publishing

SCAN launch party. 

Our quarterly magazine, for which I do copy editing, 

had its first real launch party tonight for our new issue. 

It was, in Rob's words, a "rousing success."

I couldn't have said it better. 

There was lots of chocolate, lots of picture-taking,

and some good conversations, which I really needed.

A&E editor, and baker extraordinaire, Malee.

Spring Issue 2011.

Amazing fellow writing grad students, Krystal & Sydia, who made my night.

where i stand up in front of people

SCAD writing competition.

in which i had to, yes, 

read in front of people, again,

for SCAD's Just Write It competition,

for which i got to write some fiction!
it was pretty cool to be recognized
alongside some other very talented writers! 

warning: blurry photos

hell hath no fury like

a grammar rant. 

i wrote an op-ed in The Connector, 

ranting about grammar mistakes.

because, you know, it's fun.

a pretty room

art school love.

this is my favorite bathroom at school.

is that weird?

i maybe sometimes go here to do work.

sadly, it doesn't happen often since

i rarely have a reason to go over to the main building.

once upon a time...

Author.

Elizabeth Kostova, author of The Historian, has been 

a visiting teacher in my class this quarter. 

I went to her reading tonight from her new book, The Swan Thieves, 

and I've been very impressed with her - 

ability to crank out these long, complex, historical novels,

dedication to and knowledge of prose,

wonderful coaching and advice to us in class,

love for Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady

and Wuthering Heights, one of my all-time favorite books,

and for being such a lovely, warm, genuine person. 

These opportunities are pretty great.

another writing post

freelancing work. 

in one of my classes this quarter, 

we're collaborating with a monthly publication in Atlanta

to produce their july issue....tonight we went to their

office and pitched our story ideas. 

From left: Matt, Krystal, Wendy Binns (owner), Collin Kelley (editor), Osayi.

visiting writers

dinner with a southern author.

tonight i had the opportunity to go to dinner with 

Susan Rebecca White, a visiting author at SCAD and Atlanta native.

I haven't read her book(s), but she is so friendly, nice and down-to-earth,
and it was awesome to meet her.

(i know these are really bad pics. it was very dark in there! but very good.)

recipe for a rainy day

a coffee + wellies

today was my first day of spring quarter, 

and of course it rained, 

which meant no morning run for Lars (darn. guess i'll have to try again tomorrow;),

and which also meant a need for another cup of coffee:)

all in all, not a bad first day back. 

ahhhhhhhh. (big sigh of relief)

last day of winter quarter! 

took my last final today. 

and had a celebratory class lunch afterwards. 

we don't normally look this happy ;)

whatever am i going to do with a whole week of no school??

gainful (somewhat) employment

my new job.

in other exciting news, it's been officially proven that i'm not entirely useless.
that's right. i was hired to be copy editor for SCAD's online media site,
The Connector, and quarterly print magazine, SCAN,

starting in spring!

photo for posterity. in case anyone doubts the truth of this -

yes, i did stand around taking pictures of myself. i was that happy.

and obviously, i will be protecting the upper half of my face my identity from now on.

sugar rush

sublime doughnuts.

have you heard of these donuts? they are famous in Atlanta.

while they are pretty awesome, i have to say that i have serious nostalgia for 

Winchell's in Anaheim. I don't think anything will be able to replace it. 

and also, donuts have somehow become too sweet for me. 

what???

i know. it's sad. 

donuts AND starbucks coffee.

my doughnut. and the new issue of SCAN.

someone else's donut.

P.S. i love the making-the-doughnuts video on sublime's website.

P.P.S. What time is it?

butterflies

reading at a SCAD writing event:

eek!

somehow when i was submitting my essay to be judged i overlooked the fact that if chosen, i would have to read aloud to an audience. something i just don't look forward to. weird, right?

but, it went very well (apart from uncontrollable shaky voice syndrome), 

and I was so honored that my father-in-law and so many people from SCAD 

showed up to hear us read. 

Thanks for the support everyone!

"Off the Roll"

i really like these scotch tape sculptures

that are sitting around the main building at my school

by installation artist Mark Jenkins, 

who i know nothing about,

and i'm not sure how he's related to my school (if at all). 

i wonder if scotch tape is a metaphor for something? 

perhaps that people have become mummified to a certain degree by an almost invisible web

of "new" technology (scotch tape was new technology once, too), increasing our ability to escape death with an inverse decrease in clarity about life/self/etc.? 

i blame these existential, pointless musings on grad school, 

in case you were wondering.

yay for cool art though!