We Home!
Many thanks, good people, for your kind patience in continuing to check in here. The blog has been out of commission for about two weeks, its longest hiatus ever. Thanks for your persistence!
I'm not sure why teaching in Boston required so much recovery time this year: I had a wonderful time, worked with dynamic students, and so on. Just summer-brain, I guess. Getting back home to James and our wee jewelbox of an apartment was such a soul-comfort. (When I was a tiny kid, whenever our car would pull back in front of our house or apartment after time away, I would apparently sing out, "We home!" or so my parents later claimed. "We home!" A joyful noise.)
But instead of puttering around joyfully--or posting, like a good blogger--I launched immediately into the revision of an article for MELUS. I sent it off yesterday evening and am suddenly feeling put-back-together again. Go figure.
My most trusted reader has just finished reading the revised manuscript of my novel THE DESIRE PROJECTS, and I'm waiting for comments now. Alas, it's not all good news; I know that much. Sigh. Definitely some work to be done; I'll have the specifics soon and hope to finish it up and send it off to my agent by the time classes start in late August. Fingers crossed!
Those of you who've followed the saga of Amara, my Little Sister through the terrific Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, will be happy to know that she's doing better at Boys Town. When I visit her tomorrow, we'll even get to leave campus together for a couple of hours. (Before, we had to visit in a closed room. So lockdown.)
When I asked her what she wanted to do, her response was unhesitating: "Eat." LOL. I guess the institutional food at Boys Town is about what institutional food is anywhere. (Can you tell I'm still reeling from 5 days of Pine Manor cafeteria chow? HÃjole. That was one scary hot line.)
When my brain starts cooking again, I'll get some chewy content on here for you, but this is just a check-in to say I'm not dead. In the meantime, let me give a big shout-out of thanks to Karima (across the Atlantic!), Kerry (way up in Massachusetts), and Pablo and Tammy (right here in Lincoln), all of whom have recently told me F2F (face-to-face) that they read this blog--and to Liz, who just posted a comment to "On the Move," below, and sent me a lovely personal email.
Thank you, people! On those days when I sit down and type my thinky little thoughts and then wonder, finger poised over the "Save" button, Who's gonna even read all this?, I can picture all y'all and smile.
I'm not sure why teaching in Boston required so much recovery time this year: I had a wonderful time, worked with dynamic students, and so on. Just summer-brain, I guess. Getting back home to James and our wee jewelbox of an apartment was such a soul-comfort. (When I was a tiny kid, whenever our car would pull back in front of our house or apartment after time away, I would apparently sing out, "We home!" or so my parents later claimed. "We home!" A joyful noise.)
But instead of puttering around joyfully--or posting, like a good blogger--I launched immediately into the revision of an article for MELUS. I sent it off yesterday evening and am suddenly feeling put-back-together again. Go figure.
My most trusted reader has just finished reading the revised manuscript of my novel THE DESIRE PROJECTS, and I'm waiting for comments now. Alas, it's not all good news; I know that much. Sigh. Definitely some work to be done; I'll have the specifics soon and hope to finish it up and send it off to my agent by the time classes start in late August. Fingers crossed!
Those of you who've followed the saga of Amara, my Little Sister through the terrific Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, will be happy to know that she's doing better at Boys Town. When I visit her tomorrow, we'll even get to leave campus together for a couple of hours. (Before, we had to visit in a closed room. So lockdown.)
When I asked her what she wanted to do, her response was unhesitating: "Eat." LOL. I guess the institutional food at Boys Town is about what institutional food is anywhere. (Can you tell I'm still reeling from 5 days of Pine Manor cafeteria chow? HÃjole. That was one scary hot line.)
When my brain starts cooking again, I'll get some chewy content on here for you, but this is just a check-in to say I'm not dead. In the meantime, let me give a big shout-out of thanks to Karima (across the Atlantic!), Kerry (way up in Massachusetts), and Pablo and Tammy (right here in Lincoln), all of whom have recently told me F2F (face-to-face) that they read this blog--and to Liz, who just posted a comment to "On the Move," below, and sent me a lovely personal email.
Thank you, people! On those days when I sit down and type my thinky little thoughts and then wonder, finger poised over the "Save" button, Who's gonna even read all this?, I can picture all y'all and smile.
fayepoet said:
Joy,I often cite and reference your blog when discussing the considerable upside of following an informed literary blog. At the recent "After the MFA" discussion at the Pine Manor residency, I suggested your blog as a model site for a mix of the personal and the professional.I admire the ease in which you write about what is in your heart and mind and especially appreciate the windows you open to literary writings, authors, blogs, events, and ways of seeing the world. For example,I followed the URL to Melus and have added that to my list of journals to explore.
July 26, 2009 7:07 PM"We Home!" has many meanings. For the newly minted MFA such as myself, your blog offers a constant "WELCOME" and an open door to participate in the variant complexities and nuances of your literary life.
Good luck with your deadline on The Desire Projects!