Update for February's week 2

It's been a long week - plenty of deadlines, events, and important visitors. LK arrived in time to watch me write, help me put together my Hopwood manuscripts, buy me breakfast when I craved for hashbrowns, and celebrate with me when I was done with my paper storm. We even had time for a mini roadtrip.

Two readings this week - one by Rattawut Lapcharoensap, one of Michigan's success stories, and another by a favorite author, Don Lee. Although Don Lee is more well-known as the editor of Ploughshares, one of America's top literary journals, his works, Yellow and Country of Origin, cut quite a path in Asian-American literature. I owe noob for introducing his writing to me, since I knew Don Lee only as the editor of Ploughshares. Well, his short story collection came out in 2001, and I was in Singapore then, and the bookstores there can't be trusted to promote the same titles that are featured in the US.

The line-up of literary events meant that I got to see other familiar faces, like my friend Elizabeth who will soon be the next success story of the program. A little conversation with her at the beginning of the semester helped me cement the project for my novel and I owe her quite a bit in terms of the support she's offered me over the course of our friendship.

So I got to introduce an author this week (those mini mikes they clip on you - eh), have dinner with him and other faculty, although I'm horrible at small talk and say some of the silliest and most random things. I also failed to talk about my own work in a meaningful way; or rather, I just failed to talk about my work (I need thicker skin). I also have a wonderful ability of making myself the odd one out - I chose not to have any alcohol and I also ordered the least interesting entree at a swanky restaurant. I'm brilliant that way.

A CNY steamboat dinner with friends on Wednesday too. Good times, good food. It was really wonderful to have LK attend; he and Jake had their little car talk, and LK and noob had their little computer talk.

He leaves tomorrow. Bugger. I've been so busy that we haven't even time to watch a movie. Oh well. At least, he enjoyed the readings and we both agreed that Don's was top-notch. He's very cool, collected, and he'd chosen his excerpt well. One of the best visiting writers. The next visitor I look forward to is Ian Jack, editor of Cambridge University's Granta. And I can look forward to LK's next visit, which will be either in the summer or fall.

Now, I've got some applications to tackle, and my 120-page thesis workshop maunscript to complete.

Posted by Monoceros at February 12, 2005 12:19 AM