Of Montenegro, Stegner Fellowships and Careless People

[mallorys_camera]

How sad is it that I am never going to get to go to Montenegro, and see the Emperor Justinian's fortress in the ancient town of Kotor, and the cathedral of the apocryphal St. Tryphon?

Pretty fucking sad, if you ask me.

New client is [your Big Internet Travel Site goes here.] I'm churning out short travelogues for them. Short, but actually somewhat challenging to write since the fluff quotient has to be managed so they are extremely dense. Yesterday I wrote about Montenegro, which sounds like the most fascinating place on the planet. Or maybe the second most fascinating place – the Lydian tombs and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus on Turkey's Turquoise Coast are still the places I dream about the most.

In the interests of productivity, I've been locking myself up, tunneling down and just pounding out the words. At dusk, I leave my computer post and float outside to water the garden. The roses I pruned are doing nicely. Some insect is trying to eat my ghost chilis. My cucumbers and coriander haven't germinated yet. I want to put in lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon thyme, maybe tarragon and marjoram. Nobody will ever use them for cooking — herbes du Provence are not big in this household – but I like the way they smell.

In the interstices of my mind, I kept pondering the question yesterday: What would make me happy? I would be really happy if I got that Stegner Fellowship. Two years ago I came so-o close. I think this year I have to try harder. Maybe put together a support team of pals who can pretend to be lit crits and tear me savagely apart for comma abuse.

Also, in the process of investigating possible mentors for the Future Mother of My Unborn Grandchildren yesterday, I stumbled across the information that ___ ______ – remember him? – actually lives on Lawn Guyland. Suffolk County, but still. He professes English at Long Island University. I'm not at all sure how I would feel about seeing ___ ______ at this remote date, but I would luv to send him a copy of the blistering short story I wrote about him and Ann – careless people, careless people. Though not strictly in the Daisy Buchanan sense.

Comments

[nokomisjeff.livejournal.com]

You are paid to write shit about places you've never been too? Maybe you ought to go.

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

Most of what you read on travel websites is written by people who've never been there. :-) That's why it all sounds alike.

[anais-pf.livejournal.com]

I have been known to use tarragon and marjoram in my cooking. YOU could use the other stuff in YOUR cooking. They sound yummy even though none of my recipes call for them.

I wouldn't rule out seeing Montenegro, Emperor Justinian's fortress in the ancient town of Kotor, and the cathedral of the apocryphal St. Tryphon just yet.

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of having a thyme garden with a dozen different types of thyme! :-)

[sulphuroxide.livejournal.com]

the abuse of commas is, it seems, a uniquely American phenomenon. somehow though, i suspect you may not like the company of writers that seem to do this: henry miller, jack kerouac, walt witman, allen ginsberg... AND, AND, AND,

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

Ahem! I HEART Henry Miller and Walt Whitman. :-)

[sulphuroxide.livejournal.com]

well, 50% isn't bad. in that case, i hereby revoke my disclaimer.

[anais-pf.livejournal.com]

P.S. Don't lament too much the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. I saw it and it's basically one pillar rising up out of a swampy patch of grass, surrounded by a few blocks of stone here and there. Now the city Ephesus itself is another thing -- definitely worth seeing.

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

The Ozymandias Factor! Too lazy to look this up now, but I think the Temple was considered one of the 12 Wonders of the Ancient World.

[anais-pf.livejournal.com]

Seven, but yes.

[nokomisjeff.livejournal.com]

Really, I never knew that, but then again I only read about travel either in surfing magazines or Smithsonian. I know the travel is real in the surfing magazines because the guys are telling their stories and the writing is horrible. I still read them though.

[robby.livejournal.com]

I just googled your ghost chili, said to be the hottest in the world! It makes the serranos I planted seem like nothing.

I ran out of last year's peppers, so just bought a bag of "chile japones entero" which are about the right heat for me.