Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Link up below! Please and thanks! 

Also, so sorry to anyone I twitter spammed this week- no sure what happened, but I think the problem is solved. 

1. I was listening to a Nerdist podcast and the guys were talking about God-know-what and the subject of mix tapes came up. That somehow turned into "Mix Books"- taking various chapters of books and putting them together for a romantic prospect. If someone had done this for me I would have been total putty in their hands. You want me to what? You just gave me a mix book? Yeah, okay, fine. Maybe I'm just easy.

2. Help me decide what Netflix show to watch while treadmill walking! I have it narrowed down to three: Nip/Tuck, Dexter, or The West Wing. All three are shows I've wanted to watch but my husband has zero interest in. What should I start with?

3. Speaking of shows, holy shit House of Cards season 2 is ridiculous. The first episode alone had us reeling. And I'm sorry, but I like Claire. I know she's a manipulative, maniacal bitch, but I can't help it. Maybe the power and success? The level of control and decorum she maintains? Or maybe it's the fact that I want her finesse when I'm her age. Nonetheless, I admit it.

[source]

4. Last weekend was crazy- I met with my favorite happy hour buddies Friday night (they each had shots of tequila, though, so that wasn't fair), walked four miles with a friend Saturday morning, drove to Orange County Saturday afternoon to visit with my mom, who was briefly in town, went to Ikea on Sunday morning to finish nursery furniture shopping, and then went to my brother's girlfriend's dance recital at UC Irvine that afternoon. Monday I graded and yearbooked for at least 6 hours. 

5. I'm currently reading, and loving, Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. I received the trilogy (I know! Me! Reading a series!) for by birthday and Christmas, and am kicking myself for not getting on board sooner.

6. There have been zero interesting readings in the greater Los Angeles area the past few months, and none are brewing on the horizon, from what I can tell. This dry spell is ridiculous, and I'm not sure if it's because no one wants to come here or if no one I'm interested in has really put anything out lately. I'm crossing my fingers that the LA Times Festival of Books has some decent people (and also that at 36 or 38 weeks, or whatever I am then, pregnant I'm good to go).

7. I was excited to see that Yosemite (yosemitenps) is now on Instagram today! I follow very few people that aren't my actual friends or family members (exceptions: Pete Souza, the White House photographer, and Giada de Laurentiis, my girl crush), but this was a given.

[source]

8. Can someone please explain why J.K. Rowling is still planning to write under a pseudonym? It's so lame. The cat's out of the bag!

9. I hate it when people say that you can mend split ends with various hair products. The only way to fix split ends is with scissors. People are so delusional. Or maybe they're just magical. Maybe J.K. Rowling should write a freaking book about that.

10. My students have finished their study of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and seem less than impressed. Challenge accepted. 

 

The Great Pseudonym Conundrum

Nom de Plume by Carmela Ciurau (want to read)

I've always fantasized about being able to make writing novels my career- I'd quit my day job eventually and then travel the country on book tours while wearing the extensive Anthropologie wardrobe I'd then be able to afford. I'd be invited to sit on panels at book festivals, asked to contribute articles to smart magazines, and eventually some small, local liberal arts college would take me on as a part-time English professor (hear that, Claremont McKenna?).

In the midst of these silly, far-fetched day dreams is always the question of whether or not I'd publish under my real name or a pseudonym. Such the pretend conundrum! My first instinct is to always keep it honest. If the novel is a success you'd want everyone to know it was you who were responsible for such literary genius. Take that ex-boyfriend! Suck it, snotty super-smart girl from high school! Revel in my awesomeness, world! And, I have to say (with absolutely no experience whatsoever to base this on) that it's important to own up to your failures too. If the book is bashed you have to accept the criticism, not hide behind the safety of a name that isn't yours. 

But, on the other hand, pseudonyms offer vital protection in terms of your personal and professional lives. Not that authors generally acquire celebrity status, but what if the checker at Target is an avid reader and wants to chat about [insert novel title here] while you're trying to buy your underwear and toilet bowl cleaner? Plus, as a teacher I'm not sure whether my district, or union, would appreciate the content of the novel I'm currently working on. Plus, what would the students and their parents think? I realistically would have to keep the day job for awhile, so yes, their opinion on having a snarky, controversial author around their kids each day would matter.

Another important question- what would the pseudonym be? Is there a formula like there is for stripper names (first pet name + street where you grew up; I'd be Raven Countryside Lane, for those wondering)? How awkward would it be to be called something else? I'm very attached to my name, refusing to change it when I got married, so for me this is a tad unsettling. 

Obviously, this isn't an issue. And if I don't get back to my NaNoWriMo project it never will be. Check out the chart on the right bar to see my progress (or lack there of). And I promise I'm not delusional- I know that not only are my chances of finishing a full-blown novel slim, but my odds of publishing are next to nothing. 

And I'm okay with that.