And in other news, Grant brought my attention to basically the best cake ever. Man, I wish I were this person's friend.

Story Contest over at The Foghorn

Be sure to enter our first ever story contest, "Home from the Hill." See our Contest page for details.

The answer is "no."

I finally got back to work this week (haven't I said this here before?) after weeks of relocation. This week I finished interviews with photographer Taryn Simon and sculptor Michael Rea, reviewed The End of Europe, and updated The Foghorn.

I'm also catching up on a wonderful backlog of emails and tips from Grant, including these from a "treasure trove" of Evelyn Waugh anecdotes:

From Evelyn Waugh, Portrait of a Country Neighbour, Frances Donaldson, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1967.
He entertained himself with grandiose projects [at Piers Court]. He built what became known as The Edifice —a semi-circular stone wall about ten feet in height, surmounted by battlements and with a paved area beneath it. When this was finished he advertised for human skulls to adorn the battlements. He received a surprising number of replies, which I doubt if he had expected, and he had to refuse most of the offerings. The Edifice was not a great success. Many people thought it hideous and Evelyn himself was not satisfied with it, although he got pleasure out of the building. [pg. 23]

From Evelyn Waugh: A Biography, Selina Hastings, Sinclair-Stevenson, London, 1994.
For Evelyn, it [a trip to the US in Nov 1948] was a joyless experience, the unbeautiful campuses, the characterless hotels — in New Orleans he smashed open the window of his air-conditioned room with his stick ... [pg. 536]

From To Keep the Ball Rolling: The Memoirs of Anthony Powell: Volume Two, Messengers of Day, Heinemann, London, 1978.
One night [at W's family home on North End road] Waugh asked if I would like to hear the opening chapters of a novel he was writing. ... Waugh's embryonic novel — then called Picaresque, or the Making of an Englishman — was the first ten thousand words, scarcely altered at all later, of Decline and Fall. The manuscript was written with a pen on double-sheets of blue lined-foolscape, the cipher EW printed at the top of the first page of each double-sheet. There were hardly any alterations in the text. ... Some months after the reading aloud of these chapters — probably a moment towards the end of the same year [1927] — I asked Waugh how the novel was progressing. He replied: 'I've burnt it.' [pp. 21-2]

And, while we're on the topic of Mr. Waugh, Allan Massie of the Spectator asks, "Can a novelist write too well?"

Introducing Posh Plums

I wanted to take a minute to promote my mother's new Etsy shop, a great place to find unique, hand-embroidered baby clothes and gifts. Head over there if you need a baby shower gift, and stay tuned for her own website, coming soon.

Back in L.A. and back to work

I took a three-week hiatus from work recently to work on moving into my new home in Los Angeles, but now at last I'm happily back to work. (Editor's note: I really didn't mean to use the word "work" so many times in that sentence.)

I spent this morning catching up on Duelism (which is getting better by the week - it's easier to see the progression when you have to read 30 entries in a row), answering emails, and setting up a new round of articles and interviews. By the end of next week, I should have the novel in revisions and several new articles, reviews, and stories finished.

Meanwhile, I'm on the lookout for new L.A. writing opportunities, particularly covering art, literature, and culture in the city - contact me with any new Southern California assignments.

Goodbye, Shanghai!

Tonight is our last night in the city. So long, Shanghai, I'll miss you. I spent more than two years in China, including my first year and a half of married life. I made a lot of great friends, had a lot of harrowing adventures, learned a lot of new things, and most importantly, became a little more good-natured, patient, and fearless. And I even got a book out of it.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be living back in my native Los Angeles - stay tuned!

I was very pleased to wake up this morning amid bubble wrap and boxes to find myself on McSweeneys. Now I'm officially one of the cool kids, at least for today.

Check out Susana Raab and her Etsy storefront, where she sells photos of the desks of William Faulker, Flannery O' Connor, and Eudora Welty. I'd love to hang the Faulkner one in my home office.

Why, how unlikely!

Thanks to Aubrey for TEN new pairs of Unlikely Animal Friends!