Top Ten Things I've Learned so Far @ WWW:

10. Like photographers, painters, and musicians, writers are artists. Seek inspiration everywhere.
9. Always be sensitive, but protective. If you can’t cry, you can’t write.
8. Note to Self: Do not ask CW during dinner “what he is doing after.”
7. Neck ties are not just for decoration.
6. As humans, we are the only species who need to remind ourselves who we are. That’s our job as writers.
5. It’s all about the “want.”
4. It takes Colson Whitehead 6 mos to a year to outline and brainstorm a novel.
3. Writing apprentices need to write everyday. And…
2. It’s okay to make mistakes. Revision is imperative-- even when it means throwing pages out.
1. Writing is a hallucinatory act. If you can’t see it, no one else will either.

I'm finally beginning to understand what it means to "live the life of a writer." After starting this internship, I feel like Gonzo in "Muppets in Space," when he lands on a faraway planet that's filled with other Gonzos. "There's more of me!" I'm glad to be sharing such a unique experience with some delightfully hallucinating peers... I especially liked attending the reading last week, and hearing Russell's voice create a clear image of "the fish," and its blood red gills expanding and searching for air. I feel like I'm finally discovering my own source of oxygen...

I should have been an English major...
Al :)