The photo is of the first four issues of Eastern Washington University's biannual literary magazine, Willow Springs. Richard Le Compte, John Naccarato, Miriam DeShazo, Tom Smith and I founded the magazine back in 1977. The others were in their 20s, I in my 30s. We had dandy battles about content. A long time ago that was. All the world of art and literature lay before us to conquer. I'm far inland of the invasion beach, and the enemy shows no sign of surrender.Making fast progress on the rewrite of Angie's Choice. Into Chapter Seven and liking what I read. Good structure, suspenseful elements, solid characters—this is a publishable novel, certainly. Made another intelligent change. At novel's outset, Angie's suicidal over recent SIDS death of infant daughter. Originally I gave her suicidal thoughts about a butcher knife? This rewrite, I thought, "What yuppie woman plans to slit her wrists with a butcher knife?" Now Angie's suicidal thoughts concern prescription barbiturates. Naturally!
Women (and men) do think about butcher knives when they're fighting with a spouse. A Vancouver man is presently on trial for killing his girlfriend with a knife. One of my ex's snatched a butcher knife out of a kitchen drawer and threatened me. I laughed. I knew she didn't have it in her to harm anyone, but it was admirably dramatic. Much of my life was painfully dramatic in those days. Wives had to amp up their own gestures in order to share the stage with my grandiose performances.
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