In which we are sad

Ed the Big Cat Dubrow, passed away May 30, 2010 6pm, after a two month battle with stomach cancer. At his finest, 22 pounds and three feet long from nose to tail.

In this photo, exhausted after a long night of revisions on his manuscript, Asses I Has Beat.

Check out Tin House's summer reading issue!

I swear I don't even know Daniel Handler, and yet the proximity to his work - and my friend and mentor Fred Leebron's work - in the Summer Reading issue of Tin House makes this pub credit rock even more than I thought it would!

What? You don't read Tin House ? It's one of my all time fave lit mags. For real!

And their summer writers' workshop? Ooh la la.

How do you spell "foodie?"

What do you get when you sit between Susan Rebecca White and Vene Franco (who doesn't want to be called a "foodie") at Miller Union? You get a lot of samples of what was best described as "shmummy" eats (that's "yummy" plus a general noise of enthusiasm) and intelligent conversation about what you're eating. Not to mention the presence of Hank Klibanoff , Alan Deutschman and M .

Seriously, if you're looking for stuff to read, the work of anyone at that table will do you just fine.

All this fabulousness (seriously, the soft-shelled crab with snow peas and mint was kind of perfect) after the VOX Rox the Dictionary Spelling Bee last night, a fundraiser for the Atlanta teen newspaper and "voice of our generation." (See below photo for whose generation is what.)

As a judge, my words kept being things like "bra" and "bacchanal," while John Kessler, food writer at the AJC, got words like "daiquiri" and "zucchini" and Kwanza Hall got government-style words like "gerrymander." Hmm, seems like coincidental bibliomancy, in retrospect. Teams did wonderfully, and I'm way impressed with the adult spellers, who brought their best game (and big name tags like signboards) in support of Vox.

Photos from Atlanta magazine right here.

Quick, how do you spell "blue cupcakes with sugar bees on them?"

Street Signs

Taken outside of Octane Coffee, west side.

"guess so.

More craft tips on their way

Hey, look! I've got a piece about writing through loss coming out in the July issue of The Writer Magazine! Nice of them to promote the issue so early, doncha think?

What Would Ted Do?

I used to work for him. Quite an experience on a lot of levels, one involving an elevator conversation about dog mess in the backseat of a car, another involving a Southern Hemisphere country (where the water in the toilets DOES go the other way!) but when I read this article, I can hear Ted Turner walking down the hall at CNN Center - or at Techwood - and more accurately, you could hear him talking about a mile away. And I'll tell you what, the man gets stuff done.

Do what Ted says. Pick up trash, and use clean energy. What would Ted do ?

"Bee" a VOX supporter!

Next week I get to play like I know how to spell. (I do spell really well, actually, but I'm told I'll have a guidebook. Probably a good move on the sponsor's part.)

Yep, I'm honored to be one of three judges at this year's VOX ROX the Dictionary spelling bee, an event to benefit VOX , Atlanta's teen newspaper. I've been a fan for quite a few years, so this is particularly cool. Who else will be there? Vicki Locke, John Kessler, and Councilman Kwanza Hall. And you?

Wanna come? Support a good cause? Here's how .

Book Giveaway, and a site you should be reading

Are you reading The Practicing Writer ? You're not? You're missing out on interviews, writer's tips, opportunities for fellowships and conferences, and general smartness.

And, as of today, you're missing out on a giveaway!

Life at Timely Manor

I'm busy trying to find a title for something. Here's M. on life at Timely Manor .

just sayin'

(M. took this in New Orleans last week. I simply love this photo.)

Some rockin' news...

What a book-birthday present! Last week, on the first anniversary of the publication of Invisible Sisters, my little book got a big, big gift.

Invisible Sisters is one of the Georgia Center for the Book's "Twenty-Five Books All Georgians Should Read !"

Great honor, great party (thanks, Brick Store Pub , the talented and booky-internetty-markety folks at Lenz , and Georgia Center for the Book) and mostly I walked around with my jaw hanging open, I think.

There are Pulitzer Prize winners on this list, y'all! Do they know they were in the same room with me? (Shhh, don't tell them which person I was.)