Weekend Recap

Had a good weekend. Friday night I made my way to the Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica to hear readings by students and faculty of the program where I'm taking classes. I was so impressed by the quality of the work, and kind of in awe that I know so many people making that work.
This happy awe became a little less pure as I wandered through the stacks of the bookstore afterwards. So many books on the shelves that I don't know how to go about choosing. I've rarely met a published book I didn't like, so I guess any of them would have been a good option, but seeing them all together like that was overwhelming. Like making your way through a throng of people after a football game. It becomes hard to see any one of so many as an individual. And then I began to feel ridiculous, thinking of how I spend so much of my life putting words on paper when there are clearly already so many good words on paper crying out to be read. And yet, when I got back to my car I couldn't stop myself from risking my twenty minute allotment of time after paying for my parking ticket to write my impressions of the evening in my little notebook for no audience at all--so maybe we can only be what we are!

Saturday was a writing day, finishing a draft of a script that has been in the works for way too long to send to my writers group.

And today, Paul and I drove to the Big Bear International Film Festival to see a screening of a friend's film. Big Bear is a kind of resort and ski town a couple of hours northeast of Los Angeles. There's a big lake, and it's surrounded by mountains--really beautiful. It was nice to get out of town, and I was delighted that the film, As High as the Sky was well-crafted and emotionally impactful. They took home the audience award as they have at many other festivals. Hopefully they will find distribution soon, so you'll have the opportunity to see it!

Got home in time to watch the penultimate episode of Breaking Bad, and do a few dishes. Finally sent a picture and bio to The Drum to go with my essay when they post it. It took me longer to send that than to record and send the essay itself. I keep planning to take the ultimate author photo, that I will feel no hesitation sending out into the world, but it just hasn't happened yet...that perfect picture is a rare commodity.