Lisa Frank is my Hero

This, KTB, is the luck dragon.

As you can see, I, like Kim, enjoy a solid, serious writing notebook. It may not be "black" like Kim's, but what is black anyway? Is it not a large-eyed girl with giant diamond earrings and rainbow-stitched mittens hugging a blue-eyed polar bear beneath a pink and purple sky while being watched by a frozen puffin that died pondering what it was doing in the Arctic when its natural habitat is the rocky seacoasts of the North Atlantic?

If that weren't serious enough (and it is), there is both a multiplication table and a list of frequently misspelled words inside that somber cover. How else would I be able to properly type, "Dominant broccoli biscuits schedule separate sandwich salaries" or "Shining vacuums financially separate truly foreign potato mosquitoes?"

People often visibly react to the seriousness of my notebook when I take it out in public. Or are they wondering where my niece is and why I have her notebook?

And here are the goods: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dc8dd77d_2g8jknwd3&hl=en
I am currently 20 pages deep in a short story with no end in sight. That is, what I believe the kids call, fucking hopeless. And that is why I uploaded something totally unrelated. Specifically, a page of some creative non-fiction I started with the "I remember" exercise and ended abruptly, mid-thought.

I remember when there was no blog and no one knew about my Lisa Frank notebook. I remember. I remember. I remember.

Oh mayonn, aise up on Tom!

I'm testing out that versatility. I also apologize for not posting in a very long time. Everyday I mean to bring my camera to work but everyday I forget. So I'll describe my desk to you instead. I don't use my desk at home because it leans and I think it will break if I touch it. The items of interest are as follows:
* Pen caddy with glue sticks, a WI cheesehead pencil with cow spots, a pencil with a prop plane on top so I can spin the propeller around when I'm editing footnotes, and a white plastic soup ladle. And lots of red pens that I don't ever get to use.
* my father's pilot wings, on my keyboard
* a carved "one world"-type statue from Ghana
* a large coaster with a camel that looks very much like the luck dragon from Neverending Story that says, "I don't trust camels....or anyone else who can go for a week without a drink." And a camel teacup and saucer. Courtesy of my father.
* a stapler with "KTB" written on the top in white-out
* a Jane Austen action figure
*pink grapefruit Airborne (not so delicious)
* sketches from my sister in which she compares Calvin (C&H) to our [stuffed] rabbit
* a card from Halloween that says, "The mummy unwinds after a long day"
* two Persian rug mousepad coasters (you'd think I like coasters a lot, but this what happens when I ask my dad for one thing)
* lots of postcards that lean against my fake window with the fake blinds that overlooks the hallway
*Post-Its everywhere

And lots of work that I put off daily. And I do not let the Chicago Manual of Style sit on my desk. That's by my phone. I don't like using the phone, and I thought I would hate Chicago so I banished it when I first started this job. It's actually not so bad, but that's where it sits; I can't move it.

I haven't been doing much writing lately, although that will change when Shana gets back from Costa Rica. Maybe I'll write a poem about Miracle Whip.

continued...

So: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dc8dd77d_0f7xzjrdc&hl=en? I'm not sure if you can access this here, but I saved it to my folder in theatticoffifce shared google thing, so I guess you can just log in and view it there if this link doesn't work.

The Prodigal son returns

Hey all,
If you read Stylus or know me you'll get the title reference. Sorry I’ve been MIA. Lots of graduating, lots of moving. I still need to figure out how to get e-mail notes about blog-posts.
It’s amazing what BC students leave behind, furniture/accessory wise. Not legacy-wise. That’s much more intangible and somehow linked to alumni donations. I’ve been hooked up as a writer though – found abandoned printers, chairs, paper, books, bookcases and pens. Everything but the filing cabinets, Kim.
I also sent out to a few contests. Part of me feels ‘$20 down the drain,’ the other part feels ‘I’ll get read.’ I sent to the River Styx thing, so Katie, if you’re reading, wink wink, find ‘The Merrimac’ and move it to the top-pile.
I haven’t been doing much writing. I’ve written a poem, a song, and very small pieces of two or three stories (this a month or two). In too many places at once. I’d like to find the time to sit and write a large part of a short, but I gotta work around my work schedule now. I’m kind of energy zapped in the afternoons, but I’m acclimating. I’m eager to have a story read though, because I haven’t written one in a while, so maybe I’ll focus on that.
In the meantime, to compensate for my absence on the blog-wall, I’ll post a poem early. I’ll do it in the google-doc way, so I hope it works, i.e. hope I can figure it out.

Liam

Thank you, Al Gore.

I can't stop. I love the Internet. Here are the poems I'm thinking of submitting to the River Styx poetry contest. Any feedback/last-minute comments are appreciated. Thanks!
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=d6ptbpm_2hg9n2kgb&hl=en
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=d6ptbpm_4f4thvkt7&hl=en
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=d6ptbpm_3hj6gxzfd&hl=en

Ok, so I'm stealing free wireless at the local library. Yes, I chose the dorkiest option. I say nay (Nay!) to Starbucks and Panera (known around here as St. Louis Bread Co.) with all their aromatic atmosphere and corporate cookie-cutter hipster-de-leche sensibility. Give me the outdated, empty Cliff Cave branch of the St. Louis public library!
Good news: I ordered high speed internet from AT&T (I "bundled" something or other), so my house will be getting the hook-up. Tomorrow afternoon I'm going down to the offices of River Styx, the STL lit journal to read some slush and make literati friends and turn in some submissions to their poetry contest (do you think I get guilt points for submitting in person?).
Speaking of writing friends, the other night at a bar, some guy tried to buy me a drink and claimed he'd written a book. So, of course, logical me told him we should be in a writing group. Note to all: a bar is not the place to meet dates, and neither is it the place to meet writing partners. Especially not a bar called the Atomic Cowboy.
Now I am attempting to post a piece of writing by pasting a link to its Google Docs location. So if you don't have a Google Docs account, this won't work. And it may not work otherwise. Google luck.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=d6ptbpm_1swdc6khh&hl=en

Due Dates

What do you say that we all (by that I mean you all--that's teacher speak. It'll wear off.) post something that we're writing by each Friday? Until we figure out the google docs angle (jump in, anyone. Tom's little typing fingers are going to wear out), let's just cut and paste SOMETHING, anything. A sentence fragment. I don't care what. Just getting a Friday deadline in our heads. If you're writing nothing then put up what your routine MIGHT be, and what your pen and paper look like. You think I'm kidding? The notebook that you can carry around with you counts as work. So go to a bookstore and find one. Some people like to go fancy (I'm more this way. I spent too many years as a mother writing on the back of my kids' muffin wrappers and then throwing them away--I need the solidity of those black books I can later write the composition dates on the spines of. Don't read that sentence over, please. You'll sprain the grammar part of your brain.), some people like to have the grungiest spiral notebook with Sponge Bob on the cover. Try both. Just whatever. But post about it, because that gets your thinking about writing's place in your life through a little everyday thing. And that's where the work gets done--in the humble, almost invisible decisions.

Looking forward,

KG

I exist.

Or do I?
After some time-- 20 hours on the road, 1 lucky deer, 1 less lucky bird, 4 days recuperating at home, 17 blog posts-- of being MIA (that's "missing in action," not the Sri Lankan rap-tress), I have found the Internet again. It took 25 minutes to pull up the page, but I stuck it out, and here I am.
It looks fantastic (thanks Tom), and I'm so happy to have photos of the attic. I would post photos of my desk options, but my camera is sinking to the level of my internet connection in terms of speed, and even when it finally creaks out an image, I can't connect it to my lovely old PC (did I mention I saw three foxes in my backyard yesterday? Who needs the outside world?). So this is my plan: get DSL ASAP. And wireless too. Move the POS PC to the basement and set up my laptop. Trade in my camera for a new one (birthday on Friday), take some pictures, post them. Maybe write something. Lord knows I haven't been doing any of that writing thing.
What, you may ask, have you been doing? Well, I went to what turned out to be a hardcore hiphop open mic night (did not participate), giggled through Richard III at Shakespeare in the Park, nearly made myself sick riding the Round-Up at the St. Francis of Assisi school picnic, and watched the Indy 500 with the fam in Indiana yesterday.
And now put up this long post to overcompensate. Keep posting! Where is Lovely Liam?

California (postgraduationliver) cleaning

Hey all,

Just wanted to keep you posted and let you know that I leave for Cali in 6 hours...I haven't started packing yet, and seeing as how I need to be at the airport by 4am, I should probably think about that instead of perusing through the recently added photos on here. But hey, procrastination is a fine form of productivity. You're just productive with those 'other things' you meant to do. Right. Ok, I'll have many stories and photos to share with you all when I get back in two weeks. Don't have too much fun without me here! :)

Mr. Wizard, like Dumbledore, is dead

Bad news first: I have no idea how to put text files on here. Well, that's not entirely true. There are a couple of ways that involve making other websites and linking them from this one. But that seems silly. And let's face it, we are the most serious bunch of people I know. Perhaps there is a way to share them on Google Docs and put a link in a post? I miss Dumbledore.

Links to Poetry Daily and it's brethren are easy. I'm not sure how to tell yall to add them or even if you can. Can you edit the blog? Or am I forced into a role of Blog God? Being a god is better than being a wizard. That's just simple physics. Add comments to this post with any links you want me to toss into the right side of the page.

As for my invisible blog, it's the damnedest thing, I put it down somewhere and now I can't seem to find it.

This is a desk in recovery. You'll notice that no actual writing is happening on it. This is what happens when I clean too much. I take all the bits of inspiring paper and postcards and stick them in a frame and mess with my lucky statue, and balance that weird wax hand on my lamp, and generally mess around. Right now I believe that fossil in the center of my page is what is stopping me from writing. That or designing next semester's courses.

So imagine how happy I am to see your untidy desks. It means that you are writing even as you are putting on your deodorant and playing with that bendable guy thing.

Now that we've been introduced to some of the desks, what do you say we make some links to cool sites like Poetry Daily. Mr. Wizard--I mean Tom--can you show us how to do that? And then we'll need to know how to post little writing attachments. (I know what you're saying, Tom, I love my writing, oh yes, I do--no, not that kind of attachment.)

And, I can't say it enough, thank you for doing this for all of us. If we're very, very good, can we get connected to the invisible blog?

Just wondering,

Kim

Hey Tom, thought I'd send this along so you can use it if you feel like it. Okay, so it's not as fun as the table with pencils, but it's something.

Best,
Kim

I Managed to Type the Last Paragraph without Calling Myself Lazy (Even Though I Am)

Instead of being asleep, preparing for a morning of creating a strategic plan change for my company (whatever the hell that means), I am awake and reading a blog. Specifically, http://writersgroupblog.blogspot.com/

Now, I know most of you are like ummm graduating or something tomorrow, but if I remember correctly, between the time the commencement ceremony ends and the time you need to be packed up and out of the dorm, you'll have ample time for reading the 396 posts there.

What you will find is 4 women who subscribe to the crazy notion of having a writing group (and of not allowing men in said writing group). Two lovely notions. Up with writing, down with men. Specifically, in their early posts (from 2006) they talk about why and how they formed their group. Also, they talk about what they actually DO when they get together.

If nothing else you will see that, while less prolific, our blog is prettier. And that's what writing is about. Right?

They also do something interesting with their blog. Once a week, each of them posts what they did the previous week to help "make a literary life." This, conveniently, translates into "Here's what I've done lately to be a writer. I only did it because I knew I'd have to tell you jerks about it. Thanks a lot (for making me a writer)." You can see why they went with the more succinct phrase. While this may be too ambitious, it's a nice idea, and one that I think would be enjoyed by the owner of the attic office, so I thought I'd throw it out there. Now it's up to Shana to reject it.

my camera is broken.

My camera, unfortunately, smells like beer. The result of that is I can not use it to send you all a picture of my messy, messy desk. However, when I go home (which will be by something like 8 pm on monday night, as BC graciously kicks us out within 30 seconds of getting our diploma), I can send you all a picture of my Home Desk, which will probably also be messy.

Thanks so much for setting this up, Tom!

This one isn't soaked in beer...

Since Tom says that I know what comes next, I'll play along with this desk of mine (I have two of them, but I keep forgetting to bring my camera to work). As you can see, I wear glasses to use my computer. Mostly I paid $150 for them because they make me look like a writer (no really, future grads, the real world makes you blind). My Harry Potter day calendar says that today is sat/sun May 3/4 and that Professor Umbridge (trademark) surveys the progress that the fifth-year students are making on their O.W.L.s. Somewhere beneath the piles of The Office dvds, I have a bunch of random chocolate my mother hid all over my house for Easter and I pretended I didn't see for 2 months. I really hoped my boyfriend would just eat them, because I'm not really that into chocolate...if everyone else is, let me know, I'll mail them to you with the forever stamps I bought at work or I'll just pass them out the next time we meet. I'm sure I'll still have them. Maybe we can use them to bribe Katie M to come back to Boston!

Am I an author now?

Oh boy! I posted. I want author points. Desk to come as soon as I remember to bring my camera to work.

Why I need a new working space...

Yeah...new, cleaner pictures to come!

First blog post since I realized Myspace was no longer (if ever) age appropriate...

Hello Hellooo!

Thanks for setting this all up, Tom! As I sit here at work, attempting to remove the false eyelashes from last night's 'Dance through the Decades' costume, I am in fact thankful to have responsible individuals out there whose biggest concerns in life stretch far beyond the depths of wondering just how long manufacturers truly meant when they named it 'semi-permanent lash adhesive'...

A Present for KG

Once you have signed up as an author, which I am sure you all have done immediately upon recieving the invitation, posting is easy (no matter how extensively HTML tags scare KG).

1. Access http://www.blogger.com/, enter your Username (which is your email address) and your Password, and click the blue Sign In button. This is known to the educated in-crowd as "signing in."

2. Click the New Post link (located next to the green +, below the title "The Attic Office").

3. Here comes the hard part. Take a deep breath.

4. In the Title field, enter the title of your post.

5. In the large, white, unlabeled field, enter a string of words (preferabley ones that, together, convey a larger message to your audience. Start with a sentence and build from there).

6. To include a picture:
A. Click the icon that looks like a tiny boring hill under a tiny boring blue sky (to the right of the spell check icon). The Upload Images window opens.
B. Click the Browse button and select the image file from the special hiding place on your computer.
C. Choose a layout. The handy icons show you what each option looks like.
D. Select an image size. The options are limitless (just kidding, there are only three options, sorry).
E. Select the I accept Terms of Service checkbox. Click Upload Image.
F. Wait for image to upload (stare absently at the wall pondering your career options with the new skills you are learning). Once uploaded, click Done.

7. When post is composed and you have proofread it a minimum of 8 times, click Publish Post.

8. Breath sigh of relief.

As Ordered: My Desk

Here is the green table of my dreams. I rescued it from the garbage when a restaraunt in the North End tried to throw it away. The fools! Who tosses a perfectly good, perfectly green table?

You can see that instead of a view of the Mediteranean Sea, I have a view of a white wall. On that white wall is a picture of the Mediterranean Sea. Technology prevails again.

Now I just have to see about getting a chair...