Diamond Anthroplogie Cardigan

Siobhan Vivian is the author of A Little Friendly Advice and Same Difference. She is also my professor for Writing Youth Literature and the person who revealed to me the biggest hoax in the history of the literary world.

It is this: there are publishing companies where people write entire plots for novels and then other writers write the actual words. Just to be clear, THIS WAS NOT THE CASE FOR THE TWO AFOREMENTIONED, SIOBHAN VIVIAN NOVELS.

But, really, how lame is that. The company decides what sort of novels they think will sell and then just manufacture plots. Then a "writer" fills in the details. It's like popular music only more heartbreaking because it's not common knowledge. I guess I should have known, with so much shit in bookstores. In a way it's reassuring. The majority of English language novelists aren't just getting dumber than they were in days of Dickens, Woolf, Lawrence or Hemingway. The market is just inundated with mass production.

Well, forget about that for now, because Ms. Vivian is definitely my style of writing teacher. Finally someone who won't let the writer talk during workshop. What I really like is that when a student produces something not up to class standards, she doesn't hold back. She tells them to redo it, please. AND we get graded for the notes we give other students about their work, which I love because it motivates lazy people (including me) to actually think about the writing and spend time on their comments. In those respects she's similar to Janet Kafka, who is my all time favorite.

I've basically just been waiting for Siobhan to wear an exciting sweater to class and today it paid off. Check it out, a colorful cardigan from Anthropologie that she got for half price because her friend works for the company. I need Anthropologie connections.


I also wanted to post this really great missing cat poster that I saw on my way to work yesterday. It's sad that Leo is missing, but how brilliant is that sketch!