Happy springtime, everyone!
As I write, it's a beautiful clear day here in Southern California. There's just enough bite in the air to warrant a light jacket, and the new dog and I didn't have too many huge arguments on today's walk. So I guess that counts as a pretty good day.
On another hand, I'm fighting some kind of cold that won't go away, and after a few weeks away for ShelterBox in February followed by two conferences, I'm still struggling to get back onto some kind of work routine. It's always startling to me how long it takes to get back into the swing. Maybe this is why experts recommend not multi-tasking. After all, what's a couple trips away from real life but some hyper-extended multitasking?
What are your coping mechanisms for getting back into routine? Write to me and tell me all about it: yishun@thegooddirt.org
And now, onto this month's newsletter!
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Everything is so green here in California now, after all the rain we've had.
It's a welcome visual change from our normal brownish-green. :)
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Things What I Read This Month
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Life, Death and Cellos: Isabel Rogers
Full disclosure: Isabel is a friend of mine. She is a poet. And she also writes this amazing series of funny books all based around a fictional orchestra in England. This is the first in the series, and I can't wait for more. The characters are likeable; they are well drawn, and this was the perfect thing to come home to after a long conference of a lot of pretty serious literature talk. I don't know if this series is widely available in the U.S., but I'm rooting for it. If you want to get a taste of Isabel's humor, you should follow her on Twitter @isabelwriter.
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Fat Girl on a Plane, Kelly DeVos
I met deVos at the writer's conference I mention above. We were both fellows, and I am so glad I met her, but whether or not she's a great person has absolutely nothing to do with the innovative structure and tone of this book. Never mind that it's set in New York, which I pine for regularly; never mind that it takes place in the fashion world, which love; never mind that its heroine is all about personal style, which I also bang on about--it's just a great read. Go pick it up.
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Living with a Seal, Jesse Itzler
Another funny book, recommended to me by a Twitter friend. I LOLed in lots of places. Fine literature this isn't, but my friend suggested that I'd be good to consider this book in light of the writing life, which I haven't yet done. I will do, though, just as soon as I get done considering some of the things it had to say about goal-setting. It's not a deep-thinking book, and you shouldn't care. Read it for the sheer escapist joy of it, and then, be ready to think about it for way longer than it probably deserves.
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Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
A bonus selection for this month. Probably the most useful book I've read in the past few years. We all have to have difficult conversations; here's how to have useful ones that will help you to be a better person. Yes, I genuinely believe that. I'm sure you're already doing, or aware of, some of what the authors recommend, but confirmation always helps, and you will learn something new. It took me ages to get through this book, because I had to think pretty deeply about a lot of it. Set aside some time. It's worth it.
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Quotidien Object I Love
Bum bags. Belt bags. Hips bags. Festival bags. Fanny packs.* I do not care what you call them; I only know that I love them and will never stop hunting for the perfect one.
Now, you may argue that this is not a quotidien object, because no one but the biggest dork of dorks would ever be caught wearing them. I am okay with this. Partially this is because I have a dog, and it is so much easier to pick up poop, wave at people, juggle leash and treats, all if one does not have to also juggle things in hands. Pockets, you say? Yes. okay, fine. But it is so much easier to store things in a handy bum bag. Above is a tiny selection of my stash. Why do I have so many? Because I have yet to find the perfect one. I have requirements, you see. And none of these has them all. The one in the upper left corner has too many pockets and zippers. The one in the upper right is super cute, but sticks out too much and balances funny, and the strap is slippery and keeps getting bigger as I wear it. The one on the bottom was very close, but it closes with a zip and a snap flap, which is great, except that you can't snap it closed without pressing really, really hard against your hip, which is sillypants.
So the search goes on. In the meantime, would anyone like one of my extra hip bags?
*not if you live in England, okay? Don't pull a Sara Blakely. |
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Where to Find Me and My Work in the Next Few Months
April 13, dA Center for the Arts. My watercolors are part of the California Imagism show, an event that hopes to help you to re-experience the natural world through poetry, photography, and the visual arts. The show runs through April, but the opening reception is April 13. I can't be there, but it promises to be a good one.
April 26 and 27th, Tempe, AZ. I'm reading at the lovely Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe on the 26th, part of a weekend appearance sponsored by the Virginia Piper Center. I'll be teaching a class on making your way through the big wide publishing world on the 27th at the Piper Center. Come to the free reading Friday evening and meet me!
April 29, Apo11o: The Nixon Foundation. I edited this exhibit at the Nixon Foundation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. It was buckets of fun to work with the Foundation, and I'll be at the opening of the exhibit on Monday, April 29th. Come join me.
May 3-5, Culturama at Mt. SAC. This incredible weekend of the arts is by far the best way I can think of to either deepen your understanding of various forms of art or expand your practice of them. Writing, music, and visual arts: it's all covered in one weekend, and your $7 entry fee covers all three jam-packed days of workshops and events. Come on out and learn from me and other instructors: You won't regret a single minute.
Online.
I appeared on FacebookLive with ShelterBox's partner, LuminAID to celebrate International Women's Day back in March. Watch the video here to learn more about how ShelterBox helps women around the world.
My article "A roadmap to better diversity in literary magazines," went live at The Writer magazine's web site recently. Have a read and tell me what you think.
And, if you're a subscriber, be sure to turn to my monthly column for The Writer, "From the Front Lines."
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The Last Word
This is just a check-in. How are you doing? We are at the end of the first quarter. Some of you have just done, or are doing, your taxes. Some of you are wondering why the hell you made that silly resolution that you won't be able to keep. Some of you are head-down, plugging along, kicking ass and maybe not even noticing.
Check in with yourselves. See how you are. Take a moment to take stock. Write to me to say hello, if you like: yishun@thegooddirt.org.
And have a nice day.
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