OK, so I should apologize

I have been neglecting you, all of you. (And I know it's thousands, millions of you, right?!?)

Anyway, I'm back from Southampton and the Squaw Valley Writers Conference, where it was weeks filled with booze, affairs and writing. (I didn't partake of affairs, but hey, others did!) I have to admit, though, even though I though it might be a huge waste of time, I found myself energized and even creative for up to two weeks afterwards. So, I will endorse both -- although for the money, I'm inclined to prefer the Squaw Valley Writers Conference.

Currently, I'm back on the academic track teaching English Comp., but now that I've left the vocational college, I'm finding my students entirely respectful and rather sweet.

So, life is rather good right now. Will attempt a couple of posts a week now.

It's July already?

Yes, it is...good news is that I'm heading to the Southampton Writers Conference! It's the first step of my Summer of Writing.

I figure now that I'm out of my MFA program, I need whatever excuses or support possible to keep me writing. Selfish? Perhaps.

I also was accepted into the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Workshop! I'm very happy about that and will be going with a classmate. It should all be fun and strange, but so writerish! I hardly do anything so self-absorbed, so it's bound to be good for me.

Shoutouts to all my colleagues who went to VONA (especially the ones who partied with Junot Diaz, ZZ Packer and Ana Castillo) this year, I heard it was awesome and I hope to go next year. (After writing that, I realized the artwork from the Southampton Writers Conference at left, has both characters, muse and writer, as Aryan archetypes. Man as creator, woman as muse only, too....hmmmm.)

Moneywise, the Squaw Valley workshop is a good deal, especially if you're in California already. The Southampton Writers Conference has a ton of famous writers, editors, actors, directors and agents, but is a bit pricey (especially with plane tickets.) I will come back with my review.