Podcast

Chicago Center for Literature and Photography has a podcast up that I did with them yesterday. Check it.

Our Dog is Famous

Did a reading at Quimby's last night with Ken Foster, who is an important link in the chain that led Percy to find us, and you can read all about it in his new book.

No, Percy didn't make the cover. That's Ken's dog. I don't know what went into that decision. But in any case, check it out - Ben and I get special mention as well!

Bunches of Readings

Hi Kids!
I've got readings all over the place in the next two weeks.

Friday, October 19, 7:00 at The Book Cellar: Come hear "Witty Women Writers" Stacey Ballis, Wendy McClure, Claire Zulkey, Jen Lancaster and me. 4736 N. Lincoln.

Saturday, October 20, 7:00 at Quimby's, 1854 W. North Ave: Ken Foster, Megan Stielstra, me, and maybe some dogs. Maybe my own dog Mr. P.

Thursday October 25, 7:30 The Fixx Coffee Bar, 3053 N Sheffield, with Roy Kesey (all the way from China!) and Jonathan Messinger.

And if you happen to have a limo, you could also go to the screening of Bubblerama at the River East AMC that same night at 6:30, details at www.bubblerama.com. It's only a half hour, so it could happen.

Green. Very green.

I do what little I can to go green, more and more, although unlike my husband I'm not ready to make the move from tissues to handkerchiefs. I use a lot of tissues, at times, and one hanky, well, it's just not gonna work for me.

Recently I've been using Trader Joe's pocket packs of tissues, and I didn't realize before I bought them that they were 100% recycled.

I don't know what to make of this.

My mind goes, well, it goes to a bad place. It takes the word green into a whole new dimension.

Let's not even speak about recycled toilet paper.

Poor

Dear My Students,
I know, my penmanship is terrible. I will work on that, although you should know it was the only subject in elementary school in which I got a 'poor' and it may not improve significantly now that I am long out of third grade. In the meantime, please be aware of the following: if you see a note next to a sentence that looks like it says "No!" in fact, what it most likely says is "Ha!"
I would never write something so brazenly shaming on your work.
Your Professor,
E. Crane

I Go To Premieres and Shit

Here is a still from Bubblerama, MY (first) MOVIE:



The premiere at the MCA last night was super glam and my friend Liz told me I looked so Hollywood which made me very happy since it was exactly what I was going for. I figure, you know, when in Rome... no one needed to know my Hollywood outfit was a top from Forever 21 and a very last minute belt that was actually a necklace and a pin, which looked very cute until I attempted, um, moving, at which time it kept falling off.

But enough about my outfit.

The movie is awesome. It's based on this crazy story I wrote, called Stealer. There are some amazing (and surreal) images in the film but I don't want to give too much away since I think it will be more widely available for your viewing pleasure soon (stay tuned). There were twizzlers in the theater and the party was fancy and fun and they served yummy small food like tiny burgers, tiny milk and cookies, and tiny soup with tiny grilled cheese. And there were gift bags! With bubbles and cookies and champagne - we donated ours to a very, very excited homeless lady on the street. (This could be a whole separate post...) Check out the website again, on the link above - there's some cool stuff there, including an interview with the adorable and sweet actors (watch closely for a clip from the film in there featuring ME) who were so so so great and perfect, and you can also send an email message to a friend from 'the doll' (although the voice is computer-generated and not the helium-goodness in the film).

Yep, this is how we roll. I'm just glad this is only how we roll sometimes, because if we rolled like this every day I would roll through life dazed and spaced out from all the excitement, which keeps me awake at night. I would be willing to roll like this slightly more often though, if it keeps paying the rent.

The Lost Baldwin

This morning we met a French bulldog at the park.

He tried to bite Percy's ears.

His name is Daniel Baldwin.

What, you want more?

Kid Nation

Okay, I care about kids. I don't have any but I am pro-taking care of them.

And I think Kid Nation is my new favorite show. I almost cried like six times.

The clip here on Gawker, might or might not prove my point. But in fact, these two kids were really great, even though the shaggy haired little boy decided to go home, and I love that moment where the older girl comes to take care of Jimmy.

And that little girl ended up being really glad she stayed - she toughed it out and felt really proud of herself. There was also another girl, a fifteen year old named Sophia, who rocked it - totally stepped up.

Is the show contrived, is it sort of Survivor for little kids except no one gets booted off and they have food and roofs over their heads? Yes. Are these kids really great? I think they are. Check it.

Ben Moments

The other night Ben walked out of the bedroom in a very odd, squiggly fashion - I thought maybe he had tripped. I said, What was that?

He said, That was my straightening out the rug dance, and then he performed it again.

This morning, Ben said, This book is awesome! I thought he was still reading The Devil in White City. He said, No, The Theory of Mouldings!

Love Lift Us Up To A Higher Place

Not sure if I've mentioned our singing habits around here, but they include making up words to existing songs, making up entire songs around things like frozen foods ("Mini Beef Tacos"* is a classic) and other less romantic things. Also, Ben tends to sing falsetto pretty much always.

Yesterday he was singing the theme to Officer and a Gentelman in the aforementioned falsetto, thusly:

"Love lift us up where we belong
to a higher place
to the Asian race."

There were more lyrics after this that also rhymed with ace, and some of them were pretty funny, I'm pretty sure outer space was in there too, but I forgot the rest because I was still back on Asian race. Because - it seems like it almost means something... but it really doesn't.

*Mini beef tac-ohhhs
mini beef ta-cohs.
Repeat