I’m back in Los Angeles!
Yesterday I got coffee with Jim Gavin and Homer, the basset hound he’s pet sitting. Unlike me, Jim doesn’t usually pet sit. He usually writes and teaches and if you’ve been reading this column, you know that I really like his short story collection Middle Men. Not too long ago HORN! reviewed the collection.
This week, I really enjoyed The Rumpus Interview with John Dufresne. I especially loved the introduction. Julie Marie Wade writes, “So John is my neighbor as well as my friend, and every Monday afternoon or Saturday morning, depending on our schedules, we make time to take a six-mile walk together.” I would like to find a writer/friend/walking partner in Los Angeles. This is now on my to-do list.
I also loved The Atlas. If you haven’t read the essay yet, then do so now.
Last week Yumi contributed Earth Sign, this week she contributed Fire Sign, and I’m excited to see another sign comic soon.
When I got back to Los Angeles, I went to Stories Books and Cafe, which is basically my second home. I mean that. I used the bookstore as the return address for my Rumpus letter. I picked up my mail and bookseller and poet John Tottenham, who is never in a positive mood growled, “You’re getting your mail here now?” Personally I enjoy his demeanor.
I went home and opened up letters and that night marked the moment I fell in love with the Letters in the Mail program. It’s so great. People write to me and I get to write them back. What people share ranges from details about their love life to training for a marathon. It’s so fun. I want to reply to everyone. Hopefully, I have good follow through.
Do you subscribe to Steve’s Daily Rumpus? If so and you read the postscripts, you know that there are changes over here at The Rumpus. More on that next week!
