Looking glass

So I had a little post-graduation depression. And I was freaking myself out thinking, all that money, time and effort can be wiped out by one lousy query paragraph.

I’m thrown back into this pocket of uncertainty. Searching for an agent, searching for a job at the same time. Rejection from two directions. Fear and discouragement. Fear of discouragement.

But there’s only one thing to do: Keep going. And try to look at things from a different perspective, one that will keep me from hiding under the covers and saying, ugh, forget it.

For one thing, I’ve got a damn good book. I am so frigging proud of this thing.

And for another: All that money, time and effort – of course I can write one lousy paragraph.

A little Eye of the Tiger and I’m ready to go.

Battle gear

When I finished the bulk of my MFA work in November, a moment of relief and accomplishment quickly waned into the feeling that the training montage was over and oh, crap! Now I have to go fight the dragon. (Aka the publishing industry.)

So I've started the search for a literary agent. And I think it's going to take a while before I even get to the damned dragon.

Most of the submission guidelines sound like this:

"Dear 'Writer,'

If you MUST send us a query -- and we would rethink this if we were you -- we'll try to get back to you within six weeks, maybe, if we feel like it. We receive lots and lots of mail from everyone and their hamster, and considering how many hamsters think they can write books, that's a lot of mail. (Long, protracted, world-weary sigh....) But, if you have to. Whatever. We know you've worked hard on your manuscript (tee-hee-hee).

Sincerely, Not The Agent For You."

I was hoping for some kind of VIP room or something.

(Long, protracted, world-weary sigh...)

Purple birdhouse

Graduated

End of a journey, start of a new one. Still processing. Perhaps it was appropriate to celebrate at the end of the earth, or somewhere that felt like it.

Dinner’s ready

More TV fragments; collected over several viewing sessions.



The gloves are off; the battle has begun
I’m sorry that you got jealous
What’s that like?
That was a tragic thing
Some people’s body image is out of whack
Yes, it’s hard to be the loving, sexy wife in the evening
Think color, then fabric, and then think texture
Hubba hubba ding ding woof woof
I’m not supposed to get you excited
Dinner’s ready
The truth? Why don’t you tell him it’s your fault?
Let me know how we’re doing
I still have an hour

System

Another TV fragment poem. This time I combined two sessions of channel flipping.


I’m the guy with nothing to lose
I’m selling you a car that I know is faulty
If a business venture falls through we simply move on to the next one
The safest thing to do is remove it before the infection spreads
Big bank CEOs are admitting to screwing up
Leave your money at home
Is there a problem officer?
Is my cable TV tax deductable?
I can feel my stomach sucking up against my spine
I really care about you
She plays up the folksy image but she can be tough as nails if she needs to be
Purchase your tickets to win your $35,000 dream wedding
Looks like it’s another great room ready for the showhouse tour
What we mistakenly call our thoughts, our dreams, have actually been put there by a system
What do you want?
We’re all missing those contributing factors
Must be here someplace
Well, what about you?
Isn’t he getting any better, doctor?
It was a setup, a setup, I tell you!

Judgment call

Here's another TV fragment poem. Flip to a channel, write down what I hear. Flip to the next channel. Rearrange. This one's a shorty.


Okay, where does it hurt?
Lots to do today on my list
Painstaking task of measuring the size of each woman’s hippocampus
We also had this complaint over the weekend in terms of how fast they were getting the new troops over there
It’s strictly a judgment call and not subject to review
Tom, Dick and Harry’s
Adjusts independently to their unique sleep number
Somebody has to stay here
No matter how you’re working up an appetite
Mouthwatering breakfasts and lunches all year round
When you’re heading for home, fair skies
Thank you for watching