Reading and randomness
Last night’s reading went well, with six other readers from the I Do, I Don’t anthology. Tuesday night was all revisions. For some reason, I always flip-flop as to how I like something to sound in print compared to how I like it to read if I have to perform it. I like the version in the book, but when it came time to read it live it had to change. Tighten it up. Make sure the pace keeps moving. And, when in doubt, add some humor.
Tried a new thing last night, whereby sentences I wanted to emphasize I put in bold, so that whenever I hit them, I knew to slow down and say them right.
The weird side was it being a very autobiographical piece. I prefer my autobiography served under a thick fictional sauce typically, so this seemed more naked. A lot of Tuesday night was spend realizing that the piece may have seemed to be about the time I spent with Dae in Thailand, but 60 percent of it was basically about me.
The next writing assignment is just getting a personal statement together so I can apply for a writing fellowship. It’s basically a lottery, so I don’t expect to win, but I’ll be damned if I don’t have a ticket in the bin for them to pull out. It would definitely be a huge deal to have the extra income next year after I quit my job. We shall see.
I’m a bit pissed off that I seem to have a shin splint in my right leg, which is basically a stress fracture of the tibia. It kicked in while I was in Texas, probably related to my doing more treadmill work instead of my purist stance on using low-impact elliptical machines when I am home. Didn’t even jog, just a brisk walk, with some inclines. The strange part is it doesn’t hurt if I go use the elliptical machines at the gym; it hurts as I walk to and from the gym. I think I’m bailing on the gym until Monday, give it a few days to heal. Try and chill out more.
As I don’t plan to work on the novel until I quit my job next year, I really need to crank up the reading. Start the Nabokov MFA program I’ve been planning. I think I should start reading Mansfield Park this week.
Saturday, I go to the Bridge School benefit concert, which will have Tegan and Sara, Los Lonely Boys, Ben Harper and Innocent Criminals, Sonic Youth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, and Neil Young performing. Other upcoming things I have planned: Marilyn Manson concert, Green Day concert, Tom Wolfe event, and, of course, Halloween. Not sure if I’m dressing up this year, will largely depend on the shin splint, since randomly walking around isn’t too fun at present.
