This title of this blog is the chorus in a Chicago based band called Owls. I think the songs called "Friends," but I'm not sure. Anyway, it's been in my head for a month. But there's no relation to this post.
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Our dog Indie, no longer with Kennel Cough, has found her bark. Yesterday she started barking at a tiny little puppy, scaring it to death...embarrassing! We think all of her medical problems are over...though she did drain our savings...totally worth it...
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I told my advisor that the pace of this place is too slow. She said, "yeah, totally." I asked her if she could make next semester a little more like other MFA's. Give us a lot of work! She said, "Don't worry about that." I like most everyone here at the program, but the town and program is really really laid back...have i mentioned that before? There's a "I'll get to that tomorrow attitude." Ugh. OK. Enough Complaining.
I talked to Kate Trueblood today (email). She said: When you miss everyone, just think of yourself as an expatriate. I'm gonna give that way of thinking a try.
I'm waiting for our program to release the list of classes for next semester. Still no word, but I'm hoping to take two fiction classes and a poetry class. Maybe one of each and an independent study to work on my manuscript. We'll see.
There's also some writing contests at school. I'm entering all of them. MFAers out there. Should I submit The opening chapter of The Story Thief (Magic-realism) or A chapter from Bumping (about meth addicts-minimalist). Lemme know.
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My students turned in their annotated bibs today. WTF? NO ONE (Ok one or two) actually followed directions AND I GAVE THEM TWO PAGES OF EXAMPLES!!!! Fuckin' BS. They're gonna get it on Friday. I'm turning them back to most the class and making them redo it. UGH I"M MAD!
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OK. I'm settled. I haven't read anything lately that's really blown my socks off. But I'm reading Sedaris and he makes me laugh and smile. Next up: Anasi Boys, The Absolutely True Diary..., A Prayer for Owen Meany, Black Maria, The Ghost Soldiers, Novel Pictoral NOise, and more Sedaris. Lots more.
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That's all for now I think...
Keaton Collective will be here on Sunday. C. Dale Young on Friday. The Apocolypse on Monday. Maybe not, but who knows.
Bye bye for now.
Love you all. times a million.
Joshua
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8 comments:
You should read Anansi Boys next so you can call me and tell me how much you love it.
This will blow your mind:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200105/doerr
Also, Kate has serious words of wisdom.
Also, I wish my program were slower. I am freaking drowning. It's great, but I'm drowning.
aaaaahhhh you reminded me that the keaton guys are going to be here!!!!
Be an expatriate. But don't turn into a dick like Henry Miller.
I have actually read "Prayer for Owen Meaney" - which is weird. It must have been years and years ago.
I will Jordan. Soon.
Ian, I'll check that story out. How is that guy? Did you read him for class, or did you stumble upon it. I read the first little bit. Way good!
Drowning, huh? How much are you writing? Reading? Etc. How would you rank it vs. Trueblood's classes?
Sorry Em.
Dave. Fuck Henry Miller.
Chelsea. Was it good? My Dad says it's one of his best...though, the movie sucked Dave's nuts.
Dude, I'm about to read Owen Meany too. I'll get back to you when I'm done.
I got assigned Doerr in a class, and his book ("The Shell Collector") is AWESOME. All the stories are very very different, and they all are really meticuloulsy researched and beautifully written. It's the kind of book that now I'm going to use as a gift whenever it's somebody's birthday.
My workshop class is pretty comparable to Kate's, maybe a bit on the heavier side. But remember in the novel class where we had to do that summary of our prospective novel, as well as write an excerpt? In my novels class we do that EVERY TWO WEEKS. It's my week up and I have no idea what I'm going to write about because I'm still working on my workshop story. My other class is too ridiculous to even talk about. Okay, end rant.
Ian,
We should chat soon. I'm way curious about what it's like. Here, there's a lot of students who complain when there's extra work, and it's pretty low-key. Though, the fiction class here (taught by Robert Boswell...check out The Heyday of Insensitive Bastards...short stories) where you have to write a story a week (plus a novel a week)...so by the end of the class you could have a book.
Here's the cool part. He assigns genders, objects, dialogue, and themes to write. So, you get a skeleton and artifacts you have to write about. Then each draft he makes suggestions based on that.
He's leaving the program in January. So I don't get to work with him. I'm actually pissed. Cause I came to study fiction with him. He's going to Houston.
Poetry classes are pretty lax. For the workshop we have to workhshop only 8 poems (turn in 10 at the end)five books of poems to read, an a five page critical essay.
i think it'd be different if there was stuff to do in this town besides pick up glass off the street and drink.
Anyway, I'll stop ranting too.
Later,
Joshua.
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