Sunday, July 17, 2005

Gathering tales...

Having found that old zip disk last week, I'm quite surprised by the number of travel stories I've written - stuff about Thailand, Russia, Central Asia, Mexico, Egypt, London... It's very tempting to try to brush them up, see if they'd work well together and find out if there's any interest in folks reading about a fat chick's travels around the planet.

I don't know, though, if the world needs another book for the $3.99 remainders table at Barnes & Noble...

I really want to attend the upcoming non-fiction writing conference up at Goucher College. I think it could be really beneficial, but it's awfully expensive. Short of turning "specialty tricks" down at 14th & K, I really don't know how to get the moolah together for this. (Hey, I've seen transvestites in chainmail bikinis down at 14th & K doin' business. I'm sure there's a market for fat women looking for conference fees, right? Wait. Actually, I don't want to know that...)

I have spent a lot of time online lately trying to find grants/awards/scholarships to allow folks like me (that is, penniless and groveling) to attend professional conferences, but, alas, it is to no avail. If anyone reading this blog has any leads on funding opportunities for things like this, please let me know. (My efforts to establish a celebrity "Adopt a Regular Joe" program failed, I regret to say.) I'm very good at identifying $$ sources for other people, but I'm coming up dry on this. If only there was a "Fund for Unemployed Writer Chicks."

Then, the world would be a better place for one shining moment...

But, it's highly unlikely to happen.

Sigh.

I think I need to listen to "Birdhouse In Your Soul" before I go to bed. If ever you're feeling blue, just bend your ear to They Might Be Giant's 1990 release "Flood." It's brilliant, and I defy you to listen to "Birdhouse" - one of the bestest ever TMBG tracks ever - and remain sad. You just can't.

Leave the nightlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul...

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