September Visitors
I'm glad to see our friends come:
talk, laughter, food, wine. I'm glad to see our friends go: solitude, emptiness, gardens, autumn wind. |
Monday, September 26, 2011
September Visitors by David Budbill
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Trying to catch up...
Wow. I've been editing Slider's Son every spare second, so I haven't taken time to blog for ten days. So much to say, and so little time.
Rainbow theme:
First, Kirstin Cronn-Mills was on a panel last night at the loft, discussing GLBT YA literature, and the evening was fascinating and fun. So far to go in getting full acceptance of honest literature. Kirstin was the "token straight ally" author. I want to read every book represented there. Marion Dane Bauer, David LaRochelle, David Levithan, and Pat Schmatz. See my facebook page for a photo of the rainbow snacks provided (Jello made by DivaE, aka Kirstin).
Makes me delighted that in our upcoming anthology Girl Meets Boy, the stories include at least one gay romance.
I'm also gratified that in Chasing AllieCat, the issue isn't an issue--it's just part of who a character is.
David Levithan and Brian Farrey both read from their recent novels, and they ROCKED.
We're lucky to live in Minnesota with such a supportive writing community!
Posts coming in the near future (in between or after editing): Kurtis Scarletta, Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, and some thoughts on fall cycling...:) stay tuned.
Rainbow theme:
First, Kirstin Cronn-Mills was on a panel last night at the loft, discussing GLBT YA literature, and the evening was fascinating and fun. So far to go in getting full acceptance of honest literature. Kirstin was the "token straight ally" author. I want to read every book represented there. Marion Dane Bauer, David LaRochelle, David Levithan, and Pat Schmatz. See my facebook page for a photo of the rainbow snacks provided (Jello made by DivaE, aka Kirstin).
Makes me delighted that in our upcoming anthology Girl Meets Boy, the stories include at least one gay romance.
I'm also gratified that in Chasing AllieCat, the issue isn't an issue--it's just part of who a character is.
David Levithan and Brian Farrey both read from their recent novels, and they ROCKED.
We're lucky to live in Minnesota with such a supportive writing community!
Posts coming in the near future (in between or after editing): Kurtis Scarletta, Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, and some thoughts on fall cycling...:) stay tuned.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Maybe half ??? done with this edit of Slider's Son. I hope. It always takes longer than I anticipate.
I'm trying hard to write, do necessary schoolwork, and get out on my bike at least a little bit while the weather is so perfect.
Tonight, I had a short ride, but a satisfying one. I rode the County Road and the Rabbit Road (isn't that a great name?) to St. Peter, and then rode up the Hwy 99 hill, and at the top, turned up Co. Rd. 21 to the crest by the golf course. The hill is 1.4 miles from bottom to top. I was pretty happy to maintain 10-11 mph the whole way up. That's nothing to racers and riders who hammer--stronger riders than I--and TDF riders would go up that hill like it was nothing, but for me--I was very happy with that! (I've ridden up that hill at 6-8 mph before, and I haven't climbed all that well for the last few years...this is a vast improvement--a sort of breakthrough). Then, after I rode along the ridge for a few miles and came back down, I caught a tractor that was going about 20 mph.
Next goal: a train, running parallel to me. I realized it would be across the tracks ahead of me, and I'd have a long wait because it was a long train. So I took off like a bat out of hell, to use a bad cliche, and realized I was riding along, passing train cars. Finally, I overtook the engine! I got to the intersection/RR crossing when the engine was still a quarter mile away. Very satisfying.
The experience, riding between the River valley ridge of hill and a moving train, pasture and fields in between, was surreal...like being in a movie...full of movement and beauty.
I am more aware of trains than ever, too, because trains play an active role in Slider's Son, the novel I'm editing. It all seemed like an epic ride, even though it was just a little casual after-work ride. These golden, green, blue, sunshiny days are all too fleeting. I'm still trying to absorb every moment of them that I can.
I'm trying hard to write, do necessary schoolwork, and get out on my bike at least a little bit while the weather is so perfect.
Tonight, I had a short ride, but a satisfying one. I rode the County Road and the Rabbit Road (isn't that a great name?) to St. Peter, and then rode up the Hwy 99 hill, and at the top, turned up Co. Rd. 21 to the crest by the golf course. The hill is 1.4 miles from bottom to top. I was pretty happy to maintain 10-11 mph the whole way up. That's nothing to racers and riders who hammer--stronger riders than I--and TDF riders would go up that hill like it was nothing, but for me--I was very happy with that! (I've ridden up that hill at 6-8 mph before, and I haven't climbed all that well for the last few years...this is a vast improvement--a sort of breakthrough). Then, after I rode along the ridge for a few miles and came back down, I caught a tractor that was going about 20 mph.
Next goal: a train, running parallel to me. I realized it would be across the tracks ahead of me, and I'd have a long wait because it was a long train. So I took off like a bat out of hell, to use a bad cliche, and realized I was riding along, passing train cars. Finally, I overtook the engine! I got to the intersection/RR crossing when the engine was still a quarter mile away. Very satisfying.
The experience, riding between the River valley ridge of hill and a moving train, pasture and fields in between, was surreal...like being in a movie...full of movement and beauty.
I am more aware of trains than ever, too, because trains play an active role in Slider's Son, the novel I'm editing. It all seemed like an epic ride, even though it was just a little casual after-work ride. These golden, green, blue, sunshiny days are all too fleeting. I'm still trying to absorb every moment of them that I can.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Weekend...
A long weekend ahead. I'm glad. After one meeting, I can do my own stuff.
I got the last of my readers' comments back on Slider's Son, so I can throw my heart into the rewrite of this novel. It's interesting how readers disagree, yet when there's a general thread that appears in several readers' comments, you know you have to address it, and then, finally you see how the story can be fixed, and you dig in. So enough here. I'm digging. I hope to not resurface for a couple days (Except to ride my bike!).
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