miscellany
my day in pictures
I have been neglecting the internet! Sorry! I’ve mostly been busy but also it decided to be properly springtime weather-wise which has been nice, though today it was supposed to be springy but the weather report lied to me and instead of springtime sunshine I got April showers with weird pockets of sun, sometimes heavy showers and I got rather soggy.
But even in the rain I had to stop and get a picture of the Make Way for Ducklings ducks in the Public Garden because they have hats! Ducks in little spring bonnets! It brightened my rainy walk, though I am concerned that the momma duck has no hat.
And then I had a respite from my rainy walk for delicious sushi lunch, and the sushi was so pretty at Haru that I took a photo of it:
This was the Boston UnCommon Roll: crunchy spicy salmon, tuna, avocado, mango, black tobiko and gold leaf. And it was as tasty as it looks.
By the end of lunch (that also included sesame mochi ice cream!) the rain had let up a bit so it was not quite so soggy getting home but it is still rather chilly. I also walked under the bleachers that were being set up for the Boston Marathon on Monday.
And then when I got home Tessa had decided she liked the beanbag chair that she never sits on, maybe because I’d thrown a blanket over it, and she looked like she was floating on marshmallow cloud.
So that was my Thursday, April 12th in pictures. A sushi-filled day with ducks in hats and rain and kittens and tea, though the tea is not pictured.
miscellany
birthday bucket.
Today Bucket is nine years old.
Last year on Bucket’s birthday it was snowing.
Today it is almost summer-warm outside. I hope she doesn’t find that confusing.
She spent most of her birthday asleep on the bed, and was not really into birthday photos.
She was more interested in birthday tummy rubs, which she got, of course.
In non-kitten birthday news, there is not much news. I am still behind on emails and such. I am working on all sorts of things including that blog post about writing and busyness and non-writing things involved in this whole writer gig. I am also trying to be nice to myself and drink tea and maybe actually have time to write, which would be nifty.
Mostly right now I am all about bright blossoming things with open windows and new sandals. Looking curiously at the sunshine and wondering what wonders springtime will bring.
And my desk chair just broke. I can blame Mercury retrograde for that, right?
miscellany
almost springtime
I was in NYC last week for a few busy days and nights of half business/half vacation, with some overlapping of both in between. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference, especially when there is delicious food involved.
Here is delightfully out-of-focus photographic evidence, with me all grey & pink and springy, even though it was still lingering-winter chilly at the beginning of the week:
I forget how much I like New York until I’m there again surrounded by so many lovely people and so much fabulous food. (Most of my schedule revolved around lunches and dinners, I ate extremely well and now my refrigerator is making me sad.)
The week turned absolutely gorgeous weather-wise, too, and I finally got to walk the High Line which was beautiful and just starting to blossom with spots of color.
I also ran around Sleep No More for the ninth time and did indeed see things I hadn’t seen before. I’d go again, too, since it’s always so different, even though now certain rooms and hallways and shadowed corners seem familiar. I had one of my first genuine moments that made me jump this time, too, very nearly alone on the fifth floor. (Don’t think I’d stumbled across the padded room up there before, either.)
But seriously, mostly I ate a lot (I had dinner twice on Thursday!) and I don’t want to torment you with food, especially if you’re hungry, dear reader, though I did take a picture of the caramel popcorn at The Breslin, because how could I not?
Back in Boston now, where after a bit of a cold welcome it is now bright, open-window almost springtime here as well.
Not going anywhere for the next while but I’m going to have to lock myself away for some serious working time. Still composing a blog post (it might end up being an experiment in vlogging) about how it is that writing time seems to be a fickle, fleeting thing nowadays and there will be a few addendums to the sorta-FAQ soon(ish).
Also I bought an orchid because it seemed a springy thing to do. Hopefully I can keep this one alive, I have a lousy history with orchids.
miscellany
this is not a FAQ part the second
Okay, this took longer to put together than I’d intended but here is Part II of the not really a proper Frequently Asked Questions extravaganza. This is more about me and miscellaneous things than about writing, thus the title.
Part II: Not On Writing
I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is ‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!
— Alice In Wonderland
About Erin
How old are you?
I get this a lot, I think because no one has stuck my birthdate on Wikipedia yet and I assume it’s difficult to guess from my appearance given that I still get carded frequently. I am currently 33 years old. My birthday is the 8th day of July.
Where did you go to school?
I went to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. I lived in the same house that Julia Child lived in when she went there, which I still think is pretty darned cool. I majored in Theatre and I probably could have minored in Studio Art had I actually bothered to declare it an official minor. I could have done the same thing with English or Religion, most likely, but I didn’t sleep that much during college so I’m sure there were a lot of things I should have done and didn’t.
Are you married?
I don’t like that I even need to cover this but since there are still inaccurate author bios going around I probably should: I was married, I have been separated since early 2010 and I’m currently in the process of getting divorced. It is a long story that the internet does not need to know but I figure the clarification is fair.
Where do you live?
Currently Boston, previously Salem. I’ve lived in Massachusetts most of my life. I am thinking of moving later this year but I haven’t decided where just yet.
Where did you get that necklace/those boots/that dress?
A great deal of my jewelry comes from Etsy. I am almost always wearing at least one piece of bloodmilk. There are savage salvage pieces in heavy rotation and the necklace with all the keys is from star of the east. I also have a couple of pyrrha wax seal necklaces.
My boots or shoes, with rare exceptions, are Fluevogs. I am not a shoe person, truly, but I am a Fluevog person.
Most of my tour wardrobe has included pieces from AllSaints Spitalfields. There are also bits from Ann Taylor and J.Crew and Trashy Diva.
Why do you smell so good?
What’s your favorite book/movie/band/etc?
I am bad at favorites because I like variety and layers, but here is a small sampling:
Books, some all-time favorites:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock
Movies, same:
The Fall
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Gosford Park
Amélie
Spirited Away
Bands/musicians/etc:
Tori Amos
Florence + the Machine
Radiohead
Arcade Fire
and I’m all into classic jazz lately.
About Art Stuff
When is your Etsy store going to be back?
I don’t know. Likely not until I have someone else to run it for me which… yeah, I don’t know. I would like it to be active again eventually but I really can’t say when that will be.
When will the tarot deck be available?
Good question. Lots of details still need to be worked out and I’ve been putting it off because I want to have the time to give it the attention it deserves but hopefully that will be sometime in the not-too-far future. When there are deck publication details I will post them all over the place, I promise.
About Contacting me & Social Media & Such
Can I send you art/cookies/books to be signed/etc?
I’m still working on the best way to handle this sort of thing. Right now I can’t receive & return books to be signed, I’m sorry. I’m hoping I’ll eventually have a good setup for sending out signed bookplates or something like that but I don’t have one in place yet. I shall update this accordingly when I do.
If you would like to send me actual (non-perishable) things you can send them care of Doubleday, 1745 Broadway New York NY 10019. Putting “Attention Alison Callahan” will likely help, she’s my beloved editor. Eventually I will get a PO Box, but that will likely require knowing where I’m going to live for a reasonable amount of time.
Where else can I find you on the internet?
I’m @erinmorgenstern on Twitter, which is my social media of choice. I like it because it lives in the now. I try to respond to @ replies as much as I can.
I have a facebook fan page that I don’t keep up with personally as much as I’d like to, it is co-run by Doubleday and they speak facebook better than I do.
If you want to ask me a direct question, tweeting at me or blog commenting will likely be most effective.
Can I email you?
You can email me at erin@erinmorgenstern.com. I try to respond as much as I can but it’s usually not in anything resembling a timely manner.
If you write me (or have written me) at any other email address I cannot guarantee that I’ve even seen it, with the exception of the address you likely have if you are someone I actually know. I have recently (mostly) caught up on my email so if you have sent me anything important or anything that required a reply, please resend to the address above.
If you want me to do a reading/signing/interview/etc or have a question that involves rights or things of a business sort please contact Doubleday or InkWell Management.
Will you come visit my city/country/teahouse?
I would love to, especially if there is tea, but I don’t do much deciding of where I go myself so again, please contact Doubleday or InkWell if you want me to come read things or sign things or drink tea. (I am afraid I cannot do all three at once, alas.)
Okay, I think that’s it but again if you have other questions not answered here (or in Part I) please feel free to add them in the comments and I will update this accordingly!
miscellany
FAQ addendum & a kitten
I had wanted to have Part II of the Not-A-FAQ done by now but I had a document saving hiccup and got busier than I’d expected so it’s still in progress. It will hopefully be posted sometime next week.
However! I have made an addendum with some additional questions and hopefully appropriate answers over on Part I for your information and enjoyment.
Also, here is a picture of Tessa, staring at me through the door of the office. She was yelling incessantly but looks all sweet and quiet in this deceptive photograph.
