…I have two new things up: (surprise! an attempt at humor from me) "Lionel Richie Runs Things" at 52/250 A Year of Flash, and "Pieces of Rain," a series of water-themed micros, at The Write Room Magazine. Both are also here under "Words In Print."

…Yesterday I wrote five poems, a freaky story about a child molester's encounter with retribution, and also a couple thousand words on the new novel. The novel is going well. I know the characters intimately. I can see them, every one of their faded scars and imperfections, the physical and metaphorical ones.

…The new Hello Goodbye album is really, really good. If you like pop music, you should get this and your friends and neighbors should get it. Nicki Minag is growing on me. A few good songs. The new EP by Girls (which is really some English dudes) is pretty strong. Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon is not as good as his new cd, despite what the critics will say. At this exact moment I'm listening to Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. It's one of the more unusual collaborations, but it works.

…Do things ever cling to you? For instance, someone on Facebook went on a rant about Sarah Palin being, essentially, the anti-Christ, and how they would "de-friend" any "friend" who supported her. And then this person went on and on some more. I am a very, very strong Democrat. I don't like Sarah's politics. Not at all. But isn't the Democratic party the party that's supposed to support freedom of expression, the political slice that is supposed to embrace differences? Haters and the like really get to me. They're like tape worms.

…Changing the subject, AWP is coming up. I read Roxane Gay's blog where she talks about being so nervous and neurotic about this year's event. Roxane Gay?? She owns the internet. Well, her and Al Gore. I thought it was cute how real and vulnerable she was. The when-I'm-nervous-I-prentend-I'm-talking-on-my-phone-but-I'm-just-speaking-nonsense-to-no one-so-that-I-don't-look/feel-foolish was precious. But me, I'm like "Look Who's Coming to Dinner." I don’t have a posse or click. I've never physically met anyone who will be there. At the most, I've spoken to one person who will attend the event. (This is just me being a bit whiney, sorry.) Still, I'm excited. I've made a list of people I admire that I want to meet. I'm up to 35..

…If you've never read, "Motel Life" by Willy Vlautin, you need to. It's wonderful. I just read his third novel, "Lean On Pete." The writing is so simple and spare yet it draws a coil around you and doesn't let you go. My heart must have broke fifty times reading it. He's often compared to Raymond Carver, which, of course, is like a songwriter being compared to the other god, Dylan.

…I'm reading "Person" by Sam Pink. Sam Pink, I think, is not his real name. He's a great artist/illustrator and I love his short fiction. This novella is just really stream of thought writing. Maybe it will hit me later, sort of like a migraine after the spots are overtaken with switchblades between the eyes.

…"It's hard to love something and not look closely at it." Willy Vlautin