36 Soon Come: "A Thousand Butterflies..."

Wednesday was a weird day for me: Work was crazy, I had to make thesis edits (yes, I'm actively working on it!), I hadn't worked on my piece for the reading at the Cornelia St. Cafe, and I was still struggling with this one simple interview writeup that was over a month late. My brain was everywhere!

As showtime neared I was a ball of nerves. I wasn't confident in the story I had written and more than anything I knew there wouldn't be a friendly face in the audience to cheer me on (except Will; he showed up. Thanks, boo!). Then I got there and realized that my bio had been left off of the program *sigh*

And don't even get me started on the waitress who stole my change!

But then I got up to the stage and read the first line...and people laughed. Mind you, I didn't think the piece was comedic, but maybe something in the way I read it made them laugh. Whatever it was, they loved it! As I made the long walk back to my seat all these strange White people stopped me to say, "Wonderful!" or "That was a great story!" and the only other Latina in the audience said, "That was beautiful, Mama!" and I began to relax.

One woman (who I had met before) asked how long I'd been writing and did I go to school or was I self-taught. She was all, "You should be published! That story was so compelling and you read it beautifully." (I must add here that her forthcoming book, "Lost Cat Chronicles" sounds like it will be a great one. I heard her read from it twice and even though I'm not a cat lover I'll be sure to buy it when it comes out.)

I was in ego heaven. Correction: AM. I AM in ego heaven. You know us writers are vainer than a motherfucker, so this was definitely the boost I needed. I'm getting my body right and the first few pages of my novel kick ass. Inside my head I'm all like this:



Of course, outside I'm not because I'm always sore from working out but still... kiss of life indeed!

*smooches...all amped up to read again*
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