Archive for January, 2012

The Plan at Pure Slush

Posted: January 27, 2012 in Uncategorized
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January’s Pure Slush Counterpoint Story features Berit Ellingsen and I with complimenting pieces. Berit’s main piece The Punishment is a unique tale, and when asked, I jumped at the chance to write a counterpoint story.

It was a fun ride. Let’s just say I dove deep for this one. Pretty damn deep.

Here’s an excerpt from The Plan.

~~~

She flicks her hair. “I hate you.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Why’d do have to do it?” she asks. “Why on my birthday?” My sister wrinkles her nose. Her face looks wavy in the plastic wall that separates us. “That’s all they’ll remember now,” she says. “Not me. Just you and that gun.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You said that already.” She crosses her arms. Exhales. “He came by the house the other day.”

“Who?”

“That guy…the guy who keeps poking his nose into our business. Doing research on you or whatever for the court.” My sister laughs, a little chirping sound. “I think he thinks mom used to beat you or something. It’s pretty funny.”

I put a hand to my temple and watch the light. “Hilarious.”

~~~

Visit Pure Slush to read the entire story and Berit’s piece The Punishment. Special thanks to Editor Matt Potter and Ms. Ellingsen.

Jules Just Likes…

Posted: January 15, 2012 in Uncategorized
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Here is a little bit of everything that I am enjoying at the moment and would like to share in commanding overtones.

Write It Sideways – http://writeitsideways.com/

Written by Susannah Windsor, and often guest authored, this blog gives writing tips that are actually helpful. It’s probably one of the best blogs that when read I sit-up and pay attention . She also links to great resources and references.

I subscribe and about once a week enjoy a newsletter delivered to my in-box full of frothy writerly goodness.

Great. Now I want a cappuccino.

 

The Hunger Games

"There's murder inside me."

I finished this book in about 4 days and it is as great as everyone is raving about. Typically, I try to steer clear of book trends or fads just because I’m a scoundrel that way and hate giving into the norm but I did. I gave into this. And it was well worth it. A great female character, riveting writing, and a few murder sprees thrown in, what more could a girl (or guy) want?

 

Fennel Salad

from the recipe book that curses more than I do: What The Fuck Should I Make for Dinner?

 

If the photo doesn’t spur you to make this delicious salad, than I will. I’ll stand behind you in the kitchen and poke you in the kidneys with a fork until you do.

It’s easy. Here’s how.

You will need:

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

3 ribs celery, thinly sliced

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper (not the musical group)

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine fennel and celery in large bowl. Toast and salt the pumpkin seeds. Add those too. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, mustard, honey and lemon juice and season with the salt and pepper. Toss all that shit together. I grilled some chicken and then sliced that up and added it to the salad, so do this too if you’re a protein fiend or just like the aroma of poultry. Then top with grated parmesan.

BOOM. Done. Eat.

Now, this salad is addicting. The dressing is amazing and it’s got a great crunch because since I didn’t follow the directions, I hacked the fennel into huge chunks. But that’s how I roll.

 

Metazen

I keep having a love affair with Metazen. I really do. It’s my favorite online lit mag. The ballsy quirkiness of it keeps me coming back again and again. It’s not pretentious or too serious, it’s just good. And that’s what matters.

A recent piece on Metazen gave me the warm fuzzies: “I’m Your Boyfriend Dot Com” by Shaun Gannon. It’s different. Read it.

 

 

Perv Alert! Refractory Reading

Posted: January 8, 2012 in Uncategorized
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Refractory Period. I love this phrase. But not for reasons you may think, you little pervs. 

Refractory Period is a term commonly used to refer to the cooling off time (mostly for guys, ahem) after knocking boots. First introduced to this in my Sexuality 101 class in college, I now use it in another uncommon sense.

I’ve coined refractory reading for myself whenever I finish a book. The moment I’m done, I set the book on my nightstand, stare into space and light a cigarette.

No, not really. But I like to pretend. I pretend so hard.

"You're welcome, Book."

 I want to focus on the end – the finished product of reading a book. How you digest a book. Mental processes at work.

For me, I have to have a refractory period after any book I read. It takes me between 1-2 weeks to pick up another, which definitely cuts into precious reading time…I can’t cram as many books down my gullet with that little break but it must be done. I need time to absorb, to have a break from a big book.

 In between the refractory period I usually read lit mags and my token Playboy to cool off a little bit. I plot my next book carefully, standing in front of my bookshelves agonizing over what-shall-I-read?.

Then, I think about what I’ve read. Analyze it. I’m not a scholar but I generally like to understand what I’ve just consumed. Wikipedia-it if I don’t get the theme. Discuss it with others who have read it.

 I’m not sure why I do this. It’s almost as if I feel the need to have a moment (or a week) of appreciative, contemplative silence for the book I’ve just read.

Does anyone else do this? Or are you those dastardly jumpers? The lucky folk who can jump right into another book the moment after you finish the last one? (Yes, I said folk.)

I think there's a book down there. Somewhere...

 No matter what way I put it, one thing cannot be denied. I end all my books just like my ex-boyfriends.

With paper cuts and tears.