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.
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.
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