Weekend tidbits

As always, I spent much more time this weekend thinking about writing than actually writing, but did make a little headway. Much to do before I leave next Thursday for a few days in Costa Rica, so I'm trying to get everything in order. I do the same thing I always do, which is think about 10 other things when I'm supposed to be writing one thing. Doing my best to do what I can, when I can, ad give myself breaks here and there.

A few tidbits:

I did watch In Her Shoes, which I liked more than I'd expected, and which sent me to Google to read Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art" (the one that starts "The art of losing isn't hard to master..."). Then I found these interpretation and the interesting factoid that she went through 16 drafts of the poem. Wow. Whenever I see anything like that it just makes me realize how much more I need to dedicate to the writing. Quality over quantity and all that. I need to

I found The Movie Binge, where they're going to be watching and blogging about every majorly released movie this summer.

Willie Mae Rock Camp is opening itself up not just to girls, but to ladies, for a special one-day, learn to be a rock star session.

Every writer should check out Mastheads.org, a fabulous resource offering an A to Z listing of mastheads of major magazines, with more being added every day.

Heard from the wonderful Australian jouralist Rachel Hills, whose work I'm now gobbling up, and who I'll get to meet in person when she's here next week. I had admired her article on raunch culture back in February, but she's written a lot more, including a very interesting piece on the drama over Suicide Girls.

Sean Wilsey reviews Alison Bechdel's brilliant Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Along with many other events, I missed her recent readings and event at Cattyshack (which is hosting some readings/barbecues this summer), but I want to read it again (and again and again). Such economy of words and an intense story and also SO different from the sometimes snarky, snide tone of Dykes to Watch Out For - which I really enjoy, but sometimes the jokes are a little too winky for me.

Also in the Sunday NYT, An article on the closing of the Telegraph Avenue Cody's Books. Took me back to my very young, idealistic days living nearby, going to see authors such as Sandra Bernhard and Catharine MacKinnon (!!) there and haunting the place on my way home from class. Thankfully, Moe's is still there. Cody's will probably be gone by the time I visit Berkeley in late July or August, but I will be scouring my old haunts and seeing what's still around, though I have a feeling the biggest changes I'll find are in myself. I'm pretty much a completely different person than I was back in 93-96, and I try to look forward rather than back. I don't really like to relive my stupider/dorkier moments, but I think it's time - I haven't been to the Bay Area since 2001! Hard to believe since I went to SF three times that year, but other places have beckoned.