Month: October 2009

Blood and Boxes in C Minor

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I’m packing packing packing. Tomorrow we move into Casa del Lobos. There’s too much to write tonight, so I promise more once we’re a bit settled. Having many adventures. Meeting dear new friends, missing some beloved old friends.

Right now, the Oak Park apartment is a mountain range of boxes, and my children are playing pretend vampire family:

Liam: More blood, I’m soooo hungry!

Maya: Oh, baby, you’ve already drank too much blood today. Time to practice flying.

Lana: Blood! Blood! Blood!

Maya: Lana, I’m going to drink you so that you become a vampire too. Rock-a-Bye, baby blood sucker. Drink some blood.

Liam: How do I turn into a bat again?

Maya: Look, let me draw you a picture. Pretend the blood is dripping down my cheek like this. And I have sharp teeth.

Liam: Does it hurt? Will I have a boo boo?

Maya: We’re magical, we don’t bleed. I can sew you back together. It only hurts a little.

Lana: Me too! Me too! Lana vampire.

I love my kids.
🙂

Chicago Literary Hall of Fame

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"The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s mission is to promote and celebrate Chicago’s rich and proud literature tradition by honoring the authors whose words have best captured the essence of our city."
~The Chicago Hall of Fame Mission

Earlier this year I became involved with plans to create Chicago’s Literary Hall of Fame and help with the induction ceremony in 2010.

The Chicago Hall of Fame project is under the care of the Chicago Writers Association, and is the brainchild of Chicago writer, Don Evans. Our plans are to showcase some of the amazing literary talent that has sprung up from Chicago.

The initial induction class will consist of writers who have already passed away, but in the upcoming years, the Hall of Fame will be expanded to include living writers.

A 14-person nominating committee generated a list of Chicago writers that included: Jane Addams, Nelson Algren, Saul Bellow, Gwendolyn Brooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edna Ferber, Ernest Hemingway, and others (Click here for the entire list and their biographies). The list will be narrowed down to six inductees, determined by Stuart Dybek, Rosellen Brown, Bill Savage, Haki R. Madhubuti, and Oachy Obejas. The winners will be announced next year.

I’ll keep you informed about the event.