Now what do I do?

my son just graduated from college

Greetings people who learn things in their own ways:

(not my son, but someone’s son!) Photo by Zachary Olson on Unsplash

What the heck just happened in my life? I am the mom of a college graduate.

I am aware that this comes as no surprise to you guys since you’ve been reading my emails, and possibly also following me on Twitter where I am far funnier but also a lot more chaotic as my moods swing from elation to despair depending on which piece of paper I pick up on my desk before reacting on Social Media.

But….it is a surprise to ME.

Nothing against my kid (who isn’t a kid. Rightly, he is a man. Probably has been for years while I was stocking the fridge with his favorite snacks) but HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

What is hilarious to me is that many of my oldest and dearest friends do not follow my blog (it is okay, I do not follow their blogs either) and therefore when they randomly write to me after many years of silently wondering what I’m up to, and ask how it’s going, and I say huh, well, Manchild is graduating Saturday, they flip out.

I kind of love causing that reaction.

Why are humans always so surprised by time? It doesn’t change — we all age at exactly the same pace. So why is it inevitably such a shock to see that while time has passed for us, it has also passed for other people?

I was looking for the exact words of a Lithuanian saying which loosely says “other people’s kids age faster” (I wonder if it’s a Russian saying that Lithuanians just use a lot) but I found this one, which is terrific: Auga vaikai, auga ir bėdos.

As kids grow, so do problems.

Ah Lithuania. Thanks for giving me another uplifting thing to think about today.

(laughing….until I remember that, wow, I’m the mother of a college graduate….!!)

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WRITING NEWS (big):

I HAVE A LAUNCH PARTY PLANNED!!

Join me on June 8 at PANGEA NYC in the East Village (doors open around 6pm)

Let me tell you, friends, the Kafka Cafe is going to be excellent:

Play the sound bite below to hear a little of what you can expect amid the literature and poetry and conversations….(Rimas Polikaitis of Bellows and Ivory)

click here to read the bios of all of these amazing people who have volunteered to help me celebrate!

Thanks to Victor LaValle for supporting the writing that incentivized the whole party.
Thanks also to the Poetry Brothel, to Betsy & Rimas & Lara Henneman (she’s coming up from Maryland to man the book table; everyone give her love!) & thanks to Christina Chiu for donating 10 books to allow people to get them for free if they are first to arrive! Thanks also to Thomas Honeck & Gintare & Kestutis & Steve Maloney for arranging the super-cool space.

(I would love to make a program, if anyone knows a printer or wants to cover the printing, I’d be very grateful - just write back to let me know!)

Sign up here to let me know you’ll attend. (Note: a response does not guarantee a seat, but it helps me know how many books to bring. Come early!)

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Writing news that isn’t about a party:

The interview that I did for Red Penguin Books to celebrate A FLASH OF DARKNESS aired on Wednesday! You can see it on YouTube TV if you’re interested.

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RANDOM FINAL THOUGHT:

Marketing copy is like plastic surgery.

Photo by Sandra Gabriel on Unsplash