This is the first time I've been home for Thanksgiving in four years. Last year was spent alone in the cafeteria of the Smithsonian (Air and Space after seeing the just re-opened American History museum with Nick), and then falling ill with the flu on the couch with boxed mashed potatoes. The two years before that were spent working at Coffee Bean and in my empty house. Though I had some great times all three of those years (vegan Thanksgiving/Top Chef marathon, cooking a midnight Thanksgiving for the Bacara waiters, adventures in DC), I've really missed being home.
You'd think it's no big deal that I'm home. I've been here since June and I am more than ready to leave. But there is something about Thanksgiving in Chico that is so great. The students are out of town and all the locals return from their new towns. The weather is nice and the park is beautiful. People walk around and you just know they're in a great mood. It's like a scene out of a cheesy movie.
The real reason it's so great to be here for Thanksgiving is all the friends that aren't around the rest of the year. The last few Thanksgivings have seen me quite depressed and I know that's because I've spent them so alone. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all the amazing friends I have. Though I can't be with them all the time, I know they're out there. I'm going to miss everyone when I move across the country, but I'm also so excited to start new in a city I adore. But it is so great to know that I have Chico to come back to for the holidays.
I don't know when the next time I'll make it back to Chico for Thanksgiving will be, so I will be sure to enjoy it so much.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Bored to Death?
After I conquer Sarah Vowell, I think I'll take on Jonathan Ames. Unfortunately, the library only has one of his novels. I guess I'll have to spend some hard-earned Best Buy money at the bookstore, because after watching Bored to Death I need to read his books. The appearance by the aforementioned Ms. Vowell in the season finale pretty much solidified that fact.
I was directed to this great Newsweek list about political sex scandals (my favorite type of scandal, obviously) from Rachel Maddow's twitter. When I found out Jonathan Ames was also a contributor, I was even more excited. My thursday night/tipsy excitement led me to this revelation that I must read all of his books which in turn led me to his Wikipedia entry. It states, "While at the New York Press his columns were often recollections of his childhood neuroses and his unusual experiences, written in the gritty tradition of Charles Bukowski." For some reason, this sentence immediately made me think of this blog that I never write in. I thought, I wish I could be more honest in my writing, maybe then I would write more. I thought of all the childhood neuroses I had and all unusual experiences I have been through but would never think to publish for the world to see. I thought about all the columns my dad wrote in his newspaper days, especially the ones about me. Why can't I do that?
But I can do that. I can write about all my seemingly crazy thoughts and the strange habits that no one knows about if I just do it. And though I work hard to maintain some privacy on the internet, there is a part of me that wants to write about all those things because I love to write, I love to entertain, and I know I have some great stories.
Jonathan Ames' Wikipedia then led me to the page for Bored to Death, because damn, I love that show. I got to thinking more about the characters and the plot. For those of you who have not seen the show, it is about a writer named Jonathan Ames (played by Jason Schwartzman) who moonlights as a(n unlicensed) private detective. So Jonathan Ames, this author who I am obsessed with despite not reading any of his books yet, wrote a TV show about a character with his name who is also a writer. But Jonathan Ames the TV character also leads a double life as a P.I. that Jonathan Ames, the real person, does not. He did not create a character that was a carbon copy of himself, he merely used his name and a few real-life experiences to weave into the plot.
The beauty of Ames' writing isn't in his honesty, but instead in how creatively he can weave those real-life experiences into an entertaining story. It has been a long, long time since I've done any creative writing (it's true, I love research and policy), but if I want to be honest in my writing maybe I should just get creative.
I think The Partly Cloudy Patriot will have to wait. If Jonathan Ames can inspire me to write here after nearly two months I should actually read one of his novels. Maybe I'll get even more inspired. Looks like I'm headed to the library tomorrow.
I was directed to this great Newsweek list about political sex scandals (my favorite type of scandal, obviously) from Rachel Maddow's twitter. When I found out Jonathan Ames was also a contributor, I was even more excited. My thursday night/tipsy excitement led me to this revelation that I must read all of his books which in turn led me to his Wikipedia entry. It states, "While at the New York Press his columns were often recollections of his childhood neuroses and his unusual experiences, written in the gritty tradition of Charles Bukowski." For some reason, this sentence immediately made me think of this blog that I never write in. I thought, I wish I could be more honest in my writing, maybe then I would write more. I thought of all the childhood neuroses I had and all unusual experiences I have been through but would never think to publish for the world to see. I thought about all the columns my dad wrote in his newspaper days, especially the ones about me. Why can't I do that?
But I can do that. I can write about all my seemingly crazy thoughts and the strange habits that no one knows about if I just do it. And though I work hard to maintain some privacy on the internet, there is a part of me that wants to write about all those things because I love to write, I love to entertain, and I know I have some great stories.
Jonathan Ames' Wikipedia then led me to the page for Bored to Death, because damn, I love that show. I got to thinking more about the characters and the plot. For those of you who have not seen the show, it is about a writer named Jonathan Ames (played by Jason Schwartzman) who moonlights as a(n unlicensed) private detective. So Jonathan Ames, this author who I am obsessed with despite not reading any of his books yet, wrote a TV show about a character with his name who is also a writer. But Jonathan Ames the TV character also leads a double life as a P.I. that Jonathan Ames, the real person, does not. He did not create a character that was a carbon copy of himself, he merely used his name and a few real-life experiences to weave into the plot.
The beauty of Ames' writing isn't in his honesty, but instead in how creatively he can weave those real-life experiences into an entertaining story. It has been a long, long time since I've done any creative writing (it's true, I love research and policy), but if I want to be honest in my writing maybe I should just get creative.
I think The Partly Cloudy Patriot will have to wait. If Jonathan Ames can inspire me to write here after nearly two months I should actually read one of his novels. Maybe I'll get even more inspired. Looks like I'm headed to the library tomorrow.
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