One More Year of School- the MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes

Yay! I am stoked. I was accepted into the MFA in Creative Writing at Wilkes University- I'll be finished with the MA in Creative Writing in January, and with a dozen or so of my writing pals, we're continuing on to the terminal degree and I'll be done in January 2010. The MFA differs from the MA in that it's a terminal degree, like a PhD. I am excited about having the higher degree and would love to teach a class or two part-time once I am able, but I am most excited about more creative writing residencies and being a part of this creative community longer. Write on!

Back to Normal- Normal as I Can Be, Anyway

Ahhhhh.

That's a sigh of relief that my memoir draft is complete for the purposes of submitting it to the MA in Creative Writing Office, to then be sent to an outside reader. Of course, I still have a long road ahead of me to polish and rewrite and edit until it's truly ready to be submitted for publication. The past two weeks, I kicked it into high gear and just cranked out work. My housework as fell to the wayside, and now that I am done, I have laundry, dishes, floors to clean.

At so many points the past few weeks I've been inspired to write a blog post, but then my mentor's words came into my head. I was a slacker. I lack self-discipline. I think a lot of writers do. But the thing is, with her pushing me and me ultimately finishing, I realize that I CAN write something that long. I CAN finish a book.

Now, I can get to work on all the other ideas I have now that I know I can do it. And since I have no looming deadline or due date, I can get back to my random blog posts and get back to doing some freelance writing.

I have to say, too, that I am so super proud of everyone in my program at Wilkes. On June 22, 2007 we met for the first time in Breiseth Hall at Wilkes- all eager writers with lots of ideas, but not all of sure where we wanted to focus our MA efforts, which genre we'd choose, which story idea we'd run with. Now, TODAY, we are all dropping off our final drafts. Wow. I cannot believe we've come this far. Many of us (hopefully I will be accepted) will be continuing on for one more year for the M.F.A in Creative Writing. I just want to be part of this community longer. I am not sure that I'd start a new project, as I may continue to polish my memoir... choices....

The Reasons it Hasn't Been a "Daily" Dose

Last night, I received an e-mail notification that I had a new blog comment. It was from an anonymous reader who made the point that I now have an Internet connection at home, yet am blogging less. On the surface it doesn't make a hoot of sense. But, here's why.

I'm a slacker by nature, like a lot of creative people are. I realized that I was quite behind where I should be with my memoir draft- and with the help of my mentor I had to set a VERY aggressive deadline to get the draft done in time to graduate-- without having to take an extra semester. She made the comment that I blog a lot. If I had put this much effort each day onto my memoir, I would not be in this perilous situation. She's absolutely right. There are other, more personal reasons, I've been struggling with the memoir, but I wanted to check in and let the folks who read by blog regularly why I haven't had a new post in a while.

What's worse, is that as soon as I got my Internet connection- I was infected with something. I thought I fixed it- until today when the same thing happened. For that last hour and a half, I've rebooted six times. I think I am killing this computer in Office Space fax destruction styles. Or, if you watch family guy, the way Brian and Stewie destroyed the "Bird is the Word" record.

I keep the Internet closed, and Word up (haha, that sounded funny) to focus in my story. But the porn and loan and other advertisements still pop open. The only way to prevent this is to unplug my Internet. But in some cases, I needed research-- in going through the draft today, I wanted to add some stuff about George Carlin and "A Place for my Stuff" since that was a big part of my family's nomadic life. I wanted to get the wording just right, so I came to my blog where I had posted the video several months ago. That's when I realized that I no longer had flash. I tried to download it. Firefox wouldn't let me. Something must have happened when I wiped out all of my viruses and tried to increase my security settings. So, after spending an hour with help files, I got it to work. And that's how I came back to my blog- to see if the video was there. And then I decided, what the hell, let me take a break, vent and blog for a minute.

Please wish me well- I don't have much time to finish this. It won't by any means be publishable by next week, but it will have a beginning, middle and end and be able to get me to graduate. I have a lot of work to do to really finish this, but this is only the beginning.

Wilkes Homecoming & Oktoberfest 2008

After sleeping off the trip to San Francisco, I woke up around 1 p.m. Saturday in time to hit up the 5th Quarter alumni tent, which my department (Communication Studies) co-sponsored. It was Wilkes' Homecoming, and a very special one at that-- the 75th anniversary! I didn't check out the game, just the party tent afterwards, which was held on the Fenner Quadrangle. I always love going back to Wilkes-- the profs in the communication department really are like my second family. It was wonderful to see Jane, Andrea, Dr. Kinney and Dr. Stine again-- and I was really surprised to see a few alums that I haven't seen in almost 10 years. I have a special situation- I started at Wilkes in 1996-1998 and then left and didn't come back until 2002. That being said, I knew a lot of people at homecoming as I was part of two classes. I enjoyed some beer and food and reminisced for a few hours about all things Wilkes. It was pretty awesome.

I already had plans to meet up with co-workers at Oktoberfest at the Lion Brewery. Since I had a "few" at the Wilkes tent, I opted to walk to Oktoberfest-- which seemed closer than it really was. On the way, me and my old friend M. stopped to visit a fellow alum who was at work. When we got to Oktoberfest, we met up with my work friends just in time to enjoy some really awesome fireworks set to the Star Wars theme. I enjoyed many Stegmeier Oktoberfest beers and listening to 40 lb. Head, by favorite local band. I ran into a slew of people there that I haven't seen in a while, too. Good times! NEPA sure is good for a good party, that's for sure!

THE MIRROR

I did not drive home last night, smartly. I was given a ride to my car, which was safely parked in a Wilkes University lot. When I arrived at my car, however, I noticed something dangling from the driver's side door. My freakin' mirror! Being homecoming weekend at Wilkes, I am sure it was an accident. Some drunk either hit it for shits and giggles, or someone drove into it. Either way, I didn't get mad. I walked to public safety and reported the incident and asked to borrow duct tape. It's an older car, so I wasn't too worried. I'll find another mirror at the junk yard and have Dave help me put it back on. But, such is my life. Always an unexpected adventure!!

(Pics- 1- Jane, Andrea and I. 2- A slew of Wilkes commuication alums from the past 10 years. 3- Me and pals at Oktoberfest. There's more on Facebook!)

Fun and Games and Writing in Amish Country

It's Sunday, Day Three of the Labor Day writing retreat. My Wilkes writing pals and I are having a fantastic time! We have an overstocked refrigerator, lots of coolers and the entire dining room table is covered in a Junk Food Buffet-- about a dozen kinds of chips (Lay's, Dorito's, Sun Chips, Fritos, Tortillas and more), rice krispie treats, pretzel rods, cookies- lots of cookies, and oh god, so, so much junk food.

Friday, we were up late catching up and there was a major dent put in a bottle of Jagermeister. We did a reading-Mike shared from his amazing story and then we played some games. I learned a new one, "It's true for me that...." which is kind of like a cross between Musical Chairs and Truth or Dare. It was after 4 a.m. before the last of us hit the sack.

Saturday, we slept in a little and enjoyed breakfast on our own and then my contribution to the food was lunch. We had a "Build Your Own Bob" lunch, where I had chicken, shrimp, green peppers, red peppers, onions, squash, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. The grill at our rental house was a little slow, so the cooking of the bobs took longer than expected, but it was a fun project. On the side we had Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque sauce for the chicken, Amish potato salad, coleslaw and pickles. Mmmm!! After lunch, my hangover dwindled- thank goodness.

Carol, Viannah and I took a field trip into Intercourse and stumbled upon Kettle Kitchen- a quaint, well-kept tourist-y village that had closed at 5 p.m. that day- so we missed seeing the insides, but we are going back Monday (they are closed today) to check everything out. I already took tons of pictures- there are 42 shops, a petting zoo and lots of cool things. So, so cute! On the way back, we got our picture in front of the "Welcome to Intercourse" sign and bought some baked and canned goods from a roadside stand-- the Shoo Fly pie was amazing! Just had another slice!

Later, we started to have some beverages, did some readings- Carol and I- played Balderdash-- but we were all starting to crash- long day and we up so late from the night before. I hit the sack around 2:30 a.m. Angie and I are sharing a Beauty & the Beast themed bedroom. Too cute.

This morning, Cory & Sara were in charge of breakfast- Eggs in a Nest (which I grew up with, calling them picture frame eggs) and mimmosas. Now it's about noon and we're getting ready to do some readings. We're having Taco Lunch and another grilled dinner- steak and corn and fruit salad.

As far as my reading went, my classmates gave me some great advice. I can't say enough about this group of people!

The Ghost of My Blogging Past

I don't really think of my blog as a diary. But in a way, it kind of is. I don't really get too personal or gushy like you would in a diary, but when you go back an re-read things from months or years before, you sometimes get a good feeling. You remember the emotions that you were feeling at the time you wrote it. As someone striving to become a memoirist, I've realized how much I wished I had written more down as I've lived my life. I looked back at a post from June 2007. It was a point in my life where I was somewhat content with a job at a local career school, although I hated the fact that they didn't use computers and hated the fact that they laughed at me when I mentioned that we should try advertising online and maybe doing something with MySpace or Facebook to attract students. (Haha- I now laugh at that company because I work for a company now that "gets it.")

So, I found a post that captured my thoughts at the time I made the decision to leave that place-- and because I believed in my ideas, my goals and myself- I found such happiness. Here is what I wrote in June 2007:

NOW SOME ADVICE FROM DONNA FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS A PUSH:So, I was really thinking about how happy I am that I stood up for my choice in leaving my job. For those that don't know "The Man" (as I collectively call corporate America) wasn't gonna let me take off the last Friday of the residency. I don't think anyone with heart and soul would let The Man stand in the way of their dreams. Unhappy with other 'goings-ons' at the place, I decided that because they didn't see the value in letting me take off one measly day and missing a mandatory training, I gave my two weeks notice.What did I get in return for staying true to my heart, you ask?

1) A kick-ass new job @ Solid Cactus

2) 40+ new writing friends who understand the creative life!

3) Some great new writing mentors

4) A few people who I think will be close friends for life

5) Tons o' fun & lots
'o memories and jokes

6) 3 credits toward my master's

7) Motivation and energy

8) Ideas

And to think I would have traded eight hours of corporate training for all that! I made the right choice and I absolutely can't wait to continue on with this program. I seriously think this will change my life. Screw The Man. Let's write. Someone is smiling down on me....

I guess getting ready to spend more time with the peeps I met right before I wrote this last year is really reinforcing my decision. Since then,
not only has my writing grown, friendships blossomed, but things
career-wise have been awesome too. Hmmm. Think I'm happy??

Another Writer's Retreat this Labor Day Weekend! Second Annual!

I can't believe it has been one year since the first time my fellow Wilkes creative writers and I have gotten together for a retreat! Last Labor Day, my friend Mike S. invited us out to his house in Western Pa. We had a blast- you can read all about it here from my blog archives. Some nice pics, too.

Then, in April, we all got together again- even a few more of us than the first time- for a houseboat weekend at Raystown Lake in Central PA. Equally an awesome time. Here is my post-trip post on that.

This Labor Day, we're celebrating our second annual Jan09 Cohort Labor Day Outing-- doing something in Eastern PA- In Amish Country, Gap, PA to be exact. We're chipping in to rent a big house for three days-- we're gonna eat, brainstorm, read, critque, help, write, play games, party a little I am sure and enjoy some relaxing time in the hot tub or just in the quiet Amish country. There are almost 30 in our cohort group, but a small group of us- about 10 (including two spouses) are coming along for the fun! I can't wait-- I am all packed. Well mostly packed. And I am sure I will forget something. And I have to stop for groceries and beer along the way. Tonight, I have been deciding what I want to read to the group. I have a few chapters I want to read to entertain, and then a few I could use some help with-- so I am torn.

A sidebar to this is we were originally going to rent a home that was suspected to be haunting, but the property manager failed to update the website- the house was no longer available for rent. That was a big bummer because I was secretly thrilled about waking up in the middle of the night with a scary looking girl jumping rope in my room. But it really doesn't matter where we are- a friend's house, a house boat or a haunted house- it's about the time together!

I can't tell you how much these weekends mean to me- and I am sure the others. Time is ticking- we graduate in January! Some of us are considering sticking in the Wilkes program for one more year to do the M.F.A. in Creative Writing. I almost want to do it not for the additional degree or teaching credentials, but to be around my comrades of composition one more year. I know that this group we have is tight and we'll stay in touch the best we can, but I am going to soak up these retreats we do, the actual classroom/seminar time we have on campus each January and June and the online correspondence with my mentors and friends.

Oh- here's some pics and info on where I will be this weekend: http://www.lancaster-vacation.com/

An Action-Packed Weekend: Drinks, Music & War (Paintball, that is)

Some weekends I sleep the weekend away. You know, R&R to the fullest extent. Sleep. Nap. Read. Eat. Nap. Sleep.

This weekend though, I realized how much fun you can have actually being awake!

Friday, I had a great time with co-workers at the Arena Bar & Grill- we kinda got the VIP treatment from the staff there, which was quite awesome. Tomorrow, the owners of Arena are having the grand opening of their second location, Metro Bar & Grill in Dallas, PA-- I am pretty sure a bunch of co-workers are going to head up to help them kick off their new location. I am uber-excited because not only is this new bar near work, but also very close to my new apartment, so maybe I found my new local bar. By the way, I blogged in more detail on my company's blog here.

Saturday, I headed to Bethlehem to meet three of my Wilkes creative writing gals-- we spent the whole day at Bethlehem Musikfest, which is going on all week. It's probably one of the largest music festivals there are.... We had an amazing day watching artisians, eating wonderful food, listening to great music and catching up on where we are with our books/screenplays.

I love these ladies so it was so great to see everyone again. Two of us stayed the night at the other's house- had some great pot roast stew her husband made (complete with veggies from their garden) and we fell asleep watching a horror movie. Incredible day- side bar- we saw a kick ass Celtic rock band called Finn's Fury. The band rocked-- check them out here. I bought their CD after the first song. I wanted to stay longer for their show, but we only had one day at the fest, so we wanted to continue to walk around. We got all sorts of samples- Wii socks, toothpaste, Burt's Bees stuff and fans from the to-be-opened-in-2009 Sands Casino.


The next morning, Sunday I was off to v2.o of Cactus Paintball- we had a smaller group this time, but it was still a blast. I drove to Skirmish U.S.A right from Bethlehem. I blogged about it on the company blog here-- but man, it sure was a good time. I bought my first paintball gear- a mask. The rental wasn't tight enough and kept fogging up, so I sprung he 29.99 and got my own- worked out much better.

After Skirmish, since I drove myself, I was able to pick up two hitchhikers- they were young teens, maybe 13 or 14, my brother and sister's age. They were lugging their paintball bags and had their thumbs up, so I gave them a ride-- they would have had to walk about eight country miles to the one kid's house. It was my good deed of the day. However, I got turned around in their development and ended up in Brodheadsville- I know the area, just didn't know the development would put me down that far-- so by the time I made it back to 115 near Long Pond- they had blocked the road to let out the race traffic from the PA 500 so I had to detour and thus ended up in some traffic. So, I ended up being an hour behind my friends to meet them for beer and wings. So much for karma.

The weekend didn't seem to end- Monday I hit up Hops and then the new casino and tonight I went bowling. We had some beer and pizza- and I was so starving from my shopping excursion after work, that I had to get a bag of Bugles from the vending macine while waiting for the pizza-- and guess what! Taped to my Bugles was a coupon for a free game of bowling! I won a prize!! Booyah!!

I had so much fun the past few days and got to hang out with so many great people!! I think I need to sleep, but needed to blog before I forgot!!

Back from Residency #3 - A Week of Creative Writing and Fun

My third residency for my MA in Creative Writing at Wilkes University is over. ; (

As I pulled away from my parking space at the University Towers apartment, the lump formed in my throat. As I turned left onto Northhampton Street, I could feel the tears welling up. As I turned left at the McDonald's onto Wilkes-Barre Boulevard toward the highway to my house, it came out. I bawled. I made it home okay, but it was through a stream of tears.

That always happens when I leave the creative writing residency. It's a completely emotional experience. Only this being the third of four residencies, the bonds with my classmates and faculty are tighter, the work is better and we're all getting closer to being done.

Why did I cry? First of all- the people. I've written about this before on this blog, after the first and second residencies- When you are a writer, it's very hard to find people that understand you. So, the common thread we all share brings us tighter together, even though we see each other less than those in our daily lives. Some of my classmates had some breakthroughs in their own work this week and that made me so happy-- I am so proud of everybody. And it's not just the work we do- but the residency is filled with late night fun... there was not one night-- okay, morning-- that I did not go to sleep after having a great time with my classmates- whether it was at a bar, having an impromtu concert in a dorm room, playing board games or just shooting the shit while eating junk food. I think I saw the sunrise five times.

I also was brought to tears because I have more direction in my own memoir. I was struggling this past project semester (this is where we work from home between on-campus residencies) not only with the work, but not having the support I needed at home. Leaving the residency with a better direction, suce great inspiration from my mentor and classmates, having had an emotional breakthrough about what I want to include in my book and learning that I did make the right choice to move on my own recently really brought me to those "happy tears."

IF YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER--- JOIN US....

The creative writing program at Wilkes University is a force to be reckoned with. This week, we learned that several of our classmates ahead of us now are being represented by agents, are having screenplays optioned, are being published-- it's not just the writing, it's the networking and the community that takes place on campus. That combination can really set a writer up for success. There are other creative writing programs out there- not saying any names- that kind of mold a student to be the writer that school wants- maybe not allow a certain genre or something. At Wilkes, everyone has his or her own distinct voice and that's what makes this program different. That's the Wilkes difference. Other programs, a graduating class produces 30 of the same book... here, it's a grab bag!

If you are into poetry, non-fiction, fiction, screenwriting or playwrighting- you've got to consider the Wilkes University MA in Creative Writing. http://www.wilkes.edu/.

I am considering the MFA- Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Wilkes. Not so much for the advanced degree, but I think just to have one extra year there!

Okay-- sorry if this blog was way too sentinmental... Oh yeah- and to check out videos of our impromptu concert- check out my friend Jon's blog: http://www.jonwritesforthescreen.com/.

What I learned from Augusten Burroughs

When you were a teenager, do you remember having heart palpatations when you were at a New Kids on the Block concert and you were close to, say, maybe Donnie Wahlberg? Yeah. I felt that way yesterday at the Free Library of Philadelphia when Augusten Burroughs walked on stage. 12 or so hours later, I still kinda have those butterflies.

My fellow Wilkes University MA in Creative Writing friend and classmate, Angie and I, along with her avid-reader friend, Shannon trekked into the city of brotherly love to see Augusten Burroughs read from his new memoir, A Wolf at the Table, which by the way is getting rave reviews from places like The Washington Post.

I cannot put to words how I felt when I read Running With Scissors. That book really gave me the courage to write my own memoir-- but at the same time, it also entertained the hell out of me. I don't think there is anyone else on this Earth like Augusten. In Running with Scissors, we learn that as a kid he loved shiny things and dreamed of fame. Now that he has it, guess what? He's just like you and me. He's honest, sincere and just so super-freaking inspiring to people like me. And he is funny as shit, too.

I did the unthinkable. I wrote him a fan/thank-you letter this morning. It's so strange-- when I worked in country radio, I had the really cool opportunity to meet some big names in the music biz-- and not so much with the big stars, but I also got to hang out and do some really cool things on a personal level with lots of singers (many who turned out to be one-hit wonders) that have had a lot of mainstream radio success. They were all cool, but it was so usual for me. I didn't get excited about meeting someone famous anymore. I don't get star-struck easy is what I am trying to say. Meeting Augusten was very different. He's truly someone I have related to for years. And I met him. And when he signed my book, he gave me writing advice and recommended a book to read (Elizabeth Berg- The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted.) There were hundreds in line ahead of us- but he didn't rush us. He wasn't tired. He wanted to talk to us. He's so humble.

I am not ready to share my story with the world just yet through this blog- but there are some things I never had the courage to put on paper yet-- some painful things I want to include in the memoir. Through reading Augusten, as well as the support from my Wilkes mentors, things are really coming together for me on the writing front. Finally. I am drafting it now, and will hopefully one day get to see it printed.

In his reading- which was FANTASTIC- he was just so animated. A Wolf at the Table is a little different than his past memoirs- this one is a told a little more seriously because as Augusten explained, he didn't have the humor defense mechanism developed yet- he was a lot younger. So as an aspiring memoirist, it was very cool to hear about this being in a totally different voice because it was a different time in his life. But Augusten Burroughs does not hide behind the podium. He walks around the stage with a wireless mic and tells us a story- he doesn't read to us. He shared it like he was talking to a few friends- not an auditorium filled with fans. He also reads his own audio books. I also listened to Running With Scissors and my god, did he do a stellar job. Makes me wonder why he never got into film or theater.

During the Q&A, he was just so open. He gave some great writing advice as well, describing the memoir process like I never heard before. Someone in the audience had asked if Augusten felt Scissors helped create the memoir craze-- which of course led to some "lying memoirs" so Augusten commented on that with an answer so amazing that I took notes on my checkbook (I didn't have my moleskine). The answer itself was one that I have been sort-of taught- that a memoir is the way we remember something. But the analogy he used was awesome. Maybe I'll post it later, but Angie and I were both blown away by his advice. He also quoted Einstein, that there is no one point of relation in the universe. We all see things from a different perspective. It was powerful. The whole freakin' night was just powerful.

And- if you have not read Augusten Burroughs. Do it. Read Running With Scissors first-- if you read that, I know you will fall in love with him too. Then, Dry. Then read the others- Possible Side Effects was great and so was Magical Thinking. I actually was with Augusten from the beginning because I bought Sellevision when it first came out- that's his only novel. I was a communications major, so I was always fascinated by TV stations..... Buy them from your favorite bookstore because I want his sales to soar. However, if you want you can also use the library or if you are local, borrow them from me.

But by golly, read Augusten Burroughs. Turn off the freakin' TV and read a reality book-- a memoir.

P.S. Speaking of courage, I have more. To really focus on my career, education and writing, I have decided to move into my own apartment in Shavertown- less than a mile from where I work. Out of respect for Dave, I won't publicly write a blog about the whole thing or share those kinds of feelings right now, but wanted to at least mention it because it goes along with this whole theme here-- but please know that everything is fine- it's on good terms and just something that I need to do. This week has really been a week of change! So, here is to new beginnings.

P.P.S- I didn't realize that I've blogged and written so much about him: http://randomthoughtsfromdonna.blogspot.com/search?q=augusten+burroughs

Been a few weeks! Happy Anniversary to my blog!

I've had this blog for one year.... as of April 16th. I wanted to go all out and create this anniversary post, but things were a little crazy the past few weeks, so I missed out on my anniversary blog post. Damn.



Last weekend, I headed to Seven Points Marina on Raystown Lake to spend three nights on a houseboat with a few of my friends my the MA in Creative Writing Program at Wilkes. I can't tell you how awesome the weekend was. It is just so great to get together with people who have a common dream-- and then to spend the weekend sharing our work with each other, getting feedback, advice and whatnot. And the fun.... what a great time. Good food, drinks, games and lots of adventure, that's for sure. If anyone is looking for a fun weekend or week get-away, I highly recommend that you consider renting a houseboat at Seven Points Marina on Raystown Lake. The staff was wonderful and the houseboats are super cool. We have an 8-sleeper, but they let us look at the next "ship" bigger, a 12-sleeper which was brand new last season- a lot more modern than the one we had.

Our boat had a deck on the stern and bow and also a roof with a hot tub and lounge chairs. We had two "bedrooms," the stateroom and salon, as well as guest rooms in the "bowels" which had two full mattresses on either side, dowstairs. There was a bathroom, or the Head and a kitchen/dining area and a living room areas and of course, the captain's chair. We had a dinghy that we towed along that came in quite handy when we became stuck the one morning.

Raystown lake is beautiful! It is a man-made lake-- a project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-- they flooded the area, and in fact a little town, to create this lake for recreation and energy. It was just so peaceful to be out on the lake- and it's not really in-season yet, so we had this lovely environment to ourselves! Aside from Seven Points Marina, there are also camping areas, hotels, resorts, hiking trails and lot of other places to stay around this lake.

Lots more happened in the past few weeks since I blogged- and I had all these ideas for blog posts, but they are all kind of old news now.

Like- they are finally doing some work on Route 118-- that's making headlines. Hopefully this road will become safer because frankly, I hate driving home every night.

And also- I am so tried of gas prices. It almost cost me more to drive the 3.5 hours to Raystown than my share of the houseboat rental. That's sad. All these poor tourist places may start to lose money because people can't afford the extra few hundred dollars to drive there. A plane ticket from Wilkes-Barre to Orlando may have been less money! Cripes.

New Friends, Old Friends, Distant Friends

My throat hurts.

I had such a GREAT weekend this past weekend, and it started early, on Thursday. My four days were filled with people I haven't seen in a while, some great fun with people I see every day at work and a wonderful afternoon with some classmates.

Thursday after work I met Andee, my fellow blogger and child of divorce at Bart & Urby's. I have not seen Andee in nearly two years, and we only ever drank together once. We've kept in touch thanks to social networking, but haven't seen each other in person. So, it was a reunion! While there, I also ran into Jane, a lovely woman I had a class with at LCCC. It's always a pleasant surprise to run into someone like that, try to find out how you know each other, etc. The night was just great... one of the first in a long time that I hung out with just a girl friend. The conversation was great and the beers went down smooth. I realized how much I missed Andee, and also how much she reminds me of me and even who I wanted to be. She's smart, brilliant, hard-working, independent, honest, talented and what I love most, gutsy. Love her!!

Friday, it was Big Ugly's and Senunas' with coworkers. It's always fun with the crew, but this particular week, there seemed to be more drinks and air guitar and laughter. Somehow after the second bar, I managed to meet Dave and his sister for breakfast at Perkins. What a night! I totally love the people I work with. Such energy!

By the time I woke up and recovered from Friday on Saturday, it was time to do it all again. One of my best college buddies, Jeff was coming in. We decided to not risk driving, so he, Dave and I planned to get a room downtown at the Ramada. We met at the hotel and then headed to the new River Grille for dinner. (That's the old Waterfront Bar.) It wasn't as casual as I thought, but was great. Service was a little slow, but the food was wonderful. I'd reccomend the place. And also, they remodeled inside so its very different from the Waterfront-- the big difference was that the bar is closed off- but you can see in with these big windows. So, this means you can enjoy a nice dinner without puking from the smoke. After dinner on Saturday, we went to Bart & Urby's to see the Collective. It was a blast. Ended the night with breakfast at Sheetz and hanging in the hotel room telling stories and finally crashing. There is just some kind of energy that I get when I hang out with Jeff, probably because we were friends way back (10 years ago) as freshman at Wilkes-- so I think that youthfulness comes back out.

Sunday, some classmates and I from my creative writing program at Wilkes met for a workshop. It was just wonderful!! I felt a little bad because by Sunday all the extracurriculars I've been partaking in since Thursday caught up to me, plus the sinus infection, so I wasn't totally my chipper self. The work my classmate's read was just outstanding. I just know that many, many of my fellow MA classmates are going to be a huge success. I am honored to be a part of such a unique group-- and can't wait until the rest of the world gets to know what I know. Just the dedication that this group has to helping each other is amazing. I was not at a point to read my work just yet, as I am kind of changing gears, so I just listened and made comments.... and enjoyed seeing the ideas I heard about from my friends in January come alive off the page. I always leave meetings with these talented individuals feeling invigorated. I wished I was feeling in better health so they knew how excited I was to be there!

When I woke up for work today, I realized that although I still don't feel 100% healthwise (my head and throat ache), I am so happy. Ever since we moved out to the boonies, I feel as if I haven't been as social as I used to be, given the drive. This weekend, I hung out with more and different people than I have in a while, saw some old faces and am just in good spirits. I need to do this more. I need people. (Sometimes, I also guess I need a couch, spare bedroom or hotel reservation too, if there is drinking involved.... ; )

Despite hangovers and a sore throat from the screaming and the (second-hand) smoke, I'd do it all again next weekend.

Back from Residency

I am back from a week-long creative writing residency, the second of four residencies. I am almost half-way to the MA in creative writing!

It was harder to leave this residency than the first one back in June. Relationships are stronger and we're all getting ready to delve into our capstone projects. The amount of talent in my cohort is just incredible. The chemistry of our group is also incredible. Combine the two, and we have a killer support group at hand to help us all achieve success with our novels, memoirs, plays, screenplays and poetry collections. Aside from having been assigned our faculty mentors, we still all have each other to get advice and support from as we continue our trek.

I learned so much in the past seven days. A lot about myself and a lot about the writing life and profession. For example, at the oral interpreation classes, I learned that I move my feet a lot and I also learned that fecal denial is a subject that people enjoy. (I need to work on my presentation skills.) But seriously, I learned that it's not easy to be a professional writer, that much I know. But with the support of my newly named mentor, Becky Bradway, I know that I will get great, solid guidance toward my capstone manuscript.

One piece of advice I will take with me. I learned from another faculty member, Bev D'Nofrio that the truth is more important than anything when writing a memoir- I was worried what some people may think, or that I would hurt feelings. So, I think that as I write I am going to learn a lot about myself. But more importantly, I should not hide details if they are part of the story, no matter how painful they are. I do have humor as a guise though - I intend to use humor to overpower any serious issues. The reader will know they are there, however. The best example of this is Running with Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs. I am really looking to him style for a model.

I could go on and on about the week at Wilkes. If anyone out there is yearning to be a writer- you need to look into this program. Search my blog by keyword "wilkes" to read all about the residency last June as well. Good times.

Back to unpacking. Back to my normal life.

Self- Depricating Humor & the Writing Life

I am completely comfortable with myself. As you should be. I have decided that for my creative non-fiction project, I am going to do a memoir. I am going to create a seperate blog to post these chapters as kind of a way to get a test audience.

I have such a fun and colorful and interesting past (as my writing mentors agree) life that I just have to reach back, pull out and put on the page. I am writing this post during some downtime at the Wilkes residency, FYI.

The Naysayers
There are always people that are going to roll their eyes. I firmly believe that is because they are envious or even worse, jealous. Many times when someone succeeeds or even just enjoys life to the fullest and can laugh at themselves, those who take things to seriously begin to mock that creative person. Many of you will know what I am talking about. A silly picture will appear and people act shocked. I would never share anything that'd I 'd be embarrassed about. But on the flip side, I want to entertain, so my stuff has got to be edgy. For example, tonight at a non-fiction meeting, I spoke with Bev D'Nofrio, the woman who wrote Riding in Cars with Boys- it was a very edgy memoir from her childhood that ended up being a movie of the same name starring Drew Barrymore. She is on the facutly here. Wonderful woman- and she really gave me some great advice and encouragment. I am more apt to listen to her than someone who scoffs at a silly picture on my blog. I love the faculty here; they understand me.

You know what? It is people like Dave Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, Chelsea Handler, Tucker Max, Dave Barry and even almost every stand-up comic out there that PROVE that laughing at yourself and sharing your follies is a way to become successful. Self-depricating humor is something that has always been popular, but it seems that in today's society where reality shows and revealing memoirs are king. That's what works. If you happen to personally know someone who shares a funny story, why on earth would you think less of them if you laugh at people like Dane Cook and Jerry Seinfeld and the other above mentioned people-- they are sharing the same things. Does that make sense. I personally have not run into many naysayers- and if you are one, Syonora. I don't care- I surround myself with supportive people.

I had a conversation with someone tonight about this topic. He said, "What if other people call you ridiculous for something that you did one time?"

I say, "So what.... it was a five minute time in my life that made people laugh. People laughed. That's what matters." If I want to be a writer, then I also want to be an entertainer- you don't get to be an entertainer by being boring.

I think being comfortable with yourself to do something silly solely to get laughs makes you a good person, and far more fun to be around. And I am okay with that. Why are some people so serious? I look at people in my creative writing class and instantly gain respect for them because finally, people like US are together. And you know what- those in my field that ARE successful are the ones the are responsible for entertaining the REST of the world though art- novels, essays, memoirs, screenplays, plays, films, poetry and such. Do realize that television and Barnes and Noble would not exist without people like me and my peers?

If you want to write or create and someone laughs at you- even if it is a blog post- ignore them. They are no good. Not everyone will agree with everything, but you know what, I want to be a writer. I want to be successful. You don't get anywhere in life, epescially in the arts, by being a wallflower. Standing out and being remembered is key.

I am having a great time at the residency this week. I am surrounded by some of my favorite people in this world and being more inspired than ever. Just wanted to check in with my blog...
I am going to do a memoir and it is going to be fun, like me.

Cheers,
Donna

(edited for typos)

Five Days Until Creative Writing Residency

I cannot believe how time flies. My second creative writing residency at Wilkes University starts Saturday, but I am checking into the hotel (makeshift dorm) on Friday, as are most. I can't wait to see my classmates and students from the other cohorts and the faculty again.

Sounds kind of obvious for an aspiring writer, but my resolution for life and this year is to write more, so kicking off the first full-week of the new year at at creative writing residency with fellow creative people is really just the best thing to ever ask for!

If you click on the "academia" link you can see all my posts from the last residency posted. I am hoping to have more fun this time!

Norman Mailer & Wilkes University

The front pages of both local papers featured a tribute to the life of the great Norman Mailer. I also think it is appropriate because today is Veteran's Day, too and Norman Mailer is a veteran. My creative writing classmate, Joe Cetta was quoted in this one:

Mailer connected to Wilkes through creative writing program
by Heidi Ruckno, The Citizen's Voice (11.11.07)

A close friendship with Wilkes University professor Dr. J. Michael Lennon gave Norman Mailer the opportunity to get well acquainted with Wilkes University.

Lennon, Mailer’s literary executor and biographer, and Dr. Bonnie Culver co-founded the university’s Masters of Creative Writing program in 2004. When they asked Mailer to be on the advisory board, the author accepted the invitation.Lennon and Mailer had been friends for more than 30 years.

The two collaborated on Mailer’s last book, “On God: An Uncommon Conversation.”Mailer was a great friend to the Wilkes community and to Culver personally, she said. He even convinced her a bachelor’s degree was not a necessary requirement for admission into the creative writing masters program.So far, three students without bachelor’s degrees received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing, Culver said.

“That’s because of Norman,” she said.

Mailer always believed a writer’s level of formal education had little to do with his or her ability, but his involvement with Wilkes stemmed far beyond that small detail.Mailer visited the university several times as a guest speaker, delivering the keynote address at the inaugural Pennsylvania Writer’s Conference in June 2004. He also started the Norris Church Mailer scholarship fund in honor of his sixth wife, and routinely invited Wilkes students into his Provincetown, Mass. home.

Scranton resident Joe Cetta, 28, a graduate of the creative writing program, visited Mailer’s home during a Wilkes University trip. Mailer was not one to protect trade secrets, Cetta said. He was always willing to share some pointers with aspiring writers.Mailer told Cetta it was best to write now and edit later. The author felt it was easier than censoring before the pen hit the paper.Cetta was grateful for the advice, even though he was never a Mailer fan. Like many others, Cetta had some difficulty with some of the author’s views.

The author had unpopular opinions about feminism and fought to get a convicted killer released from prison.Mailer was brilliant because of the controversy, Culver said. He was never afraid to stretch the boundaries of what is acceptable.“He was never shy about trying something that was going to stretch our imaginations, and that’s the mark of a truly great artist,” she said.

Source: http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19013137&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6

Norman Mailer Died This Morning

It's ironic that shortly after Norman Mailer and J. Michael Lennon's On God was released, Mailer's questions regarding God could have been answered. The Pulitzer prize winning author Norman Mailer died this morning of acute renal failure, according to the AP.

Of of my writing mentors, Dr. Lennon (as I and my classmates call him, but known as J. Michael Lennon to the literary community) is Mailer's archivist and biographer. I envy that Dr. Lennon gets to tell the tale of this revolutinary man who dabbled in so many creative things during his ever-so exciting life.

Most people discount Wikipedia as not being a reliable source, but I checked today and Dr. Lennon updated the Norman Mailer entry to include his death, so I know that Mailer's entry is accurate. There is a wonderful tribue to Norman Mailer from the AP I found on Yahoo news, and I am sure as the day goes on and the Sunday papers will have beautiful spreads and collages about this literary figure and his life. But here is a snippet from the above-mentioned source that displays what a fascinating life this man had:

"Mailer built and nurtured an image over the years as pugnacious, streetwise and high-living. He drank, fought, smoked pot, married six times and stabbed his second wife, almost fatally, during a drunken party. He had nine children, made a quixotic bid to become mayor of New York, produced five forgettable films, dabbled in journalism, flew gliders, challenged professional boxers, was banned from a Manhattan YWHA for reciting obscene poetry, feuded publicly with writer Gore Vidal and crusaded against women's lib..

...But as Newsweek reviewer Raymond Sokolov said in 1968, "in the end it is the writing that will count." (Source: AP, Nov. 9, article by Richard Pyle.)

Mailer is known for many novels and creative nonfiction: I created an Amazon Link search results for : Norman Mailer

For more on Norman Mailer, just Google him. There is so much to read and learn. I particularly love the counterculture era and guys like Ginsberg, so it is way cool that Mailer was part of that. Sometimes I wish was alive in those days-- I would have fit in. That's why I wish I had the chance to meet Norman Mailer before he passed away, but I know that in small ways I am already influenced and touched by him. He is a writer I want to emulate- serious about the writing, but also takes a stand on issues he believes in... and also likes to take riskes, change gears when you least expect it and above all, enjoy life- Norman Mailer did a little bit of everything and that's how my life is, random.

At our January residency of the Wilkes University MA in Creative Writing program I am sure we will have a tribute to Mailer, who was a board member. I know that many of the Wilkes students who have been in the program longer than me have met Norman Mailer at his Mailer conventions. I know that Dr. Lennon will make sure that America and the World remembers Mailer and all the things he gave us.

While trying to find a few pics, I came across this really cool writer's mugs page. You can get this print on a mug or in a frame:

Hello. Today's post will be about some random website things. First of all, the Wilkes University book I wrote does not seem to be on Amazon right now, however, it IS available at College Prowler- and they made a cool page and added some additional content re: Sex in the City. I think this is great copy! I also found out that if you go to Wilkes and you register with the site, you have access to the online version of the Wilkes book for free- but I'd love it if you bought the print version... here is the link:

http://campuslife.collegeprowler.com/guide.asp/1427402779/index.html

Also- I've been a member of Amazon Associates forever now- however I learned a little while ago that they have this cool Web Store option, so I decided to play around with it. I created two online stores- check 'em out and let me know what you think:

The Dream Drawer- a sleep and dreams store
I had this up previously as an old astore, which was just a big widget pasted to a Yahoo geocities page- check this one out-- looks a little better now. At any rate, it has dream dictionaries, dream journals, sleep aids and things like that.

80s Music & Movies- self-explanitory, however I also have some TV shows and pop culture stuff thrown in. I also bought the domains 60smusicandmovies and 70smusicandmovies, so look for some sister decade sites, soon.

Wow- how is all that for shameless promotion?! Have a nice day and thanks for reading!

A Day Full of God... or Not (Norman Mailer, Freedom from Religion, Etc.)

MY PROFESSOR KNOWS GOD

This morning as soon as I logged into WebCT-which is the platform for which Wilkes uses for its low-residency creative writing program, I found a message from a classmate, Rick which said one our program's co-founders and faculty members had a story in this week's New York Magazine. Way cool. Dr. J. Michael Lennon befriended Norman Mailer 35 years ago and has since become his historian and biographer. Mailer is on the advisory board of the Wilkes University MA in Creative Writing program, actually. And together they wrote a new book, On God: An Uncommon Conversation. (RandomHouse)

New York Magazine published an expcerpt of the book in an article called "The Rise of Mailerism." Mailer is neither an athesist or a traditional practictioner of any religion-- he has a very unique take on god that makes much sense, at least from the excerpt that I read. I am very fascinated by peoples' beliefs and I think that this book will do quite well. People seem to be much more open these days to looking at different interpretations of religion.

I encourage you to read the article: http://nymag.com/news/features/38961/ and maybe even preorder the book.

FREEDOM FROM RELIGION
I have always had my doubts about there being a god, and even more than that, had major issues with organized religion. I could go on and on about that. However, as I got older and attended a liberal school and met more liberal friends, I have realized that how I feel is okay. I know people just like me, who respect the bible as literature and live by ethics instilled by those bible stories-- however again, have major issues with things revolving around organized religion. I am also extremely fascinated by creation stories-- every culture has one. In an Art, Music, Literature and Culture class I took at Wilkes with Dr. Steven Thomas, we read many of these stories. Some said the world was created by nature, and so on and so forth. To me, humans all question where we came from and why we're here. That's why there are so many stories that have been pondered-- and who is to say which is right? Again- I could go on. But... let me get to the point....

I did not get to the newspaper until this evening. In the Faith section of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, which runs every Saturday was an article about a convention for atheists and agnostics. First of all, kudos to the Times Leader for printing this article in this section. That is just very cool that they also consider atheists and agnostics to have valid beliefs and I think they were brave by printing this article in this particular section of the paper, rather than move it to say, the news or features section.

So anyway, the article was about Freedom From Religion Foundation. Each year they have a convention in their home city of Madison, WI. I was intrigued by this group and agree with their mission. So today, I became a student member of the group for $25.

The Purpose of The Freedom From Religion Foundation is: (from its website)

The history of Western civilization shows us that most social and moral progress has been brought about by persons free from religion.

In modern times the first to speak out for prison reform, for humane treatment of the mentally ill, for abolition of capital punishment, for women's right to vote, for death with dignity for the terminally ill, and for the right to choose contraception, sterilization and abortion have been freethinkers, just as they were the first to call for an end to slavery.

The Foundation works as an umbrella for those who are free from religion and are committed to the cherished principle of separation of state and church.

So, today has been a day of discovery for me.... God as an artist, God not existing, etc. Some things to think about for sure... thoughts anyone?

Andee of Wilkes Beacon Writes About Blogging, Interviews Yours Truly

I love Andee Scarantino. Watch out media- she graduates soon. Actually, watch out WORLD!

At any rate, the editor-in-chief of my favorite college newspaper, the Wilkes University Beacon wrote about blogging this week. Check out the story. She interviewed me for it, so you get to see my thoughts and reasons for writing things like, this post for instance!