Taking Care of Business

About ten days. I’ve got about ten days before the long, hot drive to Texas (via Bloomington, via Fayetteville) and that means ten days to make use of speedy Internet, an on campus post office, and this big kitchen table where I can spread my papers and packages into the organized chaos that represents my brain:

 

Today? I submitted Flashes of War to two prizes and one press, then applied for two prestigious but well-funded fellowships for 2012. Everything on the list felt a sliver above my actual skills and talent, but—as with querying the NYC agents—I want to be able to look back and say I tried my best. I like starting at the top and working my way down, having “more than one iron in the fire,” as they say. Then I can sit back (and write/read/walk/stare) before I emails and SASE’s boomerang back several months later.

Stay tuned as THE CLAW readies for the road, The Big Sort gets underway (yet again), and I start looking long and hard at that good ol’ friend of mine, the road atlas of America.