Where am I? Boring personal stuff.

I've been a bad bad blogger lately, monkeying around at facebook and myspace, where I'm promoting the mag and networking. I never thought I'd bother with myspace, but I've met some wonderful people there. Discovered The Journal of Experimental Fiction and its talented editor Eckhard Gerdes, ending up with his acceptance of "Cluck Cluck" (dedicated to Raymond Federman) for publication in the next issue, due out gawds know when. Also met Eckhard and Charles Blackstone (with his sommelier wife Alpana) when I was in Chicago on the 7th. A real treat! Always love meeting new cyber friends. I stayed at my usual (twice) residence in Chicago, the apartment of MHR editor (& brilliant cartoonist) Marya Hagborg and her good-natured husband Anders, a terrific cook. They joined us for dinner.

Since a week ago Thursday, I've been enjoying my own special writer's retreat in the countryside near Baraboo, Wisconsin. I'm staying at the home of a kind, funny new friend, a lawyer named Roman, trying to work assiduously on my novella, "Beautiful Hair" (an extension of a story I wrote last Fall). Also, there's a lovely lake nearby, called Devil's Lake, and big deal for big city moi, a barbecue. Roman grows organic vegies in his garden. A feral black cat honors us occasionally with her company at dinnertime. She (?) gets Meow Mix. My own cat kids are apparently very happy with my new cat sitter (also a writer), who's loving them like a good mother.

The well-known Scottish writer and artist Dee Rimbaud wants to interview me. He sent me a whole slaw of questions to answer. A bit intimidating.

I've been picking up several books at once, as is my want. Eckhard gave me the last issue of The Journal, more a book than a journal issue, and Charles gave me a copy of his novel, which I haven't started. I've been reading Amy Hempel short stories, and intending to read The Bone People by the lyrical New Zealand writer Keri Hulme (a 1985 best seller).

I'll post an excerpt of two from my novella in progress ... soon.