Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Writing as Craft
When I was in college, one of my biggest pet peeves (Besides being asked if I got in because of affirmative action---ummm, sorry, but Asians are not considered for affirmative action. And by asking, you insulted my intelligence and I want you to die.) was people saying they could "just be an English major." Like it was so easy to be an English major. I know it's not Computer Science. Ooohhh, scary! Or Physics or Engineering. But English is not a degree that you "just get." You have to be logical. You have to be creative. You have to prove your thesis just like any mathematical theorem.
Today, I'm surrounded by people who say, "Maybe I'll just pickup writing." Or "When I retire, I think I'll write a book." Writing is not easy. It is a craft that you hone. Can you imagine if I went up to one of my lawyer friends and said, "Maybe I"ll just practice law." Or to the doctors, "Maybe I'll just start writing prescriptions." It is NOT any different. Just because you tweet and write emails does not mean that you're a writer. It's very insulting. You're telling me that my craft is easy. It's simple. It's a talent that can be picked up like picking up a writing utensil. It cannot. It takes time, practice, dedication. I dedicate my life to writing. I take classes. I study the masters. I write every single day.
It's like going up to Tori Amos and saying, "Maybe I"ll just start playing the piano, singing, and writing music." No can do, people. It's a career. Artists practice every day. They sing. They do drugs so they can work like maniacs. It's a tough job.
Nothing is simple in this life. Not even writing.
Today, I'm surrounded by people who say, "Maybe I'll just pickup writing." Or "When I retire, I think I'll write a book." Writing is not easy. It is a craft that you hone. Can you imagine if I went up to one of my lawyer friends and said, "Maybe I"ll just practice law." Or to the doctors, "Maybe I'll just start writing prescriptions." It is NOT any different. Just because you tweet and write emails does not mean that you're a writer. It's very insulting. You're telling me that my craft is easy. It's simple. It's a talent that can be picked up like picking up a writing utensil. It cannot. It takes time, practice, dedication. I dedicate my life to writing. I take classes. I study the masters. I write every single day.
It's like going up to Tori Amos and saying, "Maybe I"ll just start playing the piano, singing, and writing music." No can do, people. It's a career. Artists practice every day. They sing. They do drugs so they can work like maniacs. It's a tough job.
Nothing is simple in this life. Not even writing.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Ahhh, Friendship
From: Facebook
Date: Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Subject: Mike sent you a message on Facebook...
To: Marc
Mike sent you a message.
--
Subject: hi from Mike
Hi Marc,
Dean (via Catherine) mentioned that I should say hello to you.
Hello. ;-)
Not sure what else to say -- maybe go for a drink/coffee sometime?
Mike
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Marc Gallagher
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 2:23 PM
To: Gacad, Catherine
Subject: Fwd: Mike sent you a message on Facebook...
What have you guys done?? Who is this guy?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
remember i told you about dean's co-worker who moved here from the east coast, has no friends, etc, lives in like russian hill or some place where he shouldn't.
and i told you that you would gobble him up, and leave him for dead?
but you said, no, that i should put him in contact with you. don't you remember this???
but from his message, he kinda sounds like a total dud. bad introductory approach. probably why he has no friends. anyhow, leave him for dead for all i care.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
haaaaaaaaa. intros aside, it looks like he has yellow teeth.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
not too much better than yours.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
sweetie, mine are bleached whiter than michael jackson's face. may he RIP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
well that's good because it's time to start focusing on your gut.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
agreed. and you should really start thinking about your face.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
you are going to die alongside keith chin, gripping each other. two soul mates...meant to be together forever.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
and you are going to die from a knife in your face from your husband sick of you henpecking him.
but alas, i will go to your funeral.
Date: Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Subject: Mike sent you a message on Facebook...
To: Marc
Mike sent you a message.
--
Subject: hi from Mike
Hi Marc,
Dean (via Catherine) mentioned that I should say hello to you.
Hello. ;-)
Not sure what else to say -- maybe go for a drink/coffee sometime?
Mike
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Marc Gallagher
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 2:23 PM
To: Gacad, Catherine
Subject: Fwd: Mike sent you a message on Facebook...
What have you guys done?? Who is this guy?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
remember i told you about dean's co-worker who moved here from the east coast, has no friends, etc, lives in like russian hill or some place where he shouldn't.
and i told you that you would gobble him up, and leave him for dead?
but you said, no, that i should put him in contact with you. don't you remember this???
but from his message, he kinda sounds like a total dud. bad introductory approach. probably why he has no friends. anyhow, leave him for dead for all i care.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
haaaaaaaaa. intros aside, it looks like he has yellow teeth.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
not too much better than yours.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
sweetie, mine are bleached whiter than michael jackson's face. may he RIP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
well that's good because it's time to start focusing on your gut.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
agreed. and you should really start thinking about your face.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHERINE
you are going to die alongside keith chin, gripping each other. two soul mates...meant to be together forever.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARC
and you are going to die from a knife in your face from your husband sick of you henpecking him.
but alas, i will go to your funeral.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween 2009
I used to hate Halloween. I've never been creative enough to come up with cool costumes. With my addictive personality, I gorge on chocolate and feel like crap the next day. And then there was the Castro fiasco. So ghetto unfabulous.
The ill will goes back to the first time I had to dress up in kindergarten. I picked through the costumes at Long's Drugs and found a Raggedy Ann getup complete with plastic mask. I was so excited to find such an original costume! Then I got to school and was totally embarrassed to walk in the parade. My classmate Cindy had thick moppy red hair and a homemade outfit with striped leggings. She was Raggedy Ann and I was a poor impersonation. I walked around in the parade, glad to be hiding under a mask--totally ashamed.
I've started to warm up to Halloween, probably because I'm an adult now. I can hem and haw at all the cute young-ins dressed as princesses, robots, pirates. Everyone's so cute! Dean and I headed to Brisbane and went trick-or-treating with the whole fam: my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, my two nephews, my brother-in-law's mom who flew in from Virginia. I carried chocolate in my bag and distributed to my favorite costumed munchkins I saw along the way: the bumble bee, the ninja turtle. I think the best is when the parents dress up, too. The dad in a mullet and the mom in a sixties dress.
A bunch of my friends were at the big Ghost Ship party on Treasure Island. I'm so overworked and too much of a stress case to deal with the Bay Bridge closure, parking, porta-potties. Maybe I'm getting old, but right now, I need to pass on the large-scale chaotic parties. I just want to trick-or-treat with the kiddies.
The ill will goes back to the first time I had to dress up in kindergarten. I picked through the costumes at Long's Drugs and found a Raggedy Ann getup complete with plastic mask. I was so excited to find such an original costume! Then I got to school and was totally embarrassed to walk in the parade. My classmate Cindy had thick moppy red hair and a homemade outfit with striped leggings. She was Raggedy Ann and I was a poor impersonation. I walked around in the parade, glad to be hiding under a mask--totally ashamed.
I've started to warm up to Halloween, probably because I'm an adult now. I can hem and haw at all the cute young-ins dressed as princesses, robots, pirates. Everyone's so cute! Dean and I headed to Brisbane and went trick-or-treating with the whole fam: my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, my two nephews, my brother-in-law's mom who flew in from Virginia. I carried chocolate in my bag and distributed to my favorite costumed munchkins I saw along the way: the bumble bee, the ninja turtle. I think the best is when the parents dress up, too. The dad in a mullet and the mom in a sixties dress.
A bunch of my friends were at the big Ghost Ship party on Treasure Island. I'm so overworked and too much of a stress case to deal with the Bay Bridge closure, parking, porta-potties. Maybe I'm getting old, but right now, I need to pass on the large-scale chaotic parties. I just want to trick-or-treat with the kiddies.
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