ages and ethnic origins, and at 11 o'clock at night. But they were just getting started! We turned in for the night, considering our first outing in the city of Austin a success.
We had our first "look! there's a writer!" moment in the Salt Lake City airport, when I spotted Lance Larsen and his wife waiting to board the same flight we were on. We caught up with them on the layover in Phoenix, and chatted in line. Luckily we were not seated near them so they didn't have to see the wine debauch that resulted from high altitudes, too little dinner, and an overly generous stewardess (they are a dying breed, aren't they? and I nearly made fun of her hair.). We shared a cab with them after the flight to the downtown Hilton.
Sylvia sat up front with the African cab driver, while he spouted conspiracy theories about the origin of AIDS, and some economic/politics that I'm sure only Sylvia could follow. I sat in back with Lance & Jacqui. We talked about documentary film.
We pulled up at the Hilton and instantly saw Nick Flynn. After kisses and greetings all around, we finally actually entered the hotel and checked in. Our room was great, beautiful, wonderful, but we needed some french fries. Didn't we?
We went down to the bar, which was full but not packed. Sadly, they did not have fries on their appetizer menu, so we started to leave. But wait! First we had to greet Janet Holmes, who will be coming to Writers at Work this summer as the editor of ahsahta press. She was as lovely as I remembered her, and I got to meet her husband, Alvin Greenberg (who will appear again in a later installment of this narrative). I loved some of his poems, and he turned out to be a very sweet guy. What a great couple. We groused about a certain bitter poetry contest person who shall remain nameless, and talked about Dan Beachy-Quick's book, published by ahsahta. A bold initial foray into conference culture.
We left the hotel and wandered the famous 6th street until we found a bar. We had fries, and chips, salsa, and guac, and two of the hugest ice waters I've ever seen. It was great to see a city with a vibrant night life that included people of all ages and ethnic origins, and at 11 o'clock at night. But they were just getting started! We turned in for the night, considering our first outing in the city of Austin a success.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Off ta Austin
Tomorrow I am leaving for what I consider to be a vacation. Between pool-time and happy hour, I hope to do some Famous Writer gawking, attend some panels, hob-nob, see some people I've forgotten, and some Old Friends who are not so old.
I also hope to see a little live music, go to a dive bar, and maybe, while I'm not looking, network. Did I mention that I hope to at least see Denis Johnson and Tim O'Brien, and maybe get a free drink or two at one of those fancy after-reading parties? Last year I fell into a serious Jack & Ginger habit and became, for a moment, The "Scare Quote" Stalker. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.
Who should I look for in Austin? Who do you want me accidently bump into, spilling my drink, and burning my image into his/her mind forever?
Let me know and I'll see what I can do.
I also hope to see a little live music, go to a dive bar, and maybe, while I'm not looking, network. Did I mention that I hope to at least see Denis Johnson and Tim O'Brien, and maybe get a free drink or two at one of those fancy after-reading parties? Last year I fell into a serious Jack & Ginger habit and became, for a moment, The "Scare Quote" Stalker. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.
Who should I look for in Austin? Who do you want me accidently bump into, spilling my drink, and burning my image into his/her mind forever?
Let me know and I'll see what I can do.
My Ten Cents
Top Ten Reasons "Brokeback Mountain" Should Have Won Best Picture
- Jake Gyllenhal (that's reason enough on its own. Don't believe me? See "Donny Darko")
- The contrast between emotional desolation and the painful beauty of the landscape
- "I wish I could quit you" has already become part of our cultural vocabulary
- It's based on a short story! C'mon people!
- Alberta = Wyoming. It's international!
- It's subtler than a sledgehammer to the cranium
- Heath Ledger
- Ang Lee (let's hear it for the guy who said "gay mens and women")
- The haunting score
- From now on, men will not be able to go fishing with their buddies without their wives raising an eyebrow
Saturday, March 04, 2006
There's Something About A Cosmo
I feel like, if not a good teacher, a good muse.
See susansinclair's extraordinary Cosmo poem, inspired by my last post, and, more importantly, Ogden Nash.
Bravo, Susan!
See susansinclair's extraordinary Cosmo poem, inspired by my last post, and, more importantly, Ogden Nash.
Bravo, Susan!
Friday, March 03, 2006
Good Rhymes
I'm teaching formal poetry this week (and next!) to my Creative Writing students. Of course, we always pause during this time to discuss rhyme and rhyme schemes. I try to avoid saying "trochee" of course, but someone always brings that up as well.
So what I have now is a question: What is one (or more) of your favorite rhymes?
Mine? Thanks for asking.
"But O ye lords of ladies intellectual,
Inform us truly have they not henpecked you all?" (Lord Byron, Don Juan)
I also like A Drink with Something In It by Ogden Nash.
There's something about a Martini,
A tingle remarkably pleasant.
There's something about a Martini,
I wish that I had one at present.
There's something about a Martini,
'ere the dining and dancing begin.
To tell you the truth
It's not the vermouth,
I think that perhaps it's the gin.
I think I hear a Dirty Martini calling my name. I look forward to your memorable rhymes.
So what I have now is a question: What is one (or more) of your favorite rhymes?
Mine? Thanks for asking.
"But O ye lords of ladies intellectual,
Inform us truly have they not henpecked you all?" (Lord Byron, Don Juan)
I also like A Drink with Something In It by Ogden Nash.
There's something about a Martini,
A tingle remarkably pleasant.
There's something about a Martini,
I wish that I had one at present.
There's something about a Martini,
'ere the dining and dancing begin.
To tell you the truth
It's not the vermouth,
I think that perhaps it's the gin.
I think I hear a Dirty Martini calling my name. I look forward to your memorable rhymes.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Junky
This Saturday, when the sun was shining, I went to buy some new running shoes. The salesman had me run across some special pad, and then I got to see a heat image of my foot. I thought I would have some big time foot issues, but as it turns out, I'm "neutral." So I tried on maybe six or eight pairs of shoes, but settled on the Mizuno because they fit perfectly. Turns out also, my left foot is a full size smaller than my right. I'm a freak!
When I was trying on maybe my fourth or fifth pair, my heart started racing and I got a little shaky. "I feel like a drug addict," I said to the salesman. He just smiled. He'd obviously seen and heard it all before. I felt like I was making my connection, spending my hard earned money for a jones.
But hey, at least it's healthy.
For now.
When I was trying on maybe my fourth or fifth pair, my heart started racing and I got a little shaky. "I feel like a drug addict," I said to the salesman. He just smiled. He'd obviously seen and heard it all before. I felt like I was making my connection, spending my hard earned money for a jones.
But hey, at least it's healthy.
For now.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
The Cut Ups by William S. Burroughs
I was living in Seattle in 1991, a recent graduate from the University of Oregon. Patty, my friend, and I were living in a one-bedroom apartment on Capitol Hill. I believe it was on Summit Avenue, you know, just down the hill from that Safeway on Broadway.
One Friday night, we went to the showing of a few short films by William S. Burroughs. This was around the time of "Naked Lunch" and Burroughs was enjoying a resurgence of popularity. The films were showing in downtown Seattle, on Pine Street, I think, at a divey bar. We took the bus there, and, once there, got two mugs of Pabst at the bar before settling in to the "theater."
The theater was a back room of the bar, with big red booths.
Before we were allowed to watch the movie, however, we were subjected to a poem by Steven Jesse Bernstein. Not read by him, of course, as he was in jail or had been injured or something (he actually may have just died!). The person who read it, wearing his "poet" uniform, was trying to raise money to publish some of Berstein's poems. This poem was called "How I Met My Present Wife" and it involved some lewd acts I won't subject you to, but to suffice it to say that the poem involved Nixon's dead body, and there were several references to flatulence.
The poem was bad enough, but worse still were the audience members giving him the serious poetry nod and doing that "hmm"ing thing that drives me nuts. As I was suffering through this torture, I looked around and realized that all the doors, including the one we had entered through, were marked with little signs that said "This is NOT an exit."
Finally the movies started. I can't remember how many there were, maybe three, but one was "The Cut Ups." It involved a light machine, a man dressed as a doctor, and Burroughs intoning, over and over, "Does it seem to be persisting?"
For many months afterward, this was a little joke we had. If we were bored, or if a certain moment outlasted its entertainment value, Patty would turn to me and ask, in Burroughs' voice, "Does it seem to be persisting?"
One Friday night, we went to the showing of a few short films by William S. Burroughs. This was around the time of "Naked Lunch" and Burroughs was enjoying a resurgence of popularity. The films were showing in downtown Seattle, on Pine Street, I think, at a divey bar. We took the bus there, and, once there, got two mugs of Pabst at the bar before settling in to the "theater."
The theater was a back room of the bar, with big red booths.
Before we were allowed to watch the movie, however, we were subjected to a poem by Steven Jesse Bernstein. Not read by him, of course, as he was in jail or had been injured or something (he actually may have just died!). The person who read it, wearing his "poet" uniform, was trying to raise money to publish some of Berstein's poems. This poem was called "How I Met My Present Wife" and it involved some lewd acts I won't subject you to, but to suffice it to say that the poem involved Nixon's dead body, and there were several references to flatulence.
The poem was bad enough, but worse still were the audience members giving him the serious poetry nod and doing that "hmm"ing thing that drives me nuts. As I was suffering through this torture, I looked around and realized that all the doors, including the one we had entered through, were marked with little signs that said "This is NOT an exit."
Finally the movies started. I can't remember how many there were, maybe three, but one was "The Cut Ups." It involved a light machine, a man dressed as a doctor, and Burroughs intoning, over and over, "Does it seem to be persisting?"
For many months afterward, this was a little joke we had. If we were bored, or if a certain moment outlasted its entertainment value, Patty would turn to me and ask, in Burroughs' voice, "Does it seem to be persisting?"
Monday, February 20, 2006
Sugarhouse Curry
I must be crazy! I spent upwards of three hours cooking yesterday. I'm not sure why. I think when I woke up in the morning and saw the world covered in snow, the only thing that sounded right was Dal. So I made a masur dal (on left of plate, with cilantro). And then, (heading clockwise around the plate), Thoran, or Stir-Fried Shrimp, Kerala style. Below that is a homemade mango chutney, and to the right, Aloo Fulkoffi Torkarri (potato and cauliflower curry). All this cooking took place in stages, but still. The whole thing seems ridiculous. But won't, later, when we take out the leftovers and have our second of three meals from this one flurry of cooking. Maybe I'm not so crazy after all. (I hope my food photography catches up with my cooking. Soon.)
Friday, February 17, 2006
Conversations with Son
Perhaps it is his impending birthday (the big five), but Son has begun considering the practical aspects of existence lately.
Son: Mom, do I have to have a job?
Me: Well, most adults have jobs because they have to pay for things, like rent and food.
Son: Why don't some people have jobs?
Me: Well, sometimes people can't find jobs, or they quit their jobs, or they aren't working for other reasons.
Son: What's another possibility?
(later, when I was tucking him in bed)
Son: Mom, when I'm older, I might have to quit my job.
Me: Why?
Son: I might, I might.
and
Son: When I'm a pilot, I'm going to have a mustache, because it makes you look like a real pilot, like on the cartoons.
Son: Mom, do I have to have a job?
Me: Well, most adults have jobs because they have to pay for things, like rent and food.
Son: Why don't some people have jobs?
Me: Well, sometimes people can't find jobs, or they quit their jobs, or they aren't working for other reasons.
Son: What's another possibility?
(later, when I was tucking him in bed)
Son: Mom, when I'm older, I might have to quit my job.
Me: Why?
Son: I might, I might.
and
Son: When I'm a pilot, I'm going to have a mustache, because it makes you look like a real pilot, like on the cartoons.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
R U 2 Cool?
Recent inquiries from certain quarters (who shall remain nameless) have converged with chronological events (the imminent approach of my 20th high school reunion) to make me pause and consider my status in high school. Was I cool then? Am I cool now?
I think the answer to both questions has to be No.
As proof, I offer the following anecdotes.
I think the answer to both questions has to be No.
As proof, I offer the following anecdotes.
- In high school, I was on the debate team. I debated. With my sister.
- I had a certain army green jumpsuit that I wore with a scarf that was white with black polka dots in my hair. I used a curling iron to make my hair look like Madonna's.
- I had a red shirt with big black polka dots and puffy shoulders/sleeves that I wore with black knickers.
- I never had a boyfriend until my senior year (was it because of the knickers?).
- If I went to a dance, it was with my gay male friend. Or a friend who was a guy. Or I went with my female friends who also didn't have dates and we wore trench coats and we "crashed" the dance.
- The height of fun on Friday night was to go to JB's and eat french fries. Sometimes we got gravy with them.
- At one point, I had an asymmetrical hair cut and I wore eye shadow that went off my eyelids and down onto my face and ended in a colored star. A colored star.
- I had some earrings (my favorite) that were plastic square comic frames.
- I was threatened in the bathroom by a girl who scowled at me and said, "Are you from California?" (this was not a complement).
- I was in the National Honor Society.
- I was editor of my high school newspaper (The Rampage).
- Just today, a boy at Wild Oats called me "Ma'am."
- I have only purchased two new CDs in the past year.
- My idea of a fun Friday night is to put on my pajamas.
- I don't recognize the name of most popular music groups.
- I screamed at my son because he didn't like the letters I made for his birthday poster. (I ask you, is this cool?)
- If something's popular, I automatically dislike it on principle.
- My sophomore year of high school, a guy who liked me made out with my best friend from junior high after I left a party because I had to go home and type up my speech for the Debate Tournament the next day.
- My revenge? I left a McDonald's apple pie in her mailbox.
- The one time I did go to a dance with a boy who liked me, I asked him to take me home early. He told someone that the best thing about the date was that I had ordered the cheapest thing on the menu.
- I was once stuck over night in a pickup with a guy who liked me because he wanted to take me 4-wheeling. Once an hour we started the truck and ran the heater. Every hour, the radio played "Think of Laura" by Christopher Cross. I hate that song.
- I voted, along with the rest of the class, to have "Forever Young" by Alphaville play as we walked out of the gym after graduating.
I ask you, am I not the un-coolest of the un-cool?
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Rock AND Roll
I know I'm getting old, because watching the Grammy's last night I found myself thinking something like "kids these days." This was in response to the ridiculous marching band performance with Kayne West and Jamie Foxx.
In contrast, Sir Paul McCartney's performance of "Helter Skelter" gave me goosebumps, as did Springsteen's "Devil & Dust" which he ended with a mumbled, "Bring 'em home." I was impressed by Kelly Clarkson's voice, though her song was a prom theme waiting for the prom.
And though Sleepy E claims Mariah is a real person, I've never been a fan of her music, so I can't say I'm sad she didn't win.
But I'm continually impressed by U2, whom I fell in love with way back in the '80s, when they were political. I still love them. How can you not love Bono and a man named The Edge?
I'm looking forward to catching up on "American Idol." I now feel like part of the mainstream, as American Idol is always in the top ten of the Nielsen ratings. Plus I saw that Paula Abdul is going to be on a Dr. Phil special, and since I'm following "American Idol" I feel like I should care. The commercial showed Paula crying. That seems good!
In contrast, Sir Paul McCartney's performance of "Helter Skelter" gave me goosebumps, as did Springsteen's "Devil & Dust" which he ended with a mumbled, "Bring 'em home." I was impressed by Kelly Clarkson's voice, though her song was a prom theme waiting for the prom.
And though Sleepy E claims Mariah is a real person, I've never been a fan of her music, so I can't say I'm sad she didn't win.
But I'm continually impressed by U2, whom I fell in love with way back in the '80s, when they were political. I still love them. How can you not love Bono and a man named The Edge?
I'm looking forward to catching up on "American Idol." I now feel like part of the mainstream, as American Idol is always in the top ten of the Nielsen ratings. Plus I saw that Paula Abdul is going to be on a Dr. Phil special, and since I'm following "American Idol" I feel like I should care. The commercial showed Paula crying. That seems good!
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Brokeback Mountain
Middlebrow and I saw "Brokeback Mountain" last night with our friends Sylvia and Don.
Even though I was prepared for it to be incredibly sad, I was not prepared for it to be simultaneously aesthetically beautiful and emotionally devastating. I was surprised by how early I started crying, and how much I cried. I thought I could see where it was going the first time Jack sees Ennis, but I was shocked by the ending, and by the sheer rawness of the entire film. There were so many uncomfortable scenes, that were uncomfortable for so many reasons.
I definitely think this movie will win for cinematography. And I think Heath Ledger will be hard to beat. In any other year, Phillip Seymour Hoffman would be the hands down winner. But Ledger's restrained performance is just unbeatable. Same for the movie overall. I think seeing "Brokeback Mountain" explains why "Walk the Line" wasn't even nominated. "Walk" is a great film, don't get me wrong, I loved it, but compared to the emotional landscape of "Brokeback Mountain," I just don't think any other film can compete. The story's complexity, the difficulty of the characters' lives, the brilliance of all the performances: "Brokeback Mountain" is the whole package.
I predict Ang Lee will win for Best Director, and the movie will win for Best Picture. It may win for best Adapted Screenplay as well. And Cinematography. And Heath will win. I think Jake has a good shot at Best Supporting. I forget who else is nominated.
I have yet to see "Crash" or "Munich" which I understand are good films, but I can't imagine they could be better than "Brokeback Mountain."
Even though I was prepared for it to be incredibly sad, I was not prepared for it to be simultaneously aesthetically beautiful and emotionally devastating. I was surprised by how early I started crying, and how much I cried. I thought I could see where it was going the first time Jack sees Ennis, but I was shocked by the ending, and by the sheer rawness of the entire film. There were so many uncomfortable scenes, that were uncomfortable for so many reasons.
I definitely think this movie will win for cinematography. And I think Heath Ledger will be hard to beat. In any other year, Phillip Seymour Hoffman would be the hands down winner. But Ledger's restrained performance is just unbeatable. Same for the movie overall. I think seeing "Brokeback Mountain" explains why "Walk the Line" wasn't even nominated. "Walk" is a great film, don't get me wrong, I loved it, but compared to the emotional landscape of "Brokeback Mountain," I just don't think any other film can compete. The story's complexity, the difficulty of the characters' lives, the brilliance of all the performances: "Brokeback Mountain" is the whole package.
I predict Ang Lee will win for Best Director, and the movie will win for Best Picture. It may win for best Adapted Screenplay as well. And Cinematography. And Heath will win. I think Jake has a good shot at Best Supporting. I forget who else is nominated.
I have yet to see "Crash" or "Munich" which I understand are good films, but I can't imagine they could be better than "Brokeback Mountain."
Thursday, February 02, 2006
On the Fly
I have a lot of anxiety about my Introduction to Imaginative Writing class this semester. Mostly it revolves around my ever-present feelings of inadequacy and my inability to make an outline before I step into the class. And, the idea that they won't talk. However, my resolution to break them into small groups has worked quite well so far. Today, we talked and talked about, what else?, dialogue. We had Ann Beattie's " The Burning House" as our subject. It has gems of dialogue like "I love the way you pour cream in a pan." Usually I leave 20 minutes at the end for a writing exercise for them to do while I check their notebooks. Today we just kept talking until there were only five minutes left. So my "teach on the fly" (which is basically my MO) method just keeps working. And, by the way, I did have a brief outline/subject list cribbed from Janet Burroway.
Re: Sleepy E's praise for my blog silence: I wish I could say it means I've been writing up a storm elsewhere. It does, sort of, mean that, I realized as I began blogging intending to say I haven't been writing. I started an essay entitled "What I'm Not Reading" and I wrote a poem, "A Mother Peruses the Dictionary." And I've been writing little "singles" based on lines from Wilco songs. So, ha to me!, I have, unbeknownst to myself, been writing. It's teaching the writing class. I write with them, do the exercises. I'm a person who really responds to assignments.
So here I go: I must go workout and then write 500 words. Now go!
Re: Sleepy E's praise for my blog silence: I wish I could say it means I've been writing up a storm elsewhere. It does, sort of, mean that, I realized as I began blogging intending to say I haven't been writing. I started an essay entitled "What I'm Not Reading" and I wrote a poem, "A Mother Peruses the Dictionary." And I've been writing little "singles" based on lines from Wilco songs. So, ha to me!, I have, unbeknownst to myself, been writing. It's teaching the writing class. I write with them, do the exercises. I'm a person who really responds to assignments.
So here I go: I must go workout and then write 500 words. Now go!
Monday, January 30, 2006
21st Century Techno
Middlebrow and I have finally joined the 21st Century by getting a DSL. Since Ed, the friendly Qwest worker, came over, I have been on-line dutifully adding friends to my MSN messenger contacts so, in the case of emergency, I can IM them for information on how, for example, to tell if a substance is blood or just dried juice (my sister Lisa) or how long one might make a recipe low-fat (my sister Kristi) or what mystery I should add to my must read list (my mom) or if I have an inquiry about pedagogy (my sister Erin) or Derrida (my friend Brian whose screen name is the frightening NukeDescending). I also added SleepyE just in case he has a Big Red Phone or Hoochie Mama update. I need to be the first to know.
On the negative side, I now have no excuse for not keeping extremely up to date with my hybrid course, which may, finally, in week four, be ready for lift off. And I thought Son was good with the excuses! Geez, those students are very creative when it comes to why, exactly, they can't do their weekend assignments until noon on Monday.
No excuses! It's the take no prisoners approach to visual rhetoric. Stay tuned!
On the negative side, I now have no excuse for not keeping extremely up to date with my hybrid course, which may, finally, in week four, be ready for lift off. And I thought Son was good with the excuses! Geez, those students are very creative when it comes to why, exactly, they can't do their weekend assignments until noon on Monday.
No excuses! It's the take no prisoners approach to visual rhetoric. Stay tuned!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Walk the Line/New Glasses
Friday was a banner day here at Dr. Write headquarters. I finally got to see Walk the Line. And in my new glasses. I made MiddleBrow take a picture. I'm thinking of adding this to my profile, so that I can appear to be a good academic/intellectual/member of the intelligensia OR someone who is just visiting for Sundance. See? You can tell by the glasses.Walk the Line gave me chills. Joaquin was great as Johnny Cash, but Reese can actually sing. She made me want to grow my hair long and wear pink blush. I loved everything about the movie. My favorite line was "That Elvis kid sure likes to talk poon." I laughed so hard, I nearly cried.
After the movie, I asked MB, what, essentially, is the difference between Walk the Line and Brokeback Mountain? Both love stories wherein the lovers must overcome obstacles. Oh yeah, Walk the Line has a happy ending. Must see Brokeback Mountain. Screw Larry Miller. We're not going to the Megaplex anymore. Not that we did, very often, anyway.
I'm looking forward to the Oscars. I think everyone should win. I think I'm in love with Joaquin AND Reese. And Phillip Seymour Hoffman. And Katherine Keener. And Jake.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
January, New Semester, Snow
Ron chastised me for not posting, and now that I'm here, blogging, I wonder if there is anything worth blogging about. I feel like my life has been crazed since we can back from Phoenix. There was New Year's, then my stomach hurt so I gave up wheat, soy, oats, anything with gluten. So I feel better, and I've been eating a lot of salad, and some meat. Occasionally I miss bread, but not too much. Yet.
I told my 1010 students that I was going to try to watch a whole season of "American Idol" because I never had before, and I feel like I'm missing out on an important aspect of American culture. So I watched the first show, but it turns out I missed an episode last night, so I'm not doing too well on that score.
But I am writing. Middlebrow and I are trying to write two pages a day and so far (since last Thursday) I'm doing pretty well. I've started a few new essays with my creative writing class and I've written a few pages on "the novel."
I was looking through The English Patient last night because I assigned my students to bring in five epigraphs from different sources. I love this novel and I was looking for epigraphs from sections that I remember loving when I read it. Looking through it I realized that even though it has a coherent narrative, it's not told in a coherent, continuous stream (something I'm having trouble with). And he has many short lyric sections (which I have no problem writing, it's getting them to cohere with the other short sections that stalls me). So I took some inspiration from his structure. Also reading Calvino with my creative writing class. His stories aren't really about anything. I think he just chooses a structure and lets that contain his writing. So two good lessons for me. Also, last year I heard that Nabakov wrote Lolita on little index cards while sitting in his car with the windows rolled up, so he was in a little writing cave. So hey, I can fill an index card! Three good lessons for me in novel writing.
I think I'm ready to go on!
I told my 1010 students that I was going to try to watch a whole season of "American Idol" because I never had before, and I feel like I'm missing out on an important aspect of American culture. So I watched the first show, but it turns out I missed an episode last night, so I'm not doing too well on that score.
But I am writing. Middlebrow and I are trying to write two pages a day and so far (since last Thursday) I'm doing pretty well. I've started a few new essays with my creative writing class and I've written a few pages on "the novel."
I was looking through The English Patient last night because I assigned my students to bring in five epigraphs from different sources. I love this novel and I was looking for epigraphs from sections that I remember loving when I read it. Looking through it I realized that even though it has a coherent narrative, it's not told in a coherent, continuous stream (something I'm having trouble with). And he has many short lyric sections (which I have no problem writing, it's getting them to cohere with the other short sections that stalls me). So I took some inspiration from his structure. Also reading Calvino with my creative writing class. His stories aren't really about anything. I think he just chooses a structure and lets that contain his writing. So two good lessons for me. Also, last year I heard that Nabakov wrote Lolita on little index cards while sitting in his car with the windows rolled up, so he was in a little writing cave. So hey, I can fill an index card! Three good lessons for me in novel writing.
- Short lyric sections are okay
- Choose a structure and forget about it
- Index cards!
I think I'm ready to go on!
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