A List of 5

1. I started out the fall with an addiction to national politics and the election, and have ended up with an addiction to Rachel Maddow and the Colbert Report. This means that I now feel like I need to stream at least two TV shows a day, which is at least one more than strictly necessary.

2. I am in the midst of grad school applications. It makes me wish that I had more time to read and write, instead of write about reading and writing.

3. For those who are keeping romantic tabs, I'm in a relationship again. SB is wonderful and ornery. In fact, given only two adjectives for him, those might be ones I would choose.

4. My roommates and I have yet to turn on the heat for the winter, our incentive is that we can turn on the heat as soon as we finish shrinkwrapping our windows. The upshot is that my room is not drafty, but the heat isn't on.

5. I have a cold. I'm drinking tea. Lots of tea. Breathe Deep tea that is supposed to, well, help me breathe.


P.S. I found my template.
P.P.S. Still trying to figure out what this space is for me. I'll get back to you.

Economics ...

Love this post. Totally lovely and hilarious and true.

P.S. I can't find my template, where did it go? I wants to edit it. Where is it? Help. Blogger? Anyone? Help?

Infrastructure Projects Take Forever. It's Just Their Way

Dear Interwebs,
I don't know how I feel about you either, but I'm in another moment of crossing wide deep waters in my life, and wonder whether this bridge has been repaired. I'm taking over from my alter-ego Corinne, now I will be blogging as my ego (let's be honest). I'm making no commitments; I'd like us to have a casual relationship. I fully intend to have a relationship with other media while spending time with you. Cool? Readers, you say? Yeah, I don't know if any of the old folks will show up again, or if new folks will stumble upon this, and I don't know what my 'subject matter' will be. I'm a little high maintenance that way, or, perhaps, refreshing. Let's say I'm refreshing.
Love,
Andra

Bridge Closed Due to (Re)Construction

Deadlines (a.k.a. All I Blog Are Lists)

1. There is so much snot in my head, I think that if I could blow my ears (or eyes for that matter), it would make me feel better.
2. I have to read for the new endeavor tonight, and maybe tomorrow night, and maybe Thursday morning too.
3. There are deadlines popping up with the new endeavor, and the car, and the job. Life just keeps happening and I think that I'm keeping on top of everything reasonably well, but, goodness, who knows? And sooner or later my smile won't get me as far as it usually does.
4. TP and I might go for a walk on Monday. A real, in person, walk. I am all kinds of not ready for that.
5. In ten days, I'm flying to California to go backpacking, probably in the Big Sur area. It will be a whole new landscape to soak up.
6. There are deadlines for most things and they help me to get my ass in gear. But there is no deadline for this pain, or the ways we wind our path.

Things That Are Over and Done With

1. Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus as a thing in my life; the discipline will continue quite happily without me.
2. My relationship with TP; a.k.a. a whole set of dreams and goals and commitments I made to another human; a.k.a. the most significant adult romantic relationship of my life.
3. Another year; today is my birthday.

I'm sorry, I haven't been able to muster the emotional energy to write here, there has just been too much.

Concrete

con•crete
1: naming a real thing or class of things
2: formed by coalition of particles into one solid mass
3 a: characterized by or belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events b: specific, particular c: real, tangible

Announcing the first open call for submissions to Concrete, a literary print journal through Sideshow Press, a publishing house for the rest of us. Editor and publisher, Toni Amato will work with one guest editor each issue.

Our premier issue will be guest-edited with Andra Hibbert, a queer writer and researcher who lives in Jamaica Plain, MA and is negotiating the concretes of faith, love, food, and vocation.

For each of us, there is a moment where our abstracts --home, recovery, ability, family, grief, faith -- become concrete. For the first issue of the journal, we are interested in creative nonfiction, poetry, and fiction that present the personal and particular negotiations and explorations of these moments.

Submissions may be no more than 15 double-spaced (12 point, Times New Roman or Garamond) pages of prose or up to 5 poems (not to exceed 15 total pages). Include your name and the title(s) of your pieces and be certain to paginate. Please send your work as word document or rtf attachments. Be sure to include a valid email address and phone number. Selected authors will receive two free copies.

Submissions for the premier issue are due by May 30th, but all work will be considered for future themed issues as well.

Send inquiries and submissions to:
ssp.submissions@gmail.com.