Old friends...

Interesting evening online, got to talk with three old friends in AOL Instant Messenger (AIM).

Jo, who I had a crush on in high school and who became my first "totem muse" as Alabaster. We remain in touch and I will be encountering her at her older sister's birthday party this Saturday.

Claibie (Claiborne Schley-Walsh), the delightful writer straight out of Steel Magnolias. A denizen of Fairhope, Alabama, she rode out the fringes of Hurricane Katrina and always is full of salt and wisdom. I'm hoping, down the road, she organizes another Southern Poets' Reading Tour so I can mix with the old crowd.

Steffi (Stephanie Fenter), a good friend who I have a lot in common with (including a history with the same woman). Steffi now is back in California (I envy her) and doing well. She's the one who took the photo that became the cover of "Love Gods of a Forgotten Religion". She's had a rough year, but she rebounds well. One of the most vivid early memories of Los Angeles I had was us going out to dinner and comparing tastes in women. Surreal.

By the end of the evening I was a mix of emotional stew...too much distraction with these proposal deadlines on the table.

The writing is going well, the hell is always in the editing. I liked the new poem I posted last night...wrote some others, but mostly for the catharsis.