Month: July 2007
-
Nature and Nurture
I think people sometimes take for granted the kind of environment they grow up in, and how it plays a part in shaping who they become. Of course we all know that’s a given, that we’re influenced by our environment, but I myself can sometimes get caught up in what-might-have-beens. Usually when people get caught…
-
More Happy Things
First: The finished copy of the book came today! Me acting like a grade school boy with his spelling bee award or something to that effect. And second: The Endicott Studio’s Journal of the Mythic Arts has its Summer YA issue live now. They’ve got fantastic stories, poetry, art and essays over there, so go…
-
Happy Things
1. One of the things I love lately is that when you do a search on “Christopher Barzak” at Amazon.com, the number two listing is Rufus Wainwright’s new album “Release the Stars”. This makes me ridiculously happy for some reason that, as Amazon says, customers who have pre-ordered my novel have gone on to buy…
-
BJ OMalley
BJ OMalley was one of the performers at the Stage last night. Her songs were amazing. I’d classify her as Alt Country in the vein of singers like Neko Case. But there’s a touch of Janis Joplin in her as well, at least there was last night. Go to her myspace page and listen to…
-
Surprise
I had the most awesome birthday evening yesterday. I spent most of the day on my own, just bumbling along from one thing to another. Then in the evening, went to the Stage, where I met my parents in the parking lot outside with my friends and took the elevator up to the third floor…
-
Birthday
It’s that time of year again. Today: lounging around doing nothing but whatever I want, mostly reading and eating chocolate brownies and then later, going to The Stage, where I’ll give a reading from One for Sorrow, then a martini or two at Imbibe, then dancing! It’s nice outside. I may go outside to read…
-
The Disintegrating City
John Edward’s is on his poverty tour, and is visiting Youngstown. NPR just covered it, focusing on our mayor’s new plan to shrink the city rather than grow it, a plan that’s won international awards and has European and Asian nations visiting to see what we’re doing here. It’s a great piece. Listen to it…
-
Hello, Goodbye
Back from New York City, which was wonderful as usual. So many things seen and done and eaten and heard, etc. Now I’m doing laundry and getting ready to pack, because starting tomorrow I’ll be in Cleveland for the next three days teaching at the Imagination Writing Workshop. I attended Imagination when I was 19…
-
Dear World
I am in New York City vacationing at the moment. So I won’t be around here, and won’t be quick to respond via email, for the next week (and for several days thereafter, as I’m going to be going from NYC to Cleveland to teach at the Imagination Writing Workship at Cleveland State University till…
-
Summer Festival of the Arts
This weekend was Youngstown’s Summer Festival of the Arts. (Pictures in my flickr, just click on the sidebar pics to see them all). It was held on YSU’s campus. I hadn’t been to the festival in years. Last year I’d been at Readercon in Boston when it was held, and missed it. I was glad…