Overdue things

One thing that isn't weeks old: Read my story, "only of motion" here PANK

Two weeks ago I took the Megabus to NYC for the Bushwick Open Pages fair. I've been on Ugly Duckling's mailing list for at least a year and when this invite arrived in my inbox, I jumped on it. I started following them because of their Eastern European writers focus. And, the letter press journals they create are beautiful. I sent a query letter to Linda half a year ago, but they aren't publishing books outside of their series. It was an exciting day. I talked to editors of Gigantic and BOMB as well as UDP. I have to say, I expected to walk up the subway stairs and fall in love with Brooklyn, but no such thing happened. It reminded me too much of South Jersey, with its abandoned warehouses and chop shops.

I then interloped at a DOGZPLOT reading. Barry was kind enough to let me read, oh wouldn't you know, I do have some stories on me... It went well. When a woman says the "p" word it gets laughs. The after party was fun. KGM is as lovely as you imagine. Peter S. in his underwear, flashes the audience. Such a long walk to PENN, but it was worth it. Took the late late bus back.

Sometime between the fair and the reading I stopped into a Russian Souvenir shop on 2nd Ave. The elderly owner was born in Belarus. He kept calling it "White Russia." I didn't ask him about that. I bought a small lapel pin of a bird with a word that doesn't translate well. He said it means something like museum. I don't know. He smelled like sausages, but was very kind.

Last week I attended the On Our Own conference at Rocky Gap in Cumberland. On Our Own is a peer support organization that helps people with mental illness live fuller lives. My work sponsored me and one of my co-workers. Last year I attended and spent too much of the time drunk or hung-over. This year I walked some ten miles of trails and swam in the gorgeous lake. I mark this conference's anniversary as the time when I really slapped myself in the face and demanded I make changes. And I have.