This pink t-shirt emblazoned with a pithy statement supports The Slave Dwelling Project. Don’t you love getting bling for your contributions? I do. Or maybe this was a straight out purchase. I don’t remember. In any case, this is a particularly good cause, one offering experiences like the one I had with the group in Medford, Mass. in 2014 (posted about here).
Revealingly, when I looked for the shirt this morning I mis-remembered the statement as, “I like my history Black with a little bit of sugar.” Hmmmm. Probably accurate, though my reading list would suggest otherwise (PS, I finally finished all 500+ pages of “The Warmth of Other Suns”).
I love it when friends challenge me. In the wake of the Parkland shooting, a FB friend from high school pointed out two important facts: 1) the number of school shootings being reported by Everytown for Gun Safety is highly inflated, counting, for instance, a suicide in the parking lot of a school that’d been closed for seven months and the accidental discharge of a weapon in a man’s glove box in a school parking lot (no one was hurt), and 2) there are more gun laws in areas with high numbers of POC (which is to say, whites are scared shitless of black people carrying weapons).
Article about Everytown’s inflated numbers here.
Atlantic article about race and gun laws here.
Neither of these points, while well-taken, change my view that Americans are in urgent need of sensible gun regulations.
The non-inflated number of school shootings in the first seven weeks of 2018, by the way, is FIVE. Isn’t that shocking enough?
Meanwhile on a more personal front, the list of items I cannot find is getting annoying. I located the notebook from writing class, but still can’t find my earbuds (I wore them yesterday) or the external hard drive that I back my manuscript up on (I’ll save to a thumb drive ’til I locate it, but really?). That’s been missing for at least a week.
Speaking of manuscripts: there’s a solid chance that my first foray into the publishing world will be a bust. If so, I’m prepared to accept the rejection as a badge of honor. If it comes, the ding will stand as a sign that I’m putting myself out there, while also initiating me into a literary club absolutely littered with rejection notices.
Not a prediction and not feeling of defeat. Just saying.
(((Dee))) you never know what’s just around the corner and hey a rejection letter is a lot better than total silence which is what I received in my two forays into getting published with dreams of “royalties, royalties!” echoing Billy the Mountain by Frank Zappa on Just Another Band from LA, self publishing is a totally viable option these days, we need to read your book!
Thanks Mo. I’m starting to read up on self publishing. It’s not the vanity thing that it was once upon a time and there are companies that print to order so you don’t have to pay up front for 1,000’s of copies up front.
What were your two forays? Very curious.
Cooking with Cats (2013) hand bound edition of 77 books & An illuminated Book of Cats (2010) hand bound limited edition of 7 (with stars) then bound an open edition of another 10
both books are on issuu to view for free here
https://issuu.com/bluecatheaven
we didn’t bother even trying to get “The illustrated lyrics of Old Man Crow” published commercially, had 100 copies printed locally, all up including the exhibition it cost $10,000, we broke even
oh and don’t bother with the self publishing presses or agents that say they will do everything for you, they are just preying on all the people who want to get published and don’t do you any favours at all, they cost a lot more than if you do it all yourself, getting an ISBN & bar code is easy & cheap, you just have to set yourself up as a publisher/writer and pay a small fee to whatever company holds those rights in the USA and then find a good local printer who you can work with and get as many copies printed as you think you can sell.
Good to know.
I really like that “badge of honor viewpoint, I will have to remember that as I go about life.
It is a decent reframing (and not original to me) and no surprise — rejection is such a prevalent experience for writers. Thanks for chiming in!
Interesting views … The time and energy put into the doing of it all. It takes courage to put oneself out there …. not giving up. Is it Grace that says it’s all in the going? Maybe Jude … not sure. Have a weekend filled with love and laughter …
Have a nice weekend yourself, Tina. We may be getting a little more snow tomorrow.
There is effort involved in typing things up and inserting the links — especially because these posts are composed with my thumbs on the iPhone these days — but sometimes it’s harder to hold things in (especially if done so out of exaggerated worries about audience, etc.)
Your courage, energy and conviction, though you may doubt all three, are evident evident and admirable. As for losing things…that’s another ‘me too’ group you can claim membership in. I just sent a package yesterday but due to the holiday, it will likely not arrive till next week sometime. For now, just Good morning.
thanks Michelle — others have remarked on my ‘lens’ issue when directed at myself. I appreciate the reminder. and yeah, the losing things thing — growing up we used to call it “the where’s my’s” — kind of a friendly name for ADD.
I’m rooting for you! As far as loosing things…today while shopping, I (for some silly reason) dropped my wallet into the bag with the clothing. Then, as I was walking out I reached into my purse and no wallet!! Oh no! I dashed back in to the register I’d just stepped away from and it was empty! I looked around wildly and shouted out to another employee, “Did you see a wallet? I left it…” The gal that had helped me turned around and came back from where she was headed. She confirmed that she did not have it, as I am searching my purse…OH WAIT, yes there it is, in the bag with the clothes and the receipt! Less than a minute had passed, but I was 12 years older from fright! Oy…this getting old thing!
Been there. Done that.