If writing seems hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s one of the hardest things people do.
- William Zinsser
It's always exciting to find a new site for writers, about writing, devoted to the art of writing and/or interested in helping writers find their way. As many of you know, I like writing competitions, partially because I like competing, but also because it helps get the creative juices flowing. With that said, here are some sites worth checking out:
1) Winning Writers - www.winningwriters.com
Devoted to finding and creating quality resurces for poets and writers, Winning Writers hosts an online poetry contest guide that ranks and profiles over 750 poetry contests, sponsors two annual poetry contests, and assists in several others, for both poetry and short stories. Sign up for a free newsletter to keep up-to-date on the latest contests and deadlines.
2) NaNoWriMo - www.nanowrimo.org
This site's big month is in November - National Novel Writing Month. Participants sign up, and on November 1, they begin writing. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. No editing. No breaks. No self-doubt. Just writing. With the ability to communicate with other NaNoWriMers in your area through forums and local write-ins, not to mention your own homepage with stats about yourself and a word counter you update yourself, you'll find it hard not to come down with novel-writing fever. Chances are what you end up with isn't quite what you're going to send to Random House to publish, but the point isn't to have a polished work of literature, rather it's to get you to sit down and do what it is us writers are so great at avoiding - actual writing. I took part in my first NaNoWriMo this past year, and the results are what I'm working on revising now.
3) Script Frenzy - www.scriptfrenzy.org
Same idea as NaNoWriMo, except that the month-long competition takes place in April, and instead of a novel, you work on writing a 100-page script or collection of scripts (all types accepted, whether for screen or stage).
4) NYC Midnight - www.nycmidnight.com
Writers, filmmakers, animators - this is the site for you. NYC Midnight sponsors dual-round short story and screenplay writing competitions. You sign up in advance, and on the day the competition begins, you're assigned a heat number with a subject and genre for your story or screenplay. For Round 1, you have one week to write and submit, and one month later, the winners from each heat are announced, and from those, a select group go on to compete in Round 2. Among their other contests are competitions for filmmakers and animators, with a similarly tight schedule with which to complete your masterpiece.
5) Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators - www.scbwi.org
The names says it all. If you want to write or illustrate for children's literature, you'd better be a card-carrying member. From workshops and grants to conferences and valuable connections, this is a great site to check out to learn the ins and outs of the industry.
6) Writer's Digest - www.writersdigest.com
Since 1920, Writer's Digest has been publishing worthy content for writers everywhere. Now check out their website, and be sure to look up their list of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (where you'll find Winning Writers). Their brand includes the oh-so-useful Writer's Market and its many industry-specific guides, both online and in print.
So there you have it. Go search, write, and conquer.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
writing and the wall
The story is not in the plot but in the telling.
- Ursula K. LeGuin
It’s an interesting position you’re placed in when you’re told that your story is well written, but it’s not quite working the way it should be…even though the writing is very good.
My revised Chapter 2 has been making the rounds this past week to great reviews and mixed reviews, but regardless of what camp the critique is coming from, everyone seems to agree that I’m a good writer. Which is great and all, but I know that. If I wasn’t a good writer, I’d be quite screwed, considering that writing is very much in my job description—all of them, for that matter, even the ones I have yet to start.
So then what’s the issue? Well, if you haven’t read the opening chapters of my novel, then it’s hard to explain in detail, and since I have quite a way to go in revising and even writing, I don’t think it’s yet time to divulge too much of the plot. What you do need to know is that it’s a YA book intended for both young adult and adult audiences, and it, hopefully, is a clever blend of fantasy, realism, and ghost story. That’s the idea, anyway.
Basically, though, the problems I’m running into are as follows – I narrate too much; I give too much away to the reader; I don’t give enough information; it’s not creepy enough; nothing has really happened yet; children might not have the patience for it; the plot seems formulaic; it’s not formulaic enough; where are the other characters; the main character has to be more interesting; more has to happen; slow things down…
Did you follow? Good, neither do I.
Well, I guess I do, in a way. Looking back on my two revised chapters, I see what everyone is saying, and then I don’t see it, and as I look at what I’ve written, and how well written it may be and yet not quite what I want, I notice that I’m beginning that dark descent into the writing chasms of self-doubt and trepidation. Suddenly, it’s no longer a question of when will I write it, but more a question of can I write it? What’s in my head, what’s slowly been gaining strength and real publishable potential since that day when I first thought about it while on vacation in Florida, that idea and plot and character, all that vivid imagery, I’m suddenly worried if I can really bring that alive on the pages for people other than myself to understand.
So I should panic, right? Perhaps, or at the very least, be sad for a short amount of time, but strangely enough, I’m not panicking or even a little sad. I’m just slightly confused, contemplative, and even kind of hesitant to make my next step (even though it will inevitably be tackling Chapter 3). See, I’ve been thinking, and I realize, what would I rather be right now: Worried that I don’t yet have a story? Or worried that I have two well-written chapters that need more work? Clearly, the latter.
Considering all the years I’ve gone without seeing my stories typed out on my computer screen, I’d say I’m pretty happy that I even have something to send out. So revise and rework I will, but most importantly, I just have to keep writing and thinking and planning.
- Ursula K. LeGuin
It’s an interesting position you’re placed in when you’re told that your story is well written, but it’s not quite working the way it should be…even though the writing is very good.
My revised Chapter 2 has been making the rounds this past week to great reviews and mixed reviews, but regardless of what camp the critique is coming from, everyone seems to agree that I’m a good writer. Which is great and all, but I know that. If I wasn’t a good writer, I’d be quite screwed, considering that writing is very much in my job description—all of them, for that matter, even the ones I have yet to start.
So then what’s the issue? Well, if you haven’t read the opening chapters of my novel, then it’s hard to explain in detail, and since I have quite a way to go in revising and even writing, I don’t think it’s yet time to divulge too much of the plot. What you do need to know is that it’s a YA book intended for both young adult and adult audiences, and it, hopefully, is a clever blend of fantasy, realism, and ghost story. That’s the idea, anyway.
Basically, though, the problems I’m running into are as follows – I narrate too much; I give too much away to the reader; I don’t give enough information; it’s not creepy enough; nothing has really happened yet; children might not have the patience for it; the plot seems formulaic; it’s not formulaic enough; where are the other characters; the main character has to be more interesting; more has to happen; slow things down…
Did you follow? Good, neither do I.
Well, I guess I do, in a way. Looking back on my two revised chapters, I see what everyone is saying, and then I don’t see it, and as I look at what I’ve written, and how well written it may be and yet not quite what I want, I notice that I’m beginning that dark descent into the writing chasms of self-doubt and trepidation. Suddenly, it’s no longer a question of when will I write it, but more a question of can I write it? What’s in my head, what’s slowly been gaining strength and real publishable potential since that day when I first thought about it while on vacation in Florida, that idea and plot and character, all that vivid imagery, I’m suddenly worried if I can really bring that alive on the pages for people other than myself to understand.
So I should panic, right? Perhaps, or at the very least, be sad for a short amount of time, but strangely enough, I’m not panicking or even a little sad. I’m just slightly confused, contemplative, and even kind of hesitant to make my next step (even though it will inevitably be tackling Chapter 3). See, I’ve been thinking, and I realize, what would I rather be right now: Worried that I don’t yet have a story? Or worried that I have two well-written chapters that need more work? Clearly, the latter.
Considering all the years I’ve gone without seeing my stories typed out on my computer screen, I’d say I’m pretty happy that I even have something to send out. So revise and rework I will, but most importantly, I just have to keep writing and thinking and planning.
Monday, April 21, 2008
bright days ahead
A story isn't about a moment in time; a story is about the moment in time.
- W. D. Wetherell
Last week I attended my second graduate conference, held at The Graduate Center, CUNY, and entitled “Framed: Delimiting the Film Image.” My paper, "Children & Memories of the Spanish Civil War: The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth & La Lengua de las Mariposas," was part of the Politics & History panel. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation, I gave those listening a glimpse of my Master’s thesis and three films which I recommend to everyone who hasn’t yet seen them to go and Netflix. Perhaps the coolest part of the day was that Alex was in the audience. Not only did he finally get to see my graduate school, that mysterious place in the city that I run off to every so often, but I think it might also have been the first time he heard me give a scholarly presentation of sorts. It was definitely cool. I am going to insist he now be at every future conference I attend =)
Then there was a string of birthdays. The day after the conference, we went to Medieval Times to celebrate my cousin’s birthday. I never thought eating chicken and drinking soup without utensils could be so gratifying. The knights were there, too, of course. I think our group was more excited than some of the 9-year-old birthday parties in attendance.
For my sister’s birthday the next day we went to Lenny the Pug's Annual Birthday Benefit for Animal Haven in SoHo. Rocco, our own pug, came along, and proceeds from the event went to help Animal Haven continue to be able to provide the type of adoption care and services that place dogs and cats in excellent homes. Do I sound like an advertisement? Well, if you had ben there, you’d be touting the glories of this place, too.
Then it was back to the work week on Monday, with a welcomed break on Wednesday when Alex and I had the privilege of attending Soraya’s “Special Person’s Day” at her school. We got a tour of the building (I think three times), got to hang out with her friends, ate lots of pasta, took lots of pictures, and attended mass, where we learned about the habits of sheep.
Later that week, it was off to the Martha Stewart Show with Soraya, my mom, and my aunt. We were at a taping for a show that will air in May, so we had to act as such. We won tickets to SeaWorld, and I thought Soraya and I were going to fall out of our chairs (yeah, we were that excited). We also won a lot of 3M sponges, which is cooler than it probably sounds.
That night, Alex and I attended the grand opening of CityView Racquet Club. Some semi-celeb sightings included tennis player Justin Gimelstob and Ramona from that Bravo show, The Real Housewives of NYC. Regis Philbin and his wife showed up after we left. I’m sure they were upset about that.
The weekend rolled around again. My mom and Soraya’s friends threw Soraya a surprise birthday party, and that was pretty awesome, ice cream cake included. The night ended with rousing encores of Rock Band. The party continued the next day with more gifts, more cake, more birthday, and I, by chance, found out that Fablehaven 3 was out and picked it up at Barnes & Noble.
All in all, it’s been a crazy week, but an exciting one. You know, one of those weeks where every day brings something new, but you’re glad it does. Not at all like the story of that poor lady in Britain who almost got eaten by a python. That’s a good example of something unexpected you’d rather the week never brings.
- W. D. Wetherell
Last week I attended my second graduate conference, held at The Graduate Center, CUNY, and entitled “Framed: Delimiting the Film Image.” My paper, "Children & Memories of the Spanish Civil War: The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth & La Lengua de las Mariposas," was part of the Politics & History panel. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation, I gave those listening a glimpse of my Master’s thesis and three films which I recommend to everyone who hasn’t yet seen them to go and Netflix. Perhaps the coolest part of the day was that Alex was in the audience. Not only did he finally get to see my graduate school, that mysterious place in the city that I run off to every so often, but I think it might also have been the first time he heard me give a scholarly presentation of sorts. It was definitely cool. I am going to insist he now be at every future conference I attend =)
Then there was a string of birthdays. The day after the conference, we went to Medieval Times to celebrate my cousin’s birthday. I never thought eating chicken and drinking soup without utensils could be so gratifying. The knights were there, too, of course. I think our group was more excited than some of the 9-year-old birthday parties in attendance.
For my sister’s birthday the next day we went to Lenny the Pug's Annual Birthday Benefit for Animal Haven in SoHo. Rocco, our own pug, came along, and proceeds from the event went to help Animal Haven continue to be able to provide the type of adoption care and services that place dogs and cats in excellent homes. Do I sound like an advertisement? Well, if you had ben there, you’d be touting the glories of this place, too.
Then it was back to the work week on Monday, with a welcomed break on Wednesday when Alex and I had the privilege of attending Soraya’s “Special Person’s Day” at her school. We got a tour of the building (I think three times), got to hang out with her friends, ate lots of pasta, took lots of pictures, and attended mass, where we learned about the habits of sheep.
Later that week, it was off to the Martha Stewart Show with Soraya, my mom, and my aunt. We were at a taping for a show that will air in May, so we had to act as such. We won tickets to SeaWorld, and I thought Soraya and I were going to fall out of our chairs (yeah, we were that excited). We also won a lot of 3M sponges, which is cooler than it probably sounds.
That night, Alex and I attended the grand opening of CityView Racquet Club. Some semi-celeb sightings included tennis player Justin Gimelstob and Ramona from that Bravo show, The Real Housewives of NYC. Regis Philbin and his wife showed up after we left. I’m sure they were upset about that.
The weekend rolled around again. My mom and Soraya’s friends threw Soraya a surprise birthday party, and that was pretty awesome, ice cream cake included. The night ended with rousing encores of Rock Band. The party continued the next day with more gifts, more cake, more birthday, and I, by chance, found out that Fablehaven 3 was out and picked it up at Barnes & Noble.
All in all, it’s been a crazy week, but an exciting one. You know, one of those weeks where every day brings something new, but you’re glad it does. Not at all like the story of that poor lady in Britain who almost got eaten by a python. That’s a good example of something unexpected you’d rather the week never brings.
Friday, April 4, 2008
drink the milk, read the books
Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
...or woman, there could one of those there, too.
If you remember, this past February, I won 2nd place in the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge 2008, and as a result of that, a friend of mine from our writing group gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card as a literary congratulations. Armed with this, and the desire to go spend a couple of hours in a bookstore, Alex and I went to Barnes & Noble in search of something worthy of the card.
That was exactly 2 weeks ago, and I haven't stopped talking about Fablehaven since.
I first picked up the book because it was at the top of the escalators, spread out on a table, next to a poster announcing an upcoming book signing with the author, Brandon Mull. To be honest, I hadn't heard of it, and when I saw that it was a New York Times bestseller, I couldn't help but wonder if that's just a generic term they're giving books these days because every cover seems to be sporting it. I picked up the book, looked at the front, turned it around, read the back, was intrigued, turned it around again, still intrigued, went to a chair, sat down to read it, and right before they kicked us out, promptly purchased it with my gift card.
Now, this is the first children's fantasy-esque book I've read since my little sister got me Coraline for Christmas, during that period in my life when Neil Gaiman's name was following me around (search the blog, find my post about it). Which is interesting, as you and I both know, because of my field of writing, I should be reading more books altogether, but I've been a little tied up with required graduate school readings.
And after all, I have been trying to revise my own novel, so I have understandably not been able to peruse the bookstore too often these past few months.
But then comes along Fablehaven, a book I bought without hesitating to look for it first at the library or putting it back on the shelf in favor of getting it for less on Amazon. A series I had never heard of before, yet that very night, I resolved to be there to hear the author speak on Thursday, April 3 - last night.
Long story short, the first book was fantastic. The second book, I purchased last Friday. Basic plot, as follows: At first reluctantly, two children stay with their grandparents in Connecticut for a few weeks while their parents go on a family cruise. In time, they come to discover that there grandfather is the caretaker of a preserve of mystical creatures known as Fablehaven. And that's when everything starts to go awry.
The concept, the characters, the dialogue, the conflict, the decriptions, the stories, the humor, the suspense - ugh, all horribly wonderful. While reading the first book, I realized as a writer now fully invested in one novel (with all those others in bits and pieces, officially rooting, if they could, for my first one), that I'm having difficulty just enjoying great writing. But this has always been the case, to a degree. I find myself, in every well-placed word and clever twist in the plot, mumbling about how brilliant it all is, annoyingly brilliant, as I struggle to get the courage to sit down and revise my own Chapter 2.
Revise Chapter 2? I'm already on Book 2 in my head!! All my life, I've written the best stories in my head, the most involved and entertaining, where I can easily skip over those pesky plot holes that are glaringly apparent when you've stumbled over them on a computer screen at 2 AM.
Alex rightly pointed out that for the past two weeks, the reason Chapter 2 has evaded me might very well be " the denizens of Phibblehaffen" (I've said the name so often, he has now made for it his own spelling and pronunciation).
And I think he's right. Every time I've gone to write, I've ended up reading! Turning page after miserable page of wonderfully fantastic prose!
But no matter, if I finish Fablehaven II: Rise of the Evening Star in the next few days, giving me a whole month before Book III comes out - Grip of the Shadow Plague.
Oh, and as for that book signing last night? I was really looking forward to hearing Brandon Mull speak about his experiences writing the series and his life as a writer. We are, after all, in the same profession. As fate would have it, little sister Soraya had her medical PowerPoint presentation that evening at school (an excellent one on bulimia nervosa), and as much as I've grown to love Fablehaven, I wasn't about to miss her big night.
So, by some miracle, I convinced Olga and Kenny to go for me, although truth be told, I think we were all a little surprised about how adamant I was about getting someone to go see this author I had only first heard about two weeks ago. A flat tire almost derailed them, but again, things worked out, and armed with my two books (notice how we always go to Barnes & Noble "armed" with something), they went to hear Brandon Mull speak for me. I prayed they would have a good time and come back with good things to say about the author...
Well, they came back alright, with signed books, posters, a t-shirt, and the good news that the author was as much a nice guy and well-spoken writer as I thought he would be =)
Just great - a great writer, a really nice guy, and a third book on the way.
Ugh, Grip of the Shadow Plague, here I come, ever so reluctantly...in that eager kind of way.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
...or woman, there could one of those there, too.
If you remember, this past February, I won 2nd place in the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge 2008, and as a result of that, a friend of mine from our writing group gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card as a literary congratulations. Armed with this, and the desire to go spend a couple of hours in a bookstore, Alex and I went to Barnes & Noble in search of something worthy of the card.
That was exactly 2 weeks ago, and I haven't stopped talking about Fablehaven since.
I first picked up the book because it was at the top of the escalators, spread out on a table, next to a poster announcing an upcoming book signing with the author, Brandon Mull. To be honest, I hadn't heard of it, and when I saw that it was a New York Times bestseller, I couldn't help but wonder if that's just a generic term they're giving books these days because every cover seems to be sporting it. I picked up the book, looked at the front, turned it around, read the back, was intrigued, turned it around again, still intrigued, went to a chair, sat down to read it, and right before they kicked us out, promptly purchased it with my gift card.Now, this is the first children's fantasy-esque book I've read since my little sister got me Coraline for Christmas, during that period in my life when Neil Gaiman's name was following me around (search the blog, find my post about it). Which is interesting, as you and I both know, because of my field of writing, I should be reading more books altogether, but I've been a little tied up with required graduate school readings.
And after all, I have been trying to revise my own novel, so I have understandably not been able to peruse the bookstore too often these past few months.
But then comes along Fablehaven, a book I bought without hesitating to look for it first at the library or putting it back on the shelf in favor of getting it for less on Amazon. A series I had never heard of before, yet that very night, I resolved to be there to hear the author speak on Thursday, April 3 - last night.
Long story short, the first book was fantastic. The second book, I purchased last Friday. Basic plot, as follows: At first reluctantly, two children stay with their grandparents in Connecticut for a few weeks while their parents go on a family cruise. In time, they come to discover that there grandfather is the caretaker of a preserve of mystical creatures known as Fablehaven. And that's when everything starts to go awry.
The concept, the characters, the dialogue, the conflict, the decriptions, the stories, the humor, the suspense - ugh, all horribly wonderful. While reading the first book, I realized as a writer now fully invested in one novel (with all those others in bits and pieces, officially rooting, if they could, for my first one), that I'm having difficulty just enjoying great writing. But this has always been the case, to a degree. I find myself, in every well-placed word and clever twist in the plot, mumbling about how brilliant it all is, annoyingly brilliant, as I struggle to get the courage to sit down and revise my own Chapter 2.Revise Chapter 2? I'm already on Book 2 in my head!! All my life, I've written the best stories in my head, the most involved and entertaining, where I can easily skip over those pesky plot holes that are glaringly apparent when you've stumbled over them on a computer screen at 2 AM.
Alex rightly pointed out that for the past two weeks, the reason Chapter 2 has evaded me might very well be " the denizens of Phibblehaffen" (I've said the name so often, he has now made for it his own spelling and pronunciation).
And I think he's right. Every time I've gone to write, I've ended up reading! Turning page after miserable page of wonderfully fantastic prose!
But no matter, if I finish Fablehaven II: Rise of the Evening Star in the next few days, giving me a whole month before Book III comes out - Grip of the Shadow Plague.
Oh, and as for that book signing last night? I was really looking forward to hearing Brandon Mull speak about his experiences writing the series and his life as a writer. We are, after all, in the same profession. As fate would have it, little sister Soraya had her medical PowerPoint presentation that evening at school (an excellent one on bulimia nervosa), and as much as I've grown to love Fablehaven, I wasn't about to miss her big night.
So, by some miracle, I convinced Olga and Kenny to go for me, although truth be told, I think we were all a little surprised about how adamant I was about getting someone to go see this author I had only first heard about two weeks ago. A flat tire almost derailed them, but again, things worked out, and armed with my two books (notice how we always go to Barnes & Noble "armed" with something), they went to hear Brandon Mull speak for me. I prayed they would have a good time and come back with good things to say about the author...
Well, they came back alright, with signed books, posters, a t-shirt, and the good news that the author was as much a nice guy and well-spoken writer as I thought he would be =)
Just great - a great writer, a really nice guy, and a third book on the way.
Ugh, Grip of the Shadow Plague, here I come, ever so reluctantly...in that eager kind of way.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
things to do, but when to write?
No one is asking, let alone demanding, that you write. The world is not waiting with bated breath for your article or book. Whether or not you get a single word on paper, the sun will rise, the earth will spin, the universe will expand. Writing is forever and always a choice - your choice.
- Beth Mende Conny
"The world is not waiting"...but it should be.
Craziness, since we last spoke, from tennis courts on rooftops, expensive car parties, and photo shoots in the Hamptons to birthdays, reading, and rotating TV audiences. Oh, and there was writing somewhere, just not the type I wanted to be doing.
CityView Racquet Club is officially open (check out the post about my interview with Roman Prokes, tennis stringer to the stars, when I was last there - "rooftop tennis..."). A few weeks ago, I visited again for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and the place looks every bit as much a racquet player's dream as they said it would. The grand opening party is in two weeks, and word is Regis Philbin and Justin Gimelstob are going to be there. Personally, I'm looking forward to the food, the courts, and finally getting to show Alex the place I've been talking about for almost a year =)
The next night, Alex and I attended a Lamborghini party at the Champion Motor Group Bentley-Lamborghini Long Island dealership in Jericho to celebrate the new Lamborghini showroom. There were some uber-expensive auctions going on, one of which included signed guitars by Esteban. We figured, since we already have Esteban guitars, and we didn't (at the time) have thousands of dollars to splurge on more expensive ones, we did one better -
Then taxes came soon after - done and done. Quickly followed by Easter, officially a month before Greaster this year, successfully yielding two celebrations for Alex and me.
Fast forwarding to the next week, I took my mom, her friend, Kathy, and my aunt (also affiliated with my mom...) to see the Rachael Ray Show. Much like The View, I ordered tickets a millenia ago and received a confirmation e-mail about two weeks before the show we had been selected to attend. Unlike The View, I wasn't stuck going by myself because all the women in my life who like this stuff bailed on me. Rather, I got the use of my four requested tickets this time around. I ended up learning some interesting things while I was there.
When a book is good enough, you can read while standing on line for an hour. I practically finished Fablehaven, all the while hearing bits and pieces of conversations going on around me. My mom's friend and aunt asked me what the book was about, and I explained. They looked lost when I was done, so I told them to read the book, and they, too, would understand.
Never paint walls bright orange. It will temporarily yield you unable to think straight and inevitably always remind you of Rachael Ray. Apparently, no one believes in plain banana muffins. I keep running into banana nut muffins, and at the studio was no different. I don't know which is stranger - that I can't find plain banana muffins or that I keep running into banana nut muffins. What else...the studio audience floor rotated, which was pretty cool. I've worked in TV production before and been to several shows, but the moving floor there was a definite first. Falafel burgers are tricky things. Let's just say, Rachael had some issues with the recipe and had to do several takes before we were all instructed to applaud and repeat after her, "Drain and dry!!" If you ever make falafel burgers, drain and dry the chic peas first. I'll remember that...next time I don't cook. When we were leaving, I saw her getting donuts from the Dunkin Donuts table set up there, and I thought again about those damn banana nut muffins we were offered over donuts. I also came to the conclusion, if and when I one day get to be the "face" of something, I want it to be Entenmann's. Every morning would be awesome. Or Pops cereal. Perhaps that's more breakfast appropriate.
We proceeded to spend a day in the city, which involved Indian food, churches, the Macy's flower show, and The Morgan Library & Museum, where we saw some of the most amazing photo portraits taken by Irving Penn, including shots of Truman Capote, Ingmar Bergman, Salvador Dali, and T. S. Eliot. If you get a chance, see "Close Encounters" before the exhibition closes next week.
Then of course came Alex's birthday - 27 handsome years old =)
As for writing, I finally finished my two articles for our Summer '08 issue - the interview with Tim Gunn (see "making it work...") and the article about CityView. Much rejoicing, all around. We also completed the photo shoot for the issue at a $3.2 million home out in East Hampton. For that much money, you get open spaces, a view of the harbor, a lot of windows, and no shades.
Check out my finalized headshots:
Now I have to work extensively on a conference presentation I am set to give in exactly one week. It's based on my thesis about Spanish Civil War films depicting children as the main protagonists. "Working on it" involves cutting down a 40-page paper into one of only 10-15 pages, creating a PowerPoint, and rehearsing.
And all the while, I keep asking, Chapter 2, Chapter 2 - where are you?
My cousin, hard at work on a paper of her own, once told me (or IMed me, rather), "I work best under pressure," which she thought about and followed up with, "Then again, I've only ever really worked under pressure."
So true, Anj, so true.
- Beth Mende Conny
"The world is not waiting"...but it should be.
Craziness, since we last spoke, from tennis courts on rooftops, expensive car parties, and photo shoots in the Hamptons to birthdays, reading, and rotating TV audiences. Oh, and there was writing somewhere, just not the type I wanted to be doing.
CityView Racquet Club is officially open (check out the post about my interview with Roman Prokes, tennis stringer to the stars, when I was last there - "rooftop tennis..."). A few weeks ago, I visited again for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and the place looks every bit as much a racquet player's dream as they said it would. The grand opening party is in two weeks, and word is Regis Philbin and Justin Gimelstob are going to be there. Personally, I'm looking forward to the food, the courts, and finally getting to show Alex the place I've been talking about for almost a year =)
The next night, Alex and I attended a Lamborghini party at the Champion Motor Group Bentley-Lamborghini Long Island dealership in Jericho to celebrate the new Lamborghini showroom. There were some uber-expensive auctions going on, one of which included signed guitars by Esteban. We figured, since we already have Esteban guitars, and we didn't (at the time) have thousands of dollars to splurge on more expensive ones, we did one better -
Then taxes came soon after - done and done. Quickly followed by Easter, officially a month before Greaster this year, successfully yielding two celebrations for Alex and me.Fast forwarding to the next week, I took my mom, her friend, Kathy, and my aunt (also affiliated with my mom...) to see the Rachael Ray Show. Much like The View, I ordered tickets a millenia ago and received a confirmation e-mail about two weeks before the show we had been selected to attend. Unlike The View, I wasn't stuck going by myself because all the women in my life who like this stuff bailed on me. Rather, I got the use of my four requested tickets this time around. I ended up learning some interesting things while I was there.
When a book is good enough, you can read while standing on line for an hour. I practically finished Fablehaven, all the while hearing bits and pieces of conversations going on around me. My mom's friend and aunt asked me what the book was about, and I explained. They looked lost when I was done, so I told them to read the book, and they, too, would understand.
Never paint walls bright orange. It will temporarily yield you unable to think straight and inevitably always remind you of Rachael Ray. Apparently, no one believes in plain banana muffins. I keep running into banana nut muffins, and at the studio was no different. I don't know which is stranger - that I can't find plain banana muffins or that I keep running into banana nut muffins. What else...the studio audience floor rotated, which was pretty cool. I've worked in TV production before and been to several shows, but the moving floor there was a definite first. Falafel burgers are tricky things. Let's just say, Rachael had some issues with the recipe and had to do several takes before we were all instructed to applaud and repeat after her, "Drain and dry!!" If you ever make falafel burgers, drain and dry the chic peas first. I'll remember that...next time I don't cook. When we were leaving, I saw her getting donuts from the Dunkin Donuts table set up there, and I thought again about those damn banana nut muffins we were offered over donuts. I also came to the conclusion, if and when I one day get to be the "face" of something, I want it to be Entenmann's. Every morning would be awesome. Or Pops cereal. Perhaps that's more breakfast appropriate.
We proceeded to spend a day in the city, which involved Indian food, churches, the Macy's flower show, and The Morgan Library & Museum, where we saw some of the most amazing photo portraits taken by Irving Penn, including shots of Truman Capote, Ingmar Bergman, Salvador Dali, and T. S. Eliot. If you get a chance, see "Close Encounters" before the exhibition closes next week.
Then of course came Alex's birthday - 27 handsome years old =)
As for writing, I finally finished my two articles for our Summer '08 issue - the interview with Tim Gunn (see "making it work...") and the article about CityView. Much rejoicing, all around. We also completed the photo shoot for the issue at a $3.2 million home out in East Hampton. For that much money, you get open spaces, a view of the harbor, a lot of windows, and no shades.
Check out my finalized headshots:
Now I have to work extensively on a conference presentation I am set to give in exactly one week. It's based on my thesis about Spanish Civil War films depicting children as the main protagonists. "Working on it" involves cutting down a 40-page paper into one of only 10-15 pages, creating a PowerPoint, and rehearsing.And all the while, I keep asking, Chapter 2, Chapter 2 - where are you?
My cousin, hard at work on a paper of her own, once told me (or IMed me, rather), "I work best under pressure," which she thought about and followed up with, "Then again, I've only ever really worked under pressure."
So true, Anj, so true.
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