Monday, Monday

Here’s a photo of the birthday cupcake I’m still dreaming about days after the fact. The person who bought it for me says it's a muffin. I don't think so.

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I’m sitting in Starbucks blogging, doing some Mass Poetry work, and revising a new poem. Managed to pull back a bit the last few days and take care of myself for a change.

On Sunday, sandwiched between Mass Poetry meetings, I had a lovely brunch with Tayari Jones. Just lovely. Have you seen her red-carpet pic from the NAACP Image Awards? She was nominated for her book Silver Sparrow. Wow! Also, congrats on the nomination to Jacqueline Jones Lamon for her nominated poetry collection Last Seen.

Love it when good things happen to good people.

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Did you watch the coverage of Whitney’s funeral? Seeing some of the service was really heartwarming. It was a true homecoming. I was OK with Whitney’s passing until I watched Oprah’s last interview with Whitney last night. *sigh*

Forget the Diane Sawyer, “crack is whack” interview. Forget the stories you’ve heard all week and what you’ll hear in the weeks to come. Seek out the 2009 Oprah interview and remember that Whitney getting her life back together. And, watch this performance on Oprah’s stage with Bobbi Kristina in the audience. I dare you not to be moved. I double dare you.

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I’m not going to AWP this year. It’s good to take a year off every once in a while, but all of this AWP talk makes me want to go. Sounds like it will be a good convention. Not snowy in Chicago. In 2013, AWP comes to Boston and Seattle the following year—I will attend both of those. Wonder how massive the book fair will be.