If anyone knows how to make a good fluffy black/dark brown beard, I would very much appreciate the knowledge. Also, if anyone knows a cheap way to get a pink parasol, that would be helpful. Ideally I'll be able to post pictures (gasp! images!) of the results.

I don't really have particular news, so calling this an update journal seems an error, and I couldn't resist the journal title.

I am not writing lately, although i really wanted to write something in particular for something occuring in approximately two weeks. Perhaps I'll suddenly have inspiration, or will suddenly decide to give it another go even without feeling inspired, but for now I am not writing. I'm reading my damn fool head off, however. I'm half way through the ritualistic rereading of the Harry Potter books that accompanies the release of a new book. I'm also very much enjoying The Crossing, second in Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy. (If you've been looking for a good "show, don't tell" sample for writers struggling with that concept, I recommend McCarthy's work.) (I recommend it in any case, actually, but I do think it could be a good example for other writers.)

The 212 Place is nothing to do with Harry Potter except that I've begun going there to read a chapter or so a day after work. It's a nature preserve with walking trails and picnic benches and scenic overlooks and not a lot of pedestrian traffic. It's wonderful. I've lately gotten into ornithology, but haven't remembered to take my binoculars with me yet, more's the pity. It's actually called something like The Richard Anderson Memorial Nature Preserve, but I always forget exactly which words are in the real name of it, and thus use my own much shorter appellation.

I received the paperwork to register for fall classes at St Kate's. My one true boy believes I can and should make a 4.0, and I'm determined to try. Wish me luck.

It might be common knowledge, but on the off chance it isn't, I hereby hawk the scriptwriting equivalent of NaNoWriMo. Script Frenzy by name, located [link] , it begins in a few short days, the first of June. I plan to participate, and hope to give it a better go than this year's truly sad NaNoWriMo outing.


I've finished the first chapter of Swann's Way, and feel that I've settled into the writing style. Thus, I consider myself no longer desparate for a book club to drag along like Linus's blanket. I'm actually really liking it so far. I can't find the words to explain what exactly is so appealing, but if you enjoy Jane Austen's humor and social commentary, it seems likely you'll also enjoy Swann's Way. (I might just be making that connection because of all the Jane Austen I've been reading lately, but at the very least Moncrief's rendition of Proust's French strongly reminds me of Austen.)

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If you like Stephen King, Clive Barker, or Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, read .

I don't recall if I indicated anything to this effect previously in this journal, but I had applied to St Kate's for grad school, and I had already received a letter stating I was definitely going to be accepted but that they didn't know yet if I would be admitted with this fall's class or the subsequent winter class, and today, oh most wonderful of days, I received the letter. I'm in for this fall! (and I'm kind of hopping around with happiness about it.)

In other news, I got to the top of page nine in Swann's Way last night. I'm still hoping for somebody to leave a comment to the tune of "hey, I'll dive into Proust with you." It's still early. The prose is kind of deep, but the swimming will (presumably) be more fun and less confusing with a pal, right?

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If you like Stephen King, Clive Barker, or Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, read .

I recently decided to add "reading In Search of Lost Time to my list of life goals. I started the first volume, Swann's Way, about a week ago, and though I consider myself an above-average reader, I'm nonetheless still on page five.

This leads me to the question, are there book clubs on dA? Or at least, is there anyone out there in the internet, reading this journal, who would like to stumble through the first volume of Proust's magnum opus with me? I don't pretend to know what I'm doing regarding either Proust or book clubs, but I'd appreciate the company.

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Regarding the seven day writing project, I got a bit stuck in the story, and then started reading like a crazy person again, so for now I'm on hiatus from the project and am instead trying to whittle away at the books recently acquired in a library sale.

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If you like Stephen King, Clive Barker, or Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, read .