The new collection, Things Kept Burning, is finished. It consists of twenty-two stories, the majority of which were written in the last year. There are also two older pieces from my first book End of Dream, which I'm planning to re-issue once the dust settles on this. The manuscript has been sent to the copyeditor, and now we're making plans for the cover design, not to mention the excerpts that will appear on the back. I'm excited about this process, and how it's all shaping up, although I don't want to get my hopes up because that always leads to disappointment. I do know that I poured my blood sweat and tears into this and nobody can take that away from me, and considering the hell I've experienced the past nine months - which I wouldn't wish on anybody - I'm proud of the accomplishment, regardless of how many copies eventually get sold....... Also, I'm moving to San Francisco June 1st, which is a drastic change of plans for me. All along the goal was to get to Portland, but with all the medical bills that drained my finances, and a mother I've worried tremendously, it made sense to be a little closer to home, especially with the rent so cheap in this new place. Also, in terms of literary contacts, SF is a better alternative at the moment. I'll be living with two other writers/artists - really good folks - and I think this environment will foster even more creative endeavors. Hopefully, in six months to a year, or perhaps sooner, I'll be in a situation - both financially and health wise - to explore the Portland situation again. If not, I'll make it there eventually....... In the meantime, I'm reading this book called Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, by Michael B. Oren. Generally my reading habits are limited to art and literature, but this examination of the Israel/Palestine situation has been quite fascinating, and my mind is stimulated again, which will only help in the long run in terms of getting back on my feet. Cinema wise, I watched Francis Ford Coppolla's The Conversation - starring Gene Hackman - the other night, which was an excellent find, one that I'd always heard good things about but for some reason was hesitant to explore, as well as Taxi Driver, an old favorite. I've put together concepts for a new screenplay, and the "lonely existential man on the fringes of society" motif in both films was helpful as far as shaping my new protagonist.... Finally, I watched the Red Sox beat the Yanks last night, which was a delight, especially with Ortiz going deep in the 8th, Doug Mirabelli showing up just in time to catch Wakefield, Jon Papelbon pitching another lights out 1-2-3 ninth, and Johnny Damon going 0-4. The sign of the night: Looks like Jesus, Acts like Judas, Throws like Mary...... Anyway, updates will be sporadic for awhile, as you can probably tell, but as soon as the book is ready, I'll have a link here to where you can purchase it. Your help in this regard is greatly appreciated, and will perhaps earn you eternal consciousness on your deathbed, courtesy of Bill Murray's character in Caddyshack, so at least you'll have that going for you. Cheers.
