I'm a genius. And modest, too.

Every now and again, my creative impulses kick into overdrive and I pick up a new hobby. One time, it was copying flowers out of the encyclopedia with cheap watercolor paints. When I was living alone in college and had no friends in town, I tried to join a knitting group that turned out to be all Catholic girls, and I unwittingly insulted the Pope. Therefore, I only got as far as learning how to knit scarves, which I did with ferocity until it got a little ridiculous and I gave the yarn to the cat. Lately, I have been thinking with nostalgia (me? never!) of a photography class I took in junior high where I learned all about this old camera of my dad's and took some pretty nice pictures. I found the old camera in a closet and bought some 35mm film. The little snag is, after 13 years or so, those little numbers and dials don't mean so much to me anymore. I struggled to remember which one was the F-stop and what that did exactly. Is this where I adjust the aperture? Am I compensating for the lack of a flash?
But I'm nothing if not persistent, and I did remember how to load the film, so I took the old camera out and played with it: I took a whole roll of pictures and congratulated myself on my ingenuity. I had a little congratulatory conversation with myself when I wound up the little roll and went home with the old-fashioned camera slung across my shoulder.

Alyse: That wasn't so bad!

Alyse: Not bad at all. I should have tried for some grittier subject matter than downtown Greenville.

Alyse: I know, but if those turn out as good as I think they will, we might be looking at the possibility of a book on old downtowns in rural Texas. Yes, sirree.

Alyse: A coffee table book! You're so amazing, Alyse. You really are.

Alyse: Stop it!

Alyse: No, I mean it. You have always had a knack for the creative. I think you captured the glow of the evening sun just right, as it's turning everything pinkish-orange.

Alyse: Thanks. I think so too.

I went to Wal-Mart today. Even though it was more expensive and I'm unemployed, I got the one hour photo developing because I could not wait to see what Pulitzer-worthy material I had pulled out of my ass.
I'm thinking of a hardcover price of $34.99, then of course when the paperback launches we can decrease that by five or ten bucks. Here's a preview, please comment:



Look at that grain! So vintage! People pay big bucks for the distressed look!