out with the old…
So yesterday I traveled to Philly to give one of the least spectacular interviews EVER…shot myself in the foot within the first couple of minutes, and then just started praying for a quick end to the ordeal. Luckily, I have a good friend who lives in Philly and we met for dinner afterward (what can’t a cheeseburger and greasy fries cure?). Marie gave me this beautiful holiday gift, which she handmade (love my creative, low-consumption friends!): after painting an old Altoids tin gold, she inserted a brilliant quote and several small sheets of paper that prompt me to consider what I’ll release for the new year…
Can you read what it says? “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~ Lao Tzu. I think maybe–for now–I need to let go of the idea of being a professor. Maybe I’ll go back into the academy someday, but I could use this time to figure out who else I might be: writer, intellectual, filmmaker…
On another note, I found this great review by Sanguinity early this morning (why do I wake at 5am?!?), which contrasts Wish with Walter Dean Myers’ novel, Riot. I’m urged to “write faster” so the sequel will be done sooner rather than later…I’ll try!
Older Post ❱❰ Newer PostOh, but I loved this. It’s well-written (I need not have worried about it being self-published) and utterly engrossing. The usual one-line summary is about a black girl in contemporary Brooklyn who tosses a penny into a fountain to wish for a different life, and gets transported to 1863 Brooklyn. The wish, it turns out, doesn’t happen until seventy pages in, and I did not mind one bit. Genna is lovely and awesome and there are so many perfect little moments where the Genna-ness of Genna shines through. I adore Elliott’s characterizations, most especially how much she can communicate in a single vignette. Some characters are on-page for only a page or two, but still I know (or can guess!) enough about them to make my heart squeeze tight.
0 Comments