Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I made It!

I have returned from the library visit, completely intact. Even my ego is doing pretty good. The visit went well, I think, and if the kids were not riveted to their seats (the floor)--at least none were visibly snoring, or pinching the kid next to them, or otherwise acting up. Writing is pretty isolating, so it's cool to actually come face to face with your audience--and a bit daunting, too. But the kids were all attentive and respectful, and asked some pretty good questions. So, a success!

It's funny to think that you can drive forty miles from where you live and still be in the same city. It doesn't look like the same city, or feel like the same city, but the same city nonetheless. Living as I do on the north side of Porkopolis, I don't often have the chance to go towards southward, and it does seem to be true that Chicago is divided into two by an invisible Maginot Line. It's interesting to cross that line and see what's on the other side--a whole lot more of Chicago!

And I had a chocolate phosphate at Lindy's Chilie and Gertie's Ice Cream! That alone would have made the day worth it.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This post reminds me of a query I was going to send you: When doing live readings, how do you "read" your Gramatica invocations?

Also, I wanted to let you know I'm re-reading Flora, having found myself momentarily out of new books at home, and it re-reads VERY nicely indeed. I am SO primed for Redux!

I lived in Chicago briefly in the Seventies and I remember there being all kinds of delineations (Latin Kings, The Corps, Latin Eagles ....) which maybe aren't so entrenched these days. My dad even paid protection money to safeguard his seditious printshop! I have to admit I found it all highly titillating, though I was happy enough to get back to my hippie backwater.