Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The First of Many
Hello, All.
I travelled the vast, (remarkably flat) expanse of northern Indiana and crossed into the unknown of Illinois. I'd never been to Chicago or seen it even from a distance. When I did though, I looked like a little kid, bouncing around in the back of the school van, leaning over people in the annoying way everybody hates but I did it anyway because I wanted to see EVERYTHING that I could and commit it to memory. Little did I know that later I would change my mind about that.
By now the other interns will have regaled to our readers the awesome places we ate and all the different ways we managed to spend money, even though we tried not to....or at least I did. So I'll tell you about my personal experience, and hope that I do not offend or seem as small-town as I most probably am.
We entered city limits after six hours of the close, confined quarters of the van and everybody perked up and stared out the windows. I got stuck in the middle; in hindsight I should have aimed for a window seat. I was stunned by the fantastic view of the Chicago skyline rearing up before me. I stared, trying to make it seem real to me and not just another image from a movie. Movies had made this city seem familiar to me, yet it was utterly foreign.
We pulled up to our hotel and I got out and stared-straight up- there was no other direction my eyes could go. Everything was up! My eyes were used to staring out at the open fields and valleys of the South, and here the scope was more narrow, like I was looking through a rectangular tunnel towards the sky. The "L" train terrified me the first time it roared past. I squealed, but luckily no one heard me over the noise. I realized quickly that the intersections were deathtraps, the people were not exactly 'friendly conversationalists', and that I had to adapt quickly lest I be eaten for breakfast at one of the many corner bakeries.
I did, surprisingly, adapt to the pace quickly enough. Or maybe it just pulled me along. Either way, I went. I wasn't afraid to go out at night by myself and find something sweet to eat when the urge struck. I had only to cross the street anyhow. Everything was right there. Maybe there was danger and I was oblivious. I would not doubt that. There were so many windows peeking out at me as I walked through the streets. In my mind I knew that not every window had a happy scene on the other side. That's the city, I guess, and I got used to the concept rather fast. I don't think it would be hard to lose your humanity in the city. There are so many people with needs unmet, it becomes overwhelming to the point you just look away and try to ignore it all. I'd never seen a beggar in the street until now.
I had so many first experiences, I may have to blog several times this week to get it all out. I like to keep things short and interesting. If only more things were that way....like class.
The next time I blog, I'll share some more "firsts" with you and, perhaps, attempt a lighter subject than homeless people. You just don't see them in the fields of Southern Indiana, at least, not when the corn grows tall.
I travelled the vast, (remarkably flat) expanse of northern Indiana and crossed into the unknown of Illinois. I'd never been to Chicago or seen it even from a distance. When I did though, I looked like a little kid, bouncing around in the back of the school van, leaning over people in the annoying way everybody hates but I did it anyway because I wanted to see EVERYTHING that I could and commit it to memory. Little did I know that later I would change my mind about that.
By now the other interns will have regaled to our readers the awesome places we ate and all the different ways we managed to spend money, even though we tried not to....or at least I did. So I'll tell you about my personal experience, and hope that I do not offend or seem as small-town as I most probably am.
We entered city limits after six hours of the close, confined quarters of the van and everybody perked up and stared out the windows. I got stuck in the middle; in hindsight I should have aimed for a window seat. I was stunned by the fantastic view of the Chicago skyline rearing up before me. I stared, trying to make it seem real to me and not just another image from a movie. Movies had made this city seem familiar to me, yet it was utterly foreign.
We pulled up to our hotel and I got out and stared-straight up- there was no other direction my eyes could go. Everything was up! My eyes were used to staring out at the open fields and valleys of the South, and here the scope was more narrow, like I was looking through a rectangular tunnel towards the sky. The "L" train terrified me the first time it roared past. I squealed, but luckily no one heard me over the noise. I realized quickly that the intersections were deathtraps, the people were not exactly 'friendly conversationalists', and that I had to adapt quickly lest I be eaten for breakfast at one of the many corner bakeries.
I did, surprisingly, adapt to the pace quickly enough. Or maybe it just pulled me along. Either way, I went. I wasn't afraid to go out at night by myself and find something sweet to eat when the urge struck. I had only to cross the street anyhow. Everything was right there. Maybe there was danger and I was oblivious. I would not doubt that. There were so many windows peeking out at me as I walked through the streets. In my mind I knew that not every window had a happy scene on the other side. That's the city, I guess, and I got used to the concept rather fast. I don't think it would be hard to lose your humanity in the city. There are so many people with needs unmet, it becomes overwhelming to the point you just look away and try to ignore it all. I'd never seen a beggar in the street until now.
I had so many first experiences, I may have to blog several times this week to get it all out. I like to keep things short and interesting. If only more things were that way....like class.
The next time I blog, I'll share some more "firsts" with you and, perhaps, attempt a lighter subject than homeless people. You just don't see them in the fields of Southern Indiana, at least, not when the corn grows tall.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
No infants were harmed in the writing of this blog.
I never thought so much chaos could be so much fun. Chicago is a huge change of pace from southern Indiana and I'm glad to learn that my life isn't so hectic after all. A lot of good things happened in Chicago. We gave away a lot of Spring 2008 issues of SIR in an attempt to get the word out. A lot of people also grabbed up our submission guidelines, brochures for Ropewalk, and pretended to know where Evansville was.
The volunteer work for AWP was crazy. Some of the other interns and I were placed behind the counter that contained nametags for everyone attending the conference/book fair. We're talking thousands of people. I had L-O.
Some cool people that were there: Allison Joseph, Holly Goddard Jones, Gary Fincke (though I'm upset that I never saw him), Ben Percy, Nickole Brown, and Michael Martone. Most of them stopped by our table to say hello and some were tracked down by the stalkers we are. :)
Other things that are not as literary connected: We ate at Giradono's, Miller's Pub, Tamarin, and India Grill. We didn't get to shop because most of us took taxis everywhere and ran out of money really fast. I did at least.
*Footnote regarding title: Towards the end of our ride there (6 hours with the same genious/borderline-insane people) resulted into a slip up of words--or acronym I should say. STDs was replaced with SIDS. I don't think I should explain past that.
Crystal's Perspective on the AWP Conference
After I updated all my friend details for friends on Facebook (that's 218 people, and yes I had it down to 100 but I gave up... too many people know me) my dearest cousin Sydnie reminded me I hadn't yet posted about Chicago. So here I am, posting.
Wednesday was a pretty crappy day. I woke up to it absolutely pouring outside, so I decided to drive my stuff down to the South Annex. I did so, and asked Ron where I could park my car without getting a ticket, and he said in front of the fleet, and that he was emailing Security about whose car was there and everything so they wouldn't give us tickets. So I parked in front of the fleet and went to the library to check my email before German. I got an email from Amy Price saying I needed to fill out some paperwork so I can be rehired as an RA. I figured I might as well do that before German and went back to my parking space (it was raining horizontally by this point) and what do I find when I get to my car? A ticket. Sighing, I went to Residence Life and filled out my paperwork and figured it'd probably be best for me to drive to the Parking Office and take care of my ticket, despite the fact that this would make me miss German. I went to the Parking Office, where the lady very offhandedly told me to fill out an appeal form. I was peeved, but I filled it out anyway. I then went to park my car back by my apartment, on the way realizing that I hadn't turned in my paper for Kearns' class; it was in the South Annex. I thought about printing off another copy when I got to my apartment, but then I realized that my laptop was -also- in the South Annex, so I'd have to go back anyway. I parked my car, hopped on the bus, soaking wet, and went back to campus. I decided that I should try to take my Research Methods and Statistics I test early before I went to turn in my paper, but Dr. Schuster had some stuff to do so I couldn't really do that. I went down to the SA and grabbed my paper and went to turn it in. I glanced at the paper and realized I had titled it "Paper One." Thank you, Crystal, for being a moron and forgetting to retitle your paper before turning it in. I turned in the paper and took my test (which I ended up with a 96% on).
Anyway, the trip up there was pretty funny. Ron Mitchell, Matthew Graham were the professors, and Adrienne, Marielle, Jenni, Whitney, Tristin, and I were the interns. I'm sure Ron and Matt were absolutely thrilled to be with six girls on the trip (that's sarcasm, in case you're not familiar with my writing). We drove up to Chicago, which took about six hours, and stopped at a Chinese place on the way. Somehow the lady lost the order form for us and was freaking out, saying she'd have to pay for our food if she didn't find it or something, I don't know. I mean we weren't charged extra but it was really weird. Anyway, we got there and we stayed at the Palmer House Hilton. Ron stayed at Hilton Chicago and I don't know where Graham stayed. I roomed with Marielle and Whitney.
Thursday was the first day of the AWP Conference. This was a new experience for Tristin, Whitney, and I. I think the other three had been to something like this before. Anyway, basically our job as the interns was to sit at the book fair in two hour shifts, and I took the first one. Graham stopped by every once in a while and I sat with Whitney for most of it. Then I went to help with Pre-Registration (doing that would make registration free) and when I was done I walked around the book fair for a while and got some free stuff and submission guidelines.At 7 the group went to eat some deep dish pizza. That night I stayed in the room, took a nice relaxing bath, and called Michael.
Friday I was late for my book fair shift because Marielle and (mostly) Whitney took so long to get ready, and then we went to try to find this breakfast place that ended up not existing. After my shift I went to this seminar on creating online literary communities, and then I went to a seminar with Adrienne and Jenni about writing across multiple genres. Marielle ended up not feeling well, which made me sad. That night Jenni, Adrienne, Whitney, and I ate at Miller's Pub and then Jenni, Adrienne, and I went to a reading by ZZ Packer and Joe Meno (which was amazing!) prefaced by Mucca Pazza, the punk marching band. Then we went to a flash fiction slam and Tristin joined us. The flash fiction slam was really fun, despite the fact Gertrude Stein managed to sneak up during one of the readings (not the actual Gertrude Stein, someone did a reading that was much like hers, except infinitely better) and the fact that the first guy who read made me think he was going to kill us all in our sleep. We went to the dance party that was being held a floor up, but it was boring so we left.
I actually ended up throwing up when we got back; I think it was the food at Miller's Pub. You can't tell me that it's not suspicious that Jenni's burger, Whitney's pulled pork, Adrienne's fish, and my shrimp all came out at the same time, and I mean like ten or fifteen minutes after we ordered it. We didn't think anything about it after time, but the fact that I was so violently sick makes me think that I had food poisoning. That actually lasted throughout Saturday. I tried to tough it out and go to the book fair to sit a shift, but after about thirty minutes of just sitting there I was felt really sick, so I went back. The taxi driver on the way back talked way too much and was very political, but I didn't care as long as I got back. I actually felt better near the evening, but then I ate and it came back, and gave up on trying to feel better. The girls tried to invite me to eat Indian food with them, but I think that would have had a worse effect on me than the McDonalds I ate (hey, food at the hotel would have been like 20 bucks and that was the closest thing there).
Sunday we went back; I was still feeling pretty ill after eating brunch at Maxwell's on the way back, so Ron and Graham were kind enough to give me their spot (they were switching back and forth with driving). I got dropped off at my place and then I basically just went to bed after studying for the Psychology of Gender test I had to make up yesterday (and got an 88% on). Today I had to make up the German test I missed; it didn't take very long but I hope I didn't make any stupid mistakes.
And that's Chicago. I really enjoyed going and seeing everything, even though I got sick. It was nice meeting some established writers. I've organized my submission guidelines and maybe sometime soon I'll start sending stuff out. Wish me luck!
Wednesday was a pretty crappy day. I woke up to it absolutely pouring outside, so I decided to drive my stuff down to the South Annex. I did so, and asked Ron where I could park my car without getting a ticket, and he said in front of the fleet, and that he was emailing Security about whose car was there and everything so they wouldn't give us tickets. So I parked in front of the fleet and went to the library to check my email before German. I got an email from Amy Price saying I needed to fill out some paperwork so I can be rehired as an RA. I figured I might as well do that before German and went back to my parking space (it was raining horizontally by this point) and what do I find when I get to my car? A ticket. Sighing, I went to Residence Life and filled out my paperwork and figured it'd probably be best for me to drive to the Parking Office and take care of my ticket, despite the fact that this would make me miss German. I went to the Parking Office, where the lady very offhandedly told me to fill out an appeal form. I was peeved, but I filled it out anyway. I then went to park my car back by my apartment, on the way realizing that I hadn't turned in my paper for Kearns' class; it was in the South Annex. I thought about printing off another copy when I got to my apartment, but then I realized that my laptop was -also- in the South Annex, so I'd have to go back anyway. I parked my car, hopped on the bus, soaking wet, and went back to campus. I decided that I should try to take my Research Methods and Statistics I test early before I went to turn in my paper, but Dr. Schuster had some stuff to do so I couldn't really do that. I went down to the SA and grabbed my paper and went to turn it in. I glanced at the paper and realized I had titled it "Paper One." Thank you, Crystal, for being a moron and forgetting to retitle your paper before turning it in. I turned in the paper and took my test (which I ended up with a 96% on).
Anyway, the trip up there was pretty funny. Ron Mitchell, Matthew Graham were the professors, and Adrienne, Marielle, Jenni, Whitney, Tristin, and I were the interns. I'm sure Ron and Matt were absolutely thrilled to be with six girls on the trip (that's sarcasm, in case you're not familiar with my writing). We drove up to Chicago, which took about six hours, and stopped at a Chinese place on the way. Somehow the lady lost the order form for us and was freaking out, saying she'd have to pay for our food if she didn't find it or something, I don't know. I mean we weren't charged extra but it was really weird. Anyway, we got there and we stayed at the Palmer House Hilton. Ron stayed at Hilton Chicago and I don't know where Graham stayed. I roomed with Marielle and Whitney.
Thursday was the first day of the AWP Conference. This was a new experience for Tristin, Whitney, and I. I think the other three had been to something like this before. Anyway, basically our job as the interns was to sit at the book fair in two hour shifts, and I took the first one. Graham stopped by every once in a while and I sat with Whitney for most of it. Then I went to help with Pre-Registration (doing that would make registration free) and when I was done I walked around the book fair for a while and got some free stuff and submission guidelines.At 7 the group went to eat some deep dish pizza. That night I stayed in the room, took a nice relaxing bath, and called Michael.
Friday I was late for my book fair shift because Marielle and (mostly) Whitney took so long to get ready, and then we went to try to find this breakfast place that ended up not existing. After my shift I went to this seminar on creating online literary communities, and then I went to a seminar with Adrienne and Jenni about writing across multiple genres. Marielle ended up not feeling well, which made me sad. That night Jenni, Adrienne, Whitney, and I ate at Miller's Pub and then Jenni, Adrienne, and I went to a reading by ZZ Packer and Joe Meno (which was amazing!) prefaced by Mucca Pazza, the punk marching band. Then we went to a flash fiction slam and Tristin joined us. The flash fiction slam was really fun, despite the fact Gertrude Stein managed to sneak up during one of the readings (not the actual Gertrude Stein, someone did a reading that was much like hers, except infinitely better) and the fact that the first guy who read made me think he was going to kill us all in our sleep. We went to the dance party that was being held a floor up, but it was boring so we left.
I actually ended up throwing up when we got back; I think it was the food at Miller's Pub. You can't tell me that it's not suspicious that Jenni's burger, Whitney's pulled pork, Adrienne's fish, and my shrimp all came out at the same time, and I mean like ten or fifteen minutes after we ordered it. We didn't think anything about it after time, but the fact that I was so violently sick makes me think that I had food poisoning. That actually lasted throughout Saturday. I tried to tough it out and go to the book fair to sit a shift, but after about thirty minutes of just sitting there I was felt really sick, so I went back. The taxi driver on the way back talked way too much and was very political, but I didn't care as long as I got back. I actually felt better near the evening, but then I ate and it came back, and gave up on trying to feel better. The girls tried to invite me to eat Indian food with them, but I think that would have had a worse effect on me than the McDonalds I ate (hey, food at the hotel would have been like 20 bucks and that was the closest thing there).
Sunday we went back; I was still feeling pretty ill after eating brunch at Maxwell's on the way back, so Ron and Graham were kind enough to give me their spot (they were switching back and forth with driving). I got dropped off at my place and then I basically just went to bed after studying for the Psychology of Gender test I had to make up yesterday (and got an 88% on). Today I had to make up the German test I missed; it didn't take very long but I hope I didn't make any stupid mistakes.
And that's Chicago. I really enjoyed going and seeing everything, even though I got sick. It was nice meeting some established writers. I've organized my submission guidelines and maybe sometime soon I'll start sending stuff out. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Yay, AWP!
It's AWP time! Tomorrow Ron, Graham, and all of us interns are piling into a van (can we fit all that luggage?) and driving to Chicago. I am so excited! Things are kind of crazy in the office right now as we all try to get last minute projects rolling and ready for the conference. I think I'm finished with everything I needed to do (save this blog) and now it's time to pack. Lightly, of course. No trash bags full of shoes this year. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm a little nervous about volunteering to help out with registration, but it's only a few hours of my time and it's well worth the waived registration fee that comes along with it.
I want to attend the following sessions in addition to the book fair:
R132. Multi-Genre Mentorship.
R154. Bob Hope, Joey Ramone, the Wolf Man, and Me: The Use of Pop Culture in Fiction.
R187. This is the Midwest? Landscape in Narrative.*
F138. The Duty of a Writer.
S117. Rising from the Cornfields: (Re)vising the Midwest. *
S143. Midwest Confidential. *
S173. The Steady Gaze: Writing Frankly about Sex and Sexuality in Fiction.
AND most importantly:
S193. Twenty Years in Utopia: The RopeWalk Writers Retreat Aniversary Reading. **
Sidenote: This conference coincides with the official opening of response season for MFA applicants, however, and I will be away from my mailbox, email, and I can't really answer my cell phone while working or watching a presentation. It's very frustrating. Also, many of the programs I applied to will have booths at the conference and it will be very hard for me to walk nonchalantly by and refrain from shaking the collar of the poor sap manning the thing, demanding acceptance into the program. Oh well. It will be easier to see and visit these booths still believing I have a shot at getting in than it would be to see them knowing I'd been rejected.
* I seem to be drawn to these Midwest writing sessions.
** If any of you are going to be there, please attend our session! It's sure to be amazing.
I want to attend the following sessions in addition to the book fair:
R132. Multi-Genre Mentorship.
R154. Bob Hope, Joey Ramone, the Wolf Man, and Me: The Use of Pop Culture in Fiction.
R187. This is the Midwest? Landscape in Narrative.*
F138. The Duty of a Writer.
S117. Rising from the Cornfields: (Re)vising the Midwest. *
S143. Midwest Confidential. *
S173. The Steady Gaze: Writing Frankly about Sex and Sexuality in Fiction.
AND most importantly:
S193. Twenty Years in Utopia: The RopeWalk Writers Retreat Aniversary Reading. **
Sidenote: This conference coincides with the official opening of response season for MFA applicants, however, and I will be away from my mailbox, email, and I can't really answer my cell phone while working or watching a presentation. It's very frustrating. Also, many of the programs I applied to will have booths at the conference and it will be very hard for me to walk nonchalantly by and refrain from shaking the collar of the poor sap manning the thing, demanding acceptance into the program. Oh well. It will be easier to see and visit these booths still believing I have a shot at getting in than it would be to see them knowing I'd been rejected.
* I seem to be drawn to these Midwest writing sessions.
** If any of you are going to be there, please attend our session! It's sure to be amazing.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Breaking Out of the Matchbox
Okay so, I'm new at this whole blogging thing. That is my disclaimer in case I do something wrong. I've been interning at SIR since the start of this semester, so about four weeks. This is my first intern job, my first experience in the production of a publication of any sort. These days we're gearing up for a trip to Chicago to attend the AWP conference. I've never been. I've always wanted to go to Chicago; I'm a museum kind of girl and I know there are plenty of those there. However, most of my friends are not, and everytime I tried to organize a trip they were all suspiciously busy. What else is there to do? My parents were the ones who informed me of Chicago's attractions so I'm guessing they only filled me in on the things a biology teacher and an art teacher would appreciate. I'm thinking they left out a lot.
I'm told I need to layer my sweaters- we're going to Chicago in the dead of winter. I hate the cold, but it's Chicago. Need I say more? I might, actually. Or someone does. Since I've never been, I could be grossly over-estimating the city. It doesn't take much to impress me;I gape at everything when I go to Indianapolis. I probably seem very naive to those of you who know Chicago and think it's small potatoes. If so, then pretend your world was the size of a matchbox. Now imagine you were painfully aware of the confines you lived in. That's me. My parents travelled the world. I've only been to Florida. I'm embarrassed by that truth. So next week I will broaden my horizons just a little bit more, and report back to you as one who can give an interesting first impression of her first trip to the famed city of Chicago.
I'm told I need to layer my sweaters- we're going to Chicago in the dead of winter. I hate the cold, but it's Chicago. Need I say more? I might, actually. Or someone does. Since I've never been, I could be grossly over-estimating the city. It doesn't take much to impress me;I gape at everything when I go to Indianapolis. I probably seem very naive to those of you who know Chicago and think it's small potatoes. If so, then pretend your world was the size of a matchbox. Now imagine you were painfully aware of the confines you lived in. That's me. My parents travelled the world. I've only been to Florida. I'm embarrassed by that truth. So next week I will broaden my horizons just a little bit more, and report back to you as one who can give an interesting first impression of her first trip to the famed city of Chicago.
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