Key West Literary Seminar--yay!

[supercheesegirl]

I got my financial assistance letter from the Key West Literary Seminar today. I gots money!! I'm so excited. I can definitely go, and it's affordable, and I'll share a room with Heather, and I'm in Bich Nguyen's nonfiction workshop which I'm so happy about. This gives me first of all a good excuse to buy her book, and secondly an excellent and compelling reason to get off my tail and write some nonfiction. Whee!

Heather, the cheapest rooms are $120 per night, but that's per room, not per person, right? So if we've both got $50 per night towards housing, that means we're paying $10 a night each? 'Cause that would super-rock. Correct my math if I'm wrong.

Kim, are you still hoping to go? I hope so!

I'm so happy. This was the writing pick-me-up I needed. I believe I shall tape this letter up on the wall.

Comments

[handmadedark.livejournal.com]

Soooo happy for you. You really deserve it. *hugs*

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Yay!! :)

[birdmaddgirl.livejournal.com]

i asked for the one that's $150 a night, thinking that the non-shared bathroom was worth the extra $. (it is per room, yes. i actually emailed & miles confirmed that for me.) if kimmi is also coming, that's less than $20/person/night even she doesn't get housing assistance. and if she does, maybe free? that would be hella sweet. even still, this is going to work out to be a pretty cheap trip.

i was thinking maybe fly into mia or ftlaud saturday the 12th (cause saturday flights are usually fairly cheap) & we can stay either with my mom or with one of my friends that night. i'll probably stay in miami for several days the week after, but at least with the monday holiday you could drive back sunday and relax instead of driving back for 4 hours and then hopping right on a plane and rushing right back to work.

it's going to be so awesome! we are going to be warm and drinking tropical drinks and writing super great stuff in january!!!! yay!

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Cool. I don't really care if we have to share a bathroom, honestly. If so, we'll be sharing with other writers, and we'll probably get to be friends with them anyway. I emailed Miles last night and he confirmed our reservation. I kind of can't wait to meet Miles. I want to give him a big hug.

That's the kind of plan I was figuring on. Our Eden House reservation starts Sunday night and the workshop starts on Monday, right? It would be very cool to fly down on Saturday, stay with your family/friends, and have a leisurely drive on Sunday.

For coming back, it looks like according to last year's schedule they had readings and stuff going all afternoon on the Sunday. We'll have to check out the new schedule when they finish it and see if there's anything we want to skip in order to get back earlier--we'll probably be pretty burnt out on writing by then anyway. And then--stay with your family/friends Sunday 1/20, and I'll fly back on Monday 1/21, which is MLK day. Sound like a plan? This is going to be the bestest vacation ever.

[birdmaddgirl.livejournal.com]

it does indeed sound like a plan. i guess we should wait to have kimmi sorted before we make a final determination on the room. i wasn't figuring that sharing a bathroom would be a problem, except that we're all probably going to want to be getting ready at the same time. so exciting!!!

[lilacgrrl.livejournal.com]

Weeeeeeeeeeeee for Rox and Heather! i am so happy for you both

I talked to Miles, and they are still considering my fin aid application. The problem is because I have a job, I'm making more money than the starving artist applicants, as Miles put it. Also, it seems they didn't recieve my non-fiction submission so it appeared I had submitting poetry for a non-fiction workshop. sigh. Miles is incredibly nice and honest and candid. I just wish that having esquire attached to my name didn't immediatly make it sound like I was wealthy. I emailed miles that since you and rox had recieved housing assistance, all I really need is help on the cost of the workshop. I just don't have an extra $500 - $1000 lying around after the loan payments and thousands of dollars in medical bills. Stupid year of surgeries and debt.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Cool, I'm glad you're talking to Miles about it. Hopefully they'll be able to give you an answer soon. Wow, I guess I still count as a starving artist? I wonder what the annual income cap is for starving artist status? Heather obviously counts, no question, but I'm surprised I do. And a little pleased. :)

[birdmaddgirl.livejournal.com]

hopefully you'll get sorted soon hon. *HUGS*

[sleepyworm.livejournal.com]

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

How did you get that picture of me??!1

[sleepyworm.livejournal.com]

Ceiling Cat took it...

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

OMG!!!

[digital-e.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! That sounds like it will be a great workshop.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm really excited!

[minkrose]

Since I know very little about writing workshops (plenty about writing, just not in an official capacity), I'll talk about Key West! I went there a few years ago on a Girl Scout Marine Biology trip. Now, we happened to be staying in tents on the Army Base and basically had a private beach... but if you've never been swimming in FL, you really must find time to go. It is like being in a GIANT BATH of warm water. Growing up in New England, I thought all ocean water was cold everywhere (it kinda makes sense, when you don't think about it).

It's a very, very touristy city. But as long as you get into that, it can be fun. I enjoyed how everyone was friendly but in a short-term chatty kind of way.

Also recommended: Trolley Town Tours! or something like that, it's the Trolley tours. My trolley was piloted by a native and he knew shitloads about the island, including the story of when they nearly seceded from the USA.

I may be telling you stuff you already know, but ... WEAR. SUNSCREEN. More specifically, wear the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55. It's the #1 thing we recommend at the dermatology office where I work (along with the Blue Lizard brand, which I think you can only get online). I wore sunscreen every day (though they didn't have SPF55 then!) and I still got sunburned. We were religious about it - you just can't keep from getting sunburned down there. And I really do mean skin-peeling-off burned, not just a heavy tan (though we got that as well).
You may have some trouble finding the Neutrogena 55 in the store since the drug reps tell us that no one can keep it in stock. I think you might be able to order it from their website.


I'm so glad you're doing more with your writing! HOORAY!!!

[minkrose]

oh, and I'm insanely jealous! I've always, always wanted to go back. It's been 6 years and I just haven't found a way. Also, I wanna stay in a tent on the army base again and I'm not a GS anymore...

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I went to Key West with my parents when I was in high school--god, at least ten years ago now, that's depressing--and it was so beautiful. I remember the first night we were there, we had dinner at a restaurant right on the ocean, which had seating on a pier or something right over the water. And we watched the sun set and ate key lime pie. Midway through her pie, my mom said the whole trip could be done now for her, because she was so satisfied. :)

Thanks for the sunscreen recommendation!! I never know what's best to get, and I *always* burn. I've started wearing a moisturizer with SPF 15, which does seem to help for the day-to-day, but for actual beach and outdoors time it would rock to get some actual good stuff. It's sunscreen season right now so maybe it won't be too hard to find.

Thanks! I am too!!

[minkrose]

It has a remarkably calming effect for such a touristy place. I've (obviously) never been to any other island in the area, so maybe they're all like that... Still, I really want to go back.

I looked ridiculous by the end of the trip! I was tanned from the first couple of days where we didn't go outside too much, and then burned on top of that from snorkeling. I didn't even look like me, I was brown and red all over! I wish I had some of those pictures scanned in.

Yeah, and the reps told us it was selling out last year - when it was brand new. So, it might be easier to find now. Besides, it's not quite summer yet. People won't be thinking about buying sunscreen and going to the beach for another few weeks but I'm sure the stores have sunscreen in stock now.

[birdmaddgirl.livejournal.com]

we'll def need sunscreen, but it won't be so intense come jan
:)