Perpetual Running to Catch Up With Myself

This will always remind me of Forest Gump. 

Hello again. I promised that I would catch everyone up on my life - not that it's all that exciting, but writing here makes me feel as if I'm being productive, if even for a little bit.

So for those of you who do read this blog, you've seen that I've traveled to a few places in the past year - Chicago, Berlin, and a quick jump to New York. I can now add DC to the list. The main reason to visit our nation's capital (other than the fact that I've never been there) was to meet up with my two best friends.

This about sums up our entire friendship. 

We were convinced that at some point the city of DC would drop kick us out and warn us never to return. That's just the type of shenanigans we usually get into. But we weren't banned from DC and I had a fantastic time.

Obligatory White House photo shot. Didn't get to see the Prez, unfortunately. 

Sitting precariously near the Lincoln Memorial. 

I've known these wonderful women for almost ten years now, and I've enjoyed every moment with them, whether it's taking photo ops with our neon yellow Johnny Depp tank top in highly inappropriate venues *cough with FDR's memorial cough*, or laughing about a little boy answering, "Conferences?" when asked by his father, "What do you think happens in the Capitol?"

The other big thing that's happened recently was that I graduated.

Yes, again.

Children's lit class of '14 - MA and MFA students pictured here. 

I am now officially the holder of a second master's degree, with a MFA in Writing for Children. It definitely was an odd mixture of excitement and sadness that I approached graduation. Excitement for the fact that I never have to write another academic essay ever, and sadness because I had enjoyed being back in school, working on my writing, meeting new people, and making new friends. But all good things must come to an end, and so must my career in academia.

The other big thing that has happened is that I have started a new job. No, not instead of my other one, but in addition to. I am now a bookseller at the fabulous Trident Booksellers & Cafe here in Boston. As one friend put it when I told her that I was working there, "Trident? That place is delicious." And delicious it is. I know I swore off retail after I stopped working at the place-that-shall-not-be-named *cough Bloomingdale's* but what I have found is that working in a bookstore is infinitely different and better than working in a department store. My job at the bookstore is actually very similar to what I did in my job as an undergrad, working in our library. Funny how ten years have passed, and I'm still shelving books. Not that I'm complaining, but it's definitely funny how life can come around full circle.

And lastly, the other noteworthy thing that has happened is that I started querying my manuscript. Finally. Querying is such a strange process. I've sent out many query letters and have received no confirmation that my manuscript is worth reading. Not one agent has said, "Yes, this might be something I'm interested in." Which has done wonders for my ego. I know everyone says that you have to grow thick skin when sending out your work into the world, and that you have to keep going, but it's difficult to do that when you get three or four or five rejection emails all back to back.

My critique group, the Ink Bombs, have been super supportive in helping me tweak my manuscript and for providing feedback, but I keep finding myself in the pit of despair that my work is worthless and that it'll just end up somewhere on my hard drive, unknown to the world. I volunteered for Mindy McGinnis' Saturday Slash, so I'm hoping that I will be able to keep whipping my query into shape, and that maybe some agent out there will at least want to see more of my manuscript. It's not Newbery worthy, by any means, but it's a good story.

I think.

Maybe.

And I know I should keep writing, but every time I sit down to write, I fall asleep, or I realize that my sock drawer needs organizing, or the people upstairs start jumping on their mini-trampoline in their foyer.

I should just move to somewhere remote for a year and then perhaps actual writing will be accomplished.

On I forge, with lots of bad writing, and some good writing.

Now that we're all caught up, kids, I think next time I'll divulge details regarding my adventures in online dating.

Until then...

Another Catch Up Post...Apologies in Advance

Hey gang.

It's been awhile, hasn't it?

Not too long, for all three of my readers, or maybe it's only two now, since it's been some time.

Anyway, here's a quick blurb about my life since my last post.

Stick around, why dontcha?

I saw the Used and Taking Back Sunday. It was a great show. The openers were bands that I'd never heard of prior to the show - Sleepwave and Tonight Alive - but I definitely thought their sounds were fun, and stuff that I probably would listen to now that I've heard them live.

Taking Back Sunday. I definitely felt that I was reliving 2004. In a good way.

The crowd was mixed with kids that were a lot younger than me, which made me feel really old, and people my age, which made me feel better that I wasn't the one oddball in the audience. I was in the pit the entire time, and as I mentioned in a previous post, maybe I just don't get pit culture, but there were some really rude people standing near me. I'm a fan of Taking Back Sunday, though I will admit that I haven't listened to some of their newer stuff, so when they were performing, I wasn't into it 100%, just because I didn't know some of their songs. But the people around were getting crazy, to the point where I wanted to hit them, because well, there's no need to keep elbowing me in the ribs just because Adam Lazzara is standing two feet away. Even with the elbowing going on, I had a good time listening to their set.

But it was when the Used took the stage that the tables turned, because I went crazy.

That's right, bitches. Bert McCracken in the house. 

The last time I saw the Used was around 2008. That was also the first time I saw them, and it was at the first Musink festival, where I saw a few semi-passable and some shitty bands before the Used took the stage. I was with my boyfriend at the time, who didn't really get their music (he told me this point blank) but he knew how much I liked them, so he went with me. Where I essentially ignored him for a good portion of the show, and basically all but forgot he was there.

Quinn Allman

This time it was better, because I was by myself and I could get as crazy over the band as I wanted to. Much to the chagrin of the folks around me, who apparently were bigger TBS fans, and gave me dirty looks when I was screaming the words to "The Taste of Ink." All in all, it was a fantastic show. The band was loud and fast and fun.

I think I might be getting too old for the pit though.

Next time: shenanigans in DC with my two best friends, graduation, details about my new (second) job, and all my querying woes.

And on that note, I am going to sleep. G'night, all!

Twice Affected

This is my entry for The Writer's Voice.

Twice Affected

Prologue

I was six the first time the glowing happened. It was at a birthday party for a girl on my block. Everything was pink. I didn't like it.

My fingers started glowing. I put my hands underneath my t-shirt and I could still see the glowing.

I’d just met a neighbor’s kid, and the girl wasn't very nice.

The voice started up in my head:

Go home, kid. Your fingers aren't going to stop glowing.

I’d looked around, thinking that maybe someone was playing a joke. I hid under a shrub.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying hard not to cry.

I’m Harold, the voice said, from inside my head. Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you. I’ll be with you always.

"But who are you?"

Your Guardian.

He said it like it started with a big G, like he was an adult. Guardian. Important.

"Are you an adult?"

I’m not human. Think of me as a purple frog, kid. Your friend.

We kept talking, and that was where my mother found me. I’d ruined the party because everyone thought that I had run away. Harold stuck around, and had a more permanent approach. The glowing would reappear eventually.

Present

The day had been gloomy and humid, with a thick stillness about it. Now, at dusk, the most exciting thing that was happening was that I was precariously hanging out of a window. This was not my idea of a good time, but it was the only option I had.


Query:

Since she was a child, Lottie has had glowing powers and a snarky voice in her head. Just before her seventeenth birthday, when she thinks that she’ll never figure out what both are meant for, she meets a boy named Charlie. He has similar glowing powers as Lottie, and he can maybe give her the answers that she’s been searching for. As they explore the truth behind their powers, Lottie and Charlie discover that it is up to them to save Earth from a malevolent enchantress that threatens utter destruction and slavery upon humankind. However, they also must save another world, Karnock, and its inhabitants, whose fate has been forever linked to Earth’s. Transported to Karnock, Lottie and Charlie see how the Atomic Bomb, Chernoybl, and global warming have all affected Karnock even more severely than they have affected Earth.

Can Lottie figure out how Earth’s past disasters fit into her current reality, gain control of her powers before she loses them completely, and embrace her destiny on Karnock to defeat the enchantress, before the enchantress seizes power over both worlds?

I am seeking representation for my completed 90,000 word YA science fantasy novel. Twice Affected is A Wrinkle in Time with a dash of An Inconvenient Truth.

I worked on this manuscript during the Fall 2013 semester at Simmons College with Amy Cherrix of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as a project toward the completion of my Writing for Children Master of Fine Arts degree, which I will receive on May 9, 2014.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Clarissa Hadge

Hey, Look Ma, I'm Doing Stuff

As promised, here are some more updates about what I've been up to in these past few months. Mostly trying to balance, work, school, and having a social life. I've also been getting my writing into shape for agent representation; I'm starting the querying process soon and while I'm excited, there's also a feeling akin to molten lava in the pit of my stomach every time I think about actually sending my work out, and thinking that no one will think that it's good enough. But that's where my writing group comes in - shout out to the Ink Bombs, what what! - so maybe one person will think my work's good enough to publish somewhere.

But enough of that.

Here's a recap of what I've been doing, more in the local area.

I decided earlier in the year that I needed to see more live theater and get to more shows. Fortunately, I've been able to catch Newsies on Broadway (as you may have read in my last post) and two shows here in Beantown.

The first one was Once.

No, unfortunately,  I can't take the credit for this photo. I wish I was sitting this close to the stage. 

Once tells the story of a guy and a girl and how in one brief moment in time, they come together to create some fantastic music. The show is based off of a 2006 film, staring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (of the Swell Season fame) and has a beautiful soundtrack. The show changed a few aspects from the film, but the cast was incredibly talented - I was especially impressed when the entire cast was on stage, each member playing guitar. Seeing this show was definitely one of those times when I wished that I was more musically inclined. 

This about sums up my musical talent.

The second show I saw was American Idiot, but unlike Once, I felt more like a teenager, listening to the American Idiot album at 17. 

Which completely dates me, I'm aware. But this entire post probably will anyway. 

I remember reading an article somewhere about how it makes sense that Green Day had a song on the Twilight Breaking Dawn soundtrack, since they had the Broadway show, and in essence, they had grown up (sorry, that I can't remember where I read this, and an Internet search brings up too many options that aren't the right article). Anyway, while I could understand how this was true - I doubt Billie Joe and the boys are as rambunctious now as they were in their 20s, and American Idiot, the show, is a good mash-up of their punk days and what we can call their grown-up selves. 

The entire show is based around three boys - Johnny, Will, and Tunny - and their misadventures of leaving their suburban town and moving to the big city (or in Will's case, staying to help raise his child). It was interesting for me to watch this show as an adult, since as I mentioned, I listed to the album as a teenager, and seeing (as an adult) how dumb kids can be. And the show is reflective in on itself in that way; at one point Johnny remarks ironically something along the lines of, "I held up the 7-11 to get money so we could get out of here…I stole money from my mom's purse…actually, she lent it to me…"which I think is something that differs from the album itself. There was definitely less of a "fuck you, I don't need anyone" attitude in the show (though it's still there, just maybe toned down) and I think that's because Green Day has matured, has grown up. It's not a bad thing; I guess for anyone still imagining them in their "Dookie" days needs to realize that in their 40s, Green Day is not the same. I had a great time and the show was a lot of fun. 

On a slightly different note, I had the opportunity to see the Ataris perform at the Brighton Music Hall. Their "So Long, Astoria" tour came here before their final show for the tour went to New York. I've never been to the Music Hall, so it was fun to see one of my all-time favorite bands perform there. I'd also never had the opportunity to see the Ataris perform when I was a teenager, so I knew that this was going to be a good time. Funnily enough, I still have a band tee that I got literally ten years ago when "So Long Astoria" was released, so I'm all for keeping those shirts until the band gets back together for a reunion tour - even if it is ten years later. 

I don't have a photo of myself wearing the tee on hand, but here's the album cover. 

Now, I realized this last year when I saw Finch in concert - I'm not 17 anymore, and occasionally there will be wild people in the crowd who I will literally want to punch, and unfortunately cannot. Or that standing in the very front row will be tiring. So going in for this show, I had to psych myself up. I got there super early in order to get in that front row. I had no idea if the crowd was going to be comprised of people my age, who wouldn't necessarily want to mosh all night, or a bunch of teenagers who would want to do exactly that. Fortunately, it seemed to be a combination of both. 

Also on the tour was Authority Zero, Drag the River, Versus the World, and Gasoline Heart. I'd heard of all of these bands, but I'm not familiar with their music. They all put on a good show and I had a fun time, even when two guys next to me tried to mosh (but only with each other) and slammed me into a speaker. They realized that wasn't a smart move when I backpedalled them into the crowd so hard that they both fell down. Of course, the moshing started up again later, when the Ataris took the stage, but by then I had cleared enough room around myself so that no one was going to make me face-plant into the stage. Maybe it wasn't good mosh etiquette, pushing those two guys down, but I didn't want to break my glasses because some drunk idiots wanted to push me over. 

And now for some blurry, but close up photos of the opening acts:

And then it was time for the Ataris, and a part of me freaked out, just like when I saw Finch. I listen to a lot of music, but like most people, there are some bands that are particularly special, and no matter how old I am, I'll still act like I'm 17 again, if I get to see them perform. 

Yeaaaaahhh, buddy.

I didn't end up taking a whole lot of photos, because I wanted to enjoy the moment. They did play the entire album, including three older songs, and the crowd loved it. I loved it. I don't think the show could have been better. And to put the cherry on top of what was already a near-perfect night, I got one of the set lists, handed to me by Kris Roe himself. 

Seriously, I could have died in that very moment and been happy with how things were ending. 

Now, if you've stuck with me thus far, I have two more things to report on and then you can stop reading, I promise. 

I was also been fortunate enough to go to a Celtics game. They played against the Toronto Raptors (and lost) but I still had a great time. I went with my roommate and one of our really good friends. 

Yes, those are Nesquik bunny ears peering out from behind; and they're just the ears - the bunny is not being a pervert. Which, I guess, somehow makes it seem more creepy. 

We had nosebleed seats, but it didn't matter, we shouted and cheered just as loudly (or probably even more loudly since we were up so high). 

See? Pretty high up.

Now for those of you who know that I'm from So-Cal, this probably seems like a big backstabbing incident against the Lakers, going to a Celtics game, but hey, I live in Boston now. I'd rather not get stabbed from cheering for the Lakers. And besides, I'm not even sure who's on the Lakers' line-up now, unfortunately. 

Well, I know he's still there. He'll probably die on the court. 

And for my last recap, I met Michio Kaku, physicist and author. He just came out with a new book, The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind and the Brookline Booksmith hosted an event for him.

I had read one of his previous books, Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Higher Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos after a recommendation from a friend, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Dr. Kaku was very entertaining during his presentation, and for someone like me, who has absolutely no background in physics, I was still able to follow most of what he was referencing, and felt much more educated after leaving. 

Sometimes I don't feel like things like this actually happened, even though I have photographic evidence. 

 

And that my friends, is everything worthy of note that I have been up to lately. Now all I have to do in the next few weeks is graduate. Again. More on that in an upcoming post. 

I think I'll probably about as sweaty as Jiji from now until then. Hopefully not. 

Holy Cheese Whiz, It's Been Awhile: Travels

So I'm talking to my best guy friend the other day and he mentions that I haven't written on my blog in some time. And now looking at my five-and-a-half-minute hallway, he's absolutely correct. In order to not make everyone (and by everyone, I mean all three of you who actually read this)'s eyes bleed, I'll chop up what I've been doing for the past four months into two posts: travel and other things I've been up to.

Off we go then!

The last time I left you, I was about to travel to Berlin. Which I did, with my auntie and two friends. I saw the following:

The Berlin Zoo

The Tiergarten, Berlin's answer to Central Park 

The Victory Column. And no, I wasn't looking up her skirt. 

The Brandenburg Gate

Me in front of the Brandenburg Gate, in case you were wondering if I had just stolen these images off the Internet and claimed that I had gone to Berlin, and really hadn't.

Berlin wasn't terribly different from Rome, which I visited last year. I know about two words of German, but I tried real hard to figure things out. Apparently 70% of Berlin was bombed out during World War II (which I was not aware of before traveling there) so unfortunately, there's not a lot of historical sites left. 

I mean, there's a few historical sites left.

The most handsome historical reenactment ever.

Oh, and there's still places like this.  The Charlotteburg Palace. 

 There were a few Christmas markets still up, with fun things like marzipan potatoes.

One of our cab drivers asked us how long we were staying in the city, and when we told him, he said, "Bah, you only need two to three days to see everything." We were there for six days, and I don't think we covered everything, even though we did see quite a bit of the city. 

And this is my boyfriend, Igel. He's a Berliner, and only speaks German. 

I was also fortunate to visit New York recently. I stayed at a super mod-60s-esque hotel that made me feel like I wasn't quite cool enough to stay there, but I think I might have been able to pull it off once the weekend was over. 

See? Here's proof. Sort of. 

I planned my trip around a project I've done for my publishing class this term on Harriet the Spy. Louise Fitzhugh's classic is celebrating its 50th year of publication, and there have been quite a few events to celebrate all things Harriet. 

Harriet swag, say whaaaaat?

I was fortunate enough to see Louise's original illustrations and the synopsis of Harriet through the kindness of the people at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst about a month prior to go to New York. (If you're interested, these illustrations, plus the illustrations from the sequel, The Long Secret, will be on display soon; check them out!)

But I based my trip to see two fantastic authors, Rebecca Stead and Gregory Maguire, along with children's literature critic and historian, Leonard Marcus, give a talk on Harriet and their experiences with the book. All three of them, in fact, have essays in the Random House 50th anniversary edition of the book, as seen above. 

Okay, it's a little fuzzy, but it's them, I swear.

All three had very unique experiences with the book (Gregory even brought in one of his old spy journals, much like Harriet's) and the crowd was attentive and I had a great time. Afterward, I was able to talk with all three (and get them to sign my copy of Harriet, yeah!) and it was interesting to speak with each of them individually. I think I scared Leonard, but I was sort of gushing about having read his book for my publishing class and how I was doing my project around Harriet, and maybe I came on a little too strong.

Rebecca was incredibly nice and when I told her I was a MFA student at Simmons, she was so supportive and listened to everything I had to say. I've sort of been in a funk with my writing lately, and since I'm trying to prep it to send out for agent representation, I'm in a weird mood about it and trying to work with what I've got. But Rebecca told me (and signed my book with the same words), "Keep writing!" And it was so simple and perfect at the same time. The way she said it and the way she didn't make me feel a fool with the major fangirling that I was doing, it made me feel a lot better about my writing.

Gregory was really funny and told me that he appreciated a Simmons student coming to the panel. I almost passed out (similar to when I met MT Anderson and Don Rosa in the past) when Gregory told me to tell my professor hello. Part of my mind was screaming at me, "WHAT IS HAPPENING? THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE! WHO ARE YOU THAT GREGORY MAGUIRE CASUALLY TELLS YOU TO TELL YOUR PROFESSOR 'HELLO'?" Thankfully I did not pass out and was able to graciously tell him that I would certainly pass along such an important message.

After grabbing a New York slice (well, duh, what else was I going to eat?) and deciding to visit the New York Public Library, where Leonard had curated an exhibit on children's books, The ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter, I hailed a cab and headed to the library. 

A first edition of Harriet. 

An illustration from the Wizard of Oz.

Alice, whose neck seems to be growing…

When there is a reproduction of the car from The Phantom Tollbooth, you sure as hell get into it, no matter how goofy you look.

After I left the library, I had some time to kill before I had to dash off to catch the evening performance of Newsies (and you all know my love for Newsies) so I headed back to my hotel. I got a bite to eat at a diner around the corner from my hotel, then went and got ready for the show.

I had a pretty good seat, because I'm an adult…and the King of New York. 

The show was amazing and I had a fantastic time. The dancing was spectacular and the songs that they added in that weren't in the original movie were fun. After the show, I bummed around Times Square for a bit, then went back to the hotel for the night. 

The next day, I didn't have anything planned before I had to go back to the bus station, so I decided to visit my woolly mammoth skeleton pal at the American Museum of Natural History, because why not? I had thought about this a few times over the course of the weekend, but I wasn't on anyone's schedule, and it was a good feeling. I could literally do whatever I wanted, and I wanted to see the woolly mammoth skeleton. 

So I did.

There were quite a bit of children at the AMNH (YOUTHS!) so I hung out there for a bit, then went to the Port Authority and headed back to Boston. All in all, a wonderful, wonderful weekend. 

And so ends my tale about my travels. More to come with what else I've been up to lately. 

Wrap Up 2013

Hey-ho folks. I realized that I have not blogged in quite some time, and though I've been busy, it's now the holidays, so I should at least try to put in some effort, right?

Anyway, here's what I've been up to since the last time I was around:

I'm one step closer to obtaining my MFA. This past semester was tough. There's no way around it. Between having a full-time job (more on that later), and balancing school and life, it was an uphill battle. But as always, I made it through, maybe a bit more worn for the wear, but with a better appreciation for my writing and for how things usually work out for the best when I don't procrastinate. TIME MANAGEMENT, AMIRITE?

But that being said, I muddled through my first mentorship, and unfortunately was not able to spend as much time on my manuscript as I wanted. However, I did get some good editing in, and my novel is definitely shaping up. Hopefully I can start querying soon, and maybe by this time next year, I'll be on my way to having my name in print.

The other big thing that happened was I started my new job. I finally feel like an adult, much like this:

I'M AN ADULT.

Just kidding. But having a job that actual pertains to what I went to school for has been a big relief, and made me very grateful that I was at the right place at the right time. Plus my swanky job title gives me some bragging rights among my friends...but I'm pretty sure they're all tired of me by now.

I did some traveling during these past few months. I visited Chicago, which was a blast. 

See? Chicago. Also I'm aware of the hipster-y nature of the filter on this photo. Thank you, Instagram.

Also, just for good measure:

Woolly mammoth, at the Field Museum. If you have a mammoth skeleton in your city, I will find it. 

And now I am off to do some more traveling. I'll be jet-setting back to California for a hot minute, then off to Berlin. I've very excited.

Other thing worthy of note that I've done in the past few months:

Moved into a new apartment and managed to not burn it down whilst my roommate was away:

View from our terrace. That's right, terrace. We're classy like that.

And now 2014 is almost upon us, and with it, a whole new set of adventures. Huzzah! 

Ode to Hummus

A quick poem, taken from a real life conversation. 

Ode to Hummus

he asked do you like hummus 
he was making a big pot of it that night i might have too much of it soon
of course i like hummus i replied

i love hummus and so does my roommate
we eat it with spoons
on nothing
or with everything
like it's pudding or ice cream
so yes i do
what kind of question is that

some people don't like hummus he said
i'm not some people i replied