stonebender asks1. What stops you from sending out your fiction?
Laziness. Overprotectiveness ("that market's not good enough for you, dear"). Overanalyzing writer's guidelines and deciding a market won't want my piece so why bother.
2. Tell me about a time you were most proud of yourself.
Most of my proud feelings are in traditional moments where I am getting some kind of official recognition.
I also feel proud privately when I decide to do something just for me, without "it would help or please others" being part of the decision, and especially when it's a bit risky. For example, I felt that way when I decided to pick up and move to California.
3. How did you come to your personal or spiritual philosophy?
It's a long story, involving the minister who taught my confirmation class, the movie The Dark Crystal, a boss, a co-worker I had a crush on, and Esalen.
Summary: My religious upbringing didn't take, but I realized I needed some form of spiritual practice, and I explored various neo-Pagan type alternatives until I found Harner-style shamanic journeying, which is a tool that helps me put together my spiritual beliefs by, um, it feels like "talking to aspects of the universe who know stuff."
There's also a thread of Zen Buddhism wandering through. As it will often do.
4. You are gifted with a dream gadget. What does it do and what do you call it?
Hmm, do you mean a gadget that does something I dream about, or a gadget having to do with dreams?
I'd like a gadget that would let me look inside other people's heads and understand what makes them tick. But I figure this would be too much to tolerate in an ordinary state of consciousness, so it probably only works during REM sleep. I think it's built into a pair of shoes and it's called Dream a Mile in Their Shoes.
5. What is it about 70's rock?
It was my constant companion during the time my brain was being rebuilt by pubertal sex hormones, and I imprinted on it. I listened to it while I was writing my journal, doing my homework, falling asleep, waking up. I listened to it when I was happy, sad, angry, giddy, confused, depressed, horny. It gave me a way to feel things that I had no other way to feel. Now when I listen to it I remember all that in my bones with an overlay of experience and cultural analysis ("eegh, I can't believe I liked those lyrics!"). I guess that makes me feel whole - connected to my younger self - in a way I frequently don't because I've changed a lot over the years.
