Friends

Today is my husband's birthday! Since I love many song lyrics as poetry, I wanted to share an old-school Billy Joel song that we almost chose to have sung at our wedding (we went with Onward, by Yes, instead). Happy birthday, Randy. You're my home.


YOU'RE MY HOME (Billy Joel)

When you look into my eyes
and you see the crazy gypsy in my soul
it always comes as a surprise
when I feel my withered roots begin to grow.

Well I never had a place
that I could call my very own
but that's all right my love
cuz you're my home.

When you touch my weary head
and you tell me everything will be all right.
You say use my body for your bed
and my love will keep you warm throughout the night.

Well I'll never be a stranger
and I'll never be alone
wherever we're together
that's my home.

Home could be the Pennsylvania turnpike
Indiana's early morning dew
high up in the hills of California
home is just another word for you.

Well I never had a place
that I could call my very own
but that's all right my love
cuz you're my home.

If I travel all my life
and I never get to stop and settle down
long as I have you by my side
there's a roof above and good walls all around.

You're my castle, you're my cabin
and my instant pleasure dome.
I need you in my house
cuz you're my home ... you're my home.  

If you need something amusing to read after the holidays (and who doesn't?), check out the book Twitterature: The World's Greatest Literature in Twenty Tweets or Less. This isn't a kids' book, though I suspect many teens will love this "ultimate Cliffs Notes."

I like books that mix forms. My neglected middle-grade novel is in blog form, and I enjoy books like Lauren Myracle's ttyl and Michelle Jaffe's Bad Kitty. I've also been thinking about a poetry collection of a certain kind of exchange between teens, but all done as if they were written on Facebook. So when my husband brought home Twitterature, I had to check it out. I don't tweet, but I love these series of tweets for each book. The funniest ones, to me, were the ones for books I've read and actually remember. And the ones where I actually got the pop culture references. I'm sure there were plenty in there that sailed right over my head, too.

Here are some of my individual favorites (I'm only sharing clean ones, but there's R-rated language in the book--consider yourself warned):



The Metamorphosis @bugged-out

I seem to have transformed into a large bug. Has this ever happened to any of you? No solution on Web MD.

Oedipus the King @WhathappensinThebes...

Oh my God. These people will NOT stop singing behind me. SHUT UP! SHUT UP! BTW: How do they know my name?

Harry Potter (1-7) @NotoriousHP

Competing in a tournament. Also: is it just me, or should they really have a tougher vetting process for Dark Arts teachers?

Macbeth @BigMAC

@LadyMac: THERE'S NOTHING ON YOUR HANDS, YOU'VE WASHED THEM 100 TIMES ALREADY!

Wuthering Heights @HeathBar

My dying wish: that my spirit be united with Catherine's, that we roam the heath together forever, and that Kate Bush writes a song about us.

Frankenstein @NotoriousDOC

So sometimes you build something, and it gets away. They're gonna can me at the university if they find out about this.

The Canterbury Tales @AprilFools

Road trip guys. Who's with us? Send me a parchment if you're in need of spiritual healing.

Check out Twitterature. It's not gonna help you pass your lit exam, but it's definitely good for a laugh.

Recently, a writers' email list discussed how we keep writing (or don't!) during December. Some people change nothing this month, and others do no writing work whatsoever. Others tweak their routine.

I still have plenty of work I have to get done. Nothing optional about it. But I also have more social outings than I usually have, treats to make, gifts to order, drs' appointments, a broken washing machine, and kids home from school for two weeks. What to do?

I've tweaked my routine in two ways. First, I gave up my early morning session that includes morning pages, blogging, reading other blogs, and reading at least five poems out loud. Now, I blog. That's it. I had to choose between giving the other stuff up or giving up my two weekly workouts during the workday. I love both things, but this month, I need the workouts to keep me sane. I can't wait to get back to the other stuff in January! I've also had to give up doing the Monday Poetry Stretch and other collaborative exercises I enjoy. Instead, as soon as I finish blogging, around 5:45 a.m., I either do holiday-related things that need doing or I dive into my work list for the day.

My second adjustment is that I'm hardly doing any real writing. I've got work-for-hire projects due, several revisions, PR work, web editing, marketing tasks, and lesson plans all on the schedule. But my head is too noisy and my schedule too packed for real thought. My real writing projects will have to wait for the new year.

With these two changes, I'm keeping up--barely--with my deadlines and to-do lists. What about you? How does your writing change during this busy season? Any stories or rants or tips to share?