5.07.2008
TRAMBLINGS...
Okay, I'm going to give this a try. We'll see what happens.
Thank you all for your kind emails. I tried to answer each and every one. If I missed you please don't hold it against me. My mind is scattered in a million pieces which is actually a natural stage of grief. In my case, anger (scorching hot lava type anger) and bewilderment are the most heavily rotated emotions. All normal from what I've heard but I'm working on it. I am managing to laugh here and there. The Crown Prince has turned into a stand-up comic and I appreciate that. Yesterday we had a belly laugh (that extended to my girlfriends via email) when we remembered an incident that occurred when we were "new to the city".
The two of us lived in a one bedroom apartment near the La Brea Tarpits when we first moved to Los Angeles. It was a four story building filled with all kinds of folks trying to "make it in L.A." One of them was a photographer named Burns. Odd cat. Seemed like a holdover from the seventies but nice enough. Well, C.P. was notorious in our building for leaving his clothes in the laundry room. One day we came home from a movie and Burns was standing out front dressed in C.P.'s clothes. He was all spit-shined and polished, looking good for a Big Date. I took one look at him and died laughing. It took C.P. a minute then he shouted out, "What the f*ck, Burns? Are those my clothes?" Burns had the good sense to be embarrassed but you could also tell that he was proud of the ensemble and didn't want to take it off. All he said was, "Come on, man, come on." He wore the clothes on his big date then returned them in a dry cleaning bag. I don't think C.P. ever wore the items again but they made me smile every time I saw them hanging in the closet. That happened over 10 years ago but we laughed like it was yesterday.
Laughing as usual helps. My sisters and I use it as a salve in our darkest moments. Not only did we lose our mother but we lost our best friend. I talked to my mom at least six times a day. At least. Sometimes it was a quick call, a fast question answered. Sometimes we'd chat for hours. And the cliche is true. I reach for the phone throughout the day to make a quick call. No one on the other end. My sisters did the same thing. So, now, we made a pact to call each other whenever we get the urge to call our mom. My phone rings in the middle of the night and I pick it up. Before all of this I would just let it ring to voicemail. Now I pick it up and if the caller says, "Tell me a funny story about mom. Quick." Then I know they are battling the same demon as me. The one that wants to replace the beautiful images we've had all our lives with the heart-stopping ones from the hospital. Well, that demon can kiss "my natural ass" (which is a mom expression). F*ck him. Seriously. And I'm assuming he's a guy but I could be wrong. Judy Coleman left too much love and happiness and funny stories for the ugliness and pain of it all to prevail.
Last week I remembered when she pulled into a gas station riding on empty. She asked for five dollars worth of gas. (I know I've told this story before but hang in there with me). The attendant threw off a little attitude and said, "That's not enough gas." She snapped back. "It's enough to get me to a cheaper gas station." So funny that lady.
And when humor doesn't help there's always music. I ended the service with Stevie Wonder's "AS" which is usually a wedding song but those lyrics... ("Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky -- Loving you. Until the ocean covers every mountain high -- Loving you. Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea -- Loving you. Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream -- Loving you. Until the day is night and night becomes the day -- Loving you. Until the trees and seas up, up and fly away -- Loving you.")... Well, you get the picture.
I made a mix that I've been playing a lot. It's random as usual but it makes me think of her. Songs she liked, songs I liked. It's playing now. Actually, "As" played three times in a row even though the IPOD is on shuffle. Hmmm.
The Songs
When the Saints Go Marching In, Helen Hume (the Louisiana influence)
As, Stevie Wonder
Free Bird (Slow Bird), Arnold McCuller (slow version of Free Bird that will give you chills)
To My Father's House, Edwin Hawkins Singers (this one makes me feel so good. By the time the tamborines come in, I am DONE. DONE. DONE. I'm right there.)
I Shall Believe, Sheryl Crow
If You're Ready, The Staple Singers
Do Watcha Wanna, Rebirth Brass Band (Louisiana again)
Joy & Pain, Maze (my daddy's favorite group)
Gravity, John Mayer
One of These Mornings, Moby
Long Road, Eddie Vedder
Tennessee Waltz, Sam Cooke
Angel From Montgomery, Bonnie Riatt
Until next time...
Okay, I'm going to give this a try. We'll see what happens.
Thank you all for your kind emails. I tried to answer each and every one. If I missed you please don't hold it against me. My mind is scattered in a million pieces which is actually a natural stage of grief. In my case, anger (scorching hot lava type anger) and bewilderment are the most heavily rotated emotions. All normal from what I've heard but I'm working on it. I am managing to laugh here and there. The Crown Prince has turned into a stand-up comic and I appreciate that. Yesterday we had a belly laugh (that extended to my girlfriends via email) when we remembered an incident that occurred when we were "new to the city".
The two of us lived in a one bedroom apartment near the La Brea Tarpits when we first moved to Los Angeles. It was a four story building filled with all kinds of folks trying to "make it in L.A." One of them was a photographer named Burns. Odd cat. Seemed like a holdover from the seventies but nice enough. Well, C.P. was notorious in our building for leaving his clothes in the laundry room. One day we came home from a movie and Burns was standing out front dressed in C.P.'s clothes. He was all spit-shined and polished, looking good for a Big Date. I took one look at him and died laughing. It took C.P. a minute then he shouted out, "What the f*ck, Burns? Are those my clothes?" Burns had the good sense to be embarrassed but you could also tell that he was proud of the ensemble and didn't want to take it off. All he said was, "Come on, man, come on." He wore the clothes on his big date then returned them in a dry cleaning bag. I don't think C.P. ever wore the items again but they made me smile every time I saw them hanging in the closet. That happened over 10 years ago but we laughed like it was yesterday.
Laughing as usual helps. My sisters and I use it as a salve in our darkest moments. Not only did we lose our mother but we lost our best friend. I talked to my mom at least six times a day. At least. Sometimes it was a quick call, a fast question answered. Sometimes we'd chat for hours. And the cliche is true. I reach for the phone throughout the day to make a quick call. No one on the other end. My sisters did the same thing. So, now, we made a pact to call each other whenever we get the urge to call our mom. My phone rings in the middle of the night and I pick it up. Before all of this I would just let it ring to voicemail. Now I pick it up and if the caller says, "Tell me a funny story about mom. Quick." Then I know they are battling the same demon as me. The one that wants to replace the beautiful images we've had all our lives with the heart-stopping ones from the hospital. Well, that demon can kiss "my natural ass" (which is a mom expression). F*ck him. Seriously. And I'm assuming he's a guy but I could be wrong. Judy Coleman left too much love and happiness and funny stories for the ugliness and pain of it all to prevail.
Last week I remembered when she pulled into a gas station riding on empty. She asked for five dollars worth of gas. (I know I've told this story before but hang in there with me). The attendant threw off a little attitude and said, "That's not enough gas." She snapped back. "It's enough to get me to a cheaper gas station." So funny that lady.
And when humor doesn't help there's always music. I ended the service with Stevie Wonder's "AS" which is usually a wedding song but those lyrics... ("Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky -- Loving you. Until the ocean covers every mountain high -- Loving you. Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea -- Loving you. Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream -- Loving you. Until the day is night and night becomes the day -- Loving you. Until the trees and seas up, up and fly away -- Loving you.")... Well, you get the picture.
I made a mix that I've been playing a lot. It's random as usual but it makes me think of her. Songs she liked, songs I liked. It's playing now. Actually, "As" played three times in a row even though the IPOD is on shuffle. Hmmm.
The Songs
When the Saints Go Marching In, Helen Hume (the Louisiana influence)
As, Stevie Wonder
Free Bird (Slow Bird), Arnold McCuller (slow version of Free Bird that will give you chills)
To My Father's House, Edwin Hawkins Singers (this one makes me feel so good. By the time the tamborines come in, I am DONE. DONE. DONE. I'm right there.)
I Shall Believe, Sheryl Crow
If You're Ready, The Staple Singers
Do Watcha Wanna, Rebirth Brass Band (Louisiana again)
Joy & Pain, Maze (my daddy's favorite group)
Gravity, John Mayer
One of These Mornings, Moby
Long Road, Eddie Vedder
Tennessee Waltz, Sam Cooke
Angel From Montgomery, Bonnie Riatt
Until next time...
12.04.2007
TRAMBLINGS...
Linkapalooza today.
THIS makes me smile every single day.
FIRST NOVEL has been updated. Take a look.
If you're too lazy to visit EMILY RABOTEAU has new fiction over at NERVE.
Jennifer Egan's FOUND OBJECTS in the New Yorker.
A PHOTO EXHIBIT that blew my mind. Thanks, Miss Val for the link.
STRIKE UPDATES.
Another BLOG for you to check out. Thank me later.
For those of you who wondered about it. That was a picture of THE DRAMATICS that I posted the other day.
ELIZABETH GILBERT returned to Oprah on Tuesday. How cool was that?
ONE DROP.
DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME.
Books I'm currently reading.
So I posted my STRIKE MIX the other day, the music I listen to while walking the picket line. Today I'm going to treat you to UPPITY CHICKS, the mix I use to get myself going.
BROTHA REMIX, Angie Stone
SITTIN' BACK, Res
SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL, Joss Stone
DO SOMETHING, Macy Gray
THE HUSTLER, Res
WISH I DIDN'T MISS YOU, Angie Stone
I'VE COMMITTED MURDER, Macy Gray
SUPER DUPER LOVE, Joss Stone
GOLDEN BOYS, Res
PUSH & PULL, Nikka Costa
I TRY, Macy Gray
700 MILE SITUATION, Res
TELL ME 'BOUT IT, Joss Stone
STOP, Kina
I'VE KNOWN THE GARDEN, Res
I HAD A DREAM, Joss Stone
HAVE A CRY, Kina
A little KINA for this gloomy day. Man, I just love her. Hate that she only has one album. The perils of not fitting into a neat little box...
Until next time...
Linkapalooza today.
THIS makes me smile every single day.
FIRST NOVEL has been updated. Take a look.
If you're too lazy to visit EMILY RABOTEAU has new fiction over at NERVE.
Jennifer Egan's FOUND OBJECTS in the New Yorker.
A PHOTO EXHIBIT that blew my mind. Thanks, Miss Val for the link.
STRIKE UPDATES.
Another BLOG for you to check out. Thank me later.
For those of you who wondered about it. That was a picture of THE DRAMATICS that I posted the other day.
ELIZABETH GILBERT returned to Oprah on Tuesday. How cool was that?
ONE DROP.
DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME.
Books I'm currently reading.
So I posted my STRIKE MIX the other day, the music I listen to while walking the picket line. Today I'm going to treat you to UPPITY CHICKS, the mix I use to get myself going.
BROTHA REMIX, Angie Stone
SITTIN' BACK, Res
SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL, Joss Stone
DO SOMETHING, Macy Gray
THE HUSTLER, Res
WISH I DIDN'T MISS YOU, Angie Stone
I'VE COMMITTED MURDER, Macy Gray
SUPER DUPER LOVE, Joss Stone
GOLDEN BOYS, Res
PUSH & PULL, Nikka Costa
I TRY, Macy Gray
700 MILE SITUATION, Res
TELL ME 'BOUT IT, Joss Stone
STOP, Kina
I'VE KNOWN THE GARDEN, Res
I HAD A DREAM, Joss Stone
HAVE A CRY, Kina
A little KINA for this gloomy day. Man, I just love her. Hate that she only has one album. The perils of not fitting into a neat little box...
Until next time...
Labels: First Novels, Links, Music
12.03.2007
TRAMBLINGS...
"ALL I WANT IS WHAT'S MINE, I DON'T CARE WHO I HURT."
What's happening? Much of the same on this end. The Crown Prince, Kobe and I have been out on the picket lines. When we arrived at Paramount Studios today, a couple folks said, "Hey, there's Strike Dog." He digs it. This is a weird time. I support the strike but I've been completely out of sorts since we walked. I keep my headphones on at all times (even in the house) because music helps me keep my equilibrium.
I've been making so many CDs (can I just call them Mix Tapes) for friends that one joked that I should just DJ during the strike. This weekend I put together a slow song mix but it comes with a disclaimer and a release form. I'm not paying third party child support. Just saying. If you want one, email me and I'll send it to you without a song list. You just have to trust.
Ayway, this is what I'm listening to on the strike line. I reload the iPod everyday but this is the Official Strike Mix. There's a theme in there somewhere which would explain the heavy rotation.
FU GEE LA, The Fugees
CONFRONTATION, Damian Marley
HELLO, BROOKLYN, 2.0. Jay Z
WANNA KNOW, Obie Trice (You can thank Obie for the quote beneath the photo.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS, Black Sheep
WELCOME TO JAMROCK, Damian Marley
FIGHT THE POWER, Public Enemy
YOU GOTS TO CHILL, EPMD
REBIRTH OF SLICK, Digable Planets
VIVRANT THING, A Tribe Called Quest
JIGGA, Ruff Ryders & Jay Z
CAN'T TRUSS IT, Public Enemy
THE 18TH LETTER, Rakim
HEY YOUNG WORLD, Slick Rick
THE GAS FACE, 3rd Bass
LET ME CLEAR MY THROAT, Dougie Fresh
DIRT OFF MY SHOULDER, Jay Z
PAID IN FULL, Eric B & Rakim
So, in addition to keeping up (slowly) with FIRST NOVELS I also participated in a very cool thing called WRITERS READ. Here's the SECOND ONE. And my SHELFARI BOOKSHELF continues to grow. Currently, up to 1900 books and I didn't cheat. If I haven't actually read the book then it's shelved under READING LIST. I don't own everything on the main shelf (my house would collapse) but I have read everything on the list. I spent six years as a book reviewer so I went back to find old articles and assignment sheets. I am also anal enough to keep an Excel (I mis-typed that as exile) file of books I've read. Anyway, take a look and join. It's free and it's a fun way to kill time.
Can't tell if the folks at mediabistro were being flip or supportive but I found THIS REFERENCE. In the interest of the holidays, I'll believe they're being supportive. If not, well I got two cheeks below the equator...
Don't mind that last sentence. Just feeling a little funky.
Until next time...
"ALL I WANT IS WHAT'S MINE, I DON'T CARE WHO I HURT."
What's happening? Much of the same on this end. The Crown Prince, Kobe and I have been out on the picket lines. When we arrived at Paramount Studios today, a couple folks said, "Hey, there's Strike Dog." He digs it. This is a weird time. I support the strike but I've been completely out of sorts since we walked. I keep my headphones on at all times (even in the house) because music helps me keep my equilibrium.
I've been making so many CDs (can I just call them Mix Tapes) for friends that one joked that I should just DJ during the strike. This weekend I put together a slow song mix but it comes with a disclaimer and a release form. I'm not paying third party child support. Just saying. If you want one, email me and I'll send it to you without a song list. You just have to trust.
Ayway, this is what I'm listening to on the strike line. I reload the iPod everyday but this is the Official Strike Mix. There's a theme in there somewhere which would explain the heavy rotation.
FU GEE LA, The Fugees
CONFRONTATION, Damian Marley
HELLO, BROOKLYN, 2.0. Jay Z
WANNA KNOW, Obie Trice (You can thank Obie for the quote beneath the photo.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS, Black Sheep
WELCOME TO JAMROCK, Damian Marley
FIGHT THE POWER, Public Enemy
YOU GOTS TO CHILL, EPMD
REBIRTH OF SLICK, Digable Planets
VIVRANT THING, A Tribe Called Quest
JIGGA, Ruff Ryders & Jay Z
CAN'T TRUSS IT, Public Enemy
THE 18TH LETTER, Rakim
HEY YOUNG WORLD, Slick Rick
THE GAS FACE, 3rd Bass
LET ME CLEAR MY THROAT, Dougie Fresh
DIRT OFF MY SHOULDER, Jay Z
PAID IN FULL, Eric B & Rakim
So, in addition to keeping up (slowly) with FIRST NOVELS I also participated in a very cool thing called WRITERS READ. Here's the SECOND ONE. And my SHELFARI BOOKSHELF continues to grow. Currently, up to 1900 books and I didn't cheat. If I haven't actually read the book then it's shelved under READING LIST. I don't own everything on the main shelf (my house would collapse) but I have read everything on the list. I spent six years as a book reviewer so I went back to find old articles and assignment sheets. I am also anal enough to keep an Excel (I mis-typed that as exile) file of books I've read. Anyway, take a look and join. It's free and it's a fun way to kill time.
Can't tell if the folks at mediabistro were being flip or supportive but I found THIS REFERENCE. In the interest of the holidays, I'll believe they're being supportive. If not, well I got two cheeks below the equator...
Don't mind that last sentence. Just feeling a little funky.
Until next time...
Labels: First Novels, Music, The Strike, Writers Read
9.28.2007
TRAMBLINGS...
(Fearless Women, Courtesy of ARTSELVES or drspellman@sbcglobal.net).
Hey, Beautiful People. Did you guys get a chance to check out THE FINISH PARTY? That picture on the front page (the one with everybody cheesin') is exactly how I picture the group when I'm away from them. We spend so much time laughing. It's been the antidote for damn near everything. We laughed our way through a power out and flash flood in Joshua Tree. We've laughed our way into becoming friends. AND. We've laughed our way through uncomfortable manuscript critiques. There are been a few even in the midst of all the laughter. There have been some tears but at the end of the day we know it's because the group wants each and every manuscript to live up to it's potential. And we all know that some things work better than others so we're able to ask for what we need out of the critique process. How cool is that? I usually take it straight-no-chaser but there may come a day (soon) when I submit with the instruction to only tell me what works. But just in case it gets a little too "raw" our safe word is dessert. That's how we call a time out to regroup. I haven't had to use it yet (knock on wood) but I reserve the right to shout it out if my feelings get hurt.
Anyway, I was up for critique at the last meeting. I submitted thirty pages of an untitled work-in-progress. I submitted the same pages about two years ago and the critique was like night and day. There were many notes the first time around. All good. All useful. This time, however, most of the group had the opposite reaction. Interesting. Here's what I think happened. The book unfolds like a mystery (though it's not a mystery) and when I look back over the early comments most of them fall into the "clarify what's going to happen" category. Does that make sense? The chapters alternate between the past and the present. The present is set in New York and the year is 2000. The past takes place in California and New Mexico. The year is 1984. It's the same character in both chapters but she reads as if she's two different people. The events of 1984 have shaped who she has become but it'll take awhile (maybe 200 pages) before we realize how one influences the other. I am asking readers to trust the journey, have faith in the ride, and now that we've learned one another's strengths, and weaknesses, the group is able to do that.
So, anyway, the reason that I resubmitted those pages instead of moving forward on the manuscript I've talked about for the past two years is this...I've thrown it out. Yep, that's right. It just didn't work and in all honesty I didn't have much enthusiasm for the story being told. I know, I know, it was my idea but I can be wrong just like everyone else. There are parts of BGH (working title) that worked but most of it didn't. It just didn't have anything to say. The book was "lighter" than anything I've ever written and I don't think I can pull it off. If you've read THE MACEO BOOKS then you know that my comfort zone is heavy and dark. I'm not going to fight it anymore. As a teenager I wrote these really dark short stories that bordered on horror. Or psychological terror.
My dad, in all his kindness, didn't want to discourage my efforts so his response was, "Baby, you ever think about children's stories?" I laugh when I think about that because I recall that he sat patiently while I read him a creepy story out loud. It made him sweat. I remember that distinctly. He was sweating and looking wild-eyed. My mother (she of the sharper tongue) said, "Don't have her writing children's stories, she'll kill up all the babies." She was probably right. She still talks about a poem I wrote in seventh grade that made her "wake up in a cold sweat" for years. Tramble women are prone to exaggeration but you get the picture. This new/old book was accepted as a substitute by my ever-patient editor and I could not be more thrilled.
So, here we go, ya'll ready? I am pledging here and now to finish this book in a year and two days. Anyone out there want to mark their calendar and hold me to it? You can send me monthly nudges or ask for page count updates. Let me know at nichelle@uppitygirl.net (How ya like that new email address?) if you want to play gatekeeper. A year and two days will be September 30, 2008.
Now, on to music. The lists have been a big hit and thank you all for sending in your own. This morning I let my iPod chose my playlist. Here's what it thought I needed to get going this morning. And I swear to you it chose KC on it's own.
Born Under a Bad Sign, Jimi Hendrix (This might be my favorite Hendrix song of all time. I have his blues album and it makes me very, very happy).
Get Down Tonight, KC & The Sunshine Band
Lalo Schifrin La Nouvelle Orleans, IMANI WINDS
I Want To Walk You Home, Fats Domino
Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones
Theme From "A Summer Place", Percy Faith and His Orchestra
Iko, Iko, The Dixie Cups
Dream On, Aerosmith
Do Watcha Wanna, Rebirth Brass Band
It's My Life, No Doubt
Young Hearts Run Free, Candi Staton
Creep, Radiohead
Criminal, Fiona Apple
In This World, Moby
Baby Please Don't Leave Me, Buddy Guy
The Godfather - Waltz, Nino Rota
Death Letter, SON HOUSE.
Check out the LYRICS to "Death Letter"...talk about sending a chill down your spine.
"I got a letter this mornin, how you reckon it read?
It said, "Hurry, hurry, yeah your love is dead."
I got a letter this mornin, how you reckon it read?
You know it said, "Hurry, hurry, how come the gal you love is dead?"
So, I grabbed my suitcase and took off down the road
When I got there she was laying on a coolin board...
...Well, I walked right up close, looked down in her face
Said the good ol' gal got to lay here til the judgement day..."
That should do you or you could scream for dessert.
Until next time...
(Fearless Women, Courtesy of ARTSELVES or drspellman@sbcglobal.net).
Hey, Beautiful People. Did you guys get a chance to check out THE FINISH PARTY? That picture on the front page (the one with everybody cheesin') is exactly how I picture the group when I'm away from them. We spend so much time laughing. It's been the antidote for damn near everything. We laughed our way through a power out and flash flood in Joshua Tree. We've laughed our way into becoming friends. AND. We've laughed our way through uncomfortable manuscript critiques. There are been a few even in the midst of all the laughter. There have been some tears but at the end of the day we know it's because the group wants each and every manuscript to live up to it's potential. And we all know that some things work better than others so we're able to ask for what we need out of the critique process. How cool is that? I usually take it straight-no-chaser but there may come a day (soon) when I submit with the instruction to only tell me what works. But just in case it gets a little too "raw" our safe word is dessert. That's how we call a time out to regroup. I haven't had to use it yet (knock on wood) but I reserve the right to shout it out if my feelings get hurt.
Anyway, I was up for critique at the last meeting. I submitted thirty pages of an untitled work-in-progress. I submitted the same pages about two years ago and the critique was like night and day. There were many notes the first time around. All good. All useful. This time, however, most of the group had the opposite reaction. Interesting. Here's what I think happened. The book unfolds like a mystery (though it's not a mystery) and when I look back over the early comments most of them fall into the "clarify what's going to happen" category. Does that make sense? The chapters alternate between the past and the present. The present is set in New York and the year is 2000. The past takes place in California and New Mexico. The year is 1984. It's the same character in both chapters but she reads as if she's two different people. The events of 1984 have shaped who she has become but it'll take awhile (maybe 200 pages) before we realize how one influences the other. I am asking readers to trust the journey, have faith in the ride, and now that we've learned one another's strengths, and weaknesses, the group is able to do that.
So, anyway, the reason that I resubmitted those pages instead of moving forward on the manuscript I've talked about for the past two years is this...I've thrown it out. Yep, that's right. It just didn't work and in all honesty I didn't have much enthusiasm for the story being told. I know, I know, it was my idea but I can be wrong just like everyone else. There are parts of BGH (working title) that worked but most of it didn't. It just didn't have anything to say. The book was "lighter" than anything I've ever written and I don't think I can pull it off. If you've read THE MACEO BOOKS then you know that my comfort zone is heavy and dark. I'm not going to fight it anymore. As a teenager I wrote these really dark short stories that bordered on horror. Or psychological terror.
My dad, in all his kindness, didn't want to discourage my efforts so his response was, "Baby, you ever think about children's stories?" I laugh when I think about that because I recall that he sat patiently while I read him a creepy story out loud. It made him sweat. I remember that distinctly. He was sweating and looking wild-eyed. My mother (she of the sharper tongue) said, "Don't have her writing children's stories, she'll kill up all the babies." She was probably right. She still talks about a poem I wrote in seventh grade that made her "wake up in a cold sweat" for years. Tramble women are prone to exaggeration but you get the picture. This new/old book was accepted as a substitute by my ever-patient editor and I could not be more thrilled.
So, here we go, ya'll ready? I am pledging here and now to finish this book in a year and two days. Anyone out there want to mark their calendar and hold me to it? You can send me monthly nudges or ask for page count updates. Let me know at nichelle@uppitygirl.net (How ya like that new email address?) if you want to play gatekeeper. A year and two days will be September 30, 2008.
Now, on to music. The lists have been a big hit and thank you all for sending in your own. This morning I let my iPod chose my playlist. Here's what it thought I needed to get going this morning. And I swear to you it chose KC on it's own.
Born Under a Bad Sign, Jimi Hendrix (This might be my favorite Hendrix song of all time. I have his blues album and it makes me very, very happy).
Get Down Tonight, KC & The Sunshine Band
Lalo Schifrin La Nouvelle Orleans, IMANI WINDS
I Want To Walk You Home, Fats Domino
Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones
Theme From "A Summer Place", Percy Faith and His Orchestra
Iko, Iko, The Dixie Cups
Dream On, Aerosmith
Do Watcha Wanna, Rebirth Brass Band
It's My Life, No Doubt
Young Hearts Run Free, Candi Staton
Creep, Radiohead
Criminal, Fiona Apple
In This World, Moby
Baby Please Don't Leave Me, Buddy Guy
The Godfather - Waltz, Nino Rota
Death Letter, SON HOUSE.
Check out the LYRICS to "Death Letter"...talk about sending a chill down your spine.
"I got a letter this mornin, how you reckon it read?
It said, "Hurry, hurry, yeah your love is dead."
I got a letter this mornin, how you reckon it read?
You know it said, "Hurry, hurry, how come the gal you love is dead?"
So, I grabbed my suitcase and took off down the road
When I got there she was laying on a coolin board...
...Well, I walked right up close, looked down in her face
Said the good ol' gal got to lay here til the judgement day..."
That should do you or you could scream for dessert.
Until next time...
Labels: Music, New Manuscript, THE FINISH PARTY
9.13.2007
TRAMBLINGS...
BIG! BIG! BIG! NEWS (at least to me) in the next couple days so keep checking back. I don't want to announce it until everything is in place but I am very excited. Not pregnant. We didn't elope. Didn't adopt. But that's all I'm saying. That little picture at the top should clue you in that it has something to do with writing. Another bit of news that has to do with writing. I am officially a part of pop culture. Yep, that's right, lil' ole me. THE DYING GROUND and THE LAST KING are both available for download on ITUNES. How cool is that?
Anyway, the music list in the last post was a huge hit. Here are the other two mixes that I made. DISCLAIMER: Can't say this will work for anybody but me. Can't say it makes sense. Can't tell you the exact mix of KC & The Sunshine Band and Doo Wop that will get you started on your writing but I encourage you to experiment a little. Throw in some blues, some rock n' roll, a little old school hip hop, jazz, big band...Stir and then shake until you get it right.
Writing Mix Number Two
Brooklyn, Mos Def
Noche Azul, Si Se
So Lonesome, The Flatirons
So What'cha Want, Beastie Boys
Jingo, Santana
Express Yourself, Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones
Welcome To Jamrock, Damien Marley
Hazy Shade of Winter, The Bangles
Bus to Baton Rouge, Lucinda Williams
Long Road, Eddie Vedder
Million Miles Away, The Plimsouls
Killing Me Softly, The Fugees
Bonita Applebum, A Tribe Called Quest
Lovely Day, Bill Withers
Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo, Ennio Morricone
Bennie & The Jets, Elton John
I Only Have Eyes For You, The Flamingos
Djin Djin, Angelique Kidjo (Featuring Alicia Keys
Writing Mix Number Three
Jamie's Crying, Van Halen
Cry To Me, Betty Harris
Show Me The Way, Peter Frampton
Free Bird, Arnold McCuller
You Drive Me Wild, The Runaways
Microphone Fiend, Rakim
Sweet Emotion, Aerosmith
Why, Annie Lennox
When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin
Heart of Glass, Blondie
I Don't Like Mondays, The Boomtown Rats
You Gots To Chill, EPMD
Three Crosses, The Flatirons
Under Pressure, David Bowie & Queen
Shooting Star, Bad Company
Black Dog, Led Zeppelin
Time Is On My Side, Rolling Stones
Something 2 Dance 2, NWA
One Way or Another, Blondie
You're All I Need, Mary J & Method Man
Take what you need, discard what you don't and above all else...SEND ME YOUR WRITING LISTS. If you're game I'll post them here. On the book front, here are a couple titles I've picked up over the last couple weeks.
"Cafe de Flore was the essence of all that was desirable on the Rive Gauche of Paris. It stood on the corner of Saint Germain life, an irresistable mix of cafe society, surging with literary, artistic, wanton and fashionable ambitions. It was a mirrored place of entrances and encounters.--THE BEAUTIFUL FALL: LAGERFIELD, SAINT LAURENT AND GLORIOUS EXCESS IN 1970S PARIS by Alicia Drake.
"When describing my mother it is impossible to overstate her grandeur, her haughtiness, her genorisity, her old Hollywood star power, her immaturity, her joy, her entitlement, her suffering. If you want a sense of what she's like, for grandeur and loneliness and elocution, go see Sunset Boulevard. --OH THE GLORY OF IT ALL by Sean Wilsey.
"The town was so small and shabby that, except for it's location and the entrance to the Mississippi River, a stranger could not have guessed it was the capital of an enormous Spanish colony. The little houses stretched for about a mile along the levee and went only six blocks deep. The buildings faced the river, for everywhere, in both Europe and America, the main thoroughfares were water." --INTIMATE ENEMIES: THE TWO WORLDS OF THE BARONESS DE PONTALBA by Christina Vella.
"My worst dreams have always contained images of brown water and fields of elephant grass and the downdraft of helicopter blades. The dreams are in color but they contain no sound, not of drowned voices in the river or the explosions under the hooches in the village we burned or the thropping of the Jolly Green and the gunships coming low and flat across the canopy, like insects pasted against a molten sun." --THE TIN ROOF BLOWDOWN by JAMES LEE BURKE.
"On those cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back. If he had been more analytical, he might have calculated the approximate time of their arrival; but he still used the lifetime habit of judging nightfall by the sky, and on cloudy days that method didn't work. That was why he chose to stay near the house on those days."-- I AM LEGEND by RICHARD MATHESON.
"The last time I saw Laurent Jammett, he was in Scott's store with a dead wolf over his shoulder. I had gone to get needles, and he had come in for the bounty. Scott insisted on the whole carcass, having once been bamboozled by a Yankee who brought in a pair of ears one day and claimed his bounty, then some time later brought in the paws for another dollar, and finally the tail."--THE TENDERNESS OF WOLVES by Stef Penney.
"Oscar Feldman, whose bold and innovative female nudes are among the most admired and influential artworks of recent years, died of a heart attack August 7 in the Riverside Drive apartment where he'd lived with his wife and son for many decades. He was 78." -- THE GREAT MAN by Kate Christensen.
Bound to be something you like somewhere in there.
What else? Oh, yeah. The Nichelle Barbie finally arrived and my sis has dubbed her Lil Chelle as in "Lil Chelle gonna go 'head and handle that." The box is fabulous, her clothes are fabulous and she's rocking some serious stilettos. Maybe I'll stand her up on top of my wedding cake when me and the Crown Prince finally "do that thang".
Until next time...
BIG! BIG! BIG! NEWS (at least to me) in the next couple days so keep checking back. I don't want to announce it until everything is in place but I am very excited. Not pregnant. We didn't elope. Didn't adopt. But that's all I'm saying. That little picture at the top should clue you in that it has something to do with writing. Another bit of news that has to do with writing. I am officially a part of pop culture. Yep, that's right, lil' ole me. THE DYING GROUND and THE LAST KING are both available for download on ITUNES. How cool is that?
Anyway, the music list in the last post was a huge hit. Here are the other two mixes that I made. DISCLAIMER: Can't say this will work for anybody but me. Can't say it makes sense. Can't tell you the exact mix of KC & The Sunshine Band and Doo Wop that will get you started on your writing but I encourage you to experiment a little. Throw in some blues, some rock n' roll, a little old school hip hop, jazz, big band...Stir and then shake until you get it right.
Writing Mix Number Two
Brooklyn, Mos Def
Noche Azul, Si Se
So Lonesome, The Flatirons
So What'cha Want, Beastie Boys
Jingo, Santana
Express Yourself, Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones
Welcome To Jamrock, Damien Marley
Hazy Shade of Winter, The Bangles
Bus to Baton Rouge, Lucinda Williams
Long Road, Eddie Vedder
Million Miles Away, The Plimsouls
Killing Me Softly, The Fugees
Bonita Applebum, A Tribe Called Quest
Lovely Day, Bill Withers
Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo, Ennio Morricone
Bennie & The Jets, Elton John
I Only Have Eyes For You, The Flamingos
Djin Djin, Angelique Kidjo (Featuring Alicia Keys
Writing Mix Number Three
Jamie's Crying, Van Halen
Cry To Me, Betty Harris
Show Me The Way, Peter Frampton
Free Bird, Arnold McCuller
You Drive Me Wild, The Runaways
Microphone Fiend, Rakim
Sweet Emotion, Aerosmith
Why, Annie Lennox
When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin
Heart of Glass, Blondie
I Don't Like Mondays, The Boomtown Rats
You Gots To Chill, EPMD
Three Crosses, The Flatirons
Under Pressure, David Bowie & Queen
Shooting Star, Bad Company
Black Dog, Led Zeppelin
Time Is On My Side, Rolling Stones
Something 2 Dance 2, NWA
One Way or Another, Blondie
You're All I Need, Mary J & Method Man
Take what you need, discard what you don't and above all else...SEND ME YOUR WRITING LISTS. If you're game I'll post them here. On the book front, here are a couple titles I've picked up over the last couple weeks.
"Cafe de Flore was the essence of all that was desirable on the Rive Gauche of Paris. It stood on the corner of Saint Germain life, an irresistable mix of cafe society, surging with literary, artistic, wanton and fashionable ambitions. It was a mirrored place of entrances and encounters.--THE BEAUTIFUL FALL: LAGERFIELD, SAINT LAURENT AND GLORIOUS EXCESS IN 1970S PARIS by Alicia Drake.
"When describing my mother it is impossible to overstate her grandeur, her haughtiness, her genorisity, her old Hollywood star power, her immaturity, her joy, her entitlement, her suffering. If you want a sense of what she's like, for grandeur and loneliness and elocution, go see Sunset Boulevard. --OH THE GLORY OF IT ALL by Sean Wilsey.
"The town was so small and shabby that, except for it's location and the entrance to the Mississippi River, a stranger could not have guessed it was the capital of an enormous Spanish colony. The little houses stretched for about a mile along the levee and went only six blocks deep. The buildings faced the river, for everywhere, in both Europe and America, the main thoroughfares were water." --INTIMATE ENEMIES: THE TWO WORLDS OF THE BARONESS DE PONTALBA by Christina Vella.
"My worst dreams have always contained images of brown water and fields of elephant grass and the downdraft of helicopter blades. The dreams are in color but they contain no sound, not of drowned voices in the river or the explosions under the hooches in the village we burned or the thropping of the Jolly Green and the gunships coming low and flat across the canopy, like insects pasted against a molten sun." --THE TIN ROOF BLOWDOWN by JAMES LEE BURKE.
"On those cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back. If he had been more analytical, he might have calculated the approximate time of their arrival; but he still used the lifetime habit of judging nightfall by the sky, and on cloudy days that method didn't work. That was why he chose to stay near the house on those days."-- I AM LEGEND by RICHARD MATHESON.
"The last time I saw Laurent Jammett, he was in Scott's store with a dead wolf over his shoulder. I had gone to get needles, and he had come in for the bounty. Scott insisted on the whole carcass, having once been bamboozled by a Yankee who brought in a pair of ears one day and claimed his bounty, then some time later brought in the paws for another dollar, and finally the tail."--THE TENDERNESS OF WOLVES by Stef Penney.
"Oscar Feldman, whose bold and innovative female nudes are among the most admired and influential artworks of recent years, died of a heart attack August 7 in the Riverside Drive apartment where he'd lived with his wife and son for many decades. He was 78." -- THE GREAT MAN by Kate Christensen.
Bound to be something you like somewhere in there.
What else? Oh, yeah. The Nichelle Barbie finally arrived and my sis has dubbed her Lil Chelle as in "Lil Chelle gonna go 'head and handle that." The box is fabulous, her clothes are fabulous and she's rocking some serious stilettos. Maybe I'll stand her up on top of my wedding cake when me and the Crown Prince finally "do that thang".
Until next time...
Labels: Books, Lil Chelle, Music, Writing Life
9.06.2007
TRAMBLINGS...
I've been getting nasty emails (okay, not so bad, just forceful nudges to update this "damn" blog) from frustrated readers and I deserve it. It's been way too long since I posted but I tried to warn everyone that my schedule was going to change. It has but I also promised that at the very least I'd update once a week and not once a month. So, I deserve the raspberries sent my way. Anyway, here's what's going on...
I made the THE WORLD'S BEST SANDWICH a couple of weeks ago. Oh. My. God. The Crown Prince and I nearly ate our own fingers off. Delicious. (Sandwich not the fingers). I suggest you try it. Perfect for the summer heat. Los Angeles boiled last week. Boiled. It was so hot and uncomfortable that my mom and sister left a day early. They couldn't handle it. In the middle of all of that I had the guest room painted. I don't know how the painter survived but he did. He opened all the windows turned on some old school R&B and did his thing. Speaking of old school music, man I heard MICHEL'LE'S (yep, that's right we got video!) SOMETHING IN MY HEART and it took me back like a time machine. What happened to her anyway? And, since we're talking about video, you have to check out these ladies WALKING IT OUT. Brilliant. They kill me.
So, back to the room. I told you months ago that I was turning the second bedroom into a writing space. The paint job is the first real step in that direction. I chose a pale, dove gray and white trim for the windows, ceiling, etc. It reads bluer than I planned but it's pretty and soothing. The room looks so bright and open. Carpet goes down this weekend and then I'll move in there with my music, desk, chair and books. It'll be bare bones for awhile but that's alright with me. I just want a place where I can close the door, spread my papers around, leave books open and post-it notes on the window sill and come back to find it undisturbed. Kobe, of course, never bothered with that room but now that it's coming together he likes to sit in front of the window and watch the activity on the street. I told him not to get too comfortable. Yesterday, the Crown Prince was pacing around in there on his cell phone which means I'm going to have a talk with both my boys. Let's just stop this train before it derails.
Anyway, ya'll know by now that I hate full-sticker price so I've been combing CRAIGSLIST again. Yesterday, I called about a gorgeous Barcelona Style bench. The bench retailed at BLUEPRINT for $800.00 yet it was listed for $40.00. You know I was all over that. The woman answered the phone and told me that someone else had already called. I left my number went back to searching through the listings. An hour later the woman called back. The bench was mine if I wanted it. I got her address and before I hung up I said, "Wait, is this Bee?" She said, "Yes, is this Nikki?" (my online name) and when I said yes we both started to laugh.
I bought those chairs from her back in the spring. Can you believe that? When I got to her house we almost hugged each other. She showed me around her apartment and walked me through all the new furniture she'd bought to decorate the place. She had great colors on her walls and a dining room table that made me green with envy. Really nice woman. I told her to keep my number in case she decided to do anymore redecorating. Those chairs, by the way, look great in my dining room. I know folks were ambivalent (if not repulsed) at the sight of them but I didn't care. They're a little fashion-forward to say the least but they appealed to me. Frankly, they look like people, a couple waiting side by side for a train or something. Can you see it? Anyway, I know how people felt because at least ten people have walked into the house and said, "I saw those chairs on your blog and I thought they were crazy looking but I have to admit they're really f*c*ing cool." Or variations on that theme. One or two visitors have offered to buy them but I plan to keep them for awhile.
Anyway, my plan for the room includes an entire wall of bookshelves. The bench will go in front of them (ala Carrie's apartment on SEX AND THE CITY).
Courtesy of HBO
Check out the bench in front of the shelves. I always loved that idea. Grab a title off the shelf sit down while you flip through the pages. Stack up the ones that you might want to read next. Great idea. But because I am also a magazine fiend I think I'll use the bench as a magazine holder. I'll post pictures when I'm done.
In anticipation of my new space I've been putting together some writing music. Basically, there is no rhyme or reason to my compilations just Songs Chelle Wants To Hear. And you know any list like that is bound to include a couple of stellar selections from KC & The Sunshine Band. In high school, one of the rocker chicks I'd grown up with wore a T-shirt that said: DISCO STILL SUCKS. It always made me laugh but disco gets me going. A little KC and the world feels right. I play three or four songs to get my blood going and then I wrap it up with Alicia's Bridges, "I Like The Nightlife." After that it's a cup of tea or some cocoa, email, mail, phone calls, To Do list and then whatever CD will get me through my next bout of writing. Here's what's on the current playlist. Don't expect miracles, common sense, magic potions or even a list of classic, high-falutin' songs. This is just what works for me.
Michelle, Lynyrd Skynyrd
They Reminisce Over You, C.L. Smooth and Pete Rock
Take The Money and Run, Steve Miller Band
Tell Her She's Lovely, El Chicano
Don't Fear The Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult
Ownlee Eue, Kwame
Statesboro Blues, Allman Bros
Crazy on You, Heart
One of These Mornings, Moby
Magic Man, Heart
The Choice is Yours, Black Sheep
Otherside, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jet Airliner, Steve Miller Band
Tell Him, Lauryn Hill
Ain't No Love in The Heart of the City, Bobby Blue Band
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Road Trippin', Red Hot Chili Peppers
It's My Life, No Doubt
Wanna Know, Obie Trice
Werewolves of London, Warren Zevon
See there? I told you. Lastly, THIS WOMAN created one of my all-time favorite books. Rest in peace. A WRINKLE IN TIME is a classic in my house.
Until next time...
I've been getting nasty emails (okay, not so bad, just forceful nudges to update this "damn" blog) from frustrated readers and I deserve it. It's been way too long since I posted but I tried to warn everyone that my schedule was going to change. It has but I also promised that at the very least I'd update once a week and not once a month. So, I deserve the raspberries sent my way. Anyway, here's what's going on...
I made the THE WORLD'S BEST SANDWICH a couple of weeks ago. Oh. My. God. The Crown Prince and I nearly ate our own fingers off. Delicious. (Sandwich not the fingers). I suggest you try it. Perfect for the summer heat. Los Angeles boiled last week. Boiled. It was so hot and uncomfortable that my mom and sister left a day early. They couldn't handle it. In the middle of all of that I had the guest room painted. I don't know how the painter survived but he did. He opened all the windows turned on some old school R&B and did his thing. Speaking of old school music, man I heard MICHEL'LE'S (yep, that's right we got video!) SOMETHING IN MY HEART and it took me back like a time machine. What happened to her anyway? And, since we're talking about video, you have to check out these ladies WALKING IT OUT. Brilliant. They kill me.
So, back to the room. I told you months ago that I was turning the second bedroom into a writing space. The paint job is the first real step in that direction. I chose a pale, dove gray and white trim for the windows, ceiling, etc. It reads bluer than I planned but it's pretty and soothing. The room looks so bright and open. Carpet goes down this weekend and then I'll move in there with my music, desk, chair and books. It'll be bare bones for awhile but that's alright with me. I just want a place where I can close the door, spread my papers around, leave books open and post-it notes on the window sill and come back to find it undisturbed. Kobe, of course, never bothered with that room but now that it's coming together he likes to sit in front of the window and watch the activity on the street. I told him not to get too comfortable. Yesterday, the Crown Prince was pacing around in there on his cell phone which means I'm going to have a talk with both my boys. Let's just stop this train before it derails.
Anyway, ya'll know by now that I hate full-sticker price so I've been combing CRAIGSLIST again. Yesterday, I called about a gorgeous Barcelona Style bench. The bench retailed at BLUEPRINT for $800.00 yet it was listed for $40.00. You know I was all over that. The woman answered the phone and told me that someone else had already called. I left my number went back to searching through the listings. An hour later the woman called back. The bench was mine if I wanted it. I got her address and before I hung up I said, "Wait, is this Bee?" She said, "Yes, is this Nikki?" (my online name) and when I said yes we both started to laugh.
I bought those chairs from her back in the spring. Can you believe that? When I got to her house we almost hugged each other. She showed me around her apartment and walked me through all the new furniture she'd bought to decorate the place. She had great colors on her walls and a dining room table that made me green with envy. Really nice woman. I told her to keep my number in case she decided to do anymore redecorating. Those chairs, by the way, look great in my dining room. I know folks were ambivalent (if not repulsed) at the sight of them but I didn't care. They're a little fashion-forward to say the least but they appealed to me. Frankly, they look like people, a couple waiting side by side for a train or something. Can you see it? Anyway, I know how people felt because at least ten people have walked into the house and said, "I saw those chairs on your blog and I thought they were crazy looking but I have to admit they're really f*c*ing cool." Or variations on that theme. One or two visitors have offered to buy them but I plan to keep them for awhile.
Anyway, my plan for the room includes an entire wall of bookshelves. The bench will go in front of them (ala Carrie's apartment on SEX AND THE CITY).
Courtesy of HBO
Check out the bench in front of the shelves. I always loved that idea. Grab a title off the shelf sit down while you flip through the pages. Stack up the ones that you might want to read next. Great idea. But because I am also a magazine fiend I think I'll use the bench as a magazine holder. I'll post pictures when I'm done.
In anticipation of my new space I've been putting together some writing music. Basically, there is no rhyme or reason to my compilations just Songs Chelle Wants To Hear. And you know any list like that is bound to include a couple of stellar selections from KC & The Sunshine Band. In high school, one of the rocker chicks I'd grown up with wore a T-shirt that said: DISCO STILL SUCKS. It always made me laugh but disco gets me going. A little KC and the world feels right. I play three or four songs to get my blood going and then I wrap it up with Alicia's Bridges, "I Like The Nightlife." After that it's a cup of tea or some cocoa, email, mail, phone calls, To Do list and then whatever CD will get me through my next bout of writing. Here's what's on the current playlist. Don't expect miracles, common sense, magic potions or even a list of classic, high-falutin' songs. This is just what works for me.
Michelle, Lynyrd Skynyrd
They Reminisce Over You, C.L. Smooth and Pete Rock
Take The Money and Run, Steve Miller Band
Tell Her She's Lovely, El Chicano
Don't Fear The Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult
Ownlee Eue, Kwame
Statesboro Blues, Allman Bros
Crazy on You, Heart
One of These Mornings, Moby
Magic Man, Heart
The Choice is Yours, Black Sheep
Otherside, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jet Airliner, Steve Miller Band
Tell Him, Lauryn Hill
Ain't No Love in The Heart of the City, Bobby Blue Band
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Road Trippin', Red Hot Chili Peppers
It's My Life, No Doubt
Wanna Know, Obie Trice
Werewolves of London, Warren Zevon
See there? I told you. Lastly, THIS WOMAN created one of my all-time favorite books. Rest in peace. A WRINKLE IN TIME is a classic in my house.
Until next time...
Labels: Craigslist, Music, Writing Space
