Thursday, June 17, 2010

Getting to Taos from Albuquerque

Hi,
I'm flying into Albuquerque for a weekend workshop on Thursday, July 15. It looks like the New MexiTour Shuttle only runs on weekends. Anyone know the best (cheapest) way to get to Taos on a Thursday; or, even better, anyone also traveling from Albuquerque to Taos on the 15th?

Thanks,

Richard Parisio
845-705-0640 (cell phone)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

More Wonderful News for Debra Monroe

Debra Monroe's new book, On the Outskirts of Normal, has been receiving excellent reviews and tremendous attention. The book will be featured in "The Reading Room" section of Oprah's magazine, O the Oprah Magazine, this August. The memoir is also the cover story on the new Barnes & Noble Review: http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Reviews-Essays/On-the-Outskirts-of-Normal/ba-p/2719; Salon.com also has fantastic things to say:
http://www.salon.com/books/our_picks/index.html?story=/books/feature/2010/06/11/outskirts_of_normal_debra_monroe

Debra Monroe's workshop at this year's Conference - The Search for an Orderly Story in the Disorderly Tangle of Memory: Memoir - has a few openings remaining!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Returning - but with sadness in my heart

As I get ready for another conference in Taos I can't help but remember the week I spent getting to know Barbara Robinette Moss last year. I was a member of Barbara's last class. Her husband Duane has asked us each to write about Barbara, about the impressions she left on us. I haven't done it yet. My impressions of that week are still being formed. One of the sharpest images is Barbara sitting across from me playing with the sausage biscuit Duane had brought her. "He's trying to fatten me up. He wants me to hit 100 pounds." We began the week as strangers and by the end of the week we were family. Barbara didn't hold anything back. We followed her lead and poured our hearts out to each other. There was some first class teaching done in that workshop and she pulled writing out of me that I hadn't known was there. I'm sure that was true of all of us. I have continued working on the memoir I began that week. It has taken me in directions I didn't expect - directions I didn't like - but when I've felt lost or discouraged Barbara's voice has pulled me back. Next month I will bring the almost finished memoir back to Taos and I'll continue working on it in Dorothy Allison's workshop. My fondest wish would be to walk into the workshop and find myself with Melanie, Sheila, Robin, Jenna, Lucy, Andrea, Joelle, Briarly, Nan and Quentin. I know Barbara will be there.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Good News for Michelle Zive

Long time Taos Conference participant, Michelle Zive's book Holding On and Letting Go: A Mother's Story, has been awarded Best Unpublished Memoir by the San Diego Book Awards!

Michelle workshopped this manuscript last year in Rob Wilder's Master Class for Memoir.

Michelle will be attending again this year, so if you see her, give her a high five!