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September 19, 2005

Zoetrope

For the last few days I’ve been obsessed by a website, Zoetrope.com, that I stumbled upon while playing with the idea of having my story published. The site is a brainchild of Francis Ford Coppola and can best be described as an online artists’ colony cum film studio. There are sections devoted to art/design, acting, directing, and several for writing. In the writing section each member must review a certain number of submissions by other members in order to have their work reviewed; basically an online writer’s workshop.

I’ve been reading and reviewing stories for the last few days in order to get reviews of Greener Pastures. I’m grateful for the praise I’ve gotten here, but wanted more substantial criticism. Well, I’ve finally reached my minimum quota of reviews and just finished reading what others had to say about my work. It’s funny—while everyone agreed Ted is not a sympathetic character they reacted quite differently. One reviewer dismissed the story altogether because of Ted’s disagreeable and superficial nature. He wrote something like “I don’t know why I should care about Ted or why you would want to write about him.” The other reviewers didn’t find it necessary to identify with the main character to appreciate the story as a whole.

The best reviews I got encouraged me to elaborate more on Ted’s relationship and break-up with Cindi, actually to elaborate more on everything, and to do something about the ending. I think they have a point; the story does almost read like a summary, as one reviewer put it. So I’m back to the drawing board to embellish Ted’s dreary existence and rethink the ending of Greener Pastures.

Posted by April at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2005

Reading the Days Away

People I run into or speak on the phone with inevitably ask me what I’ve been up to. I inevitably say something like “Oh a lot of reading…” and then add something else because reading sounds so boring and almost on par with watching television as far as wasting time goes. Maybe that would be true if I were reading Danielle Steele romance novels, but I’m not. I’ve had my nose in a different book every few days for the last couple of weeks, and I’m loving it. Here’s a glimpse into my world recently:

Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich

You’ve probably heard of this one. Journalist Ehrenreich goes to three different cities and attempts to support herself working low-wage jobs. Ehrenreich gets jobs that are above minimum wage, usually around $7.00 an hour and tries to earn enough to pay for rent, utilities, food, etc. While the outcome of the experiment is generally predictable Ehrenreich’s commentary is what makes the read so enjoyable. Alternately funny and depressing Nickel and Dimed is an insightful book about America’s working poor from the perspective of a member of the upper middle class.

Brothel, by Alexa Albert

This is another journalistically styled work of non-fiction. It’s Albert’s account of living at the Mustang Ranch, one of Nevada’s legal brothels. In it she interviews almost all of the women working there and becomes friends with many along the way. It’s an honest depiction of what life for “working girls” in Nevada’s brothels is like. Once I began reading this I couldn’t put it down it was so fascinating. Albert addresses many questions like the transmission of STDs in brothels, what leads the women to prostitution, the dynamic between the women and their clients, the often catty competition between women as well as their sisterly bonds and much, much more. Brothel makes a strong case for the legalization of prostitution and it does so in the most convincing way possible: by portraying real people’s stories alongside statistical public health and safety (not to mention fiscal) benefits of state-controlled prostitution.

Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World, by Sarah Vowell

Sarah Vowell is a regular contributor to This American Life and Take the Cannoli is a collection of essays, some of which have even be featured on said radio program. The essays range in topic from mix tapes to the Trail of Tears but are unified by Vowell’s wit and wisdom. If you like David Sedaris you’ll enjoy Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell.

A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole

Thank you, Mark, for recommending this book. It’s completely absorbing. I knew it was set in New Orleans and for some morbid reason felt like reading a novel that takes place in my favorite recently submerged city. I was unprepared for the hilarity that ensues from the first few pages, especially for Ignatius J. Reilly, the book’s main character who manages to be simultaneously grotesque and endearing. I’ve assigned A Confederacy of Dunces to Nate as required reading and heartily recommend it to you as well.

The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman

A former roommate suggested I read The golden Compass, first in a series of three books, when I began reading Harry Potter. She used to work in a children’s bookstore and knows her stuff, I must say. It took a while for me to get around to investigating The Golden Compass, and I couldn’t be happier that I finally did. I bought a chard cover edition with plans of giving the books to my nephew some day. I’ll have to wait a little longer than I’d originally thought, for Pullman’s writing is more sophisticated and his stories more violent than those of Potter’s J.K. Rowling. The Golden Compass is, in many ways, superior to Harry Potter with the additional benefit of only having three books in the series, all of which are currently available.

Posted by April at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2005

People are People

I’ve been asked on several occasions how living in Joplin differs from living in Santa Cruz. Because the differences are so vast it can sometimes be difficult to articulate. It’s worse than apples and oranges. It’s been frustrating trying to express the adjustment I’ve made—whether I’m making conversation or taking personal inventory of my life since Joplin. Lately I’ve been noticing some similarities between the two cities and I think that by focusing on what each place has in common it’s easier to understand how they’re different. For example:

No matter where they are people exercise their right to free speech: In Joplin they invoke it in favor of the President and in Santa Cruz against.

People work hard and appreciate the occasional night out on the town: In Joplin they frequent oversized “night clubs” complete with cover charges, neon lights, and the occasional brawl. In Santa Cruz the hot spot is the Red Room (or its smoke-free neighbor, the Red Lounge), a cozy bar in a historic hotel with a free jukebox that has kick-ass music.

People are susceptible to addiction: In Joplin the drug of choice is crystal meth; in Santa Cruz it’s heroin. I’m not saying that either substance is good in any way but I would like to point out that the former is associated with truckers and trailer trash while the latter is associated with rock stars.

People enjoy the Great Outdoors: In Joplin they go hunting or get drunk while floating in canoes. In Santa Cruz they surf, bike along the coast, or go hiking through the redwoods.

Young people are universally rebellious and tend to gravitate toward down town: In Joplin the youngsters “cruise” Main Street on Friday and Saturday nights. In Santa Cruz they loiter in front of Borders, hassling passers by for change and cigarettes day and night, every day.

People don’t like spending a lot on booze: In Santa Cruz they drink “Two Buck Chuck” (a wine available at Trader Joe’s- guess what a bottle costs). In Joplin they drink domestic beer from a can.

People like to go on walks: In Santa Cruz they walk their dogs. In Joplin they walk their kids.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little cultural comparison between Joplin and Santa Cruz, that I’ve elucidated some of the finer points of difference between the two. I’m especially hopeful that this has served as a reminder that people are essentially the same, no matter where we go.

Posted by April at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

September 01, 2005

Purses Galore

I’ve made a couple more tote bags- one for my sister’s friend and one for a friend of Nate and me. Autumn’s friend is a Mary Kay rep and likes butterflies, so hers is mainly pink. It turned out well, though I don’t prefer pastel accessories. I made a little felt rose to accent it, which also came out nicely even though the leaves look black in the photo (at least they do on my monitor).

The bag for our friend is probably the best bag I’ve ever made. The fabric is a heavy canvas that holds its shape better than the lighter quilting material I’ve used so far.

The colors are bright and summery and I even went a bit farther by adding a beaded trim. It looks fantastic, no? I’m thinking about making bags and selling them to make some extra money. I’m stymied when it comes to figuring out pricing, though. We’ll see, we’ll see.


Posted by April at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)