VCCA

I’m off today for a week’s residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the wonderful artists' retreat in Amherst, Virginia, across the highway from Sweetbriar College. They called (I was there last year and since I'm so close, I'm on a list), said a studio was available, and it turned out to be perfect timing for me--the kennel had space for Bhikku, I had a few days to get ready and figure out what I’m going to be working on, there will be time to get organized for my next trip after I get home, so I’m thrilled that they called. It will be fun to see who is there and to get some hard core work done.

I’m planning to work on the new short story collection, of which “Nanking Mansion” is the cornerstone and—-maybe-—title story. That story introduces both major themes for the planned collection and also many of the central characters of the other stories. I spent some time during the last couple of days sketching out the remaining stories and I hope to get a rough draft of several of them over the course of the coming week. We’ll see. I also have to get a draft done of a book review I’m supposed to be writing. It’s a short piece, about a short book, so it’s possible.

VCCA has a wireless hotspot in the residence so I’ll be checking in most evenings and will try to post about what’s happening.