All the Stately Ladies

Whew! That’s enough “please” for one day. Now let me bust out a very particular “thank you”.

I don’t know whether it’s because I’m getting into heavier stuff or just a random coincidence, but lately I have been knocked acock, almost on the daily, by this cavalcade of bad-ass elder stateswomen in my life. I’m talking about Marsha Hubbell and Stephanie Chambers and Jane Lumsden and Chris Weiler-Allen and Trayce Primm and even and especially my own dear sweet brick-busting dane-wrangling ultramom, Shirley. They are just so *potent*, y’all. They don’t get hung up on the little things. They don’t get heartburn worrying about what other people think about them. They are just 100% occupied with serving up their glory to the world. And I cannot WAIT to get old enough and real enough to be like them – to stick to my guns and ride for the brand and have not one single thought to spare for what somebody else might have to say about that.

Actually, while I’m at it, let me add Rick Amitin here too. Men of his generation have not been encouraged to wear their hearts on their sleeves, but he has stitched that sucker on there with day-glo nylon. He walks through the world with the assertively kind, unflinchingly affectionate realness that I can only marvel at. He has spent his life becoming the change he wanted to see, and not many folks can say that.

Anyway: gals, I know today is ‘our’ day – and that is as fabulous excuse as any for us old-ladies-in-training enjoy and appreciate the people who have helped us to discover our muchness. It’s a hell of a job, and we are so fortunate that they have hitched up their wonder-wear and waded in to do it.

'Twas the Night Before WORDfest...

Friendly friends, I know you're busy today, and I have not been present much. But if I could, let me beg a moment to lay my head in your lap. Let me whisper into your reeds.

This WORDfest thing on Saturday has blown up beyond all expectations. We're up to 340 registrations, and there is no knowing how many walk-ins we'll get in top of that. And five days out from go-time, my ulcers have ulcers. If we get too many people, we'll be swamped, and people will be crowded out and frustrated. If we get too few, I will lose my savings. (I have not gone into debt for this, but my last book advance is tied up in this venture, along with most of my travel money for the year.)

And more than that, like... I can name two dozen people who have bought into this project and worked their asses off over the last few months to help make it happen. They have given up so much of themselves and their free time for this promise, this vision for a bigger, grander, more cohesive and inclusive DFW literary community. They are the spiritual stakeholders on this venture, and I really, really want them to be rewarded for that.

I have debated about whether to post this. You're not supposed to appear anything but confident and enthusiastic, when you spearhead a thing like this. But I believe in love and realness, and you-all have ALWAYS rewarded me for that. So if you have a thought to spare for Team WORD this week, please do. It's only a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things, but if we pull this off, it could be the beginning of something much bigger.

EDIT:  World, you have a funny way of answering my prayers.