Travels & Rambles

Laurel K. Hamilton sends a message to her unhappy fans. “If you’re unhappy with my books, and have decided you never want to read another thing that I write; great. I mean that. Life is too short to read books you don’t like, so if you’re not having a good time, stop doing it. I’m sure there are other books out there that will make you happier than mine. “ (via Gwenda)
New Year, New Book, New Name. How far would you go for a fresh start?
Al Young prepares for the year ahead. “My brother Richard used to test his proposed resolutions for the coming year right after Halloween. “The ones I can see aren’t going to work out,” he said, “I get rid of those.”
Are you a madmanperson, architect, carpenter or judge? Some thoughts on writing.
A twenty-something Pisces from Osaka, Japan has written five novels in 14 months– all on her cell phone. She’s sold a million copies so far– to other people’s cell phones! (thx champ)

You never know who you know. I went to see “Dreamgirls” with my good friend, Phillip Alexander. I knew Phillip was a great singer and performer, but I had no idea that he had personal experience with “Dreamgirls.” About ten years ago, he played CiCi in an off-off Broadway show! He let me use this cool picture from his scrapbook– Effie and the Girls. You have to read his blog entry, if only to see the high-top fade cast photo! While you’re over there, check out some of the songs on his new album. And if you are on myspace, add him as a friend.
I’ve got a copy of Phillip Alexander’s debut CD, “LOVE YOU GOOD.” Tell me your favorite “Dreamgirls” moment and why. The best story wins the CD!

On Christmas Day, I went to see “Dreamgirls.” I am a big fan of the orginal play– I even saw it once with Jennifer Holliday and once with an understudy wo truly put her foot in it. Further, as a black woman of a certain age, you know that I saw many a young girl belt out “And I am Telling You” and “I Am Changing” at highschool talent shows. In short, I am the ideal audience for this movie.
I did enjoy it. Let me start by saying that.

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For those of us not ashamed to show our age. Here’s Jennifer Holliday, who played Effie in the Broadway production. Listen to her sing “And I Am Telling You,” at the 1982 Tony Awards.

Hee hee. This is FUNNY.

Here are some fun stress relievers/time killers:
Make-a-Flake: Indulge your inner child and make some “paper” snowflakes on line.
Have You Known Me Lately: A short story I wrote a few years back. I was asked to write a holiday story for an anthology. I wrote it. It was rejected. Not warm and/or fuzzy enough, I guess.
Fa la la la la: These are lyrics to popular holiday song. The overly anxious among us can brush up before heading the the holiday party. All the songs are here, from the really secular (The Grinch Song) to the sacred (O Holy Night)
Ornamental: Lovely photos of Christmas ornaments covertly snapped at Crate and Barrel.
Sippy-sip: Holiday Drink Recipes
Krismas Njema Na Heri Za Mwaka Mpya: Say Merry Christmas in 350 languages.

Well, it’s a tradition here on the blog to post the recipe for Red Velvet Cake to ring in the holiday season. Before I list the ingredients, let me relay to you a little anecdote.
I heard a fairly well known transplanted southern writer speak about her anxiety about preparing a red velvet cake for her South Carolinian husband. This was back in their courting days. She says she had never heard of red-velvet cake and queried his mama who reluctantly sent the recipe to her Midwestern daughter-in-law-to-be. The short version is that the woman could not bear to feed her beloved anything that called for so much artificial coloring. Instead she just put in a couple-three drops and now their family has “pink velvet cake” instead. Hurrah for the “New South.”
The recipe attached is my mama’s recipe and it calls for 1 1/3 ounces of food color. That’s about a bottle and a half. To make the cake taste right (let alone LOOK right), you’re going to have to use the coloring. If you remove that much liquid from your cake it’s going to be dry. And it’s going to look stupid. If you’re afraid of red food color, make another cake. Email me and I’ll send you a recipe for pound cake or something.

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Champagne hangover? As Lauren would say, “That’s a high class problem.”
Thank so much for all the birthday well-wishes. (Ladylee went all out!) I took some time off from the blog to just ramble around Washington, DC and enjoy myself on my big day. I don’t have much of a story to report; it was a lovely low-key good time: shrimp and grits at Georgia Browns, Key lime pie, a bottle of bubbly, wonderful company, etc. And, of course, I started the day by putting down a few words on my new manuscript.

Cave Canem Poets are coming to Baltimore to celebrate their 10th Anniversary! Come out the to Enoch Pratt Free Library on Sunday, December 3 at 2 pm.
National Book Award Winner Lucille Clifton reads with 2003 Cave Canem Poetry Prize Winner Kyle Dargan and Baltimore/Washington area Fellows Derrick Brown, Carleasa Coates, Teri Cross, Hayes Davis, Deidre Gantt, Kendra Hamilton, Reginald Harris, Brandon D. Johnson, Jadi Keambiroiro, Kamilah Aisha Moon, Carlo Paul, and Venus Thrash.

How could I forget to tell you that while I was in Los Angeles, Camille and I had lunch with Nichelle Tramble, author of The Dying Ground and The Last King. She was accompanied by her sweetheart, the mysterious “Crown Prince.” Nichelle took us on a walking tour of Santa Monica and promised to give me a real tour the next time I am back on the west coast!