Telex from Transitionville
Begin transmission: Chipping escape route from mile-deep igneous prison of bills and emails. STOP. Dress I picked up from unswept floor to wear this morning trailed furry chain of dust bunnies. STOP. Now that I am no longer a teacher (*sniff*) I am determined to return to READING FOR PLEASURE. I solicit your recommendations. STOP. This morning I decided I am officially too old to wear a sundress with cowboy boots. STOP.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4 I read in Charlottesville, at Writerhouse on 508 Dale Avenue. 7PM. Please come! I will give you a five-second neck massage and recite for you the only poem I know by heart.
I'm excited to read at Writerhouse because I taught one of their inaugural classes just before moving to DC in 2008. There's even a picture of my class in the slideshow on their home page (www.writerhouse.org), where I'm wearing a heart rate monitor for a watch and gesticulating intensely to a dedicated, miniscule class. The cool thing about teaching at Writerhouse was that the students were all old enough to come to workshop with a decided commitment--they were there only because they wanted to be.
And my Writerhouse class yielded my favorite hilariously vague response to the icebreaker game I always play with new students, Two Truths and a Lie. One of my students presented these details about himself: "I go to a church; I announce at sports games; I like to sell things." The lie? Devilish smile--"I don't like to sell things."
Now that I'm preparing to leave DC for California (*sniff*), there's a symmetrical pleasure in returning to Writerhouse to talk about the book I was working on when I taught there. I really can't wait.
And on my way, I have the intimidating privilege of stopping by the Book Studio in Arlington to speak with Bethanne Patrick.
Big day. I'm going to go do some breathing exercises.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4 I read in Charlottesville, at Writerhouse on 508 Dale Avenue. 7PM. Please come! I will give you a five-second neck massage and recite for you the only poem I know by heart.
I'm excited to read at Writerhouse because I taught one of their inaugural classes just before moving to DC in 2008. There's even a picture of my class in the slideshow on their home page (www.writerhouse.org), where I'm wearing a heart rate monitor for a watch and gesticulating intensely to a dedicated, miniscule class. The cool thing about teaching at Writerhouse was that the students were all old enough to come to workshop with a decided commitment--they were there only because they wanted to be.
And my Writerhouse class yielded my favorite hilariously vague response to the icebreaker game I always play with new students, Two Truths and a Lie. One of my students presented these details about himself: "I go to a church; I announce at sports games; I like to sell things." The lie? Devilish smile--"I don't like to sell things."
Now that I'm preparing to leave DC for California (*sniff*), there's a symmetrical pleasure in returning to Writerhouse to talk about the book I was working on when I taught there. I really can't wait.
And on my way, I have the intimidating privilege of stopping by the Book Studio in Arlington to speak with Bethanne Patrick.
Big day. I'm going to go do some breathing exercises.
posted by Gina Welch at
3:48 PM
2 Comments:
Gina ,
I love your book! You show tremendous courage, determination, and compassion, and I was deeply moved by the integrity of all parties in your final scenes, as I have blogged here: http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-other-land-of-believers.html
I could completely relate to the anguishing and ironic situations you found yourself in, as I just released a book about a similar adventure. But as a “New Ager” who falls in with a Black Fundamentalist church, I never had the opportunity for disguise. I came to several of the same conclusions as you, and I will be recommending your book to anyone in my audience who is too secular for the rest my conclusions.
I am kicking myself that I missed your Politics and Prose reading. Is there anything else upcoming in this area? I would love to meet you.
Best of luck, dear, you are at the leading edge.
PS: I live in Virginia and graduated from UCBerkeley.
Hey Teri! Sorry I let your comment sit for so long. I've been sort of asleep at the ol' blog wheel. Your book looks absolutely fascinating, and I'm cheered to know our conclusions complement one another.
I don't have any other readings coming up in DC, but drop me an email. I'll be around through July.
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