Happenings

A week ago I said goodbye to Anne. It was awful. I can’t talk about the actual moment of departure very often. Charles and my sister/sisters-in-law have heard my telling, but that’s about it. I feel vulnerable speaking over it. I have learned to be careful about who sees me cry. But just so that you all know that even though I am posting about bikes, Kate Spade, new music, and recent parties, Anne is at the forefront of my mind. I just can’t write about her yet. That’s all I can say.

On Thursday I went to a department meeting and then a party for all of the University of Utah, English, graduate students. The party lasted for hours and hours. Charles and I will both be going to the U’s MFA creative writing program this Fall. I am still unsure about how committed I am to the program, but I will be taking classes there at least until I find a job, which is looking further and further away.

The party took my breath away. The support offered to the creative writing student’s is incredible. I was talking with Lance Olsen, a creative writing professor that I will be working with this Fall—he asked me what I was working on and which writers has most inspired my work. I told him that I love Antonio Nelson among many others. Then Lance told me that Antonio Nelson is coming to the U this Fall and he could arrange to have her read my work and conference with me. Stunning.

I am blown away by the support at the U’s program.

I will also be working with two literary journals, Western Humanities Review and Quarterly West. I will help decide what gets published in these journals. I will also be a reader for an anthology of experimental fiction—meaning that I will be making aesthetic choices to decide which writers (big name writers) to include in the anthology. Stunning.

At the party the students all hugged the professors, the professors all hugged the students, the students all hugged each other. It was a love fest. Charles and I chatted with a bunch of artists. Many of the students have books out, not just a story here or there, but books! Bound!

I have a feeling I am on to something really amazing.

Next party was last night in Sundance and given by one of my favorite fellow writers at BYU. This was a group of artists, writers, and expert life livers. They were people who live and travel all around the globe…living their dreams. And there was a hedgehog there. A real hedge hog. The hedgehog pooped and peed on the table. It was great fun. All of it was inspiring. And Sundance is such a beautiful place.

We went to the temple dedication. I didn’t see angels, which I was hoping for, but it was still wonderful to sit in the temple with Charles, Harrison and Max. Every word spoken felt powerful and divine.

Mira lost her front tooth. She’s adorable.