Writers

Went last night with Carmen to see a stellar group of writers read from this new collection. Douglas Bauer put the book together; he once went on a gastronomical tour of New Orleans with M.F.K. Fisher while working at Playboy and is married to Sue Miller, who ended her contribution talking about the chicken dish he wooed her with. Andre Dubus was there and he mentioned Bauer had mentioned the book idea to him at a cocktail party. It was all very chummy-chummy. Steve Almond and Margot Livesey were there as well.

After the reading, Carmen and I went for Japanese food at one of the stalls at the Porter Square mall and I said, oh, oh, let’s each do our take on Andre’s hair, which was very impressive, in our blogs later. Mr. Dubus, let me first say, is very kind, very warm, and very talented. But he also has poofy sideburned hair and wears cowboy boots. The man lives in Newburyport. And when I asked all the writers what their process was his process involved manly things like plywood, longhand, and a knife. And an unfinished bathroom. And he used to write in his car. I think I’m going to start writing whilst perched atop my cat’s litter box. Using my own blood. Which I will drain from cuts in my forearm that I made using a butter knife.

OK, I just flipped through the book to find what Andre signed to me and discovered there is someone in there with the last name “McCracken.” Hee hee! OK, here is what he said, and it makes me feel bad for making fun of his hair “I wish you great things in your writing.” Thanks, Andre!