Tayari's Blog: April 2008
April 30, 2008
So Disappointed!
I was so thrilled a couple of weeks ago to be chosen as a special correspondent for the Pen World Voices Festival. I was assigned a certain number of events and I was to attend the sessions and the blog on the pen site. Today at 6pm was to be my first assignment: "History In The Mirror" --three writers talk about art and activism. I was dying to meet Kenyan writer, Binyavanga Wainaina.
Sadly, I think I am just too sick to go. Even if I were to try to be a hero, my coughing would disrupt the event. I went to the doctor today and she prescribed me some cough medicine with codeine--guaranteed to know me out-- but I didn't take it because I was hoping to be healthy enough to go.
Well, I'm not.
(And I'll just end with that pun.)
Posted at 03:33 PM | ![[comments]](http://www.tayarijones.com/images/comments.gif){kind=small}
Comments (0)
Category:
The Writing Life
April 29, 2008
Dare I Take the "ONE STAR CHALLENGE?"
John Scalzi is daring writers to post the skankiest amazon reviews posted about their books. My first thought was "How funny! I'll do it!" Afterall, self-deprecating is the new black these days. So I tootled over to amazon to look at the one-stars. It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. So then, I thought I wouldn't participate. But THAT is the same as backing down from a challenge. Besides, not participating would be in the category of "fear/shame" and am I not working hard to get those nasty trolls out of my life and my consciousness?
So, with no further ado. Here are my ugliest amazon reviews for The Untelling. Weirdly enough, nobody hates on Leaving Atlanta. Well, almost nobody...
See, look at me. Stalling. Why is this so hard? Okay. Here goes.
Posted at 12:03 PM | Comments (6)
Category:
The Writing Life
April 28, 2008
An Opportunity, A Remembrance
I've just found out that McSweeny's is taking applications for the the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award. The award is for a woman, 32 years old, or younger. Amanda was a friend of ours who passed away in 2003, at the age of 32.
thx, Erika.
Posted at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
The Writing Life
April 27, 2008
Passing the Tiara to Frank X. Walker
As much as I loved being the Mosaic covergirl, my reign is over. All Hail King Frank!
Posted at 01:05 PM | Comments (2)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 26, 2008
Great Things Are Happening
to folks who read this blog! I know I just did a good news post about a week ago, but so much high-five-worthy news keeps pouring in!
Is there more good news out there? Shoot me an email!
Posted at 08:36 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 25, 2008
Mom Friendly, I Swear!
I got a google alert today letting me know that somebody was blogging about me. I must say those little notices warm my heart. I happily clicked the link to find that The Shelf Life was commenting on the fact that "50 States of Literature" picked Leaving Atlanta as the best of Georgia.
Then, I looked more closely and saw what she had written. I would be lying if if I didn't say it didn't hurt my feelings a litle bit. The long of the short of it is that she didn't approve of the choice. I would still be whimpering if she was basing this on having read the book, but her objection was that she just didn't like the description. She even asks readers for other suggestions of what better represents Georgia. "As a mom" she doesn't think she could stomach my book.
Sigh.
Posted at 08:34 AM | Comments (5)
Category:
The Writing Life
April 24, 2008
That Crazy Lady is Me
There are moments as we get older that we realize that we have become 
an archetype. I have more than one friend who has realised that is a crazy cat lady. Way too many of us have turned into our mothers. Today, in my undergraduate class, I was shocked to discover that I was that overly-passionate English teacher.
We were reading "Never Marry A Mexican" by Sandra Cisneros. (It's anthologized everywhere, but can be found in Woman Hollering Creek.) What a fantastic story. I had forgotten how brilliant it is. It's easy to sleep on Cisneros. House On Mango Street was so over-exposed and more than one slacker student has tried to use it as an excuse not to learn how to write a fully fleshed out story. But "Never Marry A Mexican." Pure literary gold. Just mind blowing.
It was supposed to be a group discussion, with me gently leading the way, but I couldn't help reading whole pages aloud. I got so worked up, I had to take off my school-marm cardigan. "Can you feel her phrasing? Listen to those verbs! Do you get the double meaning there! Gorgeous. Just gorgeous." I knew I had crossed a line when I closed the book and clutched it to my sweaty little chest and shut my eyes in bliss. When I opened them, students looked at me, and then at each other with little smirks and then just looked a little embarrassed.
I felt old. I also felt alive and jazzed about writing, about life, about the book I am working on. About teaching. About everything.
April 23, 2008
Round Midnight Links
Posted at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 22, 2008
Poetry Up-South!
To celebrate National Poetry Month,
Cave Canem presents:
The Ringing Ear Poets at New York University
19 University Place,
First Floor Auditorium,
New York, New York
Featuring
Alvin Aubert, Randall Horton,
Kamilah Aisha Moon, Mendi Obadike
and Gwen Samuels.
Posted at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Living For The City
April 21, 2008
Product Placement?
I am not even sure what to make of this. Well, that's not true. I know what I think about it. But then again, there are some writers I respect on this list. So good grief. Here's the deal:
Galleycat reported today that Lexus is paying writers to write short stories that make their cars look good. (Perhaps they should give back-pay to a lot of urban-lit authors that have that territory covered. And they could send a few checks to a few rappers I could name. And what about Chrissette Michele? "Be OK" is my jam.) But anyway, I was surprised to see a number of serious writers on the list. I actually know a couple of them, so maybe I could send an email and ask what gives? From where I am sitting, it reminds me of this article I blogged about back in 2005. Apparently the pharmaceutical companies were paying writers to create thrillers that would scare people from buying drugs from Canada. And Lexus is hiring writers to make thier product look good, look smart, look hip.
I was trying not to go there-- with the nation trying to heal and every thing-- but it seems that irony is already embedded in this post. The urban-lit writers and rappers (and lovely Chrissette)who already say such nice things about the Lexus brand don't get any love from the company. I couldn't help but take another look at the list of artists whose endorsement the company will pay for. They are from a whole other world entirely.
Posted at 08:04 PM | Comments (4)
Category:
Current Events
Go, Michael, Go!
Our very own Michael Fischer has been accepted into the Ph.D. in Creative Writing at Western Michigan University with a teaching fellowship! He's a great writer, a fantastic teacher, and a hang-in-there kind of person. I'm so proud of you, Michael. Spend the summer celebrating yourself and in the fall, carry yourself to Michigan and write that book!
Posted at 02:16 PM | Comments (2)
Category:
Feeling a Little Bit Weird Today? Me too.
Posted at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 20, 2008
What is A Southern Voice?
Listen to me, Silas House and Lee Smith at the Key West Literary Seminars as we wrestle with the topic!
Fantastic Things Are Happening
to people who read this blog!
Got more news? Tell me about it!
Posted at 08:02 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
The Writing Life
April 18, 2008
My Publicist, My Friend
Posted at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Living For The City
Negritudinous Links
Still suffering from the alergy situation. I've lost my voice!
Posted at 09:27 AM | Comments (1)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 17, 2008
Long Island Tea by A Native Daughter
It's Thursday, the end of a long week, and this writer could really use a cocktail. This week's offering is a serious one by Kelly McMasters, 
author of just-released Welcome to Shirley, a green-themed memoir
about her blue-collar hometown on the east end of Long Island. The town is a service-town to the Hamptons and is on the south shore, has a lovely natural setting, but is threatened by a nearby nuclear
laboratory that has been leaking into the town's drinking water
aquifer for 50 years. (In other words, it may be safer to drink a Long Island Tea, than tap water-- that's just my two cents. Here's what Kelly has to say about her hometown and it's namesake cocktail.)
"Of course, the drink I have in mind is the Long Island Iced Tea. I
think it reflects the town perfectly--Shirley has an all-or-nothing
vibe in its heart, and hard drinking took up much of our time as
teenagers. The LI Iced Tea's potency made it a favorite (along with
Zima, which thankfully no longer exists!). And the drink's undeserved
bad reputation mirrors the story of my town.
I also used to bartend, and whenever someone ordered this drink I
immediately carded them--it is a favorite for the young/new drinker
because it sounds classy, but has more alcohol than almost any other
drink."
Here is the classic recipe:
Directions:
Mix alcoholic ingredients together over ice in a glass.
Pour into shaker and give ONE brisk shake. Pour back into glass and
squirt in splash of soda-- make sure there is a touch of fizz at the
top. Garnish with lemon.
"Powerful...debut explores the author's happy childhood next to a
controversial nuclear laboratory that leaked toxic waste into a Long
Island aquifer. McMasters follows up this moving material with pages
that delve into case-study numbers and scientific quotes ... Sincere
and expertly researched."
—Kirkus Reviews
Posted at 07:11 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Cocktails With Writers
Meet Ruth Dargan, Witness To History
The Root has posted video of Kyle Dargan interviewing his grandmother, Ruth Dargan. Ms. Dargan was a police detective during the infamous Newark Riots in 1968. (That's her on the right.)
In an essay that accompanies the interview, Kyle writes:
Periodically, I get a phone call from my grandmother that begins with her saying, "Listen to this," or simply with her reading aloud a vignette she'd just written about her life in Newark, N.J. Usually, I tell her the brief tales sound good and encourage her to keep writing. "I'm leaving all this stuff for you so you can write my story after I'm gone," she often tells me, in reply. I ponder her statement and then reply, as warm and loving as only a grandson could, "You ain't dead yet!"
I am so bummed that I can't embed the video so you can just watch it here. (You have to follow this link.)They talk about the death of MLK, Barak Obama, and the housing crisis. She read "The Audacity of Hope" in bookclub and wasn't all that impressed.
On a silly and superficial note, I had to smile at Kyle's appearance in this video. You can see he got all cleaned up to sit with his grandmother. His hair is cut and his facial hair is all orderly. And the argyle sweater. So sweet. (If you're in the mood for comparison, here's a snapshot of Kyle.)
OK. Back to business. This intergenerational sit-down is really interesting, and progressive. She is his grandmother, certainly, but she is not being interviewed as a "granny." This is no old lady rocking on the porch, hulling peas and rattling off memories. Ms. Ruth Dargan she not just a witness to history, she is also a player in the stories unfolding before our eyes.
Posted at 08:08 AM | Comments (1)
Category:
Current Events
April 16, 2008
We've Done Something Good Here
The time has come to post the results of the recent ebay auction to benefit the victims of the Dunbar Village Tragedy. As you may remember, I came up with this idea on the spur of the moment. I volunteered to do a manuscript critique and invited any other authors who were interested to jump right in.
I was floored by the number of people who pitched in. I did not solicit these offerings. People stood up and stepped up. So remember the names of these authors, artists, and publishers. Support them. Buy their books when you can, request them from your local library, go to their readings, or just subscribe to their blogs.
I also want to thank the members of this blog community for all your help with this effort. You bid, forwarded the links to your friends, and sent encouraging emails. You posted on your own blogs. Word spread. We managed to get a lot of attention for the auction, but also for the specific victims of Dunbar Village, but also the issue of violence against women and children.
Special thanks is in order for the bloggers. We were mentioned on the big literary blogs like Galleycat, Maude Newton, TEV, and even the LA Times blog. But the smaller blog families also gave love. Some folks even did mini-auctions of thier own to encourage support for our efforts.
Lastly, If you want to help out, but didn't win the any of the auctions, you can make a donation to the victim's assistance fund. Here's the information for that:
Individuals who would like to donate money to the victims can go to any Wachovia Bank and donate to the St. Ann’s Victim’s Assistance Fund. Donations will go directly to the mother and her son. Checks can be made payable to the "Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann’s". Donations can be mailed to: St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
We've done something good here. All of us. Whether you won an auction or not. We came together. We gave what we had to give. We cared. We helped somebody.
Posted at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
And The Winners Are....
The total raised from the auction is:
TWO THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED FOURTEEN DOLLARS and Sixty-Nine Cents!
Posted at 08:16 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
Ah-Choo!! Not Feeling Well Links
I am sorry for not having much orginal content here. There is one tree in NY and apparently, I am allergic to it. I have taken a lot of medicine in an attempt to feel better and as a result I just feel really loopy-- and not in a fun way. So, here are some links to keep you busy while I get my constitution together.
Posted at 10:18 AM | Comments (1)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 14, 2008
What You Missed
I was looking at the blog and realized that a lot of cool posts got eaten up in the auction frenzy! Here is a recap of what I blogged about when I wasn't obsessing over the auction.
Posted at 11:37 AM | Comments (1)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
Tick, tock! Act now!
The auction for the six titles from Dzanc Books is closing in about an hour. For those of you not hip, I thought I would tell you a little bit about this innovative publishing company.
Dzanc is a non-profit organization dedicated to publishing literary fiction. They also do outreach and education. This means writers in schools programs, but also working with literary journals to increase literacy and also visibility of serious authors.
This is a quick summary because the auction ends in abut 45 minutes and I want to get this up in time for you to BID.... Also, it was so kind of them to offer thier whole catalog. There are some good books in there.
And, ahem, just FYI, if you are an author-- check out this tasty paragraph lifted from the Dzanc website:
All Dzanc authors not only receive contracts and monetary compensation commensurate with the best literary houses, but the personal attention shown to each author by Dzanc - including reviews, book tours and intimate involvement in every step of the publishing process - clearly makes Dzanc unique.
Now that should get you feeling bid-dy
Posted at 07:38 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
TWO GRAND... and counting!
Oh, Everybody! Things went so well last night with the ebay auction. We sold more than two thousand dollars worth of literary goods and services. There was last minute drama. (Example: a gentleman going by the handle "swampgoat" had last minute technical difficulties when trying to bid on the Saunders critique. He has to enlist a friend with less than a minute to go!)
There is some good stuff left--
As soon as all auctions are done, paperwork handled, I am going to post the names of the winners. I've been in touch with almost all of them and they are really cool people.
Life is good.
Posted at 07:24 AM | Comments (1)
Category:
Community Service
April 13, 2008
COUNTDOWN!
We are in the last hour of the ebay auction to benefit the victims of the Dunbar Village tragedy. I am so excited. Can you believe there are (at this posting) 194 bids? I am thrilled to pieces.
(And don't forget there are a couple of other items that will mature tomorrow, but the main event is in 44 minutes... and counting.)
Posted at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
Just To Get You In The Mood
Posted at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
Tonight's The Night!
The auction wraps up today, for the most part. There are a couple groovy items which close a little later because either they were added late, or I got confused with the software... but the bulk of the items close tonight, 9pm, EST. I noticed that many of the bidders were first time ebayers, so I thought I would offer this tip:
The bidding can get heated in the last minute or so of the auction. Really crafty people law low, watching the item. And in the very last seconds, they put in a bid, hoping the auction will close before anyone else has a chance to put it a higher offer. (Very sneaky.) This is what Weird Al was talking about when he sang
I am the type who
is liable to snipe you
with two seconds left to goooooo!
So, if there is something that you want, don't bid and then walk away. Keep hitting refresh on your browser to make sure you are still in the lead.
And speaking of that Weird Al song. There were a good dozen versions of the video on ebay. Who knew there was this Weird Al Tribute videography community? I must confess. The Ebay Song is growing on me and my be my new favorite YouTube chuckle. I think it is even funnier that the disagreeing Filet o Fishes.
(No smirking, Ladylee.)
Posted at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
April 12, 2008
Roller coaster? We Should Be So Lucky.
People often compare the process of writing and publishing as being on a roller coaster... you know ups and downs. I reject that metaphor because when you're on a roller coaster, you sort of know that you'll be okay. Yes, your heart drops when you hurtle down the steep hill and that little clicking sound is thrilling, but it's all make-believe and you know it. Publishing on the other hand is the real deal. You actually fear that you won't survive the experience.
(UPDATE: I've just worked out the metaphor. It's like this: You think you're ready for the controlled danger of a roller coaster. You're at the amusement park, dressed appropriately, strapped into the ride. Your friends standing in line waiting for thier turn. THey smile, you smile back. As the ride pulls away, you notice something about the cute 17-year-old boy running the machine. Is that a crack pipe in his hand????)
But I digress...
Pen/Faulkner winner, Kate Christensen, looks really young, but she has lived through a wide-range of publishing experiences. Her first book sold well, but wasn't taken seriously. The next one was released just in time for 9-11. The third was taken seriously by critics, but sold very modestly. And then the fourth title, BANG. Pen/Faulkner.
I love some of the things she has to say in her essay. It's not a sappy "keep on, keeping on" sort of essay. It's more about the terrifying and exhilarating range of possibility.
(via Joyous)
April 11, 2008
Stay In Bed All Day Links
I have spent the whole day on this computer. Why? Because people who have no TV, waste time on the internet. Here's what I found worth doing. Or not worth doing, but it's what I did.
Posted at 06:54 PM | Comments (3)
Category:
Happy Birthday Spelman
127 years ago today, Harriet Giles and Sophia B. Packard founded The Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, later renamed Spelman College. Giles and Packard had only one hundred dollars to their names--- pocket change given to them by John D. Rockefeller. Reverend Quarles gave them space in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church and they gathered eleven students together and got to work.
(Image via flickr.)
Posted at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Current Events
April 10, 2008
Just a Helpful Hint
This is a message to the New York writers. This is written from a place of love. Please don't take it as an insult.
YOU NEED A NEW AUTHOR PHOTO. This is a kind and encouraging blog, so I won't call any names. So, to those of you are using a cell-phone self-portrait: people can tell. To the people using a picture that you took way back in high school, you need to upgrade. Check out Rachel Eliza Griffiths' pictures. She will make you gorgeous. Go over the auction. Bid. You owe it to yourself. And it's for a good cause.
And here's the good news. Unpublished writers out there: you're working hard. You're sending your stuff out. (Maybe you have already bid on Erika's cool reference books?) Good things are going to happen. And when they do, you're going to need a photo. And a cell-phone self-portrait just won't do.
And not to be all up in y'all's personal business.... You could probably use a more flattering picture for myspace, yahoo personals, blackpeoplemeet.com, match.com, etc... I'm just saying
Posted at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
How to Make Money For What You Write!
Someone told me long time ago: "Only YOU can make yourself a writer." This meant that only you control whether you put words to page. But once you've gotten those words down, what to do with them?
Erika Dreifus, a.k.a. "The Practicing Writer" has just the resource for you. It's a three-book set, fully downloadable and super helpul.
Erika has donated the whole set. All you gotta do now is B-I-D.
Posted at 03:23 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
Min Jin's Spin on A Classic
Min Jin Lee will be taking 
part in Upstairs At The Square tonight in NYC. If you're around and not -- like me -- working late, you MUST attend.
Here's Min Jin's spin on a classic:
In my mind, I am a good drinker, because I am a good eater—an inveterate, unrepentant glutton of sorts with a gym membership. I eat butter, fried potatoes, white bread, spaghetti, and ice cream. I am never going to give up white rice. I am Korean, after all.
However, I had a liver disease for over twenty years, and though I am very well now, I do not drink alcohol. Well, not often. I am that girl at the table who will eye your lovely drink and ask, “Hey, you gonna finish that?” I am a sipper. Kind of like your temporary taster.
I am also a cook, and I look for reasons to make a party (that’s what you say in the boroughs). For brunch, I will fry up anything you want with eggs, cream and oil. At the house, there will be bacon and sausages, and I am delighted to bake you treats that will require a run or a swim. Outside the kitchen, my patient husband Christopher takes the coats and he’ll pour the drinks. This is what we serve on Saturday mornings:
BLOODY MARY:
Combine the above ingredients into a large pitcher then pour into glasses filled with ice.
Serves 4.
"Assimilation. Independence. Love. Betrayal. Class. Race. Sex. It’s all in there. And reading FREE FOOD FOR MILLIONAIRES will, in the words of another writer to whom Lee has been compared, be a ‘far, far better thing’ than you’ve ever done.”
– Karen Grigsby Bates, NPR DAY TO DAY
Posted at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Cocktails With Writers
Thursday Afternoon Links!
As I realise that there is more to life than the AUCTION, I humbly present this set of links.
Posted at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 08, 2008
NEW STUFF JUST ADDED
This is why I love Algonquin Books-- they heard through the grapevine about our fundariaser so they just donated a bundle of TEN (count 'em, 10!) works of contemporary southern fiction-- Lee Smith, Silas House, Larry Brown.. *everybody*! And, just to sweeten the deal, two volumes of New Stories From the South!
I have also decided to offer a short story critique in a addition to the manuscript crituque, for those of you who want to ease into this critique thing.
Natasha Trethewey just gave me (in my hand) a signed FIRST EDITION of her Pulitzer Prize winning collection Native Guard!
Also, prices have been dropped. And the paypal requirement has been removed from bidding!
(This is supposed to go up last night, but I had technical issues.)
Posted at 09:00 PM | Comments (2)
Category:
Community Service
Why You Should Bid On A Novel Critique
I know you all know about the terrific literary auction taking place now on ebay. The best opportunity on the list is the MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUES. A couple folks have emailed and said they admire the authors too much to submit anything less than excellent. Well, that's really sweet, but really wrong-headed. The idea is to have someone read your manuscript so you can make it better! Don't be shy. I can only speak for myself of course, but I'll be gentle and I'll be helpful.
Two authors-- Sarah Schulman and myself-- are offering full manuscript critiques. We will read your whole complete entire novel. Anyone who has a manuscript in a drawer knows how hard it is to get someone to look at your stuff. Oh how I envy musicians who just pop in a CD and say "check out my stuff..." Or even visual artists who can lead you to a gallery wall and then offer you some wine and cheese. For writers, when you hand someone a 300 page document, you don't exactly see joy on thier faces...
So, go bid. I'll read your manuscript! So will Sarah. Lots of other cool writers will read your short stories and poetry. And it's for a really good cause.
Posted at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
April 06, 2008
Let's Help The Dunbar Village Survivors!
The ebay auction is up! Go there now to bid on manuscript critiques by me, George Saunders, Nichelle Tramble,Sarah Schulman, Laila Lalami, Joy Castro, Martha Southgate, D. Nurkse, and Honoree Fanonne Jeffers! Carleen Brice is offering to critique your non-fiction book proposal. (Having sold three books this way, she knows how it's done!) There are books up for grabs-- a full set of George Saunders titles and a set of memoirs and a collection of debut novels. Natasha Trethewey is giving a signed hardcover of her Pulitzer Prize winning collection, Native Guard. Erika Dreyfus, the "Practicing Writer", has offered her three e-books on how to find paying markets for what you write! This is just in: Rachel Eliza Griffiths will take your photo if you live the NY area. (Trust me. You want her to take your photo.)
We got the good stuff.
If you'd like to contribute directly to the victims of the Dunbar Village tragedy here's the info.
Individuals who would like to donate money to the victims can go to any Wachovia Bank and donate to the St. Ann’s Victim’s Assistance Fund. Donations will go directly to the mother and her son.
St. Ann’s Catholic Church will accept donations. Checks can be made payable to the "Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann’s".
Donations can be mailed to: St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
If you go this route, let me know. At the end of the week, I want to post the results of our hard work and I want to make sure I include you.
On that note, I received the first contribution last night at KGB Bar. Alicia, a member of our blog community, slipped me some cash. "This is for Dunbar Village," she said.
Ashe.
Posted at 08:12 PM | Comments (0)
Category:
Community Service
, Current Events
Happy Dance! Blue Mountain Here I Come!
Although Rigoberto has chided me that this photo lacks subtlety, I must post it anyway 
because I am so so thrilled to tell you that I was accepted by the Blue Mountain Center residency program.
I usually apply to several residencies each summer to assure myself a place. This year, I was caught up in all manner of interpersonal drama, so I missed the January 1 deadlines.
I have learned my lesson. Being a generally win-some/lose-some sort of writer, it has been a long time since I have been on pins and needles over an application. The acceptance letter was just one page, making the envelope (from the outside at least)eerily similar to the smack-down from MacDowell. I stood in front of the mailbox turning the thing over in my hands. I pinched it and thought I felt something that might have been a RSVP envelope inside.
It was! I'm in! I'm going!
April 04, 2008
Leather Couch Links
Posted at 11:09 AM | Comments (3)
Category:
April 03, 2008
Dunbar Village Fund Raiser-- Update!
So many people have offered to help raise money for the mother and son who were attacked at Dunbar Village. Check out what we have collected, so far:
And think.. we have only been collecting donations for two days! If you have something to contribute, let me know. Also, in comments, give us some ideas of other things we can include in the auction.
This is a great opportunity to help someone in need. Whatever money we raise will make such a difference in the life of a woman in serious need. We can undo the damage that has been done to her by the criminals who attacked her, or the politicians who defended them, but we can help her move forward and put her life back together.
Posted at 09:34 AM | Comments (3)
Category:
Current Events
Camille's Fast & Loose With Pomegranate Juice!
Who could doubt cocktail advice from Camille Dungy? After all, her 
first book is called What To Eat, What To Drink, And What To Leave For Poison. As spring has finally sprung on the east coast, here's her fun and fruity winter's-over celebratory beverage.
Here's Camille and what she has to say this yummy concoction:
"I've been loving the bitters. They're good for the tummy and tasty on the tongue, but they are, well, bitter, so it's always nice to lighten them up. It being the onset of spring, and Demeter all joyful to have her girl back, and there being little worry about anyone having to get stuck back in to winter for awhile now, how about playing fast and loose with pomegranate juice?"
Here's how to do it:
If you're prone to like your drinks less fizzy, it's plenty good without all the soda, but that twist is essential.
"Whatever way you like your poetry, this book is a must."
—Nikki Giovanni
Posted at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)
Category:
Cocktails With Writers
April 02, 2008
People Sleep On Newark, but....
I was heading to lunch with my Ace, Dahlia, when we were stopped by a (very cute) policeman who told us that Beyonce is filming a movie here in Newark! The movie is called Cadilac Records. Beyonce will play the role of legendary blues singer, Etta James.
The policeman (adorably) kept us far away from the action, but we did get close enough to snap this photo with Dahlia's iPhone. Instant time warp!
And speaking of Newark. I am giving a reading tonight at 5:30 on the campus of Rutgers. I am reading something new, so if you show up, remember what Erykah said. "Keep in ming that I'm an artist. And I'm sensitive...."
Posted at 12:51 PM | Comments (1)
Category:
Travels & Rambles
April 01, 2008
Dunbar Village Fund Raiser
Today I saw an article about the sister-bloggers who raised their voices against the NAACP's support of the Dunbar Village rape suspects. For those of you not following the case, here's a recap: The details are far too graphic to post here, but a woman and her son were raped and tortured in their home. The assault is the most brutal thing I have ever heard of. Well, the good Revered Al Sharpton of course went to Florida to show his support-- for the suspects. The sister-bloggers (and some brothers) went ballistic and mobilized their readers to turn the ships around. By the time they got through, Sharpton and the NAACP were claiming they never wanted the suspects released on bond (though these flyers tell a different story.)
I am horrified by this crime, but at the same time inspired and impressed by the sister-bloggers who stepped up to the plate. I started thinking, well what can I do? I'm just a novelist. Then I had this idea.
I am going to auction off a manuscript critique and the proceeds will go to the fund for the victims of the Dunbar Village Rape Case. Any other writers out there want to lend a hand? We can put all the offerings on ebay together. I am thinking manuscript critiques, maybe someone can have coffee with their favorite writer? If you're down, email me. We can make this happen.
Posted at 05:34 PM | Comments (5)
Category:
Current Events