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August 14, 2006
IN AUGUST WE TRUST
Today needs to be recorded in my diary as the day when I thought that I wouldn't be able to write a word but found myself adding my daily (which has become every-other-daily) quota to current novel. I am surprised, given the number of extra tasks that I have to take on for the family business, that the novel keeps accumulating.
A week ago, I decided on a moratorium on social events. Yes, I said, this will not do. All social engagements have to be organized around other necessary activities ( for example, excercise) so all those catch-ups had to be during walks. That went by the wayside because when one is flat-out busy, the time to unwind cannot be pre-planned--it gets taken when it can.
Movies to see: Don't Come Knocking the film from Wim Wenders (also see photos and interview in the summer Zoetrope All-Story). The Australian film Jindabyne was extremely good (except for the music which called attention to itself) based as it was on the Raymond Carver short story, So Much Water So Close To Home. Finally, a wonderful debut film Brick, from director Rian Johnson, a kind of noir mystery, screenshots like panels from a graphic novel.
Seen in Carlton bookshop READINGS: Copies of Agni 63 on the shelves. If you did not know they were there, you do now and if you live in Melbourne, you do not have any excuse now not to go and check it out. Great introduction by Sven Birkerts--I always feel, reading his intros, as if I am sitting inside his head and looking out. Also seen was the new issue of wet ink, a magazine of new writing from Adelaide. Check this one out as well -- it is bound to please (plus they have a poetry comp).
Read recently: An article from William T Vollman in the online Poets&Writers where he talks about 'writing with integrity, bending genres, and humanizing the villains'. Absorbing reading. As is this article here, Leaping the Abyss -- Stephen Hawking on black holes, unified field theory, and Marilyn Monroe -- that I found while I was doing some research for my current novel.
Aside from all of this, I have been perusing maps of the US, realizing that any mental pictures I might have made, any geographical maps based on novels read, might not be the full information. Four weeks from now, I leave for the US to write/collaborate/meet writers and friends, to do readings in New York and Boston and perhaps in Greenwood (?), as well as attend the Words and Music Festival in New Orleans (remember I mentioned being finalist for the Faulkner Awards for the novel).
Busy busy busy.
Posted by girija tropp at 09:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
August 06, 2006
NEWS, READS, PUBLISHED AND MORE
I got my copy of SOUTHWORD with my story in it and was tickled to find it labelled - New Writing from Ireland. Lovely story by Colm Toibin in it. Go and buy and read. Lovely collection.
There is also Sleeping Fish with lots of wonderful work with writers Doug Martin, Kim Chinquee, Cooper Esteban/Renner, Liesl Jobson and more. What a lovely website.
In other news, two of my stories are now online at Gambara. Three other will complete a kind of folio in the printed collection of fiction which is come out around March 2007.
Looking forward to: One of my stories coming out in The Mississipi Review Prose Poem Issue this fall. Kim Chinquee also has some work in there.
Towards the end of last week, I was trolling through a google of my name looking for urls to online work and lo and behold, I discovered that I was a finalist in the The William Faulkner Awards for the Novel 2006.
Since I have been blessed with manna recently by my Josephine Ulrick Award win, I thought this was a marvellous opportunity to go travelling to the Words and Music Festival in New Orleans. I will be catching up with fellow writers (oh what a joy) and doing readings in New York, Boston and other places. Have to tune up the speaking voice! In the meantime, I am perusing maps of the United States.
Must Read List:
Utahna Faith's SISTER in Salome
Hmm... where are all my must-reads! I'll come back later and post more.
Posted by girija tropp at 03:30 PM | Permalink