Back in the Saddle (aka my desk chair)

We made it back from Squaw in one piece. Not that I really doubted we would, but I don't take anything for granted these days with my two little kids in tow.

Highlights of the conference:

• Rafting down the Truckee River to the sound of my four-year-old yelling "Ahoy" when we crash-landed on Amy Tan's private beach during her annual staff party.
• Nodding in agreement when he suggested that for my next story I might want to consider something about a fairy princess.
• The tribute to Oakley Hall, which drew friends, family, and literati from around the world.
• Janet Fitch's badass talk on bad dialogue. Difficult not to cringe when you realize you often commit the same sins as a writer.
• Cecile Pineda's dark, impassioned, impromptu pleas about the dire state of the world during our group's final workshop.
• Brett Hall-Jones's poetic reading of a souffle recipe from The Joy of Cooking during the Invitational Follies on the last night.
• Agent Julie Barer's excellent edits and generous comment that the short story manuscript I submitted to her was as good as anything she reads in Glimmer Train, One Story, and other major lit mags. That's the kind of talk that makes a boy feel good.

I'll think of others.

Comments

[Therese]

Sounds like an excellent adventure all 'round. (I love "Ahoy!")

Congrats on the Julie B's feel-good feedback.

[Therese]

er, strike that "the."

:)

[Seth Fleisher]

Thanks, Therese. Yeah, was a good adventure all around. But nice to return home too. Kids always seem to sleep better in their own beds. (Except for last night--oy.)

[Jamie]

Congrats on the great meeting with Julie! Is she reading the rest? She should, dammit. It's great stuff.

[Seth Fleisher]

Hey Jamie,

Yes, she did ask me to send her the manuscript when it's done (with all the normal caveats about saleability issues with short story collections). Thing is during the preceding days at the conference I came to the conclusion that it's not quite ready yet :). I haven't pushed it as far as I want to--big thing is there are a couple stories I'm feeling now need to be swapped out (you're familiar with them :). I've got the new ones very much in my head--just need to write the darn things. I'm shooting for very end of the year to have the whole thing ready to send out.