Shallow, Temporarily

Hey, you! I’m kicking up my heels with The Chef this week. Kind of like this:

12th Street Rag

Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers and Nancy Carroll in ‘Close Harmony,’ 1929.

He’s going out-of-town on business until mid-May, so I am enjoying his  company whilst I can. Posts will keep coming, every day, as usual. They just won’t be deep or wordy. Think of them as tasty bites, snacks to sustain you between meals. Things will be back to normal starting on Monday.

[News] Gore Vidal is Dead

“Many writers who choose to be active in the world lose not virtue but time, and that stillness without which literature cannot be made.”-Gore Vidal (1925-2012)

 
One day, I hope that the deaths of famous authors is considered new worthy in this country. Oh, who am I kidding? Suri Cruise visiting Disney World is, and will remain, way more important. Carry on.

Alternative Muse of the Month News-Katherine Mansfield Edition

Four Katherine Mansfield short stories were recently discovered by a college student, along with several photographs. All were previously unknown. This is fantastic news for fans of Katherine Mansfield and students of the short story. If you are pleased or titillated by this news, thank Chris Mourant. Kudos, sir!

 

 

[News] The Daily Post Talks About Effective Book Blogging (And Mentions Us)

Have you ever read The Daily Post, WordPress.com’s official blog about blogging? If not, you should head over there now! Why? Because we received a nice shout-out in yesterday’s article (Focus On: Book Blogs) about how to effectively review books on your blog. Can you guess which hyperlinked tip refers to us before clicking it for confirmation? Sounds fun, right? I’ve got to run, so this PSA is officially over. Thanks for your three seconds!

Women Writing for a Change ‘Spring Fling’ Podcast!

A few weeks ago, I participated in a podcast for Women Writing for a Change here in The Queen City. Although I was puffy and a bit out-of-sorts due to major sinus issues, the entire experience was several sorts of fun. My kilt-clad honey was there for moral support; the organizers even invited him into “the circle” (quite the important thing), where he unleashed his singular brand of brash, intellectual charm on all of my co-writer-readers. There followed nearly two hours of creative rituals, snacks, networking, laughter and, of course, podcast recording.

As host Carol Stewart said in her intro to the ‘Spring Fling’-themed podcast, we are “sending forth words that are bold and necessary”. Twelve writers offering twelve entirely different perspectives, a dozen voices ultimately uniting in a rising and triumphant exultation to the new season; there is stunning individuality but a cohesive flow is maintained. Written in ten minutes on a Sunday afternoon, with the only goal being to stave off boredom whilst maintaining a comfortable laziness, my contribution is brief and humble. It initially appeared here as Intermezzo: The Sky is Flaunting Itself. It’s quick but descriptive; after reading it twenty times I’m still content with it and am glad that I did not embellish it for this recording.

I am the third reader in the first segment. Be sure to check out my friend Angela Muchmore in the second segment, where she reads a lovely original poem. The podcast is available as a free download on iTunes. It can also be found on the WWFC web-site.