Scott is too busy to post Friday Filler today, despite my pleas. I can post Friday Filler, but it's more fun when he does it, just like it's more fun when my mom makes me Ritz cracker sandwiches than it is when I make them for myself.
Since I published my book under "Davin" instead of "Domey", I've had a few people ask me what they should call me. You can call me either, as I answer to both. I usually don't even hear a difference to be perfectly honest. I was starting to use Domey more because I was worried my writing and my day job were interfering with one another on the internet. But I've gotten a new day job as a writer, so it sort of all works out now. This was why I decided I could publish under my formal name.
Moving on!
Last night I had dinner with someone from Russia and someone from China, and the Russian said, "When I was a kid I remember we would play in the schoolyard and run around the statue of Stalin." And the Chinese person said, "We had a statue of Chairman Mao in our schoolyard, but we weren't allowed to run around him."
I don't know why I get a kick out of that, but I do.
I made Thai fried bananas for these friends, which were a hit. And then a neighbor with her cute French Bulldog visited, and really that just made everything that much more special.
Wait. New day job as a writer? I thought you were teaching at a college/working as researcher in some fancy lab.
ReplyDeleteThai fried banana, Mao, Stalin and a french bulldog. Nope. Can't match you for an interesting evening.
So what are my Friday Filler posts? Chopped liver? ;)
ReplyDeleteYour post made me really, really hungry, by the way.
Yat-Yee, okay, my job situation is slightly more complicated than that. I got a job as a part-time science writer here at UCLA. At the same time I'm still working in a research lab part-time. So, I'm in a transition period. I lucked out with the writing job. After about a five minute interview my new boss offered to take me on for a few months to see how things go. So far so good.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, Scott was the originator of the Friday Filler after all! I do like your posts though! :P You should make the fried bananas. You make a batter out of rice flour, coconut milk, sesame seeds, shredded coconut, and sugar and then you dip in relatively green bananas and fry them until they're golden brown.
Oh, Yat-Yee, did you see this? I haven't read it all yet, so I don't know where it goes exactly, but since you posted on the topic a few days ago, though you might like it. (How's that for a sentence?)
ReplyDeletehttp://harpers.org/archive/2011/06/hbc-90008112
Domey: Thanks for the link. The article itself seems rather short but I'll read her original one from ten years ago.
ReplyDeleteYat-Yee, I'm reading the original right now.
ReplyDeleteAfter this:
ReplyDelete"...middlebrow books on which Oprah bestows her lucrative blessings. Commercial fictions — those that traffic in clichés, in titillation, in reassuring conventions, in suspense, gore, consumer and romantic fantasie..." as compared to serious literary work described as ...work that is tough-minded, challenging, eloquent, disquieting, and demanding of its readers... the taste in my mouth has gone slightly unpleasant and I just skimmed the rest.
Naipaul pooh-poohed women writers from his throne and she seems to be doing the same thing to writers who write middlebrow fiction and genre.
I just lost interest in what she says after that.
Did you finish it? Maybe you can tell me what gem I missed by not reading the full article carefully.
I didn't get too much from the article. The one thing that lingers is the question, "Is writing about war more important than writing about buying flowers?" This was sort of her way to get to the actual criticism people were making.
ReplyDeleteOh, and in another point, she described a female writing being criticized for attempting to write about war instead of what she was truly good at, implying that the critic would always put the woman down, either for writing something "trivial" or stepping away from what she was able to write.
Thanks, Domey. I guess I should know by now that just because a topic interests me doesn't mean the article will say something that resonates with me and provide new insights.
ReplyDeleteYum, Thai fried banana. Now, that's a fine filler. :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha! They were good, I admit. This morning, I even ate the two that were leftover.
ReplyDeleteI love the statue story.
ReplyDeleteI was at a Thai restaurant last night. I wanted to order fried bananas but another monsoon blew in and my mother was worried it would turn into a tornado so we left.
ReplyDeleteNice pic of you at Michelle's. Now I know what you look like.
Dang! What an interesting dinner. (Scott probably went to eat some Krispy Kreme.) hahahahahaha
ReplyDeleteCongrads on the new day job. As a writer. So cool! I wish you luck with it, my friend. :-) (I never could get used to the Domey thing.)
Pee Domey, your statue story cracked me and also made me hungry.
ReplyDelete