Dear blog,

I have not fallen off the face of the earth, but I have gone up to Swannanoa for my MFA residency, which feels at times like pretty much the same thing. But I cannot express how grateful I am to be in the company of such varied and talented people. I feel lucky that I get the chance to serve the role I do, which is sort of a cross between a 900 number and a guidance counselor for my closest friends in the program. I am blessed with the opportunity to work with a supervisor that I have a great deal of respect for, and who is kind of a ridiculous genius. I will be tired tomorrow morning, and probably every morning that I am here. I will walk to breakfast in joy.

I have only just begun to discover Larry Levis. I have been assured that not reading his work up until now constitutes a grave sin. I atone.

I just saw Scott’s announcement that he is heading back to New York, a move that seems to have become obvious to him only after it became obvious to most of the rest of us. But I will miss Scott a great deal; the best chapters in DSI were co-authored with him (or a ghost writer representing his interests). All of the best years of that experience don’t happen if Scott doesn’t drive down from Norfolk that first weekend, still not quite certain that he should be allowed to drive at all. He is now an excellent driver.

I did not plan to blog tonight, but I became afraid, dear blog, that without you, Emma’s blog might become lonely, and I wouldn’t want that for a blog so young. I should catch up with correspondence with all manner of friends, Emma and others, but time doesn’t seem to permit such things when I’m in the weird vortex that WWC represents.

The Swannanoa Gatherers arrive Sunday. Send firearms. Please.