Lots of Good News!
First of all, many thanks to all y'all who've posted kind things about my leaving Pine Manor. I will miss you, too.
Secondly, fans of Tayari Jones--friend of the blog and friend to my life--will be thrilled to know that her eagerly awaited third novel, THE SILVER GIRL, has found a home at Algonquin.
Thirdly, Lorraine López's edited collection, An Angle of Vision: Women Writers on Their Poor and Working-Class Roots, is now available in paperback from University of Michigan. Congratulations, Lorraine! Full disclosure: the title essay is by yours truly, and the book grew out of a raucous panel at the AWP a couple of years ago called "Trashy Women," which some of y'all kindly attended, thank you much. (When over 400 people showed up, Lorraine knew she had a racehorse of a topic on her hands.) The book includes work by Dorothy Allison, Sandra Cisneros, Joy Harjo, Bich Minh Nguyen, Karen McElmurray, Heather Sellers, and other wonderful writers, including Lorraine herself and my own UNL colleague and friend Amelia Montes. If you've ever been struck by the weird dissonance of class friction--even if you're not a woman or a writer, and even if you didn't end up in academia or publishing--then this book will move you and make you laugh.
Lastly but not leastly--and this is strictly personal--my sweet husband James and I made an offer on a home here in Lincoln. It's a small condominium downtown, near where we've been renting for the past 2 and a half years, and it's definitely a fixer-upper, which is why we could afford to spring for it. We're very excited (or is that panic?); I'm not sure if the fluttery feeling is a product of my profound (post-Wabash) commitment-phobia, or due to the hideous old turquoise carpet and popcorn ceiling. (Alas, the decor is neither retro chic nor dazzlingly of-the-moment, but more like a pathetic from-the-land-time-forgot melange. But the location is killer.)
We should be in it by Christmas--the closing is during exam week. Help! If you have advice about moving, renovating, contractors, or anything related, please post!
Secondly, fans of Tayari Jones--friend of the blog and friend to my life--will be thrilled to know that her eagerly awaited third novel, THE SILVER GIRL, has found a home at Algonquin.
Thirdly, Lorraine López's edited collection, An Angle of Vision: Women Writers on Their Poor and Working-Class Roots, is now available in paperback from University of Michigan. Congratulations, Lorraine! Full disclosure: the title essay is by yours truly, and the book grew out of a raucous panel at the AWP a couple of years ago called "Trashy Women," which some of y'all kindly attended, thank you much. (When over 400 people showed up, Lorraine knew she had a racehorse of a topic on her hands.) The book includes work by Dorothy Allison, Sandra Cisneros, Joy Harjo, Bich Minh Nguyen, Karen McElmurray, Heather Sellers, and other wonderful writers, including Lorraine herself and my own UNL colleague and friend Amelia Montes. If you've ever been struck by the weird dissonance of class friction--even if you're not a woman or a writer, and even if you didn't end up in academia or publishing--then this book will move you and make you laugh.Lastly but not leastly--and this is strictly personal--my sweet husband James and I made an offer on a home here in Lincoln. It's a small condominium downtown, near where we've been renting for the past 2 and a half years, and it's definitely a fixer-upper, which is why we could afford to spring for it. We're very excited (or is that panic?); I'm not sure if the fluttery feeling is a product of my profound (post-Wabash) commitment-phobia, or due to the hideous old turquoise carpet and popcorn ceiling. (Alas, the decor is neither retro chic nor dazzlingly of-the-moment, but more like a pathetic from-the-land-time-forgot melange. But the location is killer.)
We should be in it by Christmas--the closing is during exam week. Help! If you have advice about moving, renovating, contractors, or anything related, please post!
fayepoet said:
Congrats on finding the location of your dreams! The rest will follow--popcorn ceiling can be scraped and rugs torn up. Hopefully, something nice lies beneath.I always loved to relocate- a chance to create a new aesthetic and shape a new space. I understand the panic— especially first time out. But you're gonna love it. Advice: find a really good contractor who shares your sensibility and whom you can trust. Speak with prior customers about promises and delivery. Get as much as possible (estimate)in writing beforehand. A reliable contractor can make all the difference. Keep us posted.
November 20, 2009 7:43 PM