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A short recap of my writing (& other) life published April 2006 for friends, subscribers and clients.
My heart / has become capable / Of taking all sorts of forms,
It is / Pastures / For gazelles / And / Monastery for the monk,
Temple for idols / And / Kaaba for the pilgrim.
It is the tables of the Torah / And / The Book of the Koran.
It professes the religion of love / Whatever the place
Toward which / Its caravans wend.
And love / Is / My law
And love / Is / My faith.
(Ibn Arabi, 1165-1240)
Our Country...
... on second thought, I'm going to leave that subject alone.
Current Publications:
Check out my two latest travel/historical articles at Lifeinitaly.com, a great site run by Paolo Nascimbeni. My articles are here and here.
Upcoming publications:
My young adult novel One Eyed Jack is in the hands of new agent. I'm awaiting word from publishers.
My screenplay BURN was optioned last year, is making the rounds in Hollywood and getting good responses.
And I'm working on a new proposal for a travel book; the first in the series will be about Rome. More details as that project progresses.
Travel:
On 10 June, 2006, just before summer officially hits, I will be boarding a plane to visit the city I can't seem to stay away from -- Rome, Italy. I will be studying Italian every day for four hours, eating amazing food, finding my friend Massimo, visiting Pompeii, Sicily, and Siena (where I will be interviewing Dario Castagno, author of Too Much Tuscan Sun, and watching the Palio), and attempting to engage Italians in conversation. If they can understand me, I'll be thrilled. I intend to do a lot of writing as well at cafes and in the piazzas. If all goes well, I'll finish my screenplay THE CARPET SELLER while I'm there.
On 8 July a wonderful man I know named Robin will arrive in Rome to join me. From there we plan to visit Florence, Pisa and Venice, and then head into Switzerland and Germany for a romp through areas of the world I have never visited. Can't wait!
No domestic trips planned as we speak.
Last year I visited Turkey and Italy. Turkey was like no place I've ever been. I spent a week in the old city of Istanbul, once part of the Roman empire and now a historical treasure full of amazing people, incredible architecture and art, great food... I loved it. I met some good people -- Hasan, from whom I bought two carpets, Mert, a young man I met in the Grand Bazaar with whom I had some fun conversations and continue to talk with via email, and a number of other carpet sellers, food vendors and new friends.
From Istanbul I traveled to Rome where I spent eleven days, and Venice where I spent a week. A few pictures of both cities, and some of Pompeii, can be found here.
I learned many things about the world while on this trip, and an account, of sorts, can be found here.
Earlier trips have taken me to England & Scotland (1998) with my friend Nancy, to China (1999), and Ireland (2000). The year 2000 was also my first trip to Italy, and when I fell in love with Rome.
Debating a degree/Politics:
As of this spring semester (2006) I started classes again. They have been incredible, I've learned a lot, and am very glad I did them. And, while a PhD in Political Science with a focus on the Middle East is still on my mind, I might wait a bit before launching into that full time.
Projects:
I'm still working with a wonderful man, Michael Hauge.
I'm halfway through a new script set in Turkey about kidnapping, journalism, archeaology....
And another script set in an as-yet-unnamed war-torn city in the Middle East.
For a more complete list of my current projects, check out Page 14 Productions.
Teaching:
I'm teaching my Magazine Writing Classes occasionally in both three-hour seminars and six week classes.
My screenwriting workshops will be starting again soon. A schedule will be posted.
I am not teaching this semester at the University of New Mexico, though I will be again in the fall or following spring.
Friends:
My friends and loved ones are accomplishing amazing things. For links to their lives and work, check out friends.
Animals:
Sebastian (my half Corgi/half ?) is happy and healthy as ever. He's about 11 years old now and hopefully has quite a few years left. Sadly, Sadie (my miniature Australian Shepherd) died in the summer of 2003. It was very hard for both me and Sebastian. I found another puppy a few months later and added her to our family. She's half Corgi/half Aussie, and very sweet -- her name is Emma. Sebastian and Emma can be found here.
Health & Fitness:
I've been riding, dancing and walking a lot. More details about all that when there's something exciting to report.
Links:
I'd like to link to anyone who's interested - writer, editor, resource.
Please feel free to send me an Email me with your web address. Include a graphic if you'd like me to use that as your link.
And finally...
Please offer suggestions for this site or ideas for articles that may come up in your area. Give me an excuse to travel!
Until next time...
Ciao!
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