Mesilla

We went over to Mesilla today (where Billy the Kid was tried), and walked around. We forgot how cool it is there. Probably one of the few good things about Cruces. It's only two miles from the campus...While we were there we got some really good salsa and met an old lady who had lived there her whole life (and said it was so cold...). We also saw a freaking Rooster walking around...I have pic...I might put it up later.
Anyway. It was a good day of walking around and hanging out.
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I have to grade 27 rough drafts tomm. Wish me luck. Looking at them, I think I got a lot of work to do.
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Gonna eat some chips and salsa and watch SVU.
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Mastadon, Converge, and High on Fire are comign to Cruces. We'll see...
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Later friends,
Joshua

Halloween

So, tomorrow is Halloween. I'm pretty stoked about our costumes, but I think Em's is gonna be pretty pimp. I'll post pictures when I have them...
So, I presented To The Chapel of Light (and talked about hybridity in poetry/writing) today at the NMSU graduate symposium. It was cool. I actually had a good time and heard some cool stuff. Our panel was dealing with Place. We talked about about the importance of place in our writing, and it's an interesting idea, especially with those of us who are miles away from our home or town that we have grown to love...so, Like Kate said, think of ourselves as exiled writers. That will make home/place even more potent in writing.
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I just want to give a shout out to Ian. Sorry, bud. But seriously you should get a hover-board!
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That's it for today. Short post.
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We'll talk soon.
love ya'll
Joshua

Fuckin' A

I'm in the writing center at NMSU and I'm already missing the Keaton Collective boys. They played here last night. It made me miss Bellingham even more and made me hate this place even more. Two of my friends from grad school showed up, and only one of my students. I think everyone there (or most everyone) bought something from the band. That said, not a lot of people. What's wrong with local "Artists" They play first and leave, taking all their friends. Fuck them. Show some fucking respect for touring bands. Plus he sucked and really wanted to be Sigur Ros, but wasn't good. Not horrible, but he just sort of made stuff up as he went and I felt like I was wasting my time. God, I do I sound mad?
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I forgot all my notes I needed to work on an assignment at home, so I can't working on anything here. I'll have to do it at home, later.
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The sunset last night was amazing. The boys were pretty stoked. Em and I told them, "Las Cruces is beautiful from the waist/shoulders up."
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I heard a new David Bazan on the radio here.
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I just watched the new trailer for "Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes?" I'm glad Caleb listened to me and took the Kilmer song out. I'm glad he put in "Fires" by Keaton. It's perfect. I can't wait to see the film. My baby is almost done! I wrote the first draft in three days and spent a couple years revising it and rewriting it and workshopping it. It's nice to see a glimpse (trailer) of it.
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This week we had to make room for the boys, so we cleaned out our second room--the one we don't use--and I pulled my drum set out. It's still in its bags. Basically, I haven't touched it in months. I didn't even play it at our last show. I don't know if I'll ever play it again...or at least not for a long time. I told Chad that I missed playing shows. I do. I miss playing in the Braille Tapes, but I'll tell you right now, I would not enjoy touring. Anyone who's ever toured with me knows. to quote Wendelin, "Man, you got itchy feet." I just want to play the shows and get home. I'm just not made for touring. So, I guess that's why BT didn't last longer. I would rather go to school and make a career in Academia, then live in a van. But that doesn't mean I don't miss playing. I miss beating the shit out of my drum set and fucking strumming the shit out of Chad's guitar, and yelling and singing. Maybe someday soon I'll play in a band, but it won't be Las Cruces.

That's it for now. I gotta do some Writing Center shit.
Later
Joshua
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