Thanks for putting this out there and giving me the heads up, Corey!

How often to shower is not my conundrum, but rather how often to wash my hair.

Andrea, Thanks for reading! Trans/non binary-gendered people should bring whatever they like to the party; othered people get the freedom of other at my parties, not the marginalization. Go ahead and steal. I was already contacted by VIDA about them stealing the idea and I'm going to talk to them about people doing these all over. So I get the feeling that the more folks do this, the happier everyone will be. Stay tuned for info on this.

Gwenda, Just a quick, OT note: thank you for this blog as resource. When I don't know what I want to read next, I can always come here and find a reliable recommendation. Thanks!

Thanks Cy! You should buy it directly from the publisher, so the publisher gets a bigger cut. They're good about sending them out immediately. Here's their website: http://aqueductpress.com/ They use frames, so you have to click through "current publications" and go to the "Conversation Pieces" section. My book is #26 in the series. Look forward to hearing what you think!

I read about that recently. What do you mean the type of bullying is different? I hope Kazu isn't catching any of that.

Thanks, Shailja, for your awesome poem last night, and just for being there and being yerself!

@ Stella: thanks for coming back and reading. It's easy for folks to misrepresent each other on the internet, so I really appreciate someone coming here and actually *hearing* what I had to say. @ alices: yeah, I ask all the time :). This post was written entirely from what people have told me and from what my own experience has been (why I myself don't submit to certain markets, although I'm pretty active in this area.) The conjecture part was my projecting what some people have said to me outward over all other poc, many of whom like you, don't have this same experience. Yeah, I ask people. I also cajole, encourage, and sympathize with writers I know who do and don't submit to a variety of pubs, workshops, residencies, grantmakers, etc. I have a spreadsheet of about 80-90 "mainstream" short story markets I'll give to any friend who says yes when I offer: 200 hours of work on my part, for free. Yes, a lot of people turn me down when I offer, or don't follow up. And yes, I do ask why. I consider encouraging writers I know to submit work part of my work for the community; work that includes teaching writing for free or cheap, organizing readings, working for an organization that offers scholarships to writers of color for writing workshops and literary awards, writing reviews and editing, sitting on panels to review work by writers applying for grants and other opportunities, and offering public assistance whenever and however possible to writers of color who need information on opportunities and processes. I'm glad you actively submit, and I'm even more glad that you are choosy about whom you're submitting to. Not all the good writers out there are doing either of these things. And in fact, in my experience, the majority are not. Although I spend most of my time working directly with writers of color, this particular post wasn't directed at writers of color, but rather at editors who wanted more submissions from writers of color. It's a feedback loop, and a lot of editors don't seem to realize this. Editors' actions and presentation affects how writers of color make decisions about submissions, and a friendly invitation to submit might actually make the difference with a significant number of poc who aren't submitting right now.

Thanks, Bryan! And thanks for all your support!

That would be awesome! O when shall I see you next, Wendy?

You'll have to ask Timmi directly if she's going to do that.

kindles are WAAAAAYYY bigger than iPod touches, for my aging eyes. also: yes we are.

Thanks, Christine! So far, no down sides. I also just emailed a word document to my Kindle and am about to sit down and do slush duty ... ON MY KINDLE! Oh, one downside: emails to your Kindle cost 15 cents each. I just like saying "Kindle."

I thought Child Garden was like Air probably among his best. I've read those two and also Was. Wasn't as impressed with Was. Basically, I think he writes a mean novel, but has no idea how to end them. All three novels I've read start out strong, get complex, and then spin off into meaninglessness because he can't bring the whole mess back down to a satisfying or necessary ending. I'd say it was too bad, but then, the first two thirds of his brilliant novels are like nothing else in this world, and if you have to have a non-ending to get the beginning and the middle, so be it.

Thanks for the link, Gwenda. I just started year 7 of da nobble, and it's not budging. I really needed to hear that.

dashboard sucks. there's nothing on it but a list of comments from the blogs. i don't go to typepad to see my comments listed together from multiple blogs, i go to each BLOG to see my comments so they're in context with the post and the previous comments. DUH. comments are a conversation. i can't find anything else on my dashboard and there wasn't an obvious button or link to take me to a place where i could add stuff to my dashboard. FAIL. the "weblogs" page on the old layout is what i consider a dashboard. i can see all my blogs there, along with the number of posts and comments, and can click from there to anywhere i want to go in each blog. i do not treat my blogs as all one entity, they are each separate, and need to be treated that way on the dashboard. now, if you want to add MORE info to the old dashboard layout, great. and i'm paying for this, so please don't try to sell me stuff.

Gwenda, can you point to some of the criticism of the Grossman article? I know that I hated the article because it was simplistic and wrong, not because the sentiment behind it was something I disagree with. The contemporary "literary" novel isn't boring because it's difficult, it's difficult because it's boring. Lit fic writers aren't really using the modernist arsenal anymore. It's been done. They're just telling the same, boring, urban professional epiphany story (and yes, it's a genre) over and over. These books are very easy to read, they're just hard to finish because they're so deathly dull. And his whole thing about Cormac McCarthy? Hello? Since when wasn't western a genre? McCarthy's whole career has been about literarifying genre; that's why he's both feted and popular. With THE ROAD he just switched genres. Grumble grumble ... sorry to take this out on you, but I would have had to register to comment on the wsj article.

Everything's fine over here. Hope you're well!

ah, late congrats then.

Congratulations, Gwenda! Or should I call you "master?" Quick pet pique patrol: you wrote "peak" instead of "peek."

i have to say, this isn't good joss whedon. this is generic joss whedon. the first five eps were so bad i couldn't believe it was a joss whedon show. and now that we're getting into more depth ... well, after watching "the wire" and the BSG finale, i can't say that this is depth at all, just backwash backstory. gotta say: anything even slightly more interesting will knock this one off my schedule. oh, and it *barely* passes the bechdel test. i'm not sure doctor's visits and conversations about how much they like applesauce count.

the lack of a demon-and-monster-infested world and a tongue-in-cheek premise really shows how thin whedon's single-episode-arc ideas are. most of these eps have been silly so far. if next week's ep isn't great, i might give up on it.

really! i'm surprised. i'm still watching it out of loyalty but i think it's taken a turn for the hokey. and the relationship between danny and the captain? ugh!

congratulations, MASTER!