Catching up

So the 9th Annual Spaghetti Christmas Dinner went off without a hitch, thanks to everyone who celebrated with me. Next year, we'll have to do it up even better to commemorate a decade of spaghetti and friends. I'll put together an album of pictures from all the s'getti dinners, I think and have that out for everyone to see. What began in a dorm room at LSU and just took place in an apartment in New Orleans is now a tradition going strong.

There are a lot of things I've been meaning to talk about. One is my growing appreciation for Barack Obama, my increasing delight that his inauguration is coming up. What's to be so excited about? If for nothing else, I'm thrilled that our incoming president not only values reading and books, but is already a published author. I just finished listening to Audacity of Hope, read by Obama, and I'm looking forward to seeing him accomplish the things he discusses there - though it'll take time and continued support. He has big ideas and big hopes for this country and I can't believe it, but I finally have confidence in a politician.

Now, hoping that Obama and Oprah and continue to help the publishing industry (and the economy) make a comeback, here's a plethora of humorous, terrifying, and informative links about these scary times in The Industry:

Which creative writing programs produce the "best" writers? (GalleyCat)
Publish your rejection letters. (GalleyCat)
This pisses me off, wish I wasn't so jealous of a nine year old. (GalleyCat)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's new book. (GalleyCat)
The self-destructing poem. (GalleyCat)
Best American Short Stories will include online writing. (GalleyCat)
And online journalism is now eligible for the Pulitzer Prize. (GalleyCat)
Y.A. too sexy? (GalleyCat)
Elizabeth Alexander to read at Obama's inauguration. (GalleyCat)

I honestly do read something other than GalleyCat, but they're usually the ones I want to link to most. Is there a prize for that?

So what I've been loving lately: Barack Obama and his books, Krista Detor , Special Topics in Calamity Physics (I really wanted to hate this book, but I just can't - it's one of my favorites now) and Unaccustomed Earth, which I just finished (Jhumpa Lahiri is scary talented). Maybe I'll do a list of 2008's Favorite Things before the year's over. Maybe...that'll be really hard.