RandomCha

The networking event was sort of a waste. Except that it confirmed something I’ve been thinking about recently: selfpublishing the book WAS a good idea. If I had gone the standard route, the manuscript would still be making the rounds probably.

I show a copy of “100 Spinning Plates” to the literary rep, asking if it would be a good calling-card, an example of my work to show around. He gives it a quick look and then he says, “Oh, yeah … this is really more a marketing thing, I don’t think we’d know what to do with it really. You ought to see the art gallery rep over there or something, this isn’t really something we do.”

What DO publishers want? My favorite line of dialogue from “Schizopolis”:

It should be lengthy enough to seem substantial, yet concise enough to feel breezy. It should be serious … but with a slight wink. It should lay out a new course of action, but one that can change direction at any moment. If you must mention facts and figures, don’t do so directly. The general thrust should remain embedded in one’s mind forever … but specific words should be forgotten the moment they are heard. It should contain nothing that can’t be confirmed or denied. It should be on my desk Friday morning.

Something I said to Brandon this morning: “Angela Lansbury was just fine until about 1980, and then she turned into Andy Griffith.”

There’s this networking event tomorrow afternoon at Columbia College, for writers/artists/etc. who are thinking of getting a rep/agent. And there will be a panel discussion with various professionals, reps/agents will be there with time afterwards for glad-handing, yadda yadda. I am loathe to go and yet I feel I ought to, dammit. I hate those things. But it could be useful.

Should I go?

Continue reading →

Last night’s Oscar party was fun. We had two TVs set up and that worked fine, kinda spread people around the apartment. Lots of food, lots of leftover alcohol. People were comfy and mixed well, and we finally got to meet our neighbors across the hall. The show itself:

1 John Stewart was cool. His mocking tone was a tonic. Which means he will not be asked to return.
2 Poor Lauren Bacall. The woman should not have to deal with a defective TelePrompTer. I hope someone got a smackdown.
3 Love George Clooney! What a great guy! He’s truly worthy of his success.
4 The whole “playing music under the acceptance speech” deal was distracting. Made it hard to enjoy the moment.
5 Poor Dolly. But damn it was fun when Pimp won.
6 “Crash”?!?!
7 It’s so awesome that P.S. Hoffman won. I was pulling for Heath, but wasn’t disappointed.
8 Happy that Ang Lee won, but his speech was iffy.
9 Hooray for Altman! It was so wonderful seeing him up there. I hope he directs another ten movies. I think I agree that the Lily Tomlin/Meryl Streep intro was probably the best moment of the show.
10 “Crash”?!?! “Memoirs of a Geisha”?!?!

Oooo I dunno which I am more excited about: the fact that in a few short hours, the love seat will be out of my life forever; or the Oscar party. The Magic Cookie Bars are in the oven. They will need to cool. This afternoon we’re stocking up on party food.

I was all set to order lunch for our company meeting on Tuesday, I was ON THE WEBSITE PLACING THE ORDER, and then the big boss suddenly says “oh you should order from that new place.” Which does not deliver and discourages carry-out orders, which does not have a website and does not have a menu to fax over. Fine. I tried. When I call in sick on Monday, you can all fend for yourselves and scramble to place the order. Good luck.

We have a couch. After moving Swedish furniture last night I need a Swedish massage.

Tonight we’re going to IKEA with Brandon and Nathaniel. Time to get a couch. Meanwhile, the hideous floral-print love seat which my parents pawned off on me years ago is being picked up by the Brown Elephant on Sunday morning. Time to donate a couch. If all goes according to plan, the living room is gonna look pretty darn spiffy for the Oscar party.

Politics: don’t get me started.

Going to see Greg Allen’s new show on Thursday night, and after work today I’m swinging by The Book Cellar to drop off more copies of 100SP. We watched two more episodes of “Lost” last night and I hafta admit that it’s fun.

Because of a networking problem which we weren’t able to solve last night, Andy was able to go online but I was not. Grr. “Could not assign an IP address to your computer.”

My new stereo system has been changing the way I listen to music.

For many many years, I have been out of the habit of just sitting at home and listening to music. 90% of the time I’m at the computer, or doing things around the apartment, or even reading. But this new system has made it a pleasure to just sit and LISTEN. As obvious as it may sound, you hear something completely differently when you’re sitting and paying attention to it. Especially when it’s in crystal-clear surround sound.

Today I listened to Bernard Herrmann’s “Fahrenheit 451 Suite” and it enthralled me, once again. It’s on a CD that I’ve owned for easily ten years. But listening to it again today was wonderful, like hearing it fresh all over again. I love when that happens.