...I am not a freak about animals, but I had a dog once, and I loved her a lot. She was a fluffy, mischevious cocker the color of movie theater popcorn. Alex lived 14 years, but the last one was rough times at Ridgemont High as she deteriorated, getting arthritis, peeing at random on every carpet or rug, going blind. The same thing has happened to my computer. It got arthritis, then the shakes and yesterday it went blind, leaving me with it's blank gray face. The only thing it didn't do was piss on me. I hate computer problems more than car problems, and that's saying something because I'm about as mechanical as Curt from "Glee." So, I'm getting my data transfered (hopefully, someone at The Geek Squad is furiously doing so as we speak-write/read) and will have a new machine in hand Wednesday.
...I feel awkward without my laptop. All my writing is in it--the stories, the novel. It's like someone came and stole one of my children and I keep walking by their room and looking in but it's just a messy bed and mountains of dirty clothes all over the floor.
...This morning I got a story accepted called "Vampire Weekend." I wrote it over a year ago, inspired by the fine band of the same name, before the world felt so saturated with vampires. Now it looks like I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Anyway, there's a lot of swearing in this story. It'll be posted in a couple of weeks.
...I also got another rejection from PANK, albeit a very kind and considerate rejection from Roxane herself, someone I admire. I think in a previous post I came across a little whiny and unaccountable. I realize it's up to the writer to not only create a sharp piece, but to ensure said work fits the tone of the magazine you're submitting to. I'll keep trying because I'm a big boy and I can handle rejection, but mainly because I really like PANK.
...I also like Annie Dillard's slim volume called, "The Writing Life." It's up there with other great writing books like Ann Lamott's "Bird By Bird." (I did not, however, enjoy Dillard's "The Living," which I read through even though it felt like prison work.) I'll leave you with this nice bit from "TWL":
"The line of words is a hammer. You hammer against the walls of your house. You tap the walls lightly, everywhere. After giving many years attention to these things, you know what to listen for. Some of the walls are bearing walls; they have to stay, or everything will fall down. Other walls can go with impunity; you can hear the difference. Unfortunately, it is often a bearing wall that has to go. It cannot be helped. There is only one solution, which appalls you, but there it is. Knock it out. Duck."