writewrite

This campaign video is not quite as good as the first one…. however, it is good to know she’s still in the running: Paris Hilton for President.

PS Owen approves of her message.

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Upcoming readings by I.U. East creative writers, many of whom have been my students, or will be!

Saturday, October 25.
5 – 7 p.m.
The Old Bookshop
Main St. Richmond, IN

Members of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society will read selections of their work as part of the annual celebration of the Old Bookshop’s anniversary.

Thursday, October 30
1 – 2 p.m.
Bookstore Lobby, I.U. East
Members of the Humanities Club, and Sigma Tau Delta will read Halloween poetry and prose.

Tuesday, November 18
7 – 9 p.m.
Crossroads: The Indiana University East and Earlham Communities Reading Series
Ronald Gallery, Earlham College Campus
Creative writers from I.U. East and Earlham College will offer a reading of their poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. This is the first event of a series of shared readings between the two campuses. The next event, in the spring, will be held on the I.U.East campus.

And…if you’ve read this far…I’ll be reading at the Earlham School of Religion (ESR) on Friday evening as part of the Annual Writing Colloquium For information about that, call ESR at 765-983-1423.

I’m sorry to break the blog silence, but I must. In the last week I have been asked, more than a dozen times, when I’m leaving for — variously — Virginia, Washington, the East Coast. Before I can even answer, the questioner then often says: We are so sorry to lose you!

At first I thought, what the heck is going on? Did I get fired? A new job? Where on earth did this story come from? I finally figured out what was going on when a rumor spreader revealed (innocently) his source of MIS-information.

Ah. Now I see. Several slightly wrong pieces of information out there in the press came together and people began to spin their own story of What Jean is Doing Now. It’s really weird to be in the middle of a rumor about yourself. The rumor is not that big a deal, nor am I, but my goodness, how odd to realize there’s a fictional you out there living in Virginia, or moving to Washington, or having really interesting adventures that you yourself are quite not having and people are talking about all this, and you, or some version of you.

For those who wish to, please feel free to continue talking about the fictional Jean who is having that big life out there somewhere beyond Indiana. I hope she has a great time and sends me postcards. But for those who prefer nonfiction — which I do — please feel free to repeat this factual information about the real Jean (small and not so interesting) and what she is doing now:

I got a nice award from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts to spend three weeks there between fall and spring semester. THREE WEEKS. That’s it.

I am NOT leaving Indiana, or Indiana University East. I love my job, my students, my work. If rumors arise to the contrary, you have my permission to thump the rumor-mongerer on the head.

More facts to spread about:

I am writing a book.

I do have a grant this year to write; the grant gives me time. That’s it.

I am not making a second film. No. I am not.

I did say, in class last night, that I am thinking much more positively about Paris Hilton lately because of her rather funny campaign video.

And you may quote me.

On the advice of a writer and friend I respect a great deal, I’m leaving blog land for a month or two. I have nothing useful to say about the election — the country is a wreck, good luck to anyone who is in the White House next, I wish you and your party well. I have nothing new to say about Owen — he’s still devastatingly cute, smart, athletic, and as apolitical as I am, it turns out. Buddy is healthy and happy. The cats are surly and fat. The world of creative nonfiction is chasing its tail as ever and remains frankly uninteresting to follow or write about.

What is interesting to follow, think about, and write about is the stuff that is making its way into the book. On paper. Yes, dear writer friend, by hand (even before you told me to, so there). And the energy of writing needs to go there now.

Not here.

So: I’ll see you when the snow flies…

Love, Jean
(and me too, Owen!)