There are too many things going on. Some are personal and not very important, even to me. Others have to do with betrayals, not of me but of projects and people I care about. Some are national or international tragedies that I don’t want to talk about at the moment. So what do I talk about here? What is worth sharing in the face of all this? I’m not sure, but when time goes by and I say nothing here, I find I start to say less to anyone, anywhere. But I am going to give you a short list of thinbgs that are currently giving me pleasure:
I am caught up with school, amazingly enough. Next up, catch up all the writing business that has been languishing.
I have various talks to give in the near future. Several guest classes, also [counts on fingers] four talks and four readings, three of them for the same lit festival. This is a problem I am delighted to have: rather than read the same thing three times, I have the potential to do three totally different readings, each with a theme. For instance, one of experimental work, one classic short stories of mine, one a section of a novel. Or new short stories. Or a novelette for one reading and a collection of flash for another. This is very fun to think. However between now and then, I have a talk to give that I haven;’t thought at all about until this minute. Due this Thursday.
I am so grateful for books and movies these days. Lately, I have been reading the Lensman series by E. E. “Doc” Smith. I have avoided them through most of my adult life, assuming they would be no better than A. E. Van Vogt, another space opera writer of the period. It turns out they are really enjoyable. Also more enjoyable than I remembered from childhood: Agatha Christie’s novels. Neither of these are great writing, but they are very clever at what they do.
Now what? I started research on the crow book, but it’s clear that with school being what it is this semester I won’t be able to do much about it. So what about a short story? Maybe it’s time for another one? If so, what short stoy? I haven’t been thinking about them, so I don’t have anything hanging fire in my brain as I usually do.
Today is bright and lovely, my scooter is working properly, and I have dinner scheduled with a friend I haven’t seen since between the pandemic started. These are things that will warm me in a time when things can feel pretty cold. I hope you have some things like that, too.
