Monday, June 04, 2007

Why is it

. . . that I get asked to submit work when my all my resources are tapped? Over the year I wrote maybe ten or twelve poems that I think are worthy of publication. They're gone. Either picked up by a journal or on someone's doorstep. Anyway, I keep getting asked for more work (which is great), but I don't have anything right now. Guess that means I better get off my ass and write, eh?

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Turned in a grant application. THE worst thing to write is an Artist's Statement. When people ask me what it is I do, I can't very well answer it depends . . . or sometimes I'm not sure . . . or I play with a sentence or phrase for about two hours on my word processor then run my dog.

I managed to write a page, but the process was agony.

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I am now officially the advisor for creative writing majors at WWU. Heaven help us.

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NYFA announced its 2007 fellows. My good friend Sarah Gambito is one of the winners. Fellow blogger, Aaron Smith is also a winner.

Heh, I spent my money paying off CC bills. Hopefully these good folks get to spend that money on fun things.

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Aimee's book arrived yesterday. So did this.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Good for you on getting asked for work. Still very much a compliment.

Does the cookbook have any BBQ recipes? IN NC, we have the BEST BBQ. From my experience, the BBQ differs depending upon the region. Tenn BBQ is different from GA and SC and NC. I don't know about Texas. They are not really a "southern" state anyhow.

Oliver de la Paz said...

Thanks Jenni. Yes, I'm quite flattered that folks are asking for work. I just wish my timing was better.

As for the BBQ recipes, they've got several:

Fiery BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Luau-Style BBQed Pork Shoulder
North Carolina-Style BBQ
Orangeburg County-Style BBQ
Oven BBQ'd Picnic Shoulder
South Carolina-Style BBQ
Ted's Fiery BBQ Pork Tenderloin

You're probably curious about the NC style recipe. It's got lots of vinegar, some red chiles, and sugar. I'm assuming it's the clearer style BBQ sauce which I've had and I really enjoy. Meredith who's from GA but who has family in SC swears by the mustard based BBQ sauce. I like that too. :D Notice my neutrality?

Oliver de la Paz said...

P.S. What I love 'bout this cookbook is that there are mini-narratives that talk about the mythology of the food and the region.

marybid said...

I'm still going to bug you for work, even if you're tapped out. ;)

I totally hear you on the artist's statement thing. It took me like five hours to come up with two paragraphs. Painful.

Welcome to the glamorous world of creative writing program administration! I hope they've issued you a limo and set your team of assistants into action already...

Jeannine said...

Sorry we stole your poems! Crab Creek - the all Oliver de la Paz edition ;) Mwuhahaha.