Melissa has never been good at choosing
just one path. After finishing high school
with the dubious honor of being voted "most
likely to end up in jail," she went
to college and graduate school. There curiosity
(and tuition bills) led her to the dual
jobs of teaching and slinging drinks at
a biker bar. During the daylit hours, she
indulged in long literary chats; at night,
she lingered with intriguing people with
one word names.
Eventually, she went on to bartend at
a number of other weird little bars,
teach lit both live and online, and discover
the joy of tattoos. All three have been
great rushes. The latter borders on addiction,
but is held in check by the desire to
attend the opera without flashing too
many tattoos.
After marrying someone who shares the
love of ink--on the page and on the skin--Melissa
began moving around the country. In the
process, she discovered how vast the
Mojave really is, how many incredible
museums are out there, and how hard it
can be to think about settling in one
place. She's continued teaching along
the way, but traded beer-slinging for
book writing.
Minutia:
I buy the theory that who we are is
reflected in the minutia, so here are
my pieces and parts--
Music-- I love most anything acoustic,
traditional Irish & Scottish music,
old blues (preferably in bars, live),
old punk, rock, or reggae. Honestly,
I've yet to find a genre I can't like.
Current Playlist-- Jem, Sugarcult, Ramones,
Damien Rice, Tegan & Sara, Linkin
Park, Poe, Sex Pistols, AFI, Marilyn
Manson, The Used, and Shivaree
Literary authors-- Faulkner, Christina
Rossetti, R. Browning, Rilke, Baudelaire,
and Kate Chopin.
Recent Reads that Made me Pause in Awe
-- Szymborska (in translation) and Laurie
Halse Anderson's YA novel Speak.
Repeat Reads -- Eliot (The Wasteland),
Conrad (Heart of Darkness), Dillard (The
Writing Life), Browning (dramatic monologues),
Shakespeare (comedies &/or tragedies,
no histories please), Chaucer (C. Tales),
and the list just keeps growing.
Books in General--I read an average
novel in a few hours, so I have stacks
of paperbacks tilting precariously all
over the house. My shelves are filled
with everything from a biography of Chesty
Puller to murder mysteries and folktales.
Except for inspirational novels and self-help
books, I read most everything I can get
my hands on.
Dessert-- tiramisu, still-hot brownies,
fresh raspberry pie
Food-- fresh bread, beef stew, green
peas, sliced cucumbers, potatoes, clementines
. . . I'm a "kick" eater. I
want one specific food non-stop for days
on--living on heaping plate of peas for
meals--and then I move on to something
else for a while.
Place-- tidepools, the beach off-season,
the Mojave, ghost towns, abandoned buildings,
ruins, museums, small dying cities, Sundays
downtown in cities where I can wander
around towering buildings with few people
Flowers/Plants-- Weeping Willow, Joshua
Tree, Calla Lily, Ivy, Iris, wild flowers,
cactus, plants that sprout where it seems
impossible to thrive, plants that sway,
flowers that leave the air thick enough
to taste . . .
Tattoos--6 stargazer lilies, a very
lengthy vine, a religious symbol in a
washed water-colour palate, and a full
back piece of Ms. Muse dancing on bones
and flowers (in progress). Sigh. It's
not nearly enough, but I'm trying to
pace myself. |
