1) To the woman who said to me, “oh, you’re the guy with the blog,” that cracked me up. Blogs are funny things, you think no one reads them, and then you get into a room full of people and find out that people not only know you, but they also know about your dog’s bowel movement problems…
2) Like 3/4ths of the population (yes, I made up that stat) I have a tremendous fear of public speaking, and so what I did, before I got up on the “altar” to speak to the hundred or so gathered at the Writers’ Dojo reading, was to consume a very large pour of red wine. This led me to tell the crowd gathered that every single one of them should thank Jeff Selin for the amazing thing he did for Portland by opening the Writers’ Dojo. I said this very eloquently and smoothly, without the nervous stammering that usually accompanies anything I say without notes. I was proud of myself for having done this–it was only a little later when someone pointed out how swamped Jeff was with thank-yous, that I realized I’d gone slightly over-the-top. Ah, liquid encouragement…
3) I realize this wasn’t some sort of competition, but Doug Lain noted that the women writers kicked the male writers asses on the stage, and he was admittedly right. Both Allison Clement and Chelsea Cain wowed the inebriated crowd with some seriously funny shorts. That was fun. Oh and nice red velvet shoes, Chelsea.
4) Speaking of shoes, oh never mind, let’s not get into that again…
5) OK, I have a beef with the people bitching about the $120/month cost of the Dojo. This is a far better deal than ActivSpace or, god, CubeSpace, and you’re surrounded by writers, rather than, say, walls. Yes, a lot of what the Dojo has to offer you can find at a coffee shop, but if you’re not already a part of the Portland writing scene, the Dojo gives you an entry into it. Plus, you don’t have to listen to the real estate agent sitting next to you talking up the latest 400K-for-a-studio “green” ass-ugly condo development. Jeff Selin took a huge risk by opening the Dojo, and I admire both him and the folks who are taking a chance on it by joining. Plus, I love the way he’s actively engaged the local writing community. I think every single Portlander should go over to the Dojo and shake his hand…
6) Yep that’s me on Melissa Lion’s Metroblogging page. Can you say, dork!
7) Has anyone seen Diana Jordan’s shoes? I think they’re missing.