PICTURES AND WHATNOT

I promised some pictures, so here they go...I started with some old ones, but I don't know, I felt like I should put 'em up. It's beautiful here at times. I mean, the sunsets are amazing, and the "mountains" are really cool...they're like a compass needle. If you can't figure out where to go, just look towards the Organs and you can find your way.
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I'm way ahead of my classes, which is fine, it gives me more time for Emily, and more time to write. Right now, I'm reading a book called Letters from Abu Ghraib by Joshua Casteel. It's pretty good. He's an interrogator in Iraq. He's a pretty Patriotic American and faithful Christian, but as the book carries on, he keeps falling further from both of those, and his letters become angry, frustrated, and confused. It's interesting to witness this change in letters. It's refresing in a way, because it's brutally honest, and crazier, becasue he's in the face of a "war." Read it!
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I'm working on a narrative essay for one class (it's about a heist my dad was in), and it's turning out to be super long, but I really like what I'm doing with it. I'm stealing this dialogue trick, this douche bag I went to school with did, only his was sloppy and nopt very cool. I thought of it, and a heard a "ding, ding." It might not work, afterall a douche bag first came up with it, but who knows.

I'm also working on When the Wolves Quit. Tightening up the poems, getting them ready for submissions. And I'm sending out To The Chapel of Light to contests...wish me luck! I' m waiting for a BIG one to notify me. I don't think I stand a chance, but nonetheless, I'm waiting to hear.

I think I'm taking all fiction classes next semester. I want to write fiction. I feel like I need a break from poetry for a few months. Let my work settle before I go back and start working on it again. We'll see. If Carmen is teaching a workshop, I might take one.

I'm excited for all the new series that are coming out: GLEE, HOUSE, BONES, THE OFFICE, PROJECT RUNWAY...to name a few...yes I LOVE PRunway.

OK that's all for now,
Love
Joshua

Stuff and Stuff

I'm gonna post some pictures from the last couple months up here in the next couple days.
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I miss my friends and family...I miss the northwest fall season...
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Right now I'm just writing poems and working on a story about my dad.
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Later,
Joshua

Storms, Dogs, and Other Things

So, this is what happens at night here. It's all hot and sweaty all day, and at night storms roll in like fucking troops on a village raid. Popping and cracking and flashing gets started (sometimes some rain), and the sky lights up like it's daylight for a few seconds. It's crazy and something that is kind of cool out here in the desert.
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We were supposed to go camping up at Elephant's Butte this weekend, but Indie is still sick and we've got her on a bunch of antibiotics and cough medicine. Which is fine, 'cause we rescheduled for a couple weekends away, and I have papers to grade, an essay to write, and some research to do (among other things). Plus we're supposed to have storms all weekend. We've got all these severe weather alerts on our TV and computer. So, I'm glad we're staying home and staying dry.
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I just read my friend's blog (hi Ian), and his last post is about a conversation about writing. And I want to say, that I'm right there with you man. I miss home. I wonder why I'm here in the desert, away from everyone. (It's weird right now too, because my Grandpa's sick and for the first time in my life, I'm not around my family). But here's what I want to say: Our decisions to leave and go for our MFAs, MAs, or PhD's isn't just about our field, our writing, or our career, but it's about continuing with what we started and getting a foothold in the community, so we can share what we've learned with others. I'm thinking about a lot of my writer friends, and I can say honestly, that already they are some of the best teachers out there. So, Ian, I'm with you, but just remember when this is all said and done, you get to be the Kate or Oliver or Bruce or Carol or whoever you look up to for the next generation of writers...that and it's good to get out of Bellingham for a while...at least we now know how much it is worthy of our love.
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Sorry, I just felt compelled to talk about that. BTW. I will always remember that convo. and those people, and I can't wait to read what they publish (so I can teach it).
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Emily and I have been talking about reviving Lines and Blood books while we are down here. We talked a little today about our first project being an online journal. This is just an idea right now and will take a lot of time to figure out, but I'm excited to publish my friends (and others) stuff. Yes, I have already been thinking about stuff from Western's workshops that I want to publish...all in good time.
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OK. I got lots to do, so we'll talk soon.
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Love,
Joshua

Hello, hello

So, first of all, we got ourselves a dog. We named her Indie. She's adorable! We got her on Friday. Yesterday night, we found out she had kennel cough, and we took her to the emergency vet, who gave us medicine and whatnot. She's doing OK, but just really tired (not to mention she was spayed not that long ago...she's had a rough week). We're taking her camping this weekend...
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OK, so I've been catching up on Entourage. I don't care what people say that show is Entertaining! There are many series I need to watch, though. I need to watch The Wire, Battlestar, for example. In time, in time.
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I did watch Adventureland. That's a great little flick. I recommend. It's about post BA, wanna-be grad students. Sound familiar? Yes, it does.
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I need to see Humpday. I hear (from some friends) that it's quite good.
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I've been teaching now for a couple weeks and it's going OK. Teachers out there...did you ever have days where you just want them to write all class and teach nothing because you feel like it's pointless and they should just know? Or maybe you just want to hand them the text book and say, "Read it and if you have questions we'll talk about it."? I think I've got some pretty sharp kids and some who really don't give a fuck, and just want to pass. Not to mentions a handful of students didn't show up for peer review and the rough draft turn in. That's 50 points they lost for missing one day. HA! not only that I got the whole "I'm not feeling well" email with a docx attachment. BTW it's labor day weekend...hmmmm...
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Enough of that.
So, as you know i finished a first draft of my next collection of poems: When the Wolves Quit. It's about 87 pages, but since it's a novel in verse, I feel like it's missing a lot. I just wrote four more epistolary poems for it, which I will workshop. Speaking of workshop, I like the people. There are some people who are very very helpful. I gotta say, I'm loving (imagine the McDonalds music: do, do, dooo, do, doooo). After rereading it, I know I got some rearranging and some writing, and maybe a little cutting/combining to do. My goal of finishing three books while I'm here is close. I have a feeling I'll be done with this by the winter and ready to send out for Spring poetry contests. But I may hold off and give it some real attention.

So in terms of books. I got The Story Thief to finish (all my fiction friends, I've got all of part one written, i just have to type and revise. I've got part two mapped out, and part three is up in the air, which makes me wonder if I should divide each part into separate books or make it all one big EPIC). and I have my next book of poems, which I think will be the last in my trilogy (to the chapel of light, when the wolves quit, and the churches of caspian).
I know, I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but I like doing that, it gives me reasons to finish what I'm working on at the moment.
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In terms of film making, I've been talking to Cam and Caleb, and it looks like Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes? is almost done with a decent rough cut. I'm excited and can't wait till I see the film. That was my baby for a handful of years, and after almost making it and everything following through, it is getting made (probably because I stepped aside and let lines and blood take the reigns and I let go).
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I'm hungry. I'll catch you later.
Love you,
Joshua