Alex & Me

Reading ALEX & ME by Irene Pepperberg. I have a fondness for African Greys, and recollect watching a PBS special maybe ten or so years ago, where an African Grey in the UK "spoke" with an English accent. If his owner was sipping a cup of tea, the bird would bob his head and say, "Cop of tay?," which really cracked me up. Now, when I acquire a hankering for a cup of Constant Comment, I ask Steve if he wants one, too, using this birdy accent.

Too Much Happiness

Nice interview with Alice Munro in today's WSJ. Here is the gist: She's 78, lives in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and is undergoing treatment for cancer. Her new short-story collection, "Too Much Happiness," is out this week, and includes stories that frame the darker side of life -- murder, home invasion, disfigurement and mutilation. The first story (unnamed in the article) is apparently so harrowing, she can't bring herself to reread it. Which means I'll add the book to my Christmas list and read that story first. Read an excerpt from "Too Much Happiness" here. (Photo by WSJ.)

Backyard Bird Blind

Steve bought a blind and set it up in the backyard last Sunday. (Every so often I'd peek out the window at him, then laugh as he poked his head up.) He took this photo of a male Anna's, but said the mourning doves wouldn't sit still. They've been shot at (dove-hunting season), and they're nervous. Maybe in a week or two...

Mistaken Identity

So sorry! Always I am mistaken for Professor Einstein.

Eight Fabulous Reads

I'm currently reading LOSING MUM AND PUP: A MEMOIR by Christopher Buckley, which got me thinking about the file in one of my office drawers called "Writing Samples -- Faves," which contains exactly that: favorite stories and articles that I've kept over the years, either because they're inspiring, or just so much fun to read. These are by no means all of my favorites, but they're a good start. In no particular order:

1. "The Paperhanger" (short story) by William Gay. The darkest and most delicious story EVER. (Appeared in THE O. HENRY AWARDS 2001 PRIZE STORIES)

2. "A Life Without Left Turns" (essay) by Michael Gartner. Funny, poignant -- a love story, essentially, detailing Gartner's parents' philosophy that you'll live a lot longer if you never make a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. (Appeared on usatoday.com, 6/15/2006)

3. "The Cavemen in the Hedges" (short story) by Stacey Richter. A clever, crafty, hilarious story about a woman who crosses the line. With cavemen. In the hedges. (Appeared in Zoetrope: All Story)

4. "Another Manhattan" (short story) by Donald Antrim. The exquisite unraveling of a man named Jim. (The New Yorker, December 22, 2008)

5. "Royal Pain" (short story) by Christopher Buckley. Rich Renard, PR exec extraordinaire and dealer of, well, royal pains. "It's in some ways an aimless existence. The Prince's only job, really, is to become King when his mother dies. But the women in his family live longer than Galapagos tortoises." (The Atlantic Monthly, April 2004)

6. "Them Old Cowboy Songs" (short story) by Annie Proulx. Archie and Rose McLaverty encounter a series of seriously unfortunate events in 1885. (The New Yorker, May 5, 2008)

7. "The Pig's Butler" (essay) by Thorhallur Vilhjalmsson with Jeffrey A. Kottler (gads!). "When an Icelandic Student went to work as a butler for novelist Danielle Steel, he never expected to end up as a manservant to her pet pig, Coco." (Talk magazine, Dec/Jan 2001)

8. "Reflections on Creative Writing Class: The Teacher; How to confront 30,000 words a week of teenage angst and ecstasy" (essay) by Frank McCourt. "The last thing writers need is answers -- the end of thought and the dream." (The New York Times, April 14, 2002)

Hats for Disguished Thumbs

Rene models his acorn beret. Tomorrow, perhaps, a vest.


La Photographie by Stephane.

Nerdy but Cool: The Skater Boys' Conundrum

This afternoon in Target I was perusing a box of recycled Christmas cards, when the word "kill" caught my attention. I looked over to find three boys, around 13 or so, rummaging through the Halloween candy (Sale! 75 Percent Off!). They wore black jeans and Vans, and all three had dark hair that curled at the backs of their necks. One wore a RAMONES tee-shirt. (If I were a 13-year-old girl, I'd describe them as skaters -- gangly, nerdy, and decidedly cool.)

As they were circling the bins, one kid said, "So you let her die, right?" and I realized they were talking about a video game. To my joy, his buddy said, "Well, hopefully you get attached to the character and let her live." The third kid wasn't participating in the dialogue, however, as he'd homed in on something spectacular. "Pez!" he rejoiced.

I knew I was onto some great dialogue, so I pushed my cart over to the sale bin, pulled a pen and pad from my pocket, and started jotting away. One of the boys glanced over at me, then turned to join his friends, who had wandered so far away that I could no longer hear what they were saying. But luck was with me, and they drifted back. RAMONE was now carrying a bag of Reese's Pieces. "You can buy Kit Kats if you want," he told his buddy, "but I'm buyin' these." Then off they went, shoulder to shoulder, in search of the Doritos aisle.