Word After Word

High Points

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:23:21 +0000

1. Getting my picture taken for the London Daily Telegraph at Matt’s coffee shop. It was so fun. I was so nervous. There was a lot lot lot of equipment involved and it was very exciting and thrilling and good for my skin I think!

2. Learning alli, aca, aqui — at last!

3. Amelia saying she believes she knows who stole my pumpkins and those boys weren’t wearing shirts. She over heard a girl saying, “You need to go home and put on shirts!” I like how she creates these Justice Narratives. I think my own writing is kind of coming from a similar impulse!

4. The long walk with J. saying yes to fall.

5. I danced! I can’t even believe it. I danced.

Inspiration

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:30:51 +0000

“I don’t believe in it. People think some muse comes down and strikes. Well, making a dance is just plain work like anything else. The inspiration is the deadline.” –Paul Taylor.

Sweet Spots

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:22:42 +0000

1. My next door neighbor, Milt, said he’d missed Cubby, my little dog, and was happy to see him back. They are roughly the same age. Then his wife offered me some “pigs.” It was the sweetest, sweetest thing, to hear Milt, a WWII veteran, confessing affection for a small red dog.

2. Max, my friend who is three, said, when his mom and I got to talking at length at dinner Saturday night, “Excuse me, Mama. Let’s just ask Max how HIS dinner is going. Let’s see how he is doing with his food!” Then she asked him, Max, how is your dinner tonight? And he said, “IT IS GOING REALLY GOOD FOR MAX! He’s doing really good with his food!”

3. The No. One Ladies’ Detective Agency movies on HBO. They are so good. And the Features, listening to Minghella explain how he directs: “Look. See what’s there. Witness. Don’t try to control it.” It’s the best writing advice. It’s the one thing I try to teach my students.