Still Catching Up…

I know that I promised a long post, and it’s still coming.

Kids return to school tomorrow, details about the Conclave Journal Release Party (April 30 at Book Cellar) are on the way, reminder about the benefit at Sanfilipo for the Literary Hall of Fame also coming, as is an update about Casa del Lobos, and more.

It’s been a busy week of cleaning, sorting, killing ants, proofing, rediscovering treasures, and playing in the yard.

I had a nice breakfast at Svea’s this morning with a friend I haven’t seen in far too long, and before that I had some interesting story ideas occur to me in the shower (which of course I couldn’t develop because I was on my way to breakfast and already running late…but I did jot them down).

I am looking forward to this week to work on promotional materials for the Conclave Release Party (Sweetheart Molly Robison will be performing! And several writers will be reading!) I also cannot wait to get back into the S.C. (next book, nearly finished).

OK. More soon, hopefully tonight.

The Gravity of Art

Back in Fall of 2007, I was living in Germany with my family. While we had been having adventures and traveling internationally, I had grown out of touch with my writing and the larger creative world.

I looked around and found a door to that creative world online: I entered the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. From that contest, I met a  group of talented, dedicated writers, and with editorial support from several of them, I began the literary magazine Conclave: A Journal of Character.

Through this chain of creative people, I also met several LJ friends, among them Trillian Stars ( ) and her now-husband Kyle Cassidy (). When given the chance to attend their wedding party in Philadelphia last Fall, I went and met a new bunch of fabulous, creative people from around the country. Combine that experience with my work on the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame and the unexpected phenomenon of Twitter, and I cannot believe how many talented writers and artists and musicians I have met and reconnected with over the last 3 years. This is just the beginning!

The Gravity of Art

That’s what Kyle Cassidy called it in his blog, and I loved the phrase (Kyle, I hope that you don’t that I’m using it?) It captures the phenomenon so well–when you are engaged and passionate about creating, you become a force of attraction.

I’m wrapping up Conclave and hope to have it printed later this month. I cannot wait to get back to revising the novel I completed last Fall, and I have some decisions to make about The Silence of Trees. I’m excited about the progress of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, and some other projects that Chicago friends are working on in photography, music, video, and theater. There are other top-secret projects in the works. 2010 has such potential!

The Gravity of Art: it’s a powerful thing, an inspiring thing, an exhilarating thing.

The interior of our home is nearly finished. I want Casa del Lobos to be a nexus, a center for the gravity of art, a place frequented by creative people, a place where my kids will grow up seeing people making art, talking about art, living lives of passion and integrity.

Do you know about the Parisian Salons of the 17th century and 18th century? They were gatherings of artists, writers, philosophers, etc. to amuse and educate. The salons were revived in the 1920s in Paris and London. Some of the greatest writers and artists, readers and thinkers of the time met at those salons. Wouldn’t it be something to recreate that kind of time and space set aside for the discussion of art and literature in its many forms?

Casa del Lobos is just waiting for the chance.

Progress

This was one of those hectic filled weekends, with family parties and morning meetings. The kids had fun, but now we’re in the throes of Monday and I have to catch up.

The electrician and the carpenters are here to work on the kitchen and hang up the lighting fixtures in the living and dining rooms. After a few delays, I see that there’s progress.

We’re moving along. Here’s a peek at what we have going on:

The cabinets are being unpacked as I type, and our fabulous carpenters are trying to make sense of our crooked walls.

The electricians have hung one chandelier (I’ll post the picture later) in the dining room. But they need to add support for the one in the living room (the chandeliers are made of iron). Such a shame they have to break into the newly-repaired plaster ceiling.

Back to wrangling Lana and keeping her away from any sharp tools.