Louise Miller's Blog: snapshots - Posts Tagged "the-clash"
How is it already Easter?
It's been a funny week. It included very early mornings, lots and lots of baking, an unusual amount of ignoring the fact that I am going to L.A. in a few days to go attend AWP*, several animal shelter applications, drinks with a dear friend in a secret bar, and the joys of the ordinary when life is hectic--post office, grocery store, tea with real milk, delicious home-cooked meals.
On the iPod: Combat Rock by the Clash. When I was a suburban punk, one of the topics of discussion among my friends was the idea of selling out. Combat Rock was said to be The Clash's sellout record--the commercial record, the record they made for money and not for art. I wasted many years of my youth worrying about what was cool. It was totally exhausting. It wasn't good enough that you loved The Clash, you had to love THE RIGHT CLASH. But what does that even mean? And i'm sorry, but Combat Rock haters of my younger days, I dare you to listen to the drum beat opening of Car Jamming, or the thrilling guitar line of Atom Tan and tell me this record was not made with love. Don't even get me started on Should I Stay or Should I Go. That's one of the sexiest songs of the 1980's. Ok, rant over. I'll be over here, earbuds in, letting the "soft animal of my body love what it loves"(Thank you and amen, Mary Oliver) http://apoemadaykeepsthedoctoraway.bl...
Book news: In the words of my wonderful publicist, THE GALLEYS ARE OUT. This means copies of the book have been sent out to reviewers, magazines and other long-lead press, to some bookstores and book bloggers and people who love books. In all honesty I don't know who has the book! But photos have been popping up of the galley on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/louisemiller... and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BDTQkMRu5... and this is VERY CHEERY and thrilling and quite scary.
In the kitchen: The project that brought me the most happiness this week was chocolate cream pie. I made dozens of little individual pies, short crust filled to the brim with handmade chocolate pudding, piled high with whipped cream and covered with milk chocolate shavings. I have a serious love of pudding in all forms--butterscotch being my favorite, with bread pudding coming in a close second. But chocolate is good. chocolate is very good. Here is a picture: https://www.instagram.com/p/BDQzdG5vZ...
random cheer: I think this says maybe more than I should reveal about my sense of humor, but I loved these old pictures of kids with the easter bunny, which my niece pointed out "are neither funny or cute."
http://www.sadanduseless.com/2016/03/...
Happy Easter. Happy everything.
*If you are at AWP, or just in Los Angeles for some reason, and feel like hearing 5 people (Including me) talk about what it is like to publish their debuts after the age of 35, and hear us read from said debuts, come on down! https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_confere...
On the iPod: Combat Rock by the Clash. When I was a suburban punk, one of the topics of discussion among my friends was the idea of selling out. Combat Rock was said to be The Clash's sellout record--the commercial record, the record they made for money and not for art. I wasted many years of my youth worrying about what was cool. It was totally exhausting. It wasn't good enough that you loved The Clash, you had to love THE RIGHT CLASH. But what does that even mean? And i'm sorry, but Combat Rock haters of my younger days, I dare you to listen to the drum beat opening of Car Jamming, or the thrilling guitar line of Atom Tan and tell me this record was not made with love. Don't even get me started on Should I Stay or Should I Go. That's one of the sexiest songs of the 1980's. Ok, rant over. I'll be over here, earbuds in, letting the "soft animal of my body love what it loves"(Thank you and amen, Mary Oliver) http://apoemadaykeepsthedoctoraway.bl...
Book news: In the words of my wonderful publicist, THE GALLEYS ARE OUT. This means copies of the book have been sent out to reviewers, magazines and other long-lead press, to some bookstores and book bloggers and people who love books. In all honesty I don't know who has the book! But photos have been popping up of the galley on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/louisemiller... and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BDTQkMRu5... and this is VERY CHEERY and thrilling and quite scary.
In the kitchen: The project that brought me the most happiness this week was chocolate cream pie. I made dozens of little individual pies, short crust filled to the brim with handmade chocolate pudding, piled high with whipped cream and covered with milk chocolate shavings. I have a serious love of pudding in all forms--butterscotch being my favorite, with bread pudding coming in a close second. But chocolate is good. chocolate is very good. Here is a picture: https://www.instagram.com/p/BDQzdG5vZ...
random cheer: I think this says maybe more than I should reveal about my sense of humor, but I loved these old pictures of kids with the easter bunny, which my niece pointed out "are neither funny or cute."
http://www.sadanduseless.com/2016/03/...
Happy Easter. Happy everything.
*If you are at AWP, or just in Los Angeles for some reason, and feel like hearing 5 people (Including me) talk about what it is like to publish their debuts after the age of 35, and hear us read from said debuts, come on down! https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_confere...
balance
I spent a lot of time thinking about balance this week. It was an excellent week—it began with an amazing production of Sarah Ruhl’s The Oldest Boy, directed by a dear friend, and ended with seeing the raw and honest and inspiring Eve Ensler in her new piece In the Body of the World. This week I had the good fortune of meeting two writers—one who is also publishing her debut with my editor, the other someone I had only met on social media. I went to a wonderful reading where I got to see author-friends of mine shine. Meanwhile, work continued to be busy—it was the 3rd 6-day week in a row, and everyone in the kitchen seemed pretty tired, myself included, but there was still cakes to be baked and decorated, tapioca to be stirred, chocolate-walnut cookies to be scooped—so when I wasn’t doing something fun and social, I was busy baking. This level of busyness, even when i'm participating in all things I am committed to and love, I find super challenging. I need a certain amount of space-out time to myself, and time to be outside, not to mention time to write! But it can feel challenging to make that time, and to commit to it. How do we carve out and keep sacred the necessary time to just be—with ourselves and with our work? I am determined to find out.
What I am reading: I have just started reading a friend’s debut novel for a potential blurb. It is the first time anyone has asked me to blurb them! I am deeply honored!
On the Ipod: I’ve been back to The Clash. This week it has been the record London Calling. The Clash hold an exuberance that I turn to when I need to be lifted up, and a wide world-view when I’m feeling stuck. Plus they make me feel like I am 14 when I am feeling a bit creaky. Music really is a time machine.
In the kitchen: I had to check my instagram feed to see if I made anything I was excited about. Nope. Another work-horse week. Hopefully this week will leave more time for playing with new ideas in the kitchen.
Book news: I spent yesterday brainstorming questions for a reading guide for The City Baker's Guide to Country Living. It is challenging and fun to try and look at my novel from the point of view of a reader!
Random cheer: The best part of the week for me was digging up and weeding my community garden plot. If you like playing in the dirt as much as I do, here is a super cheery tour of The White House kitchen garden—
http://www.eater.com/2016/5/11/116568...
Cheery, productive, balanced week to all of you! May we all make the time in our days for spacing out, aimless rambles, digging in the dirt and dreaming up stories.
What I am reading: I have just started reading a friend’s debut novel for a potential blurb. It is the first time anyone has asked me to blurb them! I am deeply honored!
On the Ipod: I’ve been back to The Clash. This week it has been the record London Calling. The Clash hold an exuberance that I turn to when I need to be lifted up, and a wide world-view when I’m feeling stuck. Plus they make me feel like I am 14 when I am feeling a bit creaky. Music really is a time machine.
In the kitchen: I had to check my instagram feed to see if I made anything I was excited about. Nope. Another work-horse week. Hopefully this week will leave more time for playing with new ideas in the kitchen.
Book news: I spent yesterday brainstorming questions for a reading guide for The City Baker's Guide to Country Living. It is challenging and fun to try and look at my novel from the point of view of a reader!
Random cheer: The best part of the week for me was digging up and weeding my community garden plot. If you like playing in the dirt as much as I do, here is a super cheery tour of The White House kitchen garden—
http://www.eater.com/2016/5/11/116568...
Cheery, productive, balanced week to all of you! May we all make the time in our days for spacing out, aimless rambles, digging in the dirt and dreaming up stories.
snapshots
a quick peek into Louise's week--books, music, baking and random cheer.
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