Going To the 'Ville

So friggin' excited today. Why? Because I'm meeting up with one of my best friends for a mini-vacay in Nashville this afternoon! We haven't been on a trip together in almost ten years, and that was the only trip we'd ever taken together until now. We see each other briefly whenever I visit Chicago, but a few hours here and there always seems so choppy and never enough. Not being one for girl trips, Ana is the only person with whom I've felt comfortable even contemplating travel (there's only one other person I'm comfortable with, besides dear ol' mom, and she's my other besty in Chicago). We've already planned things to do, see and eat, and can't wait to get into trouble, southern style! This is going to be so much fun. Yay.

Literary Cleanse

I received an email from someone who is no longer in my life yet wants to stay connected with me...to keep tabs on the goings-on in my life? I don't know. Creepy. I really can't stand this person anymore and wish I could purge him completely. Since I can't erase my memories, all I can do is vent.

Green Tea

In the forest of my soul I picked leaves at first light.
Infatuated by your lust I succumbed.
At midday I basked in the rays of your lies.
Your free radicals oxidized my heart and turned it to rust.
If only I had the antioxidants I needed to resist you then.
My once verdant leaves dried in the heat of my anger.
You chopped them up with curses.
They brewed in my blood and I let them steep till dusk; it’s strong enough now.
I take one long swallow and wait for the bitterness to subside.
I sit on the throne and piss your toxins out.

©2005 Vicky Therese Davis

What People Call Me

Insomniac

Maya Angelou

There are some nights when
sleep plays coy,
aloof and disdainful.
And all the wiles
that I employ to win
its service to my side
are useless as wounded pride,
and much more painful.

Seeing Me Naked

I'm sharing my book review of Liza Palmer's Seeing Me Naked, my book club selection for June. I really appreciated how she ended each chapter with a not-too-heavy introspective insight, and didn't rush the ending.

I was surprised, in a good way. I enjoyed this book tremendously, even if it wasn't super original. This is the first chick lit book I've ever read that didn't have any characters that annoyed me. The first person narrative wasn't distracting (a la Bitter Is the New Black), but rather refreshing and smart. I connected with everyone, the story, and the author. This was also the first chick lit book I found to be intelligent and sophisticated, in writing style, choice of character background, and "little details" that amount to a lot when all is said and read, rather than the usual shallow banter and thought processes of equally shallow and self-absorbed (in the wrong, irritating, and oblivious way) characters. Classy. I'm a new few fan of Liza Palmer.

Shed it All

I had several interesting and enlightening conversations this weekend, most of them at this one fabulous rooftop house party (thanks again, Guambi and Danae) in Park Slope. We covered everything from racism, self-hatred within one's own race, relationship problems successful women face, pregnancy issues for singles and married women, gay relationship quandaries, how one's location affects all of the above, all the way to working out and the Kardashians. I was once again reminded that we just have to let all these societal pressures, self-inflicted criticisms, and other people's hang-ups, fall by the wayside and just celebrate who we are. Inside and out.

I Am What I Am (from La Cage Aux Folles)

I am what I am
I am my own special creation.
So come take a look,
Give me the hook or the ovation.
It's my world that I want to take a little pride in,
My world, and it's not a place I have to hide in.
Life's not worth a damn,
'Til you can say, "Hey world, I am what I am."
I am what I am,
I don't want praise, I don't want pity.
I bang my own drum,
Some think it's noise, I think it's pretty.
And so what, if I love each feather and each spangle,
Why not try to see things from a diff'rent angle?
Your life is a sham 'til you can shout out loud
I am what I am!
I am what I am
And what I am needs no excuses.
I deal my own deck
Sometimes the ace, sometimes the deuces.
There's one life, and there's no return and no deposit;
One life, so it's time to open up your closet.
Life's not worth a damn 'til you can say,
"Hey world, I am what I am!"

Books & Books

Book Club is meeting at AmyRuth's to discuss The Help tonight (you know how I like to have themed outings), and I absolutely cannot wait! This novel was so provocative, I have to put it on the same short list as Wench, another group favorite from a couple months past. I already know there will be a lot for us to talk about and debate.

This month's book selection is quite a departure: The Piano Teacher, by Janice Y.K. Lee. The setting is Hong Kong pre- and post- WW2. I just started it last night and it seems promising thus far. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Either way, the food we'll eat for this discussion will be sure to please all our palates. I'm already doing the recon on venues, hehe.

Recently discarded on my own time was James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's, a fluff piece that doesn't deserve shelf space in my personal library--it was donated within an hour of my finishing it. This was one book that really did deserve to be in the bargain bin at B&N. James Patterson will not be getting a second chance outta me!

My Fortune Cookie

I can't help it: I had to post my fortune cookie saying. Although its packaging is rather banal, the depth of the message resounds.

"Many a false step is made by standing still."

This couldn't be further from the truth, and I must keep this message at the forefront of my mind whenever I feel myself becoming complacent in accomplishing my goals (which I have been as of late--thanks, trashy reality TV!). I guess this is just the universe telling me to snap out of it!

Book Club

A recent jaunt with a couple of the Book Club ladies at Lady Mendl's for afternoon tea.

The March book for Book Club was Skinny Dip, which was funny and witty, but not the greatest read; good entertainment, but not enthused to pick up another of the author's books any time soon,

This month, we are reading The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, which is showing a lot of promise thus far.

Spring Cleaning

It's almost spring, and that means it's "spring cleaning" time! I've out my closet on a diet and refuse to buy myself anything--unless it's something super spectacular, of course. Everyday when I get home from work I go through my dresser drawers, closets and sweater shelves to see what I can donate. Last week I filled 4 Hefty trash bags full of clothing, although beautiful, that I will never even miss. Just last night I filled yet another one, well on my way to purging myself of everything unnecessary. Not only do I do this new exercise at night, I do it whenever I'm getting dressed to go somewhere: If I don't like how I look when I'm trying things on, I put those things in the bag. This not only cleanses my wardrobe, it gives me a sense of relief and purification. I suggest every clothes horse to do this and see how it makes her feel.

My edited closets thank me, and so does my bank account!

February Book

wench \'wench\ n. from Middle English "wenchel," 1 a: a girl, maid, young woman; a female child.

This is the title of my book club's February selection by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Wench is Perkins-Valdez's daring debut novel. Provocative, insightful, endearing and courageous, this is one of the best debuts I've ever read, if not the best. Wench follows the stories of four slave women who are mistresses to their white slaveholders, but Lizzie is the protagonist with/through whom most of this book is revealed. I'm not going to delve too much into the meat of this lovely novel because I don't want to disclose too much and spoil it. As you can tell, I've already read it; this was such an entertaining and compelling story that I breezed through it in two days! I can hardly wait to discuss this with the rest of the group (I already know Racquel loved it, too).

My Daily Love Horoscope

Today my love horoscope is so accurate, I had to post it here. Real talk, it's so accurate, I almost don't want to post it...here it is anyway:

"This is a time period, Libra, where things of a romantic nature are not always as they seem, so you want to pay special attention to what is happening in your romantic experiences. This is a time where whether you are single or attached, illusions and delusions can wear the mask of true inspiration, so thread your way among them to the truth and don't fall for the first fantasy that comes to mind. Romantic possibilities may evaporate as quickly as they appear, and that is for the best -- better to let them go than seize on what will not support you. Yes, you will know which opportunities to forgo, and which ones to pay attention to, so pay attention to the universal signs and you will be more than happy you did."

10 To Do in 2010

Not a resolutions list, but a list of things I want to accomplish by year end (in no particular order):

1) Get professional headshots
2) Get a casting agent in order to launch my career as an extra
3) Become fluent in either French or Spanish
4) Lose even more weight
5) Invest more money into securing a positive financial future for myself (2009 was a good start)
6) Donate clothes to the less fortunate
7) Control my spending
8) Gain more upper body strength
9) Show my mom that I really do appreciate her
10) Advance my professional career

January Book

I just tallied the votes for the January book, and the winner is What Is the What, by Dave Eggers. I heard it's an excellent book, and have high hopes for it after having read his first novel (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) several years back.

After my mini-rant on Bitter Is the New Black, I completely forgot to mention how much I loved A Father's Law, the newly published work of Richard Wright. This book/manuscript lingered in my mind long after I finished reading. The characters were so real I felt like I could sink my teeth into them, their problems so poignant that I couldn't help but contemplate them as if they were my own. This is surely a book I will revisit from time to time in the future. I highly recommend this treasure of a book.

Getting it all in in 2010

Happy new year, folks!

A lot happened in 2009: good, great, and bad. It was tiring, educational, challenging, fun, sad, exciting; 2009 taxed all of my emotions. However, I accomplished what I needed to spiritually, financially and professionally; I've tied up all the loose ends that needed tying, and gotten rid of all the toxic/negative/unnecessary/life-sucking people in my life (voluntarily and involuntarily--people who know me well know what I'm talking about). I'm glad it's all over and am ready to dive into this new year with both feet perfectly arched, haha! Wide awake, I am receptive to what the universe has to tell me; my heart and mind are open to new challenges and experiences, new love, new friends, more great books, lots of fabulous outings and pictures as I continue to explore my new host city, strengthening bonds with my family and close friends, and any new opportunities thrown my way.

So I have two mottos I'm following:
"I'm getting it all in in 2010" and "Better choices in men in 2010." I plan to follow both to the letter. ;)

V

PS: Bitter is the New Black was one of the suckiest, most annoying books I've ever read, and that's saying a lot. This book gave the chick-lit genre a bad name (and girls from Chicago--please believe, we're not all like that). I'm now reading My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne DuMaurier. I have to have something more intellectual to get that drivel out of my head.

North River & the December Book

North River, my book club's November book, did not disappoint. It was raw and gritty, yet soft and sweet at the same time. The protagonist's experiences and thoughts on love, forgiveness, acceptance, and compassion were beautiful. The use of New York's Lower East Side, the Meatpacking District, and Little Italy as characters was palpable: I saw the North River and felt the wind coming off it, smelled its brackishness. I could smell and taste Angela's simple Italian meals; I lived vicariously through Carlito's experiences on his first train ride, his first hot dog, his first plate of spaghetti, his trip to Coney Island. I recognized Pete Hamill's understanding of and love for New York in how he was able to capture its ugliness, beauty, prejudice, and senses of unity/community in little ways and big. Overall, this was a very well-written novel, not rushed, but not drawn out unnecessarily; descriptive yet to the point--just like New York. Kudos to Hamill.

The December book is going to be quite a departure from the more serious and "heavy" books we've been reading; it's called Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office
This should be nice and light reading for the holiday month. i hope we all enjoy it. Happy reading!

*** PS: I just finished reading Peony in Love, by Lisa See--much better than Shanghai Girls, but still not as good as Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I also happened upon A Father's Law, by the legendary Richard Wright, in the Bargain Books section of B&N. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

Sonia

Haiku

we are sudden stars

you and i exploding in

our blue black skins

Written by Sonia Sanchez

October & November Books

The October book for the online book club followers was Fortune's Rocks, by Anita Shreve. We'll be discussing it in person next week, and I can't wait--I am so loving this book! Apologies for the late post.

The November book is North River, by Pete Hamill.

Details about both books can be viewed by clicking the titles in the side navigation. Happy reading!

My Last Day @ 30

As my 30th year in this world comes to an end, I've been doing a lot of introspection at The Sanctuary. This has been a tumultuous, unpredictable, exciting, heart-breaking and heart-mending year. On this last day, I am filled with a melancholic happiness--as much of an oxymoron as that is: for having said goodbye to things and people (one person in particular) and places that have occupied special places in my heart for a very long time, I feel a great loss; meanwhile I feel utter contentment for what my life has become as a result. Playing "catch up" after moving to New York didn't take as long as I was dreadfully expecting; I'm proud to say I am making up for lost time and catching up to where I believe I should be rather quickly.

30 has definitely been a wake-up call for me in more ways than one. The universe showed me the signs and told me I needed to get my life in order by the time I reached 30, the "I am officially a grown-up" year, and I obediently listened, no matter how deleterious I felt this new journey might be. As Oprah said once, "Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it." That is exactly what I have done and strive to do for the rest of my life; I believe I am the better for it and will continue to improve from 31 on.

Forgot Again!!!

The September book is Gentlemen and Players, by Joanne Harris.
So far, I'm really liking how twisted and sinister it is... :)

Backlog of Books

I've received complaints from people following my book club selections online. I apologize for my slippage. Here's what we have read over the past few months:

Midnight's Children: A Novel, Salman Rushdie
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz (highly recommended and loved by all)
Shanghai Girls, Lisa See

And we have just started reading our August choice, Sag Harbor, by Colson Whitehead.
And for those who aren't very observant, I DO update the "Books I've Recently Read" section on the right navigation of this page. This list includes what I read outside of the book club selections, as well.

Happy reading to all of my online members!