>Sunday Miscellany

>House of Smoke and Fog. So as I mentioned yesterday, the farewell party was Saturday night (and well into this morning). The band was excellent but . . . loud. After a couple of beers I retreated outside, found that the patio was populated exclusively by smokers and, since it was crowded inside in addition to being noisy, went home. I sat on the porch, drinking my beer, watching the fog filter through the glow of the streetlight, occasionally settling over the lawn in great billows.

End of the Journey. I got on the road at around 8:30 this morning, glad that the breakfast room was not crowded so that goodbyes could be kept to a minimum. The trip was uneventful, as it should be, for the first 450 miles or so, until I got to Lexington Virginia, just 35 miles from home. North-bound traffic was congested at that point and we just crawled along. Soon, though, there was an exit that gave me access to a secondary highway and I took that road north for several miles until I caught up with all the cars and trucks who had had the same idea, and traffic there was also standing still. I was able to turn again, aiming for a tertiary road. This time I encountered little traffic, but there was for a short time a heavy downpour, with water standing on the low-lying road. I finally got home, almost an hour later than I should have.

More of the Same. I’ll be spending tomorrow getting re-organized, I think, and perhaps beginning revisions to the stories on which I’ve received comments lately. The amazing thing, though, is that I’ll have to begin preparations to do the conference thing all over again–Bread Loaf starts in just 2 weeks!

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

Comments

  1. >Cliff, it was great meeting you at Sewanee, sharing a few meals and drinks and workshop stuff…face-to-face for a change. Indiana, Sewanee, Bread Loaf. The workshop trifecta. Or is that the Triple Crown? Whatever…

    JimT, the envious

  2. >Jim, I also enjoyed meeting you! Workshop was terrific, and it was nice to see your book–can’t wait to hold my personal copy in my hands. Hope that goes well for you.

    Kat, I haven’t seen the BL workshop info yet but I haven’t picked up my mail yet, so I hope to know later today?

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