Yikes! I was away for two weeks, and it feels like I've been away for months. I actually wept when the ladyfriend met me at the airport today with flowers. I think it was a combination of gratitude, exhaustion, and sheer happiness at being home.
I feel like I've been here, there, and everywhere, and I have to say, I might be just a little the worse for wear for it. But it was worth it.
Some highlights -
I met the Idiosyncratic Fashionistas at Coterie where I was working (and wearing) the Kedem Sasson booth. Oh my god! Fashion inspirations! And they were soooo nice. There's a photo of me on their blog post about Coterie! Excitement is flying from my fingertips!
I indulged my fetish and got the Trapeze dress pattern and fabric. My mother and I went to Mood Fabrics - famed fabric store of Project Runway. I didn't have my camera with me, but the place is incredible and the staff was really helpful. It looks just like it does on TV - bolts and bolts of fabrics on floor to ceiling shelving. It was probably good that we got there with only 20 or so minutes to spare. But that was all we needed!
I also did an unexpected reading at the Women’s / Trans’ Poetry Jam & Open Mike night at Bluestockings Bookstore at the behest of my friend H.D. Artemis who was reading poetry that evening. I got there late, just as my friend was reading. Despite being called up right after her (a bit discombobulated) and finding my pages a tad out of order, the reading went well. I need to do things like that more often.
From New York City I made my way to Seattle for the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference. It's always a huge conference with lots to do. On the first day I simply walked the bookfair, which can be a day-long event in itself, with my friend/colleague/roommate-for-the-weekend the writer Kathryn Mockler. We also attended the keynote speech by E. Annie Proulx, which we both unfortunately found a bit underwhelming.
I did go to some great panels, however. I went to 25 for 25: A Lambda Literary Foundation Celebration Reading, which featured writers Nicola Griffith, Ellery Washington, and Rigoberto Gonzalez. Dorothy Allison was supposed to be there as well but wasn't. Nonetheless, I'm really excited to read Nicola Griffith's new book Hild and plan to get Lambda's anthology - 25 for 25.
I also attended a panel on agents as well as the Tribute to Margarita Donnelly and Calyx, One of the Nation's Oldest Feminist Presses. Calyx published my first short story, and it was great to hear some of the women they've published tell their stories of being in Calyx and working with Margarita. Three panels in one day makes up for no panels on the first day, no?
On Saturday I made it to The Wreckage of Reason: Contemporary Experimental Prose by Women Writers, and I'm glad I did. It really inspired me. It was also the last panel I attended because I was struck with a case of food poisoning and spent pretty much the rest of the day watching bad TV and visiting the bathroom (ooooh, bodily functions! how fun!).
Thankfully I was much better on Sunday because I couldn't go to Seattle and not see one of my best friends, Sereatha. It was lovely to have the day to spend with her, to catch up (we went to the Panama Tea & Coffee House - so cozy!), and see her amazing daughters, one of whom is a crafter (she's ten). My heart just burst!
Then I took the red-eye from Seattle to Toronto, with a stopover in Chicago for good measure. By the time I saw the ladyfriend, I was ready to be home. It's so good to be home, but I don't regret a moment of my trip (even the food poisoning gave me a reason to watch things like Mountain Family Robinson and later, Swiss Family Robinson - theme night!).
Tired, but inspired. I have so many ideas right now. One of them is to start a separate blog just for my writing career. I'll keep you posted!
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| You've heard of flowers in the attic. These are flowers in the shower...to protect them from kitties when we're not around. |
Some highlights -
I met the Idiosyncratic Fashionistas at Coterie where I was working (and wearing) the Kedem Sasson booth. Oh my god! Fashion inspirations! And they were soooo nice. There's a photo of me on their blog post about Coterie! Excitement is flying from my fingertips!
I indulged my fetish and got the Trapeze dress pattern and fabric. My mother and I went to Mood Fabrics - famed fabric store of Project Runway. I didn't have my camera with me, but the place is incredible and the staff was really helpful. It looks just like it does on TV - bolts and bolts of fabrics on floor to ceiling shelving. It was probably good that we got there with only 20 or so minutes to spare. But that was all we needed!
 |
| Pattern purchased at Purl Soho |
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| Can you see the light blue line running through? It's going to be awesome! |
From New York City I made my way to Seattle for the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference. It's always a huge conference with lots to do. On the first day I simply walked the bookfair, which can be a day-long event in itself, with my friend/colleague/roommate-for-the-weekend the writer Kathryn Mockler. We also attended the keynote speech by E. Annie Proulx, which we both unfortunately found a bit underwhelming.
I did go to some great panels, however. I went to 25 for 25: A Lambda Literary Foundation Celebration Reading, which featured writers Nicola Griffith, Ellery Washington, and Rigoberto Gonzalez. Dorothy Allison was supposed to be there as well but wasn't. Nonetheless, I'm really excited to read Nicola Griffith's new book Hild and plan to get Lambda's anthology - 25 for 25.
I also attended a panel on agents as well as the Tribute to Margarita Donnelly and Calyx, One of the Nation's Oldest Feminist Presses. Calyx published my first short story, and it was great to hear some of the women they've published tell their stories of being in Calyx and working with Margarita. Three panels in one day makes up for no panels on the first day, no?
On Saturday I made it to The Wreckage of Reason: Contemporary Experimental Prose by Women Writers, and I'm glad I did. It really inspired me. It was also the last panel I attended because I was struck with a case of food poisoning and spent pretty much the rest of the day watching bad TV and visiting the bathroom (ooooh, bodily functions! how fun!).
Thankfully I was much better on Sunday because I couldn't go to Seattle and not see one of my best friends, Sereatha. It was lovely to have the day to spend with her, to catch up (we went to the Panama Tea & Coffee House - so cozy!), and see her amazing daughters, one of whom is a crafter (she's ten). My heart just burst!
Then I took the red-eye from Seattle to Toronto, with a stopover in Chicago for good measure. By the time I saw the ladyfriend, I was ready to be home. It's so good to be home, but I don't regret a moment of my trip (even the food poisoning gave me a reason to watch things like Mountain Family Robinson and later, Swiss Family Robinson - theme night!).
Tired, but inspired. I have so many ideas right now. One of them is to start a separate blog just for my writing career. I'll keep you posted!
great fabric project....
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