The job, the job

still taking up too much of my time but I have no choice. I've got to finance a trip to Crockett, Texas so I can add a sense of physical space to the short story collection ant then it's off to the press. I'm excited about that so I'm looking at my job for what it so really is-- the means to an end.

Have found another wonderful artist whose work may grace my chapbooks (if I get to be so honored). I have four chapbooks dealing with black life and culture--- "Jumpin and Shoutin and Carryin On," "Where I'll Be If I'm Not There," "The Way Black Folks Be," and "Going To Hell WIth My Eyes Wide Open," which deals strictly with the Harlem Renaissance. I am hammering out details with the artist, but I think it's gonna work. I will have an image for "Where I'll Be. . . " and the print I'm interested in fits the overall chapbook perfectly. Am still going through her gallery to see if there's one that may work for "Jumpin. . . ." 'cause I need that one by the festival in June.

Tomorrow send off "Mother Love" to Unlikely Press. Revising and tightening those works. Hopefully I will have this chapbook in hnd by the end of April!!!!!!

In fact, I have designated April as the month I pull things together. I have to unbraid my hair and I'm thinking of cutting it short. Real short. Like against my scalp in the back short. Maybe it's just the heat talking, I don't know, but I do need to do something and get some photos done so I can create a press kit. I'm so glad that I worked for a public relations office. I know how to get myself in the news. I'm gonna be on Oprah. Well, not like tomorrow, but that's the goal and I've already started to pursue it. I will first make an appearance in Essence magazine for which I've set some things in motion.


I don't know know the editor of the "Life" section at USA Today, but we did have a brief correspondence when there was a chance I could participate in their "Open Book" program. Uh, yeah, guess who I'm emailing tomorrow.