9/18/2009
Waiting to go down to our trainer's torture chamber, I mean, workout studio. It has been a busy week--what with the trip to CA and the sweet prayer breakfast with the Latino community at De Paul University. I had a good time in Los Altos--there were, probably, 400 people in the church where I spoke. It was a warm event, full of good cheer. But it was all hurry-hurry because I'm trying to attend to my UIC students, but I still mess things up and ended up missing one class though we tried to have it all planned out. So I flew to CA and got up early and spoke and flew home. ZOOM! I think my new stage name will be "The Blur."
Living on sandwiches. That's one part of the lit-biz I don't love. Though the perpetual return to O'Hare at midnight is eerie and might be kind of interesting...or depressing. I can't ever tell. It's all echoing and vast, and these cheerful female robot voices speak in the empty halls. It's like a dystopian 70s SF movie. Myself and my fellow zombies shuffle around under neon tubes.
Not being able to tell what is what. That seems to be the prevailing malady for me. You get to the place where, for example, people are talking to you, about you, and you don't know what to think. Who am I, again? For example, a generally supportive onlin jurnal posted a fairly positive review of my latest novel, but not crazy about it. It was OK, but certainly not the lofty Hummingbird's Daughter. That's fair. But then a writer from that same journal tells me the new book is brilliant and remarkable, and they need to feature it. Um. But how'd it get so brilliant in the last two months? And will this review replace the previous review?
As Dave Egger said, What is the what?
I was told, by two different folks, in the same day, that I was very humble. And that I was no longer humble. D'oh! When I'm more awake, things like that make me laugh.
So, you know--keep focused. Do your work. Be honest. What else can you do?
Me, I'm a dad and a husband and I have two dogs, two cats and a rat and a parrot. I like good peaches. I like sunflowers. I put seeds in my feeder. Don't like to work out.
It would not be humble to say I am humble.
Ha hahahaha.
Time for the sit-ups.
On the Road Again
Living on sandwiches. That's one part of the lit-biz I don't love. Though the perpetual return to O'Hare at midnight is eerie and might be kind of interesting...or depressing. I can't ever tell. It's all echoing and vast, and these cheerful female robot voices speak in the empty halls. It's like a dystopian 70s SF movie. Myself and my fellow zombies shuffle around under neon tubes.
Not being able to tell what is what. That seems to be the prevailing malady for me. You get to the place where, for example, people are talking to you, about you, and you don't know what to think. Who am I, again? For example, a generally supportive onlin jurnal posted a fairly positive review of my latest novel, but not crazy about it. It was OK, but certainly not the lofty Hummingbird's Daughter. That's fair. But then a writer from that same journal tells me the new book is brilliant and remarkable, and they need to feature it. Um. But how'd it get so brilliant in the last two months? And will this review replace the previous review?
As Dave Egger said, What is the what?
I was told, by two different folks, in the same day, that I was very humble. And that I was no longer humble. D'oh! When I'm more awake, things like that make me laugh.
So, you know--keep focused. Do your work. Be honest. What else can you do?
Me, I'm a dad and a husband and I have two dogs, two cats and a rat and a parrot. I like good peaches. I like sunflowers. I put seeds in my feeder. Don't like to work out.
It would not be humble to say I am humble.
Ha hahahaha.
Time for the sit-ups.
9/14/2009
Right, you lot! Time to stop all this muckin' about and get on the plane!
I am on my way to Los Altos, CA to have a friendly breakfast with 200 new pals. It's one of those overnight trips, so my bag is blessedly light. Underpants and a necktie. Why be fussy? Get back tomorrow, finish a book review for Washington Post, get up early for yet another breakfast bash at De Paul U. Rush to work, teach, home. Get busy on stories. (I am writing Hummingbird II right now! Yes! The start is good, but you know how Teresita and Tomas are--we have hundreds of pages to go.) (I am also working on the new intro to the revised Across the Wire coming from Anchor, and the intro to David Taylor's new book of Border Patrol photographs, and I just helped Ilan Stavans cut the opening section of Devil's H to fit into the new Norton he's editing. Etc. Mucho trabajo.) Then, on Saturday, we will be off for Washington DC where I'll get the great opportunity to speak about revelation for PEN. Ugh....a tux. Oh well. I always feel like James Bond once I get it on.
The Perpetual Book Tour, Phase 100, is lighter than in years past. But, you know, schools are discovering they have a little more $ than they thought they ahd in this melt-down and are starting to scramble again. Now, I speak about Devil's H, then Beautiful North, and then Hummingbird...about in that order. I suspect that, for a moment, it'll be Across the Wire. Then, when the graphic novel (Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush, from Cinco Puntos P) comes out, it'll be that--Christopher Cardinale (the artist) and me making the rounds. Or some mutation of all of the above.
Oh yeah--there's that Playboy story on El Paso in November.
So things are good. I'm pretty busy, but not weeping blood like I was last year. Basically, trying to write you the best book you ever read. That's what I'm always hoping to do.
I've got blisters on me fingers!
Lucius Aethelbert Urias of the Spanish Visigoths
The Newness
I am on my way to Los Altos, CA to have a friendly breakfast with 200 new pals. It's one of those overnight trips, so my bag is blessedly light. Underpants and a necktie. Why be fussy? Get back tomorrow, finish a book review for Washington Post, get up early for yet another breakfast bash at De Paul U. Rush to work, teach, home. Get busy on stories. (I am writing Hummingbird II right now! Yes! The start is good, but you know how Teresita and Tomas are--we have hundreds of pages to go.) (I am also working on the new intro to the revised Across the Wire coming from Anchor, and the intro to David Taylor's new book of Border Patrol photographs, and I just helped Ilan Stavans cut the opening section of Devil's H to fit into the new Norton he's editing. Etc. Mucho trabajo.) Then, on Saturday, we will be off for Washington DC where I'll get the great opportunity to speak about revelation for PEN. Ugh....a tux. Oh well. I always feel like James Bond once I get it on.
The Perpetual Book Tour, Phase 100, is lighter than in years past. But, you know, schools are discovering they have a little more $ than they thought they ahd in this melt-down and are starting to scramble again. Now, I speak about Devil's H, then Beautiful North, and then Hummingbird...about in that order. I suspect that, for a moment, it'll be Across the Wire. Then, when the graphic novel (Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush, from Cinco Puntos P) comes out, it'll be that--Christopher Cardinale (the artist) and me making the rounds. Or some mutation of all of the above.
Oh yeah--there's that Playboy story on El Paso in November.
So things are good. I'm pretty busy, but not weeping blood like I was last year. Basically, trying to write you the best book you ever read. That's what I'm always hoping to do.
I've got blisters on me fingers!
Lucius Aethelbert Urias of the Spanish Visigoths
9/03/2009
Home after all that travel (see post below), I have been focusing on teaching at UIC. But I have a lot of projects. I feel like a really old Epson computer with too many programs running at once and my rickety disk drive is starting to whine a little. Smells hot.
My El Paso piece in Playboy (many of you followed the updates on Twitter) is all designed and looks great. They used my friend David Taylor's pictures--they even (duh, it's Playboy) found a female Border Patrol agent. Hmmm. I hear she is amused by the fact that she can boast she was featured in Playboy. "The Girls of Federal Law Enforcement"??? Anyway, the piece will run in November, so husbands can finally be telling the truth when they say they're buying it for the articles.
The Hummingbird's Daughter alleged movie is murky to me. Maybe it's happening, maybe it's not. That's why you have movie agents--the Hollywood thing is so strange as to beggar belief. If you watch Entourage on HBO, you know what it's like.
By the way, speaking of David Taylor, I am writing the intro to his book of Border Patrol photgraphy. He has put in over 700 hours with the USBP. The book will be a revelation.
I am also writing the new preface to the reissue (YES!) of Across the Wire. Anchor Books is redesigning and redoing my po' ol' first book--at last. It'll look all fresh, and it will finally have some new blurbage and a new cover and an update. I am very excited about that.
I have to write a short essay on "Revelation" for PEN, have to rent a tux, have to write some book reviews, have to edit some of Devil's Highway for the new Norton antho, and have to get ready to hit the road again. DC, TX, Arkansas, right here in Chi-town, CA--all kinds of events.
So! Busy as usual! Oh...and I'm writing Hummingbird II. Yup. I actually started it. Hard to believe, but I'm writing it.
My garden's shot, man--I haven't had time to do anything to it this year. Still, the daisies were huge, and the sweet alyssum went crazy, and the Mexican sunflowers were a miracle. The wild turkey even came back.
Found hawk feathers all over my lawn. Must be a harbinger of something or other.
Miss you. I'll see you out there. Or here. Or on Twitter.
XXX, L
My El Paso piece in Playboy (many of you followed the updates on Twitter) is all designed and looks great. They used my friend David Taylor's pictures--they even (duh, it's Playboy) found a female Border Patrol agent. Hmmm. I hear she is amused by the fact that she can boast she was featured in Playboy. "The Girls of Federal Law Enforcement"??? Anyway, the piece will run in November, so husbands can finally be telling the truth when they say they're buying it for the articles.
The Hummingbird's Daughter alleged movie is murky to me. Maybe it's happening, maybe it's not. That's why you have movie agents--the Hollywood thing is so strange as to beggar belief. If you watch Entourage on HBO, you know what it's like.
By the way, speaking of David Taylor, I am writing the intro to his book of Border Patrol photgraphy. He has put in over 700 hours with the USBP. The book will be a revelation.
I am also writing the new preface to the reissue (YES!) of Across the Wire. Anchor Books is redesigning and redoing my po' ol' first book--at last. It'll look all fresh, and it will finally have some new blurbage and a new cover and an update. I am very excited about that.
I have to write a short essay on "Revelation" for PEN, have to rent a tux, have to write some book reviews, have to edit some of Devil's Highway for the new Norton antho, and have to get ready to hit the road again. DC, TX, Arkansas, right here in Chi-town, CA--all kinds of events.
So! Busy as usual! Oh...and I'm writing Hummingbird II. Yup. I actually started it. Hard to believe, but I'm writing it.
My garden's shot, man--I haven't had time to do anything to it this year. Still, the daisies were huge, and the sweet alyssum went crazy, and the Mexican sunflowers were a miracle. The wild turkey even came back.
Found hawk feathers all over my lawn. Must be a harbinger of something or other.
Miss you. I'll see you out there. Or here. Or on Twitter.
XXX, L
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