So Not Good At Being on Vacation
I know, I know, I announce a hiatus and blog more than usual. Isn't it always when you think you have absolutely nothing to say you discover that the impulse to blog overwhelms? Perhaps I am simply contrarian that way.
On the train to Upstate I bought the recent Harper's which features a poem by Eula Biss called the Pain Scale. It's a rather long poem, and generally poetry taint my thang, especially after completing "Oy that's alot of Romans" but of course all things medical fascinate me. And her poem, which is frankly amazing, is worth reading. Just to give you a sample:
Where does pain worth mentioning begin? With poison ivy? With a hang nail? With a stubbed toe? A sore throat? A needle prick? A razor cut?
The sensations of my own body may be the only subject on which I qualified to claim expertise. Sad and terrible, then, how little I know. "How do you feel?" the doctor asks, and I cannot answer. Not accurately. "Does this hurt?" he asks. Again, I'm not sure. "Do you have more or less pain from the time I last saw you?" Hard to say. I begin to lie to protect my reputation. I act certain.
Now I don't often go for poetry and the idea of really liking a 24 page poem, well, it's a bit of stretch, but trust me this is a fabulous poem.
In other news, aside from enjoying poetry and the latest David Sedaris story (a plane story I might add, that rat bastard, but I digress), based on the work I have been able to get done up here in one day and how much more work I would be able to do if I was locked up with say nothing but my work and a computer and a grammar guide that aside from examining grad schools I should also be examining writers colonies and grants like the one that Bakerina managed to get for herself last year. Of course mine would be the non-fiction memoir, or travel type bent. I have been searching the net for such things, but the results are overwhelming so I thought I would turn to all y'all (the plural of y'all for those not familiar with the South) for a bit of help. If you happen to know of any such places, please forward me the link. Please?

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