Whew...

Been having major blogger problems. But things are fixed and I can finally tell you my awesome news...

We/they found an AMAZING illustrator for "Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains".

Check her out.

In other news, I've just gotten the first images for "Inside the Slidy Diner" too, and they are INSANELY GOOD!

In still other news, AWP is almost here. And by "here" I mean HERE! You're all coming to me this year.

So come hear me read Saturday night at the Big Battle!

Or come to my panels Thursday at 4:30 (on why poets write prose-- $$$!!!, duh!)

Or Friday at 1:30 (on why I like God and stuff)!

Or come by the Soft Skull table at 3:30 on Friday, where I'll be "signing books".

Or come to my house for tea!

I have an illustrator!!!

For "Scratchy Mountains". I'm thrilled.


My very top pick. She does amazing work. Lush and rich. Old fashioned, but with real humor...


Check her.

There are big ugly things too...

Big ugly things happen sometimes. And I don't tell you about them.


But we'll be okay.

Re-Miss...

That's me.


There is much I've neglected to blog about lately. In short...


Reb and Carly came and read here and were brilliant, no surprise. Dresser was bought at IKEA. House is a mess. New book is solidly begun. New picturebok is almost finished. Nap #2 is fast disappearing. Brownies got baked. Mose can say a few words, inclding "Bidee", "Buh" and "Beh". Guess what they mean?


And... oh, yeah! Looks like I'll soon be a mother of sons.


Plural.

Author Bio update...

I placed the decision regarding my back-flap in the capable hands of my editor, and she went with the silly one, including a line about my picture book, and cutting the pale green door. In the end, it really didn't matter much to me


Important to remember that an author bio functions differently for a kiddie-book. They aren't buying for themselves, and they certainly don't care about where you went to grad school. We'll do a long one for the web site, with links to poetry and academic credits, etc.


But thank you foir your input!


In other news, we may cut the mullet today!!!


In still other news, work on a new book has begun in earnest.

In high school...

I think there was a day in high school when everyone got a lecture on how-- if you want to be a financial success as a grownup-- you can do one of several things:


Law school, med school, or business school.


I missed that day.


And lately it has jumped into clarity for me. That my choices-- most of them great-- have led me into an interesting life, but not a secure financial future. Funny how a couple of rugrats brings that realization home. Makes me think about law school.


I have been fixating, focues, freaking out... about what might happen if my husband got hit by a bus, or a very sexy secretary. I have been very much aware of what it means to be a woman who is dependent on a man. I have been thinking about the 1950s.


Of course, I know I'm "contributing." I'm cooking a baby. I'm raising another. I'm writing. I'm doing dishes and laundry and making the goddamn sloppy joes. But that doesn't what I'd be facing if something awful happened.


I'm writing about this now because I finally shook OFF the freakout. I'm NOT freaking out anymore. I'm feeling fine. I ranted to a few (poor souls) friends about my worries, and they flew away (the worries, not the friends). I also had a talk with hubby about life insurance. I also remembered that in a terrible situation, I could move home, wait tables, and get certified to teach. I'd be okay.


But I still wanted to mention this, now that I can do it calmly. Without heading further into the dark hole of fear. Because it's a real thing. People DO get hit by buses. People DO avoid thinking about the future. Women DO find themselves living with their kids in shelters. Women who HAD nice lives. But didn't think.


Credit card debt. Interest-only loans. Leased cars. Dinner out every night. No savings. Whole Foods Groceries. You can royally screw yourself.


I'm still glad I missed the lecture in high school. Still glad I'm a writer and a frugal momma with a lot of amazing experiences under my belt and a flare for the interesting (and less lucrative side of life). But yikes!

Publishing, and other disasters...

When my wonderful publisher told me, quietly, that his distibutor was filing for bankruptcy, I processed this news as "I hope you aren't expecting a check from us anytime soon."


Which, to be honest, didn't faze me. I didn't edit Half/Life expecting a big payoff, and I'd gladly forgo a few bucks to help Softskull in any way. Besides, they've weathered worse.


But this great post at David Silverman's blog helps me to understand things in another way. A much bigger, scarier way. If you have any interest in matters of publishing, independent press, free exchange of thought, or good literature... I suggest you skip on over there and read it.


Also, it makes me want to buy David's book.

The mullet of Mose...

I mentioned to a friend that Mose is currently rocking a weird mullet-kinda-do. She wanted to check it out.

Seeing is believing.

Does he need a haircut?

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Me as fantasy bride...

There are a few really cool pics of me up at Thousand Dollar Dress. Can you pick me out?


The task was to wear the wedding dress in a "fantasy" of mine.


My fantasy? My sullen self at sixteen. Ahhhh, those were the days.

News from the front...

Mose and I made muffins yesterday. Mose was very helpful. As I'm sure you can imagine.

In a related kitchen-tale, Mose has begun to "master" the art of the "spoon". How droll.
Mose likes: BUBBLES!

News from the front...

Mose has an attractive new habit. He takes everything he doesn't want to eat, and puts it in his cup (or bowl) of juice (or yogurt). Then he DOES want to eat it. With his fingers. Lovely.

Mose update...

A little gratuitous Mose shot. Mose does NOT use a bottle anymore. But whatever he finds goes in his mouth. This is NOT the worst of it.

Atlanta gets a real bookstore!!!

I've been meaning to post about this for a bit, but the book and the sinus infection have gotten in my way.


Ever since I moved to ATL, I've been frustrated when friends ask me "Where should I read in town?" They're passing through on tour and I have to tell them that we just DON'T have a great reading series (besides the poetry slam/open mic at Java Monkey, and Bruce's series at Emory, also for poetry). Because we DON'T have a decent indie bookstore.


Now we do!


Wordsmith's Books will be opening right near me, in Decatur very soon! Recently I had a chance to sit down with Russ, an integral piece of the Wordsmith's puzzle, and I must say they have BIG BIG plans. A bookstore on a grand scale, with a real buisiness plan. It just might work.


And for those of you planning to be at AWP, you can mee the crew, at a party Thursday night, at 7 pm, at the Decatur Library. The party is "Brooklyn Presses (Soft Skull, Akashic, etc) come to Decatur" and it'll be a riot. You can take the MARTA (train) right from the hotel to the party, and it's sure to be full of free booze.


I'll be there!