OMG, Forgot This!

Here is a video interview I did last month promoting Hugo House: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-NJgeObgcGM

New Hair Color, & New Published Story!

CHICKENS!!! I have SO much news--my hair has recently become sublime, yes (due to the combined efforts of Karie Koltz at Salon Ciba and Blane Hummer at Raven Salon), but more importantly my short story, "The Hereafter Party," will soon appear in Issue #9 of Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine (SHMM to those in-the-know). I DON'T KNOW when, exactly, the print/Kindle issue will be available, but February-ish is a good bet. So I'm messing about with my hair and getting stories published, is what I'm doing on the surface; but believe me when I say there's a good bit of angst going on behind the scenes. January is coming full-steam with its self-employment TAXES, which are like Voldemort for creative people, and I don't have any more short stories making the submission rounds. "Stuck" and "The Milquetoast of Paris" are great literary stories I'm trying to find a home for, then I have a couple others to finish and send out. BUT...Biloxi Suite Trapeze (novel) is my priority, followed by Do What You Want: A Barber's Journal, my memoir about doing hair in the 90's. What to do--finish the novel; the memoir; or the short stories?? Throw in a couple editing jobs and hairstyling shifts, and....you have my Christmas in a coconut shell.

I actually LOVE writing work, and HATE Christmas, but always, for 20 years now, imagine myself as a person in command of the holidays: tree, presents, time off. This phantom person I inhabit is pretty much Rob Lowe in the movie Wayne's World --suave, monied, and au courant.

I hope everyone has a lovely time these next two holiday weeks, regardless of religious affiliation. I won't be getting that big Rob Lowe tv, but that's okay. Just buy Issue # 9 of Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine!

Best Circus--and LIFE--Blog, EVER!

In doing a little circus research for the book tonight, I found the best blog EVER: http://www.laurawitwer.com/2011/08/25/suck-it-up-buttercup-circus-is-hard/
Here's a pasted sample:

Suck It Up, Buttercup! Circus Is Hard

15 Comments

The number one question I’m asked by new students? “What can I do to get better? I feel like it’s taking so long!” It’s a fair question, I mean, who doesn’t want to excel at what they’re pouring their hearts and pocketbooks into? But, for many, what they’re really asking is, “Why haven’t I picked this up in ten classes?” Um… because it’s difficult, Buttercup! Ask yourself: would you waltz into a ballet class, having no dance training, and expect to be turning triple pirouettes three weeks from Sunday? Of course not. Then why would you assume that you can do that in an aerial class?

Wise Saying From Laura #1 – You have to be willing to suck at first. A lot.

Perhaps it’s our culture’s growing appetite for Instant Results , or maybe spill-over from the Club Med “make a catch your first day” mentality (not knocking Club Med, it’s just a different animal altogether). Whatever it is, let me be very candid: if you want to get really good at something, whether it’s aerials or accounting, you have to work your ass off for a good long time. That girl with the beautiful lines? She’s been dancing since she was 4. That guy with the bone-crushing grip? He’s been rock climbing for the past 5 years. They’ve all put in the time, just not in my class.

Wise Saying From Laura #2 – Just show up.

I have yet to meet a student who was a truly hopeless case – just about anyone in reasonable health can become proficient in an aerial discipline. I’ve watched some students throw themselves into classes, train on their own, and fight for every victory they got on the silks. That kind of hard work inevitably pays off. I have one student who couldn’t even hold on her first class, and cried in fear the first time she did an ankle hang; she’s now performing beautiful pieces in showcases and making me proud. She showed up. She put in the time (several years, to be exact). She’s reaping what she’s sown. You will too, Grasshopper.

Wise Saying from Laura #3: It’s an awesome adventure, babe. Quit focusing so much on the destination.

Here, in a nutshell, is how to get better, and enjoy the journey.

• quit taking yourself so damned seriously, it ain’t the Peace Corps. A light heart and the ability to laugh at yourself will make training more enjoyable (for both of us). Frustration is a roadblock, laughter is a detour.
• be a student. Check your ego at the door, and be willing to be really, really bad at something. Think of it this way – you can only get better!
• just show up – to class, to workouts, to your training time. I strongly recommend at least one class and one practice session on your own each week. Regular workouts can be tailored to support your air time – Pilates, deep stretching, weight training (PULL-UPS), and more can make your class time more productive.
• don’t compare yourself with others (thank you, Miss Stephanie!!!)
• CELEBRATE EVERY VICTORY!!! Don’t sweep it under the rug, you worked hard for it!

It’s not Insta-Aerial, ya’ll! It took me over a year of training almost every day to get to a reasonably professional level on fabrics. You can do it. Here’s what I can promise you: show up, do the work, and you’ll see results. Now, suck it up and get to class! There’s work to be done and fun to be had! And no whining. Love and pull-ups, Laura
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check this blog out, it is FANTASTIC, and this is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg with the helpful, life-changing hints it holds. I still don't know if I'm going to use chalk or rosin for this aerial rope scene in my book, but I'm sure a closer look at Laura Witwer's blog will answer that question as well.

Chickens--my book is almost done!!! Pant with me, it is very exciting!!
Talk soon,
--P

Happy Thanksgiving, My Chickens!

Here are my new Warby Parkers--you like?? (Linwood in Violet Magnolia) My eye doctor swore my Rx hadn't changed much since last time, but these new lenses are exposing me to a whole new world--I've seen the light, and it's shown me how much dust there is to deal with. I'm coming off a very busy fall--grant application deadlines, and two Hugo House classes which are now complete and are already missed; I think a few friendships have been forged from those, though.

This Thanksgiving holiday week should have been the perfect time to relax and catch up on housework, but I've come down with a nasty cold so am forced to stay in bed and read...which is what I secretly wanted to do with my time off, anyway. I finished reading Molly Ringwald's When It Happens To You yesterday, it was delightful! It's a novel-in-stories, and while I found the first few stories a little summary-heavy, I suppose that's a function of the literary fiction genre. By the time I'd hit the book's mid-point, the superfluous summary had either lessened or just didn't bother me anymore, and I was free to enjoy Ringwald's masterful prose. This book is really, REALLY good, and a relatively quick read (especially if you're ravenous for good writing after a bunch of so-so stuff and trapped in bed, like me).

I also put a dent into Justin Cronin's The Twelve, which unexpectedly arrived via Kindle Library Loan. I'd planned to reread the last 50 pages of The Passage before tackling this next installment, but Cronin did a ridiculously good job of encapsulating the previous novel in a faux-Biblical Prologue to quickly bring the reader up to speed and set the stage for this new slice of the story. The Twelve indulges my preference for the first third of The Passage, which deals with a recognizable near-future as a vampire apocalypse descends. The Passage then does a flash-forward that J.J. Abrams would be proud of--leaps ahead in time a few hundred years to a society that, while somewhat interesting, is never quite as compelling as the present-tense dire straits we left behind.The Twelve picks up at this delicious point and moves on, unblinkingly, through horror after horror, and I cannot put it down. *Totally* recommended!

Okay, my chickens--I work next on Saturday, then Monday. Hope you all have wonderful Thanksgivings--I can't wait to hear about them! Holiday love to all,
--P

No More Thursdays!!!

Hello again,
Just wanted to let y'all know that my other part-time gig has finally come through, so I am no longer cutting hair on Thursdays!

My schedule at Raven:
Mon, Fri, Sat: 9AM-3PM

See you guys soon (just not on Thursdays),
--P

New Prices At Raven!!!

Hi, Chickens:
Fall has arrived, with its rain & chilly-ness; the city's mood is subdued, but there is still the electricity of new sweaters, boots & scarves to combat any ennui.
I have NEWS!!!---I thank you so much for your unflagging support of my move six months ago from Rudy's Barbershop to Raven's salon on Pine & Melrose! At that time I took a bit of a pay cut from my going rate at Rudy's ($25 for a style cut/ more for long hair) to match the prices at Raven ($21 and up) so I could fit in, and I was glad my loyal clients could enjoy a price break for their trouble. I have been deliriously happy at my new salon, and have been fortunate enough to meet a number of new clients who have graciously become repeat customers. I LOVE YOU ALL, and hope you will continue to see me at Raven after our price raise starting Dec.1st--style cuts will be $25, bobs/long hair cuts will be $37. We're trying to meet the cost of living/business, and feel our haircuts are worth every penny--we hope you agree! Thanks again for your patronage, and I hope you'll continue to come in--we'd love to see you!!!

"Celebrity Sperm Bank": Art Comes to Life, Pun Intended!

Chickens, you may remember a little story I wrote called "Celebrity Sperm Bank," which was published in The Ledge Magazine's Summer 2011 Issue No. 33. Well, check out this new development, here with pretty pictures: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9613099/Celebrity-sperm-donor-service-gears-up-for-launch.html
Or, just the text:

By James Hall, Consumer Affairs Editor

7:14PM BST 16 Oct 2012

Fame Daddy will offer would-be-mothers “top quality celebrity surrogate fathers” when it launches next February, according to Dan Richards, its chief executive.

Prices will start at £15,000 for a premium sperm service from the clinic.

The company’s website, which launched last week, claims that women can pick from a range of celebrated high-achievers when picking a prospective father for their offspring. The identities of each high-flying father will kept secret as the donors have been guaranteed anonymity. The men will also be required to sign a legal waiver of their rights to access to the child.

However would-be mothers using the Fame Daddy clinic will be able to identify their area of achievement and other personal attributes.

They can choose from donor dads who have excelled in a range of fields including sport, entertainment and business. The website lists a range of “sample profiles” of typical sperm donors, including an Oscar-winning actor, a member of the House of Lords and an ex-Premiership footballer.

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Last night Mr Richards admitted that the clinic has no real sperm samples “as of yet”. He said that the online descriptions are examples of the type of clientele that Fame Daddy “intends to attract”.
However he said that the site’s register of possible donors already includes a retired ATP tennis pro, retired English cricketers and a multi-platinum recording artists.
Mr Richards said: “We currently have about 40 people on our register of interested donors. Of course, until we have premises we cannot store sperm and therefore we as of yet have no actual samples. I am confident most of these will donate once we are operational.”
He said that “like all licensed clinics”, information about the donors will be stored in a confidential registry “that can be accessed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), who also manage our file architecture and data management systems”.
The company is “confident” it will complete the four-month application process for HFEA approval by next February.
Mr Richards said: "Our vision is to help women give their children the very best chance in life.
"To be able to harvest potential from the global gene pool, rather than from the more limited selection of the men she comes into direct contact with, is a major evolutionary leap for women.
"Our aim is to provide excellent levels of medical care in a supportive and nurturing environment. We will offer a range of top quality celebrity surrogate fathers whose contributions are exclusively available at our fertility clinic.
"Whether it is talent on the stage or pitch, having a world beating voice, or just being very beautiful, Fame Daddy will have the perfect celebrity surrogate daddy."

I Totally Stole This From Bernadette, 'Cos It Was The Shot I Was Too Chicken To take!

Molly Ringwald & Master Class in Memoir

Hello, my chickens:

So, rec'd a partial scholarship for Peter Mountford's Master Class in Memoir at Hugo House this fall, start next week! Am thrilled/terrified, since haven't written non-fiction in some time.

Last night went to see my teenage idol MOLLY RINGWALD read at Elliott Bay Books for her new book of short stories, When It Happens To You. SO charming/eloquent/funny/erudite! She made me want to be her all over again (FYI, "To Be Molly Ringwald" was the sole goal of my 14-year-old-self). It's incredibly reassuring to know that the person you've looked up to for almost thirty years (!!!) is someone you still want to BE.

She was just lovely, and looks EXACTLY the same as in her 80's movies. And, she's a darned good writer--I LOVED her memoir, Getting the Pretty Back, and now When It Happens To You looks like more of the same wonderful writing; I read the first couple pages before bed last night, and was blown away--it's going to be such a fantastic read!

Will stay in touch--as of now am keeping my Thursday hours at Raven, where my current barber schedule is: Mon, Thur-Sat: 9AM-3PM.

Sold an at-cost copy of the Spring 2012 Storylandia (featuring my short story, "The Deepest Crease Visible") this week from my hairstyling station (Thanks, Bruce!)--$4 gets you my great story plus an autograph! I also have at-cost copies of the Winter 2012 Storylandia (featuring my short story "See You There," $4) and the Summer No. 33 2011 issue of The Ledge Magazine (featuring my short story "Celebrity Sperm Bank," $8)

Still day-dreamin' about Molly...

Summer Schedule Changes

Man! I am fit to let out a Justin Wilson-sized Whoooo--EEEE!!! over how very long it's been since I've posted (please find the venerable Cajun cook here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK4umRMJlrs) Where have I been these past few weeks? Working a whole lot on little-to-no sleep: the Sweetie Baby Catgirl-Face has been yowling just a few hours each night for the past four months, keeping me awake at night & groggy come day. Kiki is still ridiculously cute--I'd take a picture & show you but I'm too tired. Here's hoping her new pain meds bring sweet, sweet silence tonight!!!

It's Gay Pride weekend here in Seattle, and Raven is opening late tomorrow (Monday, June 25th) in order to help any employees who might be celebrating with a drink right now ease into the workday. The shop will be open 11AM-6PM, and I'll be working 11AM until 4-or-5PM.
Other Summer Schedule Changes: 
*  Thursday, July 5th: opening at 11AM (instead of 9AM)
*  Monday, July 9th: open regular hours but closed 1PM-3PM for an American Crew advanced education class (PS--If any of y'all with a full head of hair want to be my model for a free clipper cut, please contact me ASAP!) I'm working 9AM-1PM that day.

That's all the changes so far, but please remember that I DO WORK ON MONDAYS, AND IT'S TOTALLY SLOW SO YOU CAN GET IN/OUT REALLY QUICKLY! Remember: Thursdays are going, going, GONE, soon!!!

Love you, miss you, zzzzzzzz....... 

"Academic Barbie" Is On Intellectual Refuge.com!!!

At long last, my personal essay, "Academic Barbie," will post on the Intellectual Refuge site this Friday, May 18th!!! http://www.intellectualrefuge.com/vol2/academic-barbie.

Hope you can check it out!

Manic Mondays!

Hey Y'all!

Hope you are enjoying the wonderful Seattle weather today! I went for a long walk on Lakeview Boulevard earlier, and am now having a crisp glass of pinot grigio in preparation for an evening of writing about acrobats in Biloxi.

Mondays have been a little slow lately at Raven's salon--y'all need to come on over & see me!!! I am going to cease & desist my Thursdays come June, so hope everyone can remember that I'm working Mon & Fri 9AM-3PM, Sat 10AM-4PM. Another little FYI--on the Hill, the parking police are even worse than in Belltown, so please put an extra quarter in the meter to avoid a ticket--three clients have gotten nailed just this week! We try to get everyone in and out in a timely manner, but those parking cops are out there the minute before your stickers expire, so please err on the safe side & save yourself $40!!!

Mondays are a great time to come in for a haircut--no wait!!! Hope to see you tomorrow,
xoxo--P

Publications & Raven!

Hello, my chickens--it's been too long!

Thanks to all of my intrepid clients who have found me at my new digs at Raven Salon, it was so good to see you!!! HERE is a recent Capitol Hill Blog article featuring Raven: http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/04/24/the-business-of-hair-on-the-hill

I am very-very-very happy at Raven! Am working: Mon-Thurs-Fri 9AM-3PM, Sat 10AM-4PM.

And, as to my writing life, here is my latest publication (if you scroll down a little, you can read an excerpt of my short story,"The Deepest Crease Visible") : http://www.storylandia.wapshottpress.com/
***You can buy it now on Kindle, or wait until July for the print version.***

Talk soon--am busy writing!!!

Storylandia 6 Now Available On Kindle, Featuring My Short Story, "The Deepest Crease Visible"!!!

The journal's print version is coming out later this month, but RIGHT THIS SECOND you can get the Kindle version of Storylandia 6, with my story, here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007U0VVWY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thewappre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007U0VVWY

Just finished my first week at Raven's Barbershop http://www.ravenonpine.com/--BUSY!!! My current work schedule is Mon-Thurs-Fri, 9AM-3PM, Sat 10AM-4PM.  COME VISIT ME!!!!

My New Work Schedule @ Raven's Barbershop!!!

Yesterday (Monday, April 9th) was my first shift at Raven's Barbershop (http://www.ravenonpine.com/), and it was so much fun! A busy, sunny day of new clients & coworkers, with great music on the shop iPod. I will of course miss the Rudy's Belltown crew (hi guys!), but am very happy with my new home--yay!!! 

My work schedule is: 

Mon, Fri & Sat 9AM-3PM

It has been an incredibly busy past few days, even for me: Friday was my last shift at Rudy's Belltown (after 12 years!), Saturday was my EDGE Graduation Reading @ Elliott Bay Books (so much fun!), Sunday featured Easter Karaoke & Easter Dinner, then Monday was my first day at Raven...followed by more karaoke! Today is Lionel Ritchie Day: I am takin' it Easy Like Sunday Morning.

I hope y'all will come see me soon at Raven!!!

*Speaking of loyal clients, thanks so much to Mark, Albert, & Bruce for coming out to my Elliott Bay Reading on Saturday--it was such a beautiful day, I'm sure there were a million other things you could have done instead! I really appreciate your continued interest & support in both of my careers, thanks again!!!*

My Last Week @ Rudy's Schedule!!!

I am closing out my 12-year run @ Rudy's Belltown this first week of April with three morning shifts: Tues, Thurs, & Fri, 9AM-3PM. Starting Mon, April 9th, you can find me at Raven (http://www.ravenonpine.com/).

Am reading @ Elliott Bay Books with my EDGE cohort on Saturday, April 7th, 1PM-4PM, as detailed in my last post.

Hope to see you soon!

EDGE Reading @ Elliott Bay Books, Plus New Job!!!

Am just back from reading at Lit Crawl's Bluebird Creamery venue--it was so much fun!!! And packed--what a great turnout! Stacey Levine, Doug Nufer and Richard Chiem were wonderful co-readers, it was such a thrill to be on the same bill. Would have loved to continue on to the other Capitol Hill venues with the Lit Crawl Crue to hear even more fantastic readers, but must be up bright & early for my last EDGE meeting tomorrow. Speaking of EDGE, our Graduation Reading is Saturday, April 7th @ Elliott Bay Books, from 1-4PM (the actual reading portion takes place 1:30-3:30PM, with intermission). Hope you can make it, I promise it will be worth the trip--all of the readers are fantastic!!!

For my present & future hairstyling clients, as posted earlier I start work at Raven: Cuts, Color & Conversation (http://www.ravenonpine.com/) on Monday, April 9th--am excited!!! Please check back here soon (and/or friend me on FB) for my days/hours, which I'm trying to keep close to my current Rudy's schedule. Street parking availability during the day is comparable or better than Belltown, and there is a pay lot across the street from the salon, plus another one a block away on Pike; there is also free 2-hour parking a little further down on Melrose. I will miss Rudy's but am thrilled at this opportunity to cut hair in my 'hood with close friends--please come visit me!!

I am still learning how to use my new Coolpix camera, but will post photos from the Lit Crawl reading just as soon as I figure out how to transfer them to my computer--it's been an action-packed week, and I haven't had a chance to read the manual!

Thanks again for being such great readers and clients, I really appreciate your interest, support & participation in my various undertakings!

Readings, Plus New Job!!!

I am reading at APRIL's Lit Crawl this Friday, March 30th!!!  The venue is Bluebird Creamery/Brewery on Pike ST, starting at 7:30PM. The lovely-and-talented Stacey Levine, Doug Nufer and Richard Chiem will also read, in an order not-yet-established. We won't have a merch table, but I'll have a few copies of The Ledge Magazine & Storylandia: The Wapshott Journal of Fiction on me for cash sale, just ask me after the reading!

Am also reading at Elliott Bay Books on Saturday, April 7th, with my EDGE cohort, it's our "Graduation" Reading!!! Two months ago, all 16 of us had to each perform a 7-minute reading for our first EDGE meeting, and I was completely blown away. My only coherent thought afterward was: Why aren't all of these people famous?!? So rest assured that the Elliott Bay reading is going to be fantastic, and it will have a merch table, so my mags will definitely be available there. The 16-performer reading is listed as lasting from 1PM-4PM: There is a Meet-N-Mingle from 1PM to 1:30PM, then the reading actually starts. There will be a 10-min intermission, then the reading will wrap-up by 3:30PM, leaving the last 30 minutes to Mingle-N-Maybe-Purchase-Merch.

I am super-excited about these readings! But the even bigger news today is that after 12 happy years at Rudy's Barbershop, on Monday, April 9th, I am starting a new job at Raven: Cuts, Color & Conversation!!! (http://www.ravenonpine.com/)   I am thrilled to once again work with my close friend (& super-sexy stylist) Raven Myrick at his incredibly cute salon in Capitol Hill's "Melrose Triangle," nestled between Machiavelli's Italian Restaurant and the Baltic Room on Pine ST & Melrose AVE E. I'm trying to stay as close to my current work schedule as possible to accomodate my current clients, but please friend me on FB, email me, or check this blog to find out more re: work hours.

Hope to see you at a reading, or for a haircut!!!
--P

Readings!!!

I will be reading at Bluebird Creamery/Brewery on Pike ST on Friday, March 30th at 7:30PM!
***I'll have copies of The Ledge Magazine (with my reading's story "Celebrity Sperm Bank") and copies of Storylandia (with my story "See You There") available for sale/signing: $10 to buy both, or $8 for Ledge/ $4 for Storylandia individually. Local authors Stacey Levine and Doug Nufer will also be reading at this event, they totally rock!

I will read with my EDGE cohort at Elliott Bay Books on Saturday, April 7th from 1-4PM!!! This is a FANTASTIC group of readers, seriously--you will be as awestruck as I was when I first heard them. It is totally worth your time, please come out if you can!!!

I am awaiting my new camera in the mail, a Nikkon Cool Pix!!! We'll see how it flies....

More soon, thanks for checking in!!!
xoxo--P

My Camera Died!!!

Hello, Faithful Readers: I apologize for the lag between posts! I'd wanted to provide new & current photos for this next post, but my digital camera ist tot, as the Germans might say. So, here is a picture of me on my Krewe of Selene Mardi Gras float last year, 'round about this time in 2011. I am no longer blonde, or surrounded by sparkly beads, but I still have that tiny hat and bunny ears. I missed riding in the Selene parade for the first time in five years, and was v. sad about that for several weeks. I rented the first season of HBO's Treme from the library and loved it, but in hindsight it was perhaps not the best thing to watch right before a Mardi Gras you're not going to get to go to.

I couldn't leave Kiki. She's doing much better, consistently, but that's only been over the past three weeks. Even now, with her medical issues, she's going to have to be boarded at the vet's if I ever do get the chance to go on vacation. But I'm so glad she's doing better that I can't think of anything else right now, am only glad that she's purring and breathing and sneezing in my face, as usual.

In addition to my camera being broken, the past few weeks have been busy! I've had two short stories published: "Break-Up Sex" in Clean Sheets: http://www.cleansheets.com/fiction/gaudet_02.22.12.shtml and "See You There" in Storylandia: The Wapshott Journal of Fiction: http://www.storylandia.wapshottpress.com/

I'm also in the midway-throes of the Artist Trust EDGE Professional Development Program for Writers, an 8-week boot-camp for the business-side of the writing life. This has been a fantastic experience so far, my cohort are incredibly talented and it's just such an honor to be a part of this program. It's like what I imagine the first couple seasons of Mtv's "The Real World" were like, the ones BEFORE the internet, where a group of people really bonded over a common goal and were actually friends.

More good news: I was invited (by PageBoy) to read at the APRIL LitCrawl at Bluebird Creamery/Brewery on Pike ST on Friday, March 30th at 7:30PM.
 LitCrawl info is here: http://seattlelit.com/events/seattle-litcrawl-april-festival/
APRIL info is here: http://aprilfestival.wordpress.com/about/

I'll have discounted issues of The Ledge and Storylandia available for sale/signing at the event! Hope to see you there!!
--P

Another Biloxi Photo, For A Post About "Downton Abbey"

Here is another picture of Biloxi's Beau Rivage Casino Hotel (i.e.the Belle Carnivale); in recent years this gorgeous wood-slatted walkway has sprung into existence, and is a truly delightful means of walking over the Gulf water to the beach, where you can choose to either continue travelling up the beach on a concrete walkway, or drop down onto the soft white sand. I will have to research when, exactly, this wondrous walkway came into being, because I don't believe it was there when my novel takes place; I might let it go, since I want Margot and Pieter's walk from the beach to the hotel to be unobstructed by even this miracle of convenience and beauty.

I am just about delirious and beside myself with the revisions I want to make to the Biloxi book (spurred by the amazingly astute and helpful feedback of my wonderful writing group!), but must complete its current draft first, and also attend to work issues in my own life. I am thrilled to report that I have been accepted into Artist Trust's EDGE Professional Development Program, which I am so very honored and excited to be a part of! This new chapter of my professional development will require a little re-shuffling of my current work schedule, which I hope will go well. I am also hoping to discover how to move my creative writing from an unpaid hobby to a self-sustaining career, and believe I will learn how to do this through the EDGE program.

So yes, I am very happy about my inclusion in the EDGE program, and can't wait for class to start on Feb. 24th. I am also thrilled to be currently caught up with "Downton Abbey" on PBS.

It was through a Facebook post of my friend Kirsten Rue (thank you!), months ago, that I came to learn of Downton Abbey, Season One. It was available On Streaming, via Netflix; I was available On a Sunday, via a Hangover, and thus watched all seven episodes of this inexplicably addictive BBC show.

I am an Anglophile, to be sure; if I could choose one moment to live over and over again it would probably be the scene in Merchant Ivory's film "Room With A View," when George Emerson (Julian Sands) bounds through an Italian field of brightly colored flowers to grasp Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham-Carter) in his arms and kiss her passionately. Basically, I am all about corsets and long chesnut hair, and the thwarting of one's own desires to maintain societal order. However, I think that "Downton Abbey" has a crossover appeal that sucks in even those who wouldn't normally sit through a Merchant Ivory film, and that is thrilling--what is it about this television show that  is so addicting?!?

I can tell you one thing--I don't believe that this week's burn victim Patrick Gordon is Patrick Crawley, supposed fatal victim of the Titanic. He seems fishy, he does--and, I'm surprised that Lady Edith seemed to fall so quickly under his spell; you'd think a con could spy a con.

I am guiltily liking Sir Richard (Lady Mary's newspaper fiance) more and more, with his catch-phrase of: "Should I be worried??" emitted as various characters (Matthew, Patrick) shuffle through Downton Abbey.

I have to admit that I can't remember what, in Season One, drove Lady Mary and Matthew apart in the first place; money, I'm sure, but I can't remember the exact circumstance.

Regardless--I am completely enthralled by this series, and think everyone should watch it! I don't think many episodes are left, and I don't know what I shall do until Season Three airs on our shores; I am sending out a call for floppy-haired gents to come running at me in a field of flowers, that is the only thing that will get me through until then...

The Biloxi Book

The book is going; if it's going well...I couldn't say. The past couple months of cat-stress have greatly slowed progress, as well as the recent surprise people-deaths of close family members and friends. It's really been a difficult few months; the first truly "adult" winter of my life, I suppose, where terrible things can't be reset with a quick joke or laugh. In any event, I am still working on The Biloxi Book, and it looks like Storylandia 5 (containing my short story, "See You There") will be published any day now.

(http://www.storylandia.wapshottpress.com/)

I am going to miss Mardi Gras this year--after five straight rides with Slidell's Krewe of Selene, I will be at home in Seattle with Kiki when our parade rolls on Friday, February 17th. I couldn't afford it this year even before Kiki's crazy nerve mass, but I am truly, truly sorry to miss out on what has become a yearly family ritual, from my dad helping load bags of beads onto my float, to catching up on a year's worth of news with my aunt Denise while we throw beads to the screaming masses of Slidell, LA, during our three-hour parade ride. I would have swung it this year if there was any possible way, but it just didn't work out. Hopefully I will be able to reclaim my spot next year.

The picture above (taken by me in Spring 2011) is the pool area of the Beau Rivage Casino Hotel in Biloxi, MS, the inspiration for the Belle Carnivale Casino Hotel's pool area in my novel, Biloxi Suite Trapeze. It isn't exactly like this in the book, but this photo might give you an idea of the mood the book has, all sun-splashed & stylish.You can imagine the lead trapezist, Travina, swimming here, right? And the Sagarat! jugglers tossing ashtrays into the pool after a night of drinking. And, of course, Pieter and Margot sipping mimosas under a poolside umbrella, after a tumbling lesson....

So I guess this picture is a teaser for the novel!

Check back for more news, I am watching my life closely and will report anything interesting on this blog.
--P

My Mom, The Style Icon (Although My Submission Didn't Make It Onto That Blog)

My mother, Esther Gaudet, and me, her daughter Paullette Gaudet

Toledo, Spain

1977

“My native Puerto-Rican mom was a nurse in the Air Force before meeting my father, also an Air Force officer. Stationed near Madrid, Spain, in the mid-Seventies, our family went on several day trips like this one in 1977 Toledo, where Mom displayed her uncanny knack for fashion even on this dusty, sweltering afternoon spent climbing ruins after a long day’s drive in a cramped Renault 5. Here, her lilac-rimmed sunglasses alone raise the fashion stakes to an all-time high! All throughout my youth, my mother was consistently and appropriately chic during every moment of any given day;  she dressed me accordingly as a girl, and even now I always view an outfit through her eyes before putting my own spin on it. My mom remains my style icon, for still being beautiful, exotic, stylish and tasteful. I love you, Mom!"

Intellectual Refuge, With Still-Alive Cat

I am still trying to figure out a raison-d'etre for this blog, thank you very much--I go between the impossibly limiting (posting a new mini-essay of a poignant memory each week, with a related picture), to the way-too-all-encompassing (Recipes on Tuesdays! Movie Reviews on Wednesdays! Hair-Related Questions on Thursdays!). I suppose if I have a resolution this 2012, it's to find a voice for my blog and stick to it; however, I hope that whatever that voice turns out to be, it will also take time out to shamelessly self-promote, like now:

The lovely and talented online literary journal, Intellectual Refuge http://www.intellectualrefuge.com/ will apparently soon feature my lyric essay, "Academic Barbie," on an upcoming Friday in 2012!!! One of the wonderful things about Intellectual Refuge is that it is free, so all y'all who have avoided purchasing the latest issue of The Ledge Magazine http://www.theledgemagazine.com/current%20issue.html, featuring my short story "Celebrity Sperm Bank," will have no fiduciary excuse whatsoever not to read my work.

Also upcoming are my story appearances in the next two issues of Storylandia: The Wapshott Journal of Fiction http://www.storylandia.wapshottpress.com/ These are not free, but they will be available for purchase as a PDF for your Kindle (or other electronic reading device), and in good old-fashioned print, for all you Steampunks out there.

Kiki (seen above with her copy of Storm of Swords) is doing better, and still has four legs. An inflamed sciatic nerve has apparently been the cause of all her trouble over the past six weeks; we're managing it with medication, which seems to be working okay. As for the G.R.R. Martin book--I can't talk about it without a slew of Spoiler Alerts, so will wait on that--but it's SOOOO good!!! The best of the series so far. Have started Feast For Crows, and am inexplicably sorry that only about 2,000 pages of this saga remain to be read. Whatever will I do, after?? Work on my own book, I suppose...