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Testing Smashwords with my Free eBook #wdc09

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:September 25, 2009
Post category:Personal
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I had the pleasure of attending the first Writer's Digest Conference last weekend and had a blast. Great presenters; great insights; a fun time at the least pretentious poetry slam I've ever been part of that didn't involve teenagers. Work's been crazy the past couple of weeks with some exciting transition happening, but I do intend to do a proper #wdc09 post over on loudpoet.com when I get the time. (ha!) Last night, though, inspired by one of Jane Friedman's presentations, I decided to finally test out Smashwords and uploaded a short echapbook of newish and old poems called Crazy White Devil,…

Using My Powers for Good

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:September 24, 2009
Post category:Personal
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GOOD poetry, GOOD times. GOOD cause. the louderAUCTION The louderAUCTION supports all of the good work of the louderARTS Project. Proceeds from the event will help our nationally acclaimed team go to the 2010 National Poetry Slam and support all of the good work we do year-round, offsetting the cost of providing workshops, our renowned reading series, and free literary salons. via louderarts.com louderARTS is the evolution of the weekly poetry reading series I founded back in 1998, a little bit louder, now a full-fledged non-profit literary organization that runs some great shows, workshops and events. They have a cool…

I am Jack’s scattered priorities and conflicting desires

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:August 27, 2009
Post category:Personal
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A growing community of writers is participating in an online experiment in crowdsourcing fiction. It’s called #fridayflash, and it can be found via Twitter, Facebook, or by directly visiting participating writer’s blogs. A new #fridayflash happens every Friday, as figured locally, though some folks do post soon after midnight New Zealand time. The idea behind #fridayflash is to get eyeballs on stories—to build that proverbial ‘platform.’ Writers use the power of social networking to gain followers, name recognition, and most importantly, a loyal readership. It seems to be working. From discussions I’ve had with several regular participants most have experienced…

Grass is overrated; give me cacti

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:August 23, 2009
Post category:Personal
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I've had a love/hate relationship with our yard this year; I love having one but hate the constant mowing and weeding required to keep it looking decent. I also hate that "decent" here still isn't anything close to my ideal. When we moved in last summer, I noted our neighbor's gravel and concrete backyard and wondered why anyone would opt for that in the suburbs. I still prefer grass over concrete and asphalt, but after a week in the Southwest, where the terrain was even more beautiful in person than in pictures, I'm more ready than ever to ditch the…

I want to live in Sedona

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:August 21, 2009
Post category:Personal
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Whenever we go somewhere new on vacation, we like to explore the area and play "What if...?", looking at things from the perspective of possibly relocating. Isla Mujeres has long been the fantasy, "win the lottery and move anywhere" destination, but Sedona has officially replaced it. Not even on our original itinerary for this trip, several friends noted it as a must-see so we changed our schedule from a drive-by on the southern rim of the Grand Canyon and a night in Williams, to a night in Sedona instead. After staying at the amazing La Posada and driving by the…

The road to Winslow

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:August 17, 2009
Post category:Personal
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We left ABQ yesterday morning, headed for Red Rock State Park and Ceremonial, alternating between 66 and 40 whenever we could. We had to turn around near Correo and Mesitas when we couldn't locate 66, and saw a depressing Native slum/ruins right off 40 near the latter. Other parts of 66 before and after Gallup were similarly destitute or desolate, but a few areas offered some great views of the terrain. Outside Gallup, we rolled into Red Rock State Park only to find most of Ceremonial had finished already, except for the rodeo, so we wandered the park instead where…

Albuquerque – The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:August 16, 2009
Post category:Personal
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See the full gallery on posterous I love getting out of the New York area because there is so much truth in the cliche, "familiarity breeds contempt", and there are few things I have more contempt for than the bland green landscapes along our highways, and the soullessness of our over-developed suburbs and under-nourished cities. Southwestern landscapes have always fascinated me, though; from the rugged brown mountains dotted with bright green succulents, to the simple architectural style of adobe architecture. Albuquerque has offered us a bizarre mix of both the good and bad, with some wonderful examples of Pueblo Deco…