I hated Brownies, Girl Scouts, and Girls' Club. After-school clubs, organizations, or whatever you were supposed to join to add sparkle to your college application--no. And sororities? They scared the hell out of me. Anything that comes with a cheer is instant soul-sucking death. I might have shortened my life expectancy by going to a …
The inevitable excerpt…
For better or worse, I've been participating in NaNoWriMo once again. And so... here is an excerpt of The Memory Kiss.
False Advertising Me
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked me. He was at least 45. I was 22. He wore a suit and gold watch. I was wearing what my friends called the pocket dress--because you could fold it up and put it in your pocket. I was also wearing a hot pink jacket and hot …
Hold on for dear life.
The night of our first date, I watched for him out my bedroom window. He parked on the street which was silvery with earlier rain. A couple house down, he crossed the street at an angle, his long coat making him look far more romantic and heroic than he could ever possibly be. The coat …
It is all in the numbers.
Isabel Allende begins every novel she writes on January 8th. Lots of hopeful writers begin their first novel on November 1st thinking that 30 days and 50 thousand words will tell a story. Julia Cameron says to write 3 morning pages a day to reach far enough into your creativity. Joseph Wambaugh says he writes …
This thing doesn’t drive itself.
I came out of the bookstore, walked around the truck, unlocked the door, and got in. I waited there in the passenger seat. Then I realized I'd gone shopping on my own and had driven myself. Ah. I glanced around to see if anyone was looking, got out of the truck, walked back around, and …
Bachelors and Books
He was a Cosmo Bachelor-of-the-Month. My friend, M., had snagged a date with one of those men featured by Cosmo magazine. He was a surgeon and he'd picked her letter out of hundreds. The night of their date was the same night M., I, and our undergrad had planned to go see Toni Morrison speak. …
Playing Instead of Writing
Write-in Originally uploaded by mapelba A book review about A.S. Byatt's new book explains Byatt's dismay at adults who like Harry Potter and other such nonsense. So, are you a childish adult? I carry action figures around with me and I read Harry Potter. Maybe the magic in my novels is another symptom of refusing …
Nanowrimo Midnight Write
Nanowrimo Midnight Write Originally uploaded by Bizarre Star I'm doing NaNoWriMo again. It's hard to explain, but do you need me to?
Sharing the Dead
"It's a comedy," my friends said. When we pulled into the parking lot, I realized they'd lied. They wanted to see Alien 3. They thought that if they got me to the theater, I'd have to watch the movie. Then I'd realize how much fun scary movies were. "You can go see the movie if …
Marta Bacon 