Living Room

[ellenkushner]

Did an "Ellen & Delia's Living Room" for the writing students at Hollins tonight:  a "come one, come all, we'll talk about writing & life" of the sort we used to do at Wiscon (and in our actual livingroom - the Wiscon thingie originated with Laurie J. Marks' undeserved comment, "I learned more about writing in Ellen & Delia's living room than in a year of classes") - we brought the Merlot & Blue Moon, they brought the cookies, and we all shared talk about process and living as writers.  I had rather suspected that all the writing grad students had no regular place to meet and hang out - and I am more and more convinced that Writers Need Community!  So encouraged them to make this a regular weekly deal, even in our absence - and I think it's going to happen!

Saving the world one graduate program (and one bottle) at a time . . . . 

Must go read more stories now, as I've got 5 to critique tomorrow, and 5 more on Friday!

Comments

[csecooney.livejournal.com]

Yes! This is PERFECT! This is what I try to do, and what I'll keep trying to do, if it's the only good thing I ever do as an artist, ever.

[taraljc.livejournal.com]

I somewhat desperately wish I'd had you for my Creative Writing teacher at uni. Tho I think you'd have got on really well with Leslie Donovan, my Arthurian Lit prof :)

[only-fragments.livejournal.com]

I am so jealous of your students, I could vomit.

(And I mean that as the highest compliment!)

[lolafeist.livejournal.com]

That sounds so absolutely lovely.

[jay-of-lasgalen.livejournal.com]

Any room for a late arrival??

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

I wish! I'm still trying to decide whether to make myself available for more 1:1 conferences next week with people who somehow unaccountably missed the signup sheet that's been up for weeks outside the dept. head's office (and her frequent emails re. same) - technically, my tenure as writer-in-residence ends this week, but actually I will still be here because Delia's teaching for the full 6 weeks. Hmm. . . . mercy or justice?

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I'm very, very jealous of your students! That sounds like a wonderful and amazingly productive evening. :)

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

There is, in fact, a young woman studying here who has just moved to Chicago - she's a protegee of Francesca Lia Block's - I told her she should at least get cosy with you on Facebook or something....