My wife got me a copy of 'Where the Deer and the Antelope Play' for Christmas. I'm only a little ways in, but so far at least Offerman never says HOW you all know each other. Syracuse professor + Hollywood actor + touring musician = ???
A star-studded photo… and you forgot to mention they were on Trigger and Champion!
Ye gods - Follicle envy. Not sure if I could muster a pony-tail nowadays. It grows faster out of my ears than on my head. And the price of tweezers. My life.
”I really have so much affection for being alive. I really enjoy it. And yet, I’m a little negative minded in a lot of ways too, like I really think things tend to be fucked up. ... To get that on the page—to sufficiently praise the loveliness of the world without being a sap, and also lacerate the world for being so goddamn mean—to do those in the same story would be a great aspiration. And I haven’t gotten there yet.”
“Maybe you would understand your artistry to be: put me anywhere. I'll find human beings, I'll find human interest, I'll find literature. And I guess you could argue the weirder, or maybe the less explored the place, the better.”
^^ This is the episode with an icon Podcasting Moment that someone here turned into a loving-kindness meditation they do EVERY DAY...)
It's business time - all paid up! I'm regretfully assuming that complimentary Story Club Merch ("the first rule of Story Club is do not talk about Story Club. The Second Rule of Story Club is do talk about George's Pony Tail") and mugs aren't part of the deal. The idea being kicked around of pods/groups to share writing sounds great, as a big part of the value here is in the community, and starting to get the hive mind working on some writing in micro-groups would be really helpful (at least for me, and I hope for some others). It might be pushing our collective tech boundaries, but Discord is quite handy for this kind of stuff.......
Love this idea. There are no such pods in person in the city I live (I know this because I was present in the only one that eventually fizzled out). Until I start my own, even a virtual space would be such a welcome development were it to materialize!
Just a comment. I'm glad you have made this a subscription service George. One of the things I noticed in The Falls (as well as Chekhov actually) is that money is important in life. It is important to Morse and Cummings in their stories. And I think a subscription is an indication that a subscriber is going to take this seriously, it means something to them. So well done !
Buying a subscription also conveys that (a) we think George deserves to be compensated for his hard work preparing this class and teaching us; (b) we accept that writers (whatever their platform) deserve to be paid; (c) we understand that if we ask or expect writers to write/teach/share for free, they won't be able to spend their valuable time writing.
Entirely agree with Grainne & Joan; having said which leads me on to point up the reflection that - 'ultimately', which is without doubt a 'loaded' word - the success of Story Club (however measured, in due course) is going to be every bit as dependent on the quantity (less significant) and quality (more significant) of 'Story Clubbers' posts as upon George's choices and decisions on the 'Architectural Design of Story Club'.
What a whizz, arriving at 'The Dawn of Story Club', opting to morph from 'Free' to 'Paid' subscription status is already proving - for me, at least - to be. John Masefield's 19th Century 'Box of Delights' updated and opened mid-Advent in December 2021.
Agree Agree Agree with all three of youz! (Grainne, Joan, Rob) Also glad that there is a potential route for those who can't afford to participate.
Also it's a blight--often one we are unwitting and even unwilling participants in--on our collective souls, how much we define worth by money.
And, relieved by reading your comment, Rob--about the quantity and *quality* of engagement in Story Club... which is why I wrote that Monster-Long Comment about what I have gathered so far about George's (ambitiously kind) vision for this space, and the hopes and warmth people are bringing, how all that might be protected & extended... Although not sure why I wrote "relieved." Guess I'm glad to know it's on others' minds, also--
(And I'm trying to figure out--setting this all up, doing massive amounts of writing, reading, replying, planning--when is George possibly finding time to sleep? But I hope he is!)
And--all else aside--it makes me so happy seeing how excited people are. GLAD to pay the money!
I participated in a one-liner prompt yesterday - a few images came up, and I started writing it and got stuck once the follow up sentences ran its course - which is when I remembered Morse/Cummings/Hal - would you suggest {only according to George from the first lesson..} - that I should envision a character for that prompt line and describe them fully as a way of beginning a prompt.
There are many ways.. but from what you have said so far, maybe this is one of the more potent ones?
Also just started reading the link - 'how Lincoln in the Bardo' came along - you had this idea for a long time, and you/a character built a model railroad and a man and woman faced each other... ] That is where I stopped reading that link..need to get back to it today and get the above picture more correct in my memory. Hope above depiction is close to being correct.
Ooo, this might be the most appropriate place to put my core questions, because they're all connected with How This Space Works/ What You Are Hoping to Co-Create with us Here. (And: how!)
First--I've been trying to gather a sense of what your heart hopes and goals are for this space--and those of the people who are coming to it–
* “capture the liveliness of social media without the hostility”; make a genuine (large) community/ “class” that’s “still responsible and still stumbles into some kind of new energy”
* here on purpose–"so that makes a really safe, comfortable, fun vibe" (not “being able to weigh in without an investment” unlike with fb)
*”prioritizing interaction” and “closely monitoring the comments section and replying”
* in the spirit of teaching as = "your job is to benefit them in any way you can” [<--LOVE this!] and with *humility* trying to figure out how to be a good listener in this context.” [<--this too!]
* morphing “based on how readers respond"; “give and take” vs. “enforcing a structure”
There are other goals, that you lay out in "Welcome to Story Club":
a) Grow more alert to sentences-as-where-originality begins; b) Become more trusting and honoring of our micro-responses; c) Start seeing short stories everywhere and our life’s meanings essentialized in story forms; And… d) Form a tight and mutually supportive community.
–with the aspiration of doing this for the benefit of ourselves~others~world–
Expressed throughout here amongst the participants: a sense of delight, joy, generosity, excitement, possibility, renewed hope in humanity even and (I lost track of who exactly typed this, apologies!): "this constant Christmas feeling I’m getting from Story Club, created by your warmth and generosity, and the warmth of this community. Pretty special thing going on here."
SYNTHESIS: It feels to me that this space is some complex hybrid of a digital classroom, a social media community-on-purpose (without–hopefully!--hostility, with emotional investment and like-hearted-ness), and the (extra-heartfelt) Comments section of an extra-special blog. It seems to me, this is wanting/ trying to be, (as far as the interpersonal parts that are of both most aspiration and anxiety to me) ***a place of trust and connection, of learning-together and daring to… dream a bit, to take risks. ***
Keeping a space this new, this giant, this scattered... in which it feels okay to take risks is–No Small Ask!
QUESTIONS~SUGGESTIONS:
1) GROUP ENGAGMENT: To the degree this is like a giant (benevolent) fb group– (and they do exist, I’ve been in them!): I wonder if borrowing some of the better innovations of such spaces might be helpful? For instance: Group Agreements. Moderation Assistance. Administrative Help of various kinds.
(I hear that you’re not wanting to *enforce a structure* but--perhaps this might be done lightly, in response to an intuitive feel of the group as it forms and changes? Not heavy-handed moderation but... like a grad student assistant or two that help out sometimes?? )
a) Clear (and explicitly agreed-to) Group Agreements (for instance, around expressing one’s self kindly, not offering unasked-for advice, reading and even replying to 2 comments for every 1 comment you make) can be transformative in limiting the (so far very rare) negative kinds of engagement, and, protecting the warm, supportive energy in this space... (This space seems to have a clear energy but--I do think explicit group agreements--ideally more specific than "don't be mean"--*really* help things like this.)
b) Multiple Moderators/ Moderation Assistants are–I think, a life saver and a way for a group creator to not get burnt out. Not that we all don’t wish there weren’t four of YOU. It seems to make people’s day when you reply. I adore that commitment to prioritizing interaction & replying. But–I’ve never seen a space this giant with only one moderator. That’s a LOT of monitoring for one person. Impossible to see & synthesize everything.
Along those lines: I wonder if it might be helpful to have more people reading and replying? (Even if just in the, talk-once-respond-twice rule?) And doing other moderating sorts of things?
Mind you–beyond a bit of strategizing like this, I don’t think I could myself actively volunteer on a regular basis. But–from the start I’ve visualized this, and my own engagement here, as being as much like a *real* classroom as possible. And “after” class, hanging around, letting people know I heard and liked what they said. And when people have done that for me–even when they’re not you!--it makes me feel more real, visible here–and like I *actually* belong. Sharing and hearing nothing is confusing, and can feel like it’s a message of rejection (TLDR, you’re too weird) or non-belonging. Just a thought, to consider making prioritizing inter-group interaction (and creating some supports for this) a deliberate thing.
c) Another thing Administrative Helpers might do–Perhaps post (somewhere?) a list of FAQs with a twist: Things that are both immensely practical (for ex, details around how subscribing works you’ve answered in the comments) and also, writerly advice directly from you in response to highly specific questions. I imagine there’s a specialness to stumbling into such things by serendipity, but also, much could get lost and need being repeated. Especially as the posts and Comments grow. (And having the list might inspire revisits and ongoing convos--LIKE A REAL CLASS!!--In a group this large with so much digital and disjointed conversation, most will never even "hear" that amazing conversation.)
2) PODS: Self-organizing pods by location, but also, *Sensibility* in terms of the *kinds* of creative feedback people enjoy giving and receiving. (I already sense a HUGE spectrum of preferences around that, here.) Also, perhaps organizing by preferences like–Hoping to pair some of the reading with writing by non-whiteeuromales.
3) WILD IDEA: CRAZY suggestion but–maybe having one or two Coffee Hours? (Perhaps in the form of a zoom meet-up?) With you in attendance or not? Maybe to ask more directly how people are feeling, sensing into where people are and aren’t feeling invited-in? Gather other suggestions?
4) EH: A bold, perhaps impolite wondering: Might volunteers who contributed significant time receive a free subscription? Perhaps this might be a way of offering a sort of... work-study scholarship option? It’s awful to ask, it’s the ugly logic of capitalism, in which Time=Money.
5) PLEASE let me know: Who did the graphic design work for Story Club? It's so lovely and charming, and conveys so much of the desired feel, is so just-right. Is so much like the--illustrations on the books I loved as a child that paired perfectly with the stories.
(If I could afford it, they're the designer I'd want for my thing!)
6) Was this okay? Is this the kind of thing you want to hear about?
Heidi--I love the time and thought you put into this. Some kind of group agreement seems like such a good idea. I also rushed over here to "find you" in the comments because I just discovered that if you click those three little dots next to your own comment, you CAN edit! You may have discovered this already (I was about to say "sorry if you've already discovered this and then said, "Dammit Manami, stop apologizing" :) )
You're right! It works! I was able to change "no fucking way" to "no effing way"! Hooray!!
Not that I was able to censor my swear. But--that you can edit! I was so convinced you couldn't. (I think someone did a post about frustrations with the Comments and this was one so I was so certain...)
Also, thanks for the affirmations about the time and thought and the value of Group Agreements. I'm curious if this input was unwelcome, or George has just been waaaaaay too busy to engage back? Or if it was welcome but that's just not how George runs his classes/ these kinds of spaces. (More executive leadership and less collaborative than I lean towards.) Either way--I'm so pleased you've been listening to what I've been putting out! Thank you!! It makes me feel like I'm not invisible!
pppps: I love that you held back from apologizing! And you know, even if I *had* somehow figured that out (obvs I didn't & it seems strongly against the odds in any close multiverse that I would've), how lovely would it have been to discover that you've been reading what I was putting out and thinking over my dilemma through a "redundant" pointer?
(*Feeling happy for the Mes in the other 'verses that got to read this. :D*)
About 4) EH/ (Volunteering) Time= Money... Perhaps this might be amended to Time = Time, and the most committed volunteers/ "grad student helpers" might earn the right to have something they wrote Read By George?
(Honestly, I truly am asking for my friends here, I'm not assuming I'll volunteer. But this seemed a potentially welcome and fair-feeling exchange for giving time freely, perhaps in large quantities, to a profit-making venture. And I can't help but feel, the main alternative to help in THIS giant of a group is burn out, or, neglect...)
Everything I wrote = I want to see this flourish! Blessings galore! For the benefit of all here, and beyond--
I am actually planning to *leave the house* so's I can read your book!
And I was telling my hubbie about this group and the pods proposed, and I told him--"I don't know how they'll be organized or even if I'm going to join one but I do know that I want to be in whatever pod Kelly is in."
Even from that brief interaction you seemed the Loveliest. And one of the Kind people George talks about so eloquently on podcasts...
Hiya, George. Great photos. I say keep the ponytail and, if you do, you might also consider trading in your acoustic guitar for electric. Can you play the guitar with your teeth? I've heard all the cool writers are doing it.
Looking forward to digging into Hemingway this week. As ever, thank you for sharing your time and expertise.
Speaking of mansplaining: technically, Mr. Offerman is on YOUR left and Mr. Tweedy is on YOUR right. I say this not because I enjoy correcting celebrated, award-winning writers I love, but because my petty, jealous ass knows deep down that writing a comment here is by far the closest I will ever get to the indisputably best horseback ride ever. Seriously, that picture makes me like all three of you even more, which hardly seemed possible.
My wife got me a copy of 'Where the Deer and the Antelope Play' for Christmas. I'm only a little ways in, but so far at least Offerman never says HOW you all know each other. Syracuse professor + Hollywood actor + touring musician = ???
A star-studded photo… and you forgot to mention they were on Trigger and Champion!
Ye gods - Follicle envy. Not sure if I could muster a pony-tail nowadays. It grows faster out of my ears than on my head. And the price of tweezers. My life.
Tweedy! Seems like a lifetime ago seeing Wilco at The Horseshoe Tavern. But...yeah, I know, this is about writing...then again, isn't everything?
That is a gold standard PT
Love the ponytail!
THIS! TODAY! (When is George sleeping?) https://longform.org/posts/longform-podcast-75-george-saunders
”I really have so much affection for being alive. I really enjoy it. And yet, I’m a little negative minded in a lot of ways too, like I really think things tend to be fucked up. ... To get that on the page—to sufficiently praise the loveliness of the world without being a sap, and also lacerate the world for being so goddamn mean—to do those in the same story would be a great aspiration. And I haven’t gotten there yet.”
(And if you've never heard the one before: https://longform.org/posts/longform-podcast-75-george-saunders:
“Maybe you would understand your artistry to be: put me anywhere. I'll find human beings, I'll find human interest, I'll find literature. And I guess you could argue the weirder, or maybe the less explored the place, the better.”
^^ This is the episode with an icon Podcasting Moment that someone here turned into a loving-kindness meditation they do EVERY DAY...)
Damn It Uneditable Comments. TODAY's is HERE: (469!)
https://longform.org/posts/longform-podcast-469-george-saunders
Thanks for sharing
It's business time - all paid up! I'm regretfully assuming that complimentary Story Club Merch ("the first rule of Story Club is do not talk about Story Club. The Second Rule of Story Club is do talk about George's Pony Tail") and mugs aren't part of the deal. The idea being kicked around of pods/groups to share writing sounds great, as a big part of the value here is in the community, and starting to get the hive mind working on some writing in micro-groups would be really helpful (at least for me, and I hope for some others). It might be pushing our collective tech boundaries, but Discord is quite handy for this kind of stuff.......
Love this idea. There are no such pods in person in the city I live (I know this because I was present in the only one that eventually fizzled out). Until I start my own, even a virtual space would be such a welcome development were it to materialize!
I agree with this. What's a good platform?
Ooooo Discord! Thanks for that! That connects with my Monster-Long Question~Suggestion Comment.
Just a comment. I'm glad you have made this a subscription service George. One of the things I noticed in The Falls (as well as Chekhov actually) is that money is important in life. It is important to Morse and Cummings in their stories. And I think a subscription is an indication that a subscriber is going to take this seriously, it means something to them. So well done !
Buying a subscription also conveys that (a) we think George deserves to be compensated for his hard work preparing this class and teaching us; (b) we accept that writers (whatever their platform) deserve to be paid; (c) we understand that if we ask or expect writers to write/teach/share for free, they won't be able to spend their valuable time writing.
Entirely agree with Grainne & Joan; having said which leads me on to point up the reflection that - 'ultimately', which is without doubt a 'loaded' word - the success of Story Club (however measured, in due course) is going to be every bit as dependent on the quantity (less significant) and quality (more significant) of 'Story Clubbers' posts as upon George's choices and decisions on the 'Architectural Design of Story Club'.
What a whizz, arriving at 'The Dawn of Story Club', opting to morph from 'Free' to 'Paid' subscription status is already proving - for me, at least - to be. John Masefield's 19th Century 'Box of Delights' updated and opened mid-Advent in December 2021.
Agree Agree Agree with all three of youz! (Grainne, Joan, Rob) Also glad that there is a potential route for those who can't afford to participate.
Also it's a blight--often one we are unwitting and even unwilling participants in--on our collective souls, how much we define worth by money.
And, relieved by reading your comment, Rob--about the quantity and *quality* of engagement in Story Club... which is why I wrote that Monster-Long Comment about what I have gathered so far about George's (ambitiously kind) vision for this space, and the hopes and warmth people are bringing, how all that might be protected & extended... Although not sure why I wrote "relieved." Guess I'm glad to know it's on others' minds, also--
(And I'm trying to figure out--setting this all up, doing massive amounts of writing, reading, replying, planning--when is George possibly finding time to sleep? But I hope he is!)
And--all else aside--it makes me so happy seeing how excited people are. GLAD to pay the money!
Good Morning George:
I participated in a one-liner prompt yesterday - a few images came up, and I started writing it and got stuck once the follow up sentences ran its course - which is when I remembered Morse/Cummings/Hal - would you suggest {only according to George from the first lesson..} - that I should envision a character for that prompt line and describe them fully as a way of beginning a prompt.
There are many ways.. but from what you have said so far, maybe this is one of the more potent ones?
Also just started reading the link - 'how Lincoln in the Bardo' came along - you had this idea for a long time, and you/a character built a model railroad and a man and woman faced each other... ] That is where I stopped reading that link..need to get back to it today and get the above picture more correct in my memory. Hope above depiction is close to being correct.
Thank you and wishing everyone a fantastic day...
Hi George .. nice ponytail ! How long will the ‘course “ run ?
Ooo, this might be the most appropriate place to put my core questions, because they're all connected with How This Space Works/ What You Are Hoping to Co-Create with us Here. (And: how!)
First--I've been trying to gather a sense of what your heart hopes and goals are for this space--and those of the people who are coming to it–
(Btw, stumbling into this was hugely helpful in that regard: https://lithub.com/george-saunders-is-testing-how-big-a-writing-class-can-get/)--
BASIC INFO GATHERED:
From the Lith Hub article:
* “capture the liveliness of social media without the hostility”; make a genuine (large) community/ “class” that’s “still responsible and still stumbles into some kind of new energy”
* here on purpose–"so that makes a really safe, comfortable, fun vibe" (not “being able to weigh in without an investment” unlike with fb)
*”prioritizing interaction” and “closely monitoring the comments section and replying”
* in the spirit of teaching as = "your job is to benefit them in any way you can” [<--LOVE this!] and with *humility* trying to figure out how to be a good listener in this context.” [<--this too!]
* morphing “based on how readers respond"; “give and take” vs. “enforcing a structure”
There are other goals, that you lay out in "Welcome to Story Club":
a) Grow more alert to sentences-as-where-originality begins; b) Become more trusting and honoring of our micro-responses; c) Start seeing short stories everywhere and our life’s meanings essentialized in story forms; And… d) Form a tight and mutually supportive community.
–with the aspiration of doing this for the benefit of ourselves~others~world–
Expressed throughout here amongst the participants: a sense of delight, joy, generosity, excitement, possibility, renewed hope in humanity even and (I lost track of who exactly typed this, apologies!): "this constant Christmas feeling I’m getting from Story Club, created by your warmth and generosity, and the warmth of this community. Pretty special thing going on here."
SYNTHESIS: It feels to me that this space is some complex hybrid of a digital classroom, a social media community-on-purpose (without–hopefully!--hostility, with emotional investment and like-hearted-ness), and the (extra-heartfelt) Comments section of an extra-special blog. It seems to me, this is wanting/ trying to be, (as far as the interpersonal parts that are of both most aspiration and anxiety to me) ***a place of trust and connection, of learning-together and daring to… dream a bit, to take risks. ***
Keeping a space this new, this giant, this scattered... in which it feels okay to take risks is–No Small Ask!
QUESTIONS~SUGGESTIONS:
1) GROUP ENGAGMENT: To the degree this is like a giant (benevolent) fb group– (and they do exist, I’ve been in them!): I wonder if borrowing some of the better innovations of such spaces might be helpful? For instance: Group Agreements. Moderation Assistance. Administrative Help of various kinds.
(I hear that you’re not wanting to *enforce a structure* but--perhaps this might be done lightly, in response to an intuitive feel of the group as it forms and changes? Not heavy-handed moderation but... like a grad student assistant or two that help out sometimes?? )
a) Clear (and explicitly agreed-to) Group Agreements (for instance, around expressing one’s self kindly, not offering unasked-for advice, reading and even replying to 2 comments for every 1 comment you make) can be transformative in limiting the (so far very rare) negative kinds of engagement, and, protecting the warm, supportive energy in this space... (This space seems to have a clear energy but--I do think explicit group agreements--ideally more specific than "don't be mean"--*really* help things like this.)
b) Multiple Moderators/ Moderation Assistants are–I think, a life saver and a way for a group creator to not get burnt out. Not that we all don’t wish there weren’t four of YOU. It seems to make people’s day when you reply. I adore that commitment to prioritizing interaction & replying. But–I’ve never seen a space this giant with only one moderator. That’s a LOT of monitoring for one person. Impossible to see & synthesize everything.
Along those lines: I wonder if it might be helpful to have more people reading and replying? (Even if just in the, talk-once-respond-twice rule?) And doing other moderating sorts of things?
Mind you–beyond a bit of strategizing like this, I don’t think I could myself actively volunteer on a regular basis. But–from the start I’ve visualized this, and my own engagement here, as being as much like a *real* classroom as possible. And “after” class, hanging around, letting people know I heard and liked what they said. And when people have done that for me–even when they’re not you!--it makes me feel more real, visible here–and like I *actually* belong. Sharing and hearing nothing is confusing, and can feel like it’s a message of rejection (TLDR, you’re too weird) or non-belonging. Just a thought, to consider making prioritizing inter-group interaction (and creating some supports for this) a deliberate thing.
c) Another thing Administrative Helpers might do–Perhaps post (somewhere?) a list of FAQs with a twist: Things that are both immensely practical (for ex, details around how subscribing works you’ve answered in the comments) and also, writerly advice directly from you in response to highly specific questions. I imagine there’s a specialness to stumbling into such things by serendipity, but also, much could get lost and need being repeated. Especially as the posts and Comments grow. (And having the list might inspire revisits and ongoing convos--LIKE A REAL CLASS!!--In a group this large with so much digital and disjointed conversation, most will never even "hear" that amazing conversation.)
2) PODS: Self-organizing pods by location, but also, *Sensibility* in terms of the *kinds* of creative feedback people enjoy giving and receiving. (I already sense a HUGE spectrum of preferences around that, here.) Also, perhaps organizing by preferences like–Hoping to pair some of the reading with writing by non-whiteeuromales.
3) WILD IDEA: CRAZY suggestion but–maybe having one or two Coffee Hours? (Perhaps in the form of a zoom meet-up?) With you in attendance or not? Maybe to ask more directly how people are feeling, sensing into where people are and aren’t feeling invited-in? Gather other suggestions?
4) EH: A bold, perhaps impolite wondering: Might volunteers who contributed significant time receive a free subscription? Perhaps this might be a way of offering a sort of... work-study scholarship option? It’s awful to ask, it’s the ugly logic of capitalism, in which Time=Money.
5) PLEASE let me know: Who did the graphic design work for Story Club? It's so lovely and charming, and conveys so much of the desired feel, is so just-right. Is so much like the--illustrations on the books I loved as a child that paired perfectly with the stories.
(If I could afford it, they're the designer I'd want for my thing!)
6) Was this okay? Is this the kind of thing you want to hear about?
Heidi--I love the time and thought you put into this. Some kind of group agreement seems like such a good idea. I also rushed over here to "find you" in the comments because I just discovered that if you click those three little dots next to your own comment, you CAN edit! You may have discovered this already (I was about to say "sorry if you've already discovered this and then said, "Dammit Manami, stop apologizing" :) )
Ooooooooooo no *effing* way!
You're right! It works! I was able to change "no fucking way" to "no effing way"! Hooray!!
Not that I was able to censor my swear. But--that you can edit! I was so convinced you couldn't. (I think someone did a post about frustrations with the Comments and this was one so I was so certain...)
Also, thanks for the affirmations about the time and thought and the value of Group Agreements. I'm curious if this input was unwelcome, or George has just been waaaaaay too busy to engage back? Or if it was welcome but that's just not how George runs his classes/ these kinds of spaces. (More executive leadership and less collaborative than I lean towards.) Either way--I'm so pleased you've been listening to what I've been putting out! Thank you!! It makes me feel like I'm not invisible!
pppps: I love that you held back from apologizing! And you know, even if I *had* somehow figured that out (obvs I didn't & it seems strongly against the odds in any close multiverse that I would've), how lovely would it have been to discover that you've been reading what I was putting out and thinking over my dilemma through a "redundant" pointer?
(*Feeling happy for the Mes in the other 'verses that got to read this. :D*)
Just had a thought and drat no way to edit:
About 4) EH/ (Volunteering) Time= Money... Perhaps this might be amended to Time = Time, and the most committed volunteers/ "grad student helpers" might earn the right to have something they wrote Read By George?
(Honestly, I truly am asking for my friends here, I'm not assuming I'll volunteer. But this seemed a potentially welcome and fair-feeling exchange for giving time freely, perhaps in large quantities, to a profit-making venture. And I can't help but feel, the main alternative to help in THIS giant of a group is burn out, or, neglect...)
Everything I wrote = I want to see this flourish! Blessings galore! For the benefit of all here, and beyond--
ps I SWEAR, I worked really hard to get that as compact and readable as possible. Lots of edits. A 2 hour task!
Heidi - you rock. I love your heart and mind.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Kelly! Thank you!
I am actually planning to *leave the house* so's I can read your book!
And I was telling my hubbie about this group and the pods proposed, and I told him--"I don't know how they'll be organized or even if I'm going to join one but I do know that I want to be in whatever pod Kelly is in."
Even from that brief interaction you seemed the Loveliest. And one of the Kind people George talks about so eloquently on podcasts...
(Cue inspirational music... )
I just went to do my daily-ish podcast downloading and--
All I can say is--
Here you and I have known each other for--like THOUSANDS of seconds already--and you CLEARLY get my vibe and...
You have a podcast on which you interviewed Garry Shandling and you've never ever--like NEVER--bothered mentioning it?
I'm willing to forgive it but--Come on! Please promise you'll never do something like that again!
:) :) <3 <3
(ps The Longform ep with George that just "plopped"--#469--has tons of process talk in it!)
Heidi, you have done a wonderful job bringing this article to us and getting the gist of it. Thank you and have a wonderful day :)
Radhika--Thanks for letting me know--as I put it in the long Comment--that you heard what I said during class & liked it! :)
Your welcome Heidi, looking forward to learning along with all of you...
Have a great night,
Hiya, George. Great photos. I say keep the ponytail and, if you do, you might also consider trading in your acoustic guitar for electric. Can you play the guitar with your teeth? I've heard all the cool writers are doing it.
Looking forward to digging into Hemingway this week. As ever, thank you for sharing your time and expertise.
Speaking of mansplaining: technically, Mr. Offerman is on YOUR left and Mr. Tweedy is on YOUR right. I say this not because I enjoy correcting celebrated, award-winning writers I love, but because my petty, jealous ass knows deep down that writing a comment here is by far the closest I will ever get to the indisputably best horseback ride ever. Seriously, that picture makes me like all three of you even more, which hardly seemed possible.
Duly noted, and if I understood the tech here better, Bob, I would correct it. Consider it fixed in my mind. :)
Writing IS rewriting.
How do I buy a lifetime subscription I already want this to never ever ever end?
It's not going to. Right?
I don't believe there's any end date announced. Just saying I've found my happy place and will swipe my credit card for the next 50 years :)
Me, too, Alicia.
You are a good man, a wonderful writer. Bring on Hemingway!!
Hell of a tail, Saunders. Grow it to the knees.
Thanks, Mike. :)