Blind Dates...

I haven't had any, but my good friend and awesome writer Virginia Vitzthum is looking for your blind date stories for a book project.

In her words; "funny, bizarre blind date stories. Tales with happy endings are welcome, but let's face it, terrible dates usually make better stories. I'd especially like stories of dates set up by mutual friends or family (or even a matchmaker), though great online-dating stories are welcome, too. They can be short or long, however long it takes. (I'm guessing these will be stories you've told before.) I will change names and details to disguise you, and I will edit the writing, so don't worry about polishing it."

Check out virginiavitzthum.com for more information.

Hi!

Hello there. I just want to say thanks if you're still checking the blog. I know I've been a real blog delinquent. I'm giving myself detention which is partially why I'm at home this fourth of July. Okay, it's really because I don't drink or eat barbecue, I don't like being out in the sun and I'm not a fan of fireworks... But it's nice to have a day off. I did some writing this morning, then I treated myself to a tasty carb breakfast at the diner (hash browns and toast, 2 cups of coffee) worked out for ninety minutes, then bought new jeans. Quite a nice day. I'm happy to stay in tonight with my laptop, a frozen burrito and some DVDs.

Although I'm sort of over reporting on the minutiae of my life, a lot has happened in the past few months:

1. T/A and I broke up. It's been completely amicable and we're still truly good friends. We see each other frequently and she even gave me her old bike. She's awesome.

2. I got a bike.

3. Been keeping up my promise to get my "literal and literary asses in line". I've been going to the gym and writing a ton. I've finished a few new poems and have drafts of a few essays. And I'm on my way to semi-sveltdom.

4. Also reading alot and keeping up my private paper blog, also known as my journal.

5. PVC is still awesome, awesome, awesome. It's probably one of the best things I've been involved with in all my years being involved in such things.

6. I'm part of the Non Sequitur 2008 Summer Festival in August. This year's theme is one of my favorite topics; Rejection. I highly suggest you check it out.

What I'm Doing...

I'm working on two poems at once, because I have writer's ADD and I can't concentrate on just one thing at a time. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, probably good to have a lot of ideas, not so good to lose focus. I hope to have at least one of them in presentable shape for the readings on the 25th and 26th.

Today, I purchased the perfect light fall jacket at my favorite store, Beacon's Closet. I've been looking for one for a while now and was elated to find it fit me perfectly and cost less than $20. I'm considering it a pre-birthday gift. I have my eye on a new bag as well, but I'm on a limited budget, so that may not happen.

Speaking of clothes, I'll be attending another clothes swap this Sunday. I scoured my closet last night and have a pile of stuff to give away.

Also, have another date with T/A on Saturday! Yay T/A.

Next Friday's Reading

EARSHOT!

I'm reading with Ms. Felicia next Friday at Earshot. This should totally rock!

Join us for the next installment of EARSHOT at The Lucky Cat, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn! EARSHOT is a bi-monthly reading series, dedicated to featuring new and emerging literary talent in the NYC area.

*Friday, June 22nd, 2007 at 8 PM*
Hosted by Nicole Steinberg

Featuring:
Felicia Sullivan (author of the upcoming memoir The Sky Isn't Visible From Here)
Cheryl Burke
Alison Rogers (Hunter College)
Helen Phillips (Brooklyn College)
Rebecca Keith (Sarah Lawrence College)

Admission is a mere $5 plus one free drink (beer, wine or well drinks only)!
The Lucky Cat is located at 245 Grand Street in Brooklyn, between Driggs and Roebling.

440

Enjoyed the reading at 440 Gallery Sunday evening. The other two readers were Kate Hall, who is an engaging and prolific writer in many genres and an incredibly mesmerizing poet named Liesl, whose last name escapes me. They both rocked.

440 is great little gallery currently showing a series of paintings by Shanee Epstein, who gave a talk about her work before the show. I'm always curious about the creative proceses of artists working in other mediums.

Writers Revealed Website Now Live!

My favorite new Sunday night entertainment, Felicia Sullivan's literary radio show, Writers Revealed, has a shiny new website! Tonight's show features Joshua Ferris, author of Then We Came to the End and Michelle Goodman, the author of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube.

Dollar A Word

Interesting:

The new blog, Dollar A Word, follows writer Michael Thomas Ford as he writes a novel at the rate of one sponsored dollar per word. From the blog, "dollaraword.com is an attempt to start a discussion about what art—and artists—are worth in our increasingly media-focused society."

Read more about the project here.

Writers Revealed

Great friend, awe-inspring writer and all around excellent individual Felicia Sullivan will launch her new radio program Between the Sheets: Writers Revealed this Sunday, May 20 at 7PM. This week's lineup includes three incredible women writers, Maggie Nelson, author of Jane: A Murder, Danielle Trussoni, author of Falling Through the Earth and another great friend and author of Girlbomb, Janice Erlbaum.

Brooklyn Bloggers

I'm quoted in the article, "Park Slope Blog Central" by Hector DeJean in The Park Slope Reader. You can read it online or pick up a copy. I love the PS Reader and they've been really kind to me, they interviewed me about ATOMIC a few years ago.