Uuurgh, okay that about RL gets its shit together so that I can go back to normal uploads *grumblegrumble* ANYWAY
More from the Skelemonth-Prompts.The prompt was for a sweet gesture.
While this has a bit of an approach, this was the first thing coming to my mind <33
Also nice excuse to leak a bit of Jack's bedroom Really ain't his best day, tho luckily he doesn't have to be alone with this shit.
The 8th Green Machine Regiment Band from George Mason University, comprising Stephen Cannistraci, Hunter Swanson, CMSgt (Ret.) David Porter, MGySgt Mark Jenkins, SSG Andrew Dougherty, Dr. Michael Nickens, and led by Dr. Chris Troiano, featured instruments and 19th-century brass band music arranged by George W. Stratton at The U.S. Army Band 2024 Tuba-Euphonium Workshop. #GMRegimentBand #BrassBand #PeriodInstruments #GMUGreenMachine #GMU #GoMason #MasonMusic #MasonNation #GetPatriotic #TEW2024 #TEW #Music
A couple of summers ago, I was very fortunate to be able to travel for research on my novel in progress. With funding from the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, I got in my car and drove from my home in Virginia to the U.S.-Mexico border. I'm not talking too much about the novel yet, but you can bet it's set somewhere between Virginia and the U.S.-Mexico border.
Anyway, the trip was both harrowing and amazing. It was that uncertain summer of Covid in which we had vaccines but we weren't really sure if everyone was getting them or if they even worked, and on top of that, I was dealing with some ailments that necessitated medical attention and I was in my head about the fact that I was going to some fairly remote parts of the country.
I tend to do that. Get in my head about stuff.
But I did it! I went there and back again (and the only ring involved symbolizes my love for my wife).
Two years and hundreds of thousands of words in the novel later, the trip has been incredibly inspirational and informative to the point that I've been, perhaps unwittingly, working on a personal narrative essay about it, too.
The Cheuse Center has been publishing short works inspired by their fellows' trips, and Leeya Mehta, interim director of the center, contacted me about contributing. I ended up sending her many more words than she likely expected or wanted, but we were able to focus in on one portion of my essay in progress about my novel in progress.
You can read "The Line We Drew at the End of a Nation" now. I hope you enjoy it. Maybe someday the full version will be out there somewhere.
For you fellow authors, if you can go to the places you're writing about, I highly recommend it. I am saying this more and more these days, but to become a better writer, you have to read, write, AND live. There is no substitute for getting away from your computer and experiencing the world you want to write about (yes, even if you're writing about alien worlds, you should look to ours as reference points, but also, your alien world should, in some way, reflect our world, and I'm in my head about this, aren't I?).
Digression aside, I have much more confidence in this novel because of the travel afforded to me by this fellowship, and that's because the novel is much better for it. If you're an MFA student in the GMU creative writing program, apply for this fellowship.
A bit late, but day 2 is over! We started out the day with some breakfast at Southside before heading out to GMU Arlington Campus to hear John Hollis, a sports journalist and one of four people who are immune to Covid! It was inspiring listening to his story and journey.
After Mr Hollis, we headed to Buca di Beppo for a family-style lunch with spaghetti, fettuccini alfredo, chicken parm, salad and deeeeelicious bread.
After we had lunch, we headed to Planet Word in DC for our first day venturing out in DC and a talk/speech from Michael Shear, White House Correspondent. The museum was gorgeous and if you ever have a chance to visit you 100% should!!
Once our time was up there, we went back to Arlington for yummy cookout-like food at Dudley's. We sat on the rooftop and it was such a nice day, plus they had coca-cola and sweet tea which is always amazing!
Once we finished up our dinner, we headed back into DC for our monument tours. First, the National World War II monument- so gorgeous and serene. Then we got on the bus to go to the White House to take some pics! We caught a protest for Ukranian peace and support in action which was amazing.
As it started to get dark, we went to the Lincoln memorial and it was so much prettier at night than I thought. Definitely didn't realize that Lincoln's statue in fact could not talk, lol. After Lincoln, my friends and I went to see the Vietnam War wall quickly before having to meet back to get on the bus. The names on the wall, the statues and the simpleness was super intimate and gave those young soldiers the respect they deserve.
After the Twilight Monument tour, we got back on the bus after a long day in DC and Arlington to go back to Residence Hall.
sometimes you spend more time/brainpower than you want to (and than they deserve) on you colleague's drafts because you know that academics are fragile and, out of spite, you want to rub it in that you're better at being an academic than they are despite your not having a TT job and their being handed one
and also because it makes me feel smug when i suggest something else that seems to have been understudied while also saying "the rationale behind this fancier thing doesn't make sense to me??? i think you need better justification here?", and then they take my suggestion and axe the other thing. because yes. that's correct. in the words of eugene lee yang, I'm right, you're wrong, shut up.
plus, as a reward for spending the brainpower, I will get to eat FOUR cookies when I finish and not just three cookies.
in other news, y'all. i got a MOTHERFUCKING INTERVIEW AT METRO STATE IN DENVER
so please send me your best and finest job-getting vibes (as if you weren't already!). i'm still waiting to hear back from east carolina u (my post-funeral interview) and george mason u (not heard but like. i have two tenured(?) friends there who i think would nepotize for me if they could justify it). as we know, I would love any of these jobs. but like every parent has their favorite child, oh my fuck please send me to denver. i might die because their teaching load is 4:4 (the reduction to 3:3 across the university is still being negotiated with the dean, apparently), but at least I will die in denver as an academic on the tenure track.