Comments on: Question of the Week: Whatcha Been Up To, Friends? http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/ where writers come to play Sat, 17 May 2008 00:52:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Susan Henderson http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-60319 Susan Henderson Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:54:22 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-60319 Richard - I'm sorry to hear you lost your grandma, but how awesome to know she liked Eddie Murphy Raw! Nice to have you back. Juliet - Ooh, I love hideouts. Lee - Some of us suck at relaxing; it's just our nature. I didn't know you did triathlons - wow! Jody - Jody, we need to send our husbands to eyebrow rehab!! Do you ever submit to Fresh Yarn? You should turn this into an essay and write to Hillary. Richard - I’m sorry to hear you lost your grandma, but how awesome to know she liked Eddie Murphy Raw! Nice to have you back.

Juliet - Ooh, I love hideouts.

Lee - Some of us suck at relaxing; it’s just our nature. I didn’t know you did triathlons - wow!

Jody - Jody, we need to send our husbands to eyebrow rehab!! Do you ever submit to Fresh Yarn? You should turn this into an essay and write to Hillary.

]]> By: Jody Reale http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-60129 Jody Reale Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:55:31 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-60129 Glad to see you all here after what turned out to be an interesting summer (but not "oooh...ahhh" interesting.) For example: We moved for the third time in 18 months; I grew some more hair, my husband grew some more eyebrows. Our dogs continued to act like a couple of nutjobs; my daughter turned three and decided the same day that her dad and I are not allowed to speak to each other, much less hug. "Mom! What's your <i>problem?</i> Stop hugging for God's sake." That's my girl. I wrote some, worked some, and resolved to shut up about how much or how little I write or work. There was a flurry of purchases involving furniture and more face time than usual with the in-laws. My tendencies toward hatching harebrained schemes in the middle of the night started acting up again. For some reason I decided to start deliberately working out for the first time since the Clinton administration. I'm the girl in the pool with bad skin and at least one goggle full of water. I have to admit that, despite returning to all the good, healthy, social activity that fall brings on for me, I own something like 67 pairs of white pants and I can't believe the summer's already over. Let leaf-jumping season begin! Glad to see you all here after what turned out to be an interesting summer (but not “oooh…ahhh” interesting.) For example:

We moved for the third time in 18 months; I grew some more hair, my husband grew some more eyebrows. Our dogs continued to act like a couple of nutjobs; my daughter turned three and decided the same day that her dad and I are not allowed to speak to each other, much less hug. “Mom! What’s your problem? Stop hugging for God’s sake.” That’s my girl.

I wrote some, worked some, and resolved to shut up about how much or how little I write or work. There was a flurry of purchases involving furniture and more face time than usual with the in-laws. My tendencies toward hatching harebrained schemes in the middle of the night started acting up again. For some reason I decided to start deliberately working out for the first time since the Clinton administration. I’m the girl in the pool with bad skin and at least one goggle full of water.

I have to admit that, despite returning to all the good, healthy, social activity that fall brings on for me, I own something like 67 pairs of white pants and I can’t believe the summer’s already over. Let leaf-jumping season begin!

]]> By: Lee http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59921 Lee Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:19:11 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59921 When I was younger, I remember wishing to be older so that I could "do what I wanted" on summer vacations instead of being draggedaround by my parents to visit grandparents, spend days on the beach only to be in the room by night when all the fun going on downstairs made an alluring sound. Now, I wish I were younger so that I could enjoy summer vacations andnot think about what the heck is going to be waiting for me when I return to work. On the upside, I did decide this summer that all future vacations would coincide with either a running orcycling race. If I can ever find time to get my butt in the pool vacations might also coincidewith Triathlons. I can feel the pigment in my hair lightening to a nice shade of gray as I write this. Maybe I should relax when I'm not on vacation, too! ~Lee When I was younger, I remember wishing to be older so that I could “do what I wanted” on summer vacations instead of being draggedaround by my parents to visit grandparents, spend days on the beach only to be in the room by night when all the fun going on downstairs made an alluring sound.
Now, I wish I were younger so that I could enjoy summer vacations andnot think about what the heck is going to be waiting for me when I return to work.
On the upside, I did decide this summer that all future vacations would coincide with either a running orcycling race. If I can ever find time to get my butt in the pool vacations might also coincidewith Triathlons.
I can feel the pigment in my hair lightening to a nice shade of gray as I write this. Maybe I should relax when I’m not on vacation, too!

~Lee

]]> By: Juliet http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59913 Juliet Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:55:01 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59913 I had a spectacular summer: met a great new friend, had a few loose ends tied up in the mode of ye olde closure; spent weeks at a fabulous Hideout... read a book that took my heart into places it long will remember. Got some tidbits of a book I long to hold. xox J I had a spectacular summer: met a great new friend, had a few loose ends tied up in the mode of ye olde closure; spent weeks at a fabulous Hideout… read a book that took my heart into places it long will remember. Got some tidbits of a book I long to hold.
xox
J

]]> By: Jessica http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59895 Jessica Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:37:01 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59895 Susan, The Tender Bar is by J.R. Moehringer Also, another wonderful memoir/read that charged me: The Big House: a century in the life of an American summer home by George Howe Colt Susan,

The Tender Bar is by J.R. Moehringer

Also, another wonderful memoir/read that charged me: The Big House: a century in the life of an American summer home by George Howe Colt

]]> By: Richard Cooper http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59841 Richard Cooper Wed, 26 Sep 2007 07:14:54 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59841 Susan and everyone, Wow, what a great bunch you are here at LitPark. Some summers contain us, and my grandmother's passing made mine a sad one this year. I was in the middle of Manhattan (for Thrillerfest) when I got the news and flew to Iowa for her funeral. At some point, The Late Show left me a voice message about tickets for Letterman, which I know Grandma would have loved. She enjoyed stand-up comedy, and "Eddie Murphy Raw" made her laugh - which always seemed oddly freaking hilarious to me. Bookending my eventful summer was a graduate course in Organizational Change, which reminded me (in some strange, lateral way) about Ariel's song, in The Tempest, as she deceived Ferdinand: <i>Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing of him that doth fade But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange.</i> Grandma loved Shakespeare and named my mother Portia, who I will remember to call more often now that summer is over. --Richard Susan and everyone,
Wow, what a great bunch you are here at LitPark. Some summers contain us, and my grandmother’s passing made mine a sad one this year. I was in the middle of Manhattan (for Thrillerfest) when I got the news and flew to Iowa for her funeral. At some point, The Late Show left me a voice message about tickets for Letterman, which I know Grandma would have loved. She enjoyed stand-up comedy, and “Eddie Murphy Raw” made her laugh - which always seemed oddly freaking hilarious to me. Bookending my eventful summer was a graduate course in Organizational Change, which reminded me (in some strange, lateral way) about Ariel’s song, in The Tempest, as she deceived Ferdinand:

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Grandma loved Shakespeare and named my mother Portia, who I will remember to call more often now that summer is over.

–Richard

]]> By: Susan Henderson http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59806 Susan Henderson Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:59:39 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59806 Jessica - I haven't read anything by Jeannette Walls, but I'll keep Glass Castle in mind now, for sure. Who wrote The Tender Bar? I'm actually so excited about the new LitPark game I'm trying out that I can't sleep.... I hope everyone has fun with it and enjoys my special guest! Jessica - I haven’t read anything by Jeannette Walls, but I’ll keep Glass Castle in mind now, for sure. Who wrote The Tender Bar?

I’m actually so excited about the new LitPark game I’m trying out that I can’t sleep…. I hope everyone has fun with it and enjoys my special guest!

]]> By: Jessica Keener http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59764 Jessica Keener Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:12:45 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59764 Lance, Another Brewster lover? We need to talk!! I meant to write EUPHORIC in my first post. The tidal experience is otherworldly, right? And Suzanne, I also triple love Vermont. My tender spot is located in the Dorset/Manchester area where you can still see real cows grazing and discover hidden waterfalls just off the side of the road. As for book reading, I got into a spate of memoirs. Glass Castle blew me off the cliff. I walked around for a week reading it aloud to my husband and son. Every page was both miraculous and parallyzing. Also read The Tender Bar. Anyone else read this? Wonderful wisdom in those pages. Jessica Lance,

Another Brewster lover? We need to talk!! I meant to write EUPHORIC in my first post. The tidal experience is otherworldly, right?

And Suzanne, I also triple love Vermont. My tender spot is located in the Dorset/Manchester area where you can still see real cows grazing and discover hidden waterfalls just off the side of the road.

As for book reading, I got into a spate of memoirs. Glass Castle blew me off the cliff. I walked around for a week reading it aloud to my husband and son. Every page was both miraculous and parallyzing. Also read The Tender Bar. Anyone else read this? Wonderful wisdom in those pages. Jessica

]]> By: Susan Henderson http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59732 Susan Henderson Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:57:41 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59732 Jessica - My pleasure. I love love love Vermont, but I've never been there in the summer - only for skiing. Lance - Shouldn't you be sending me something one of these minutes? Julie - Here's to a good year. Sarah - I love all those places. We go to Dorset a lot. Witchhampton? Wimborne? I never remember which are the names of towns and which are the names of other things. Every time we go to England, we accidentally lose the wing mirrors on the rental cars. The streets are so narrow! Ellen - Yay, you're here! I'm so jealous you got to visit Myfanwy and I didn't. Amy - I actually made every single change to LitPark with that in mind. I wanted everyone (including me) to have more time to write. Betsy - Hey, I'm so glad to see you here. And I know all about your Nebraska trip because I followed it on your blog. Robin - I am so over the top happy for you and PROUD of you! Takes the sting out of the long, long journey, doesn't it? P.S. The History of Love is the most beautiful fucking book in the universe. I did the very same thing - clutched it to my chest, stared off into space, read it till my eyes burned. Jessica - My pleasure. I love love love Vermont, but I’ve never been there in the summer - only for skiing.

Lance - Shouldn’t you be sending me something one of these minutes?

Julie - Here’s to a good year.

Sarah - I love all those places. We go to Dorset a lot. Witchhampton? Wimborne? I never remember which are the names of towns and which are the names of other things. Every time we go to England, we accidentally lose the wing mirrors on the rental cars. The streets are so narrow!

Ellen - Yay, you’re here! I’m so jealous you got to visit Myfanwy and I didn’t.

Amy - I actually made every single change to LitPark with that in mind. I wanted everyone (including me) to have more time to write.

Betsy - Hey, I’m so glad to see you here. And I know all about your Nebraska trip because I followed it on your blog.

Robin - I am so over the top happy for you and PROUD of you! Takes the sting out of the long, long journey, doesn’t it?

P.S. The History of Love is the most beautiful fucking book in the universe. I did the very same thing - clutched it to my chest, stared off into space, read it till my eyes burned.

]]> By: Robin Slick http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59719 Robin Slick Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:39:20 +0000 http://litpark.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-whatcha-been-up-to-friends/#comment-59719 P.S. I just finished reading The History of Love and you want to talk about a literary masterpiece...oh my God. I don't know about you, Susan, but I alternated between clutching the book to my chest and going through two boxes of Kleenex. What a brilliant writer and only thirty years old. And yet. (And yet. Willthose two words ever mean the same to you again, Sue? Or the image of that card pinned to his suit jacket? Or Bruno?) P.S. I just finished reading The History of Love and you want to talk about a literary masterpiece…oh my God. I don’t know about you, Susan, but I alternated between clutching the book to my chest and going through two boxes of Kleenex. What a brilliant writer and only thirty years old.

And yet.

(And yet. Willthose two words ever mean the same to you again, Sue? Or the image of that card pinned to his suit jacket? Or Bruno?)

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