Writing Aspirations for the Next Few (Many?) Months (Years?)

To encourage Ann in her possibly imminent publishing pursuits

To begin in earnest sequel to Dear Layla—I just bought three black Moleskines, first objective, fill them with daydreams of what’s going on with Carla Nguyen

To show up wherever Fatima’s going to be

To send Brittany postcards when she’s at the beach

To begin a serene decade-length project called, The Teachings Are Infinite

To pester Nebu to write a draft of a novel in the spirit of his Kerala elder Arundhati Roy (before he graduates from medical school)

To resume work with Dianne on Hedy's political memoir

To scribble 30 pages in notebooks with Libby, top-floor, South Grand Gelateria

To cheer on Emily & Kelley & Lindsay in their great “Sisters are doing it for themselves” project

To do several writing mini-marathons with Tony, Josh, and Laura in Dogtown environs

To mail out 30 one-page gratitude notes a month to friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your eyes

To revel with Jenn in her multitudes emerging in oral and written forms

To start  a Writing to Wake Up class in spring, if only for people who missed the fall one

To write one response a week to current events and/or books on U.S. policy and circulate to my amigas y compañeros (like Tom Englehardt did in 2001)

To read whatever inner/outer journey essays Tony wants to send me

To host a potluck at 4514 for the fall class and the spring class—no writing, unless someone starts spontaneously to declaim—just good food and drink, a relaxing evening

To accompany Lindsay in her slowness project

To listen to Dianne read me poems the way she did Ferlinghetti's "The Old Italians Dying"

To brainstorm incandescent ideas with Emily while sitting on the bathroom floor of some café

To remind Priya of the jewels in her accumulating notebooks that are worthy of a wide readership

To cheer on Justin to compile and then circulate a chapbook for the benefit of all sentient beings

To write glowing letters of recommendation for Lindsey who’s headed for life outside the United States of Amnesia

To discuss Robert Fisk a few times with Kelley at Central Café, al-Tarboush, and the Vine

To assure Cami that a 35-page collection of Appalachian-story-moments is possible

To publish Dear Layla via Lulu.com, so that it is circulating by May, then promote it by word of mouth

To buy 20 copies of Book of Mev, give them away to people under 30


-- expanded from draft written at 2167 Spring Avenue, Thursday 29 November 2012, last class of Writing to Wake up