My injury is more serious than I’d hoped. There are no broken bones, but last week, I had an ultrasound--using this device that suspiciously resembled a George Foreman Grill-- and the docs told me that my quad tendon was definitely torn and that it would require surgery to repair. The surgery needs to be sooner than later, so Kechi and I have been rushing to figure out the logistics of that, as well as getting a hold of mobility aids to get me back in class. What a way to start the quarter!
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Kechi and I left camp a little early and went down to spend time with my family in Maryland for a few days. Then, on Tuesday, we drove straight to Chicago and installed ourselves in a hotel downtown….
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Last night, we had the camp Halloween Carnival, and I didn't go. Instead, I took some time to myself, and then I played D&D with the camp staff group until after midnight. The lack of sleep is one thing, but I'm pretty tired apart from that--though I wouldn't yet say I'm running on empty. Last week was a lot--a lot of emotion, a lot of commotion, and a lot of work.
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I feel like I’m beginning to get the hang of being at camp. The mornings are early—for me, at least—and working six days a week is a grind, even with all the art and goodwill and natural beauty of the Berkshires foothills. Last Friday was especially strange because it was the Fourth of July, and there was virtually no observance here…
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This is my first day as a Creative Writing Counselor at Buck’s Rock Theater and Arts Camp. I’ve been interested in working at Buck’s Rock for years. Jade Patton and Amber Luning used to talk about adventuring there all the time back when I was still regularly doing standup comedy.
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I’ve also spent the last several days slowly rereading Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, and boy has that ever been instructive….
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My mother is fond of the saying, “Life sure is daily.” When I was younger, the sentiment seemed so silly to me. Of course life is daily! We live day in and day out! But the older I get, the better I understand.
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The last week or two have been difficult. It was one of those periods where every step I took felt like a tooth-and-nail fight. Like I had to battle through a minefield of stress and anxiety and that the load was becoming so heavy as to manifest physically.
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As I type this little update, I'm sitting in one of my very favorite New Orleans cafes, The Bean Gallery. I didn't come to this place enough when I lived in the neighborhood, but I've been visiting for decades.
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Lately, I've seen discourse online about whether The Wiz is a good movie. I understand both sides of the argument, I suppose, but for me, a piece of art succeeds on its strengths rather than its exclusion of weaknesses….
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I have officially accepted a position at Northwestern's Litowitz MA/MFA program. It's a 3-year commitment, fully-funded, and it's in-person….
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On Saturday, Kechi and I headed back to New Orleans to catch LSD Clownsystem at the Joy Theater. This was our first true Carnival event this season even though it’s not a parade or a ball….
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This past Thursday, I read at Skye Jackson’s book release event for her poetry collection, Libre. The event took place at the Marigny Opera house, a venue where I’ve never performed. The space is beautiful—soaring cathedral ceilings, an air of mystery, and a sense that the building is even older than New Orleans itself.
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We finally made it into February, and if I thought the world was on fire before, holy shit are we in it now….
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