Feature

I pulled my first book from Amazon today. Rather, I logged in and shifted a check mark from the left-most (Active) column to the right-most (Closed) column. I thought about stopping over in the center (Suspended) for a bit but then I thought, if I’m going to do the damn thing…

Next weekend marks the six-year anniversary of All Downhill. It’s also my six-week anniversary of being in San Fransisco. As the former was totally and entirely tied to a place (both in time and geography) and the latter is totally and entirely unlinked from that, it feels appropriate to cut ’em both loose. It reminds me of something Sean Christopher Nelson said on twitter a few months ago, about Flagpole Sitta. He said he was happy people enjoyed his song but it was weird to be remembered for something he did when he was 22.

So. A bittersweet moment, but time for a change.

Greetings from the other side! After nearly 10 (grueling) years in New York, I’ve moved to San Francisco, land of the homeless and the hoodied.

The biggest adjustment so far has been the pace. People don’t seem to like jaywalking. They say hello in elevators (they even want to push the buttons for you, which…?). Everyone wants to chat all the time. I’m thinking I’ll have to slow my physical self down quite a lot. I’m also expecting a bit of brain adjusting. Honoring the balance between working and playing seems to be much more of a priority (thank the lord jesus) and I’m going to have to power down my habits of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at my desk. Or just being at my desk in general.

This will allow more time for writing, which is, as we know, a high priority. Perhaps I’ll even start working on some shorter pieces and do that whole thing where you rack up credentials and “get your name out there” by publishing in journals. You know, instead of grinding out novels and then pitching agents for….ever.

In any case, I think big changes are on the horizon. At least, when I can see the horizon over the hills.

I did a thing, or it did me

Left Coast Proper