Various Happenstances of SethMay 2, 2005Last month there were times when I thought that T.S. Eliot was a rotten bastard whom I hated for being right about April. But aside from a general lack of literary productivity, the month really was quite enjoyable. So now that we've moved on, what can be said for a month the name of which when attached to "day" becomes a cry for help*? Well, April showers bring May flowers, and Mayflowers bring pilgrims, and pilgrims bring Indian-killers, and Indian-killers bring smallpox-infested blankets, and blankets bring warmth, and warmth brings collisions of warm fronts and cold fronts, and collisions of warm fronts and cold fronts bring April showers. And that, Simba, is the Circle Of Life. Anyway, in spite of my failing to work on the book (again) and failing to enter the Style Invitational for the second week in a row, the month has started well. The perceived downturn towards the end of April has received a lift, such that unhappiness is deferred indefinitely. My column has not yet been killed after all, in spite of my editor up and moving to Vermont without telling me, and the new editor not running my column on regular days.** So in spite of my lack of book production and Style Invitational entering, I can still claim to be a humor writer. I suppose writing about not writing is cliche, but it just now struck me what an odd exercise it is. "I can't write," he wrote, taking hundreds of words to lament the fact that he was unable to produce a few hundred words this evening. Though I suppose life is like that; we often tell people that we can't speak. But usually we're telling a confidant that we can't speak in front of a crowd. Here I am writing to say I am unable to write my next book meant for public consumption, in a blog that is essentially available for public consumption, although in reality I know full well that only a few friends are likely to read this. Anyway, there's no reason that May shouldn't be fantastic. The first day was already buckets of great, chinese buffet with a few friends followed by good conversation and a movie. I may see a new Woody Allen film tomorrow. This weekend I may see Hitchhiker's Guide, and due to the unbreakable laws of completion by which I am bound, I am contractually obligated to see Star Wars Episode 3. If I had stopped after Episode 1 ("The Phantom Acting Skills"), I could have skipped the rest. But since I saw Episode 2 as well, there is just no way I can refrain from seeing Episode 3. Heck, if I'm lucky, May could be Revenge of the Seth. But aside from movies, what else do I expect of May? More limericks approved, SI Inker arriving, improv practice advancement, Lex's QEftSG episode, reading my new books and a few I'm borrowing, lots of hanging out with the lovely folks in my area, a jaunt out to Santa Fe to visit a lovely girl not in my area, my brother's graduation, and if I'm lucky, maybe even a little bit of writing. A man can dream.
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