Only Cormac MacCarthy

In today's WSJ interview...

How does that ticking clock affect your work? Does it make you want to write more shorter pieces, or to cap things with a large, all-encompassing work?

 

CM: I'm not interested in writing short stories. Anything that doesn't take years of your life and drive you to suicide hardly seems worth doing.`

My Cat Loves Coffee

I'm sitting here drinking my coffee and my cat Janus keeps sticking his head into my cup to pilfer a sip. And when I spilled a little on the sofa? He rubbed his head allover the spot. Weirdo.

What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

You know what I think would be the coolest job ever? Naming colors for home renovation products. I mean take a look at two of the new 2007 colors for Avonite's solid surface counter tops (yes: every once in a while I actually have to do some work for money. Stupid world):

martian sunset; cosmic penny; silver comet.

Isn't that delicious? I can just see myself, colors watches and samples array around me, picking the most fantabulous names I can conjure.

Hmmm.

In another life, maybe...

Diseases With Awesome Sounding Names

A week or two ago when I was waiting at Quest Diagnostics to give my million vials of blood, I looked on the Diagnostic Test order form the reproductive endocrinologist gave me and noticed the coolest sounding disease ever:

Maple Syrup Urine Disease.

How cool is that? I mean the name, not the disease. I'm sure that part sucks.

Avery Reading At Stain Bar

Some of you may remember that my husband Rod Schecter's short story appeared in the fan-tabulous fiction anthology Avery 1. Well, now there's an Avery 2 and they're having a reading here in Brooklyn to celebrate and raise funds for future issues. Well, I'm assuming they're going to use the funds for future issues. But maybe they're just raising cash for a trip to Bermuda this Winter. Either way, we're heading over to Williamsburg's Stain Bar tonight to listen to some kick-ass readings and imbide some of the borough's finest beer. Fun times, fun times. And I'm bringing my camera so maybe I'll have some lovely pix for you to look at tomorrow.

Oh, and the reading starts at 8pm. If you're in the hood and want to head on over to show your support.

The Big Plunge: National Novel Writing Month

This year I swear I'm doing it: writing an entire novel between November 1 and 30. And by posting about it now I'm relying on all of you to call me a big fat loser if I don't complete 50,000 words in 30 days. Hopefully this little endeavor will knock the bitchy over-critical Editor-MinervaJane right out of my head. Because how can it possibly be any good if I spill words at that rate? So: can I write a shitty meandering novel in that amount of time? You bet I can.

The List
Last year I started a running list of things I want to do during my lifetime. Just about once a month I read over this list--adding new goals, altering details, or deleting items. And every time I edit The List I spend a good deal of time daydreaming about how each task might unfold. I figure if I keep up my healthy eating & exercise routine I have a good 66 more years to accomplish my goals. (I'm being conservative and aiming for 100...)

And oddly enough, most of the list involves travel.

Take a look. Then tell me: what's on your list?

1. Be an extra in a movie or television show.
2. Take trapeze lessons.
3. Travel across Virginia in the end of October in a hot air balloon. (The fall colors!)
4. Take tango dancing lessons.
5. Go trekking in Nepal.
6. Spend the winter in Costa Rica writing.
7. Have a professional photo shoot in a field with wildflowers. (I know. Such a cheese.)
8. Learn to flip an omelet perfectly.
9. Get fitted for a bra at a fancy schmancy lingerie shop.
10. Go on a yoga-adventure vacation (hiking or kayaking) in South or Central America.
11. Go hiking in Cinque Terre, Italy.
12. Visit Australia and/or New Zealand.
13. Take a yoga class every day for one month.
14. Go camping at Big Sur for a week.
15. Take a tantric yoga class.
16. Finish writing that second novel.
17. Write a screenplay.
18. Become a certified yoga teacher and develop a yoga for creativity class.
19. Go to the Denali National Park.
20. Write a book of travel essays.