>Sunday Miscellany

>Football. I wasn’t able to watch the UM/OSU game yesterday because I don’t get ABC, but since ESPN was running constant updates I did see the highlights. Pretty exciting game and Michigan may have earned a place in the championship game with its performance. An all-Big Ten championship would be amazing. And more importantly, but less meaningfully, Northwestern beat Illinois to avoid the Big Ten cellar. It was the 100th meeting of the two teams and by winning NU tied with Iowa for 8th. If we had managed to hang on against MSU at Homecoming we’d have been in a tie for 6th. So it wasn’t a great season, but Coach Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald) did a great job in his first season. Wait till next year.

Chilly. It’s finally turning cooler, hitting the freezing mark this morning. I’m happy to have some cooler weather–it is late November after all. I went over to Charlottesville one day this week and there was a 10 degree difference–warmer on the East side of the mountain. Apart from politics (see Democracy in Virginia for more on that subject), I like it better on this side of the mountain.

Town. I don’t get into Staunton proper much, at least not for walking-around visits. But Friday I had lunch with Logan at Baja Bean and hit the bookstores. The Christmas decorations are coming out and downtown looks great. (Logan’s book is coming out soon and he’s been working on the copy-editing. More about that as publication approaches.)

Clutter. I’ve spent some time this weekend straightening up, moving piles, hiding piles, and actually putting some things away, all on the theory that if my desk and credenza are cleaner I’ll be able to concentrate better on Monday morning when I get back to the writing. We’ll see.

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.

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