tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83129211836041513642024-03-13T06:53:21.004-04:00Almost PublishedThe mental meanderings of Erin Skelly, fiction magician extraordinaireErin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-15154849312168923732013-06-11T10:02:00.000-04:002013-06-11T10:02:19.238-04:00
In case you didn't already catch this, yesterday (June 10) would have been Maurice Sendak's 85th birthday. In recognition, Google posted a Sendak-themed animated Doodle (a themed logo). Sadly, I didn't see it first-hand, since I always search directly from my browser, but I was lucky enough to come across a friend's posting about it on Facebook. (You can view an archive Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-32747462002330096282013-02-12T15:24:00.001-05:002013-02-12T15:24:12.470-05:00Happy Fasnacht Day!That’s the Pennsylvania Dutch version of Shrove (Fat) Tuesday. On Fasnacht Day, we eat fasnachts, which are kind of like donuts.
I can't get real fasnachts in DC, so Krispy Kreme will have to do.
I can't get real fasnachts anywhere in DC - I didn't realize how regional they are until I moved here - and because I'm not getting up at 5 in the morning to make fasnachts before work, I Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-71406760347096811852013-01-25T10:51:00.000-05:002013-01-25T10:51:14.871-05:00Baby, It's Cold Outside ... Oh, Yeah, and Happy Belated New YearSo, it is SERIOUSLY COLD in DC right now. As in, the coldest temperatures the city has seen in something like 10 years. And I'll be honest, I'm not enjoying it very much. But I have been enjoying the electric blanket my parents bought me for Christmas. The blanket is very useful, because my thermostat won't stay at a set temperature; it keeps resetting to its base temp of Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-20812809166679681762012-10-31T15:36:00.003-04:002012-10-31T15:36:55.158-04:00To NaNo, or not to NaNo: That is the question
I'm pretty sure that Shakespeare was thinking about NaNoWriMo when he wrote this soliloquy. How do I know that? I know, because I feel the absolute anguish that Hamlet is going through in this scene. I totally identify with Hamlet.
You see, today is October 31. For most of the world - or at least the parts of the world that celebrate pagan-turned Christian-turned secular holidays - today is Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-14740666108873766412012-09-28T18:10:00.002-04:002012-09-28T18:10:42.547-04:00Back to J.K. RowlingIt's been a nice summer off, and now that it's after Labor Day, I suppose I must get back to the grind. I didn't really take much time off from work (though I did go to a writer's retreat, which I will post about a little bit later), but I did take some time off from school, you know, since I graduated and all. But I'm taking one final (unrequired, but in my estimation, fully Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-63930372320627979142012-05-06T13:02:00.000-04:002012-05-06T13:02:28.286-04:00M.A. Thesis Readings!Friday was a big day for me and my 11 classmates. First, it was the deadline to hand in final FINAL copies of our previously approved thesis: 1) two copies tape-bound for the department archive, and 2) one copy loose, printed on acid-free paper, which will be bound (hard-cover) by the JHU printing/binding office, which will forever live in the JHU library.
Without further ado, here is a Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-84094742929943596102012-04-26T12:45:00.000-04:002012-04-26T12:45:24.912-04:00Getting Your Dreams ...
“But I couldn’t be happier / Simply couldn’t be happier / Well – not ‘simply’:
‘Cause getting your dreams / It’s strange, but it seems / A little – well – complicatedThere’s a kind of a sort of : cost / There’s a couple of things get: lostThere are bridges you cross / You didn’t know you crossed / Until you’ve crossed”
-- Glinda in Wicked
Several weeks ago, my friend A.J. Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-87194783224975423762012-04-13T17:25:00.000-04:002012-04-13T17:25:40.194-04:00Seriously, J.K. Rowling?So I loved the Harry Potter books, and I was really excited when I heard J. K. Rowling was writing a book for adults. That is, I was excited until I saw that the hardcover retail price is THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS! (Amazon is offering it for $21 right now.)
Seriously? J. K. Rowling, you're richer than God. You're the last writer on earth who needs to be charging $35 a book.&Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-64093436604063468232012-03-23T12:27:00.000-04:002012-03-23T12:27:49.635-04:00Two Weeks To Go & Counting ...
Time is melting ... clearly not working in my favor.
Oh, my lord ... March has totally kicked my ass. Totally. I keep thinking that at some point, work has to slow down enough to let me breathe, but it hasn't. Sometimes, I like my job, and sometimes it feels like a never-ending onslaught of shit.
Speaking of breathing, I've discovered (or realized?) that I'm obsessed withErin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-71495376966662480402012-02-27T16:06:00.000-05:002012-02-27T16:06:34.351-05:00... and I've Finished the Second Lap!I've reached the first big milestone of my final semester in graduate school - the final PennUnion submission. After several revisions, two post-revision discussions with my thesis advisor, and an in-class editing session, my PennUnion piece is finally ready. I think.
The deadline to submit was noon today, and I was still tweaking and making slight changes at ten 'till. I've changed everything Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-17572334356347808552012-02-12T09:00:00.002-05:002012-02-12T09:00:07.077-05:00Sh*t Book Reviewers SayHere's your Sunday fun-day!
Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-74461321123529433322012-02-11T17:22:00.000-05:002012-02-11T17:22:21.451-05:00Pretty Young ThingsAccording to the NY Times Magazine Culture Blog, there are some hot young lit mags on the scene that are taking up the mantle. Despite what many people view as the death of print, these mags are flourishing by utilizing POD technology and the like.
Click the link above to see the list. I'd like to specifically steer you towards The Coffin Factory, which is no. 4 on the list.&Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-29498525555599546532012-01-31T23:44:00.000-05:002012-01-31T23:44:56.963-05:00A Room of One's OwnI am exhausted!
Exhausted and excited, because I just submitted the first draft of my thesis today. This is a creative thesis, so the focus is on quality, not quantity - maximum 75 pp of quality. I have spent hours upon hours doing revisions, something that I haven't spent a lot of time on before now.
Revisions terrify me - or, they did terrify me. I'm catsitting for Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-66337540675905604472012-01-25T17:55:00.000-05:002012-01-25T17:55:52.824-05:00Under the GunI'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. You want to know why? I'll tell you why.
1. The first draft of my thesis is due is six (six!) days and I'm nowhere close to being finished with my revisions. I submitted my thesis planning form a month ago, and I'm waffling about my story selection decision. I'm almost certainly going to change it, but I really need to Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-69106804039966974952012-01-22T01:03:00.001-05:002012-02-11T17:35:12.651-05:00Les Jeunes de ParisSNL was replaying Emma Stone's Fall 2011 episode tonight, which included a French dance off skit that I love. So I thought I would share. Enjoy!
Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-34623127230350285522012-01-08T18:24:00.000-05:002012-01-08T18:24:47.039-05:00NYR UpdateI'm pretty happy with my NYR progress thus far -- I'm well ahead of my Publish at least 52 blog posts by December 31, 2012 goal. This is my fourth post into 2012, and it's only January 8! When I first decided on this particular NYR, I wasn't so sure how it would work out. I didn't know if I could come up with enough interesting things to write/discuss to post once (or more) a week, Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-54109083091237434222012-01-05T15:09:00.000-05:002012-01-05T15:09:06.910-05:00Fun with PoetryMy work PC went down today, the victim of multiple trojans. All my work is on my computer. if my computer doesn't work, I might as well go home. So while IT was working on my computer, I decided to play on my Nook Tablet. For some reason, I thought it would be fun to tweet in haiku about my computer problems - and my cousin (@the1skelly) decided that he would tweet back, Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-76700854089980776272012-01-03T15:03:00.000-05:002012-01-03T15:03:04.099-05:00My Nooky NookSo, I'm super excited because I got a Nook Tablet for Christmas, sort of.
("Sort of" refers to the Christmas part. My husband and I received an Amazon gift card for Christmas, and he simply can't resist the look I give him when I really want something. I do a wonderful impression of Puss in Boots. So I got my Nook Tablet.)
I am completely enamored with this gadget. It does SO MANY THINGSErin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-51660270403110450902012-01-02T12:23:00.001-05:002012-01-02T12:23:23.288-05:00Happy New Year!Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-69067738226520879942011-12-31T09:00:00.004-05:002011-12-31T09:00:01.753-05:00New Year's Resolutions (aka NYRs)This time every year, people start thinking about their New Year's Resolutions (aka NYRs). Some seriously ponder the idea and try to come up with deep, introspective thoughts about how they can improve their personal well being, and others simple recycle the same old list from the previous year. And a LOT of people fall off the wagon and give up before February 1 rolls around.
I Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-8618325590159883942011-12-28T10:59:00.001-05:002011-12-28T11:03:36.273-05:00Beware The HawkNo, not me ... I'm talking about my friend A.J. O'Connell, who I had the privilege of meeting at the 2011 AWP Conference. She's not a hawk, and you don't have to be wary of her. She's quite nice, actually. She recently finished her MFA at Fairfield University, and she has an ebook coming out in January titled Beware the Hawk. It's a novella about ... well, I can't Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-84413588077429022662011-12-21T15:20:00.003-05:002011-12-21T15:29:34.659-05:00Book Review: The Last Town on EarthThe Last Town on Earth
Author: Thomas Mullen
Paperback: 432 pages
Published: July 31, 2007
The Last Town on Earth tells the story of a secluded mill town in the Pacific northwest, and the ensuing events when the town decides to quarantine itself against the Spanish flu pandemic of 1917-1918. Mullen does a wonderful job of weaving the three archetypal conflicts: man vs. man, man vs. the Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-64156276738383436822011-12-19T22:46:00.002-05:002011-12-19T22:46:54.493-05:00I love Billy Collins, especially when recited by a 3-year-oldErin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-67327839009057785442011-10-29T10:33:00.000-04:002011-10-29T10:33:09.197-04:00November Is Upon Us ...
So, It's that time of year again ... it's almost time for NaNoWriMo. November is only a few days away, and I am determined to do NaNo again this year ... despite the fact that:
I have no idea what I'm going to write
My last two attempts were thwarted by my perfectionist nature and my desire to write something GOOD
I am a horrible procrastinator
Every year, I think that I am going to write Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312921183604151364.post-69879105526557917792011-08-06T19:36:00.001-04:002011-10-29T10:50:05.684-04:00Camp NaNoWriMo, Anyone?
If you're a writer (or maybe if you know someone who is a writer, you've probably heard about something called NaNoWriMo. For the uninitiated, that stands for National Novel Writing Month, aka November, during which thousands (millions?) of writers across the globe scramble to write 50K words in a month. It's exhilarating, it's exhausting, and it's triumphant when you actually cross that 50K Erin Skellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10437728146277888012noreply@blogger.com0