NEWS OF THE DAY FOR THOSE WHO DON'T FEEL LIKE DIGGING THROUGH THIS WHOLE SITE...
April 7, 2010
Wow. So two years have passed since I updated this website. Kind of shocking, at least to me. I've been working and working and working away, on a new project.
If the gods are willing, the new project will be seen by eyes other than mine, shortly.
So, I have a new website. Not tons up there yet, but there will be more as time passes. MY NEW WEBSITE is still evolving, but it's going to be the main event from here on out. As well, you can follow me on Twitter these days. http://twitter.com/MARIADAHVANA if writerly hijinks happen to entertain you. This website will stay here, an archive of The Year of Yes. You never know. Things might get posted.
Life is good!
Maria
JANUARY 28, 2008 -
Hi all,
Updating today on behalf of someone other than yours truly, for a nice change. The whole memoir universe gets a little exhaustingly ME-ME-ME - so it's wonderful to take part in something that is about another writer.
Today is about writer Patry Francis , who is a writer and survivor extraordinaire. I don't know her personally - though I tell you, I wish I did. She's one of those people whom, when I began to research her impact on everyone else, seems to be a saint. A saint with a sense of humor and some killer writing skills.
The project today is to support Patry's book, The Liar's Diary, on its release date. Just as her book - a project that took significant effort, faith, and dreams to achieve - was to be released, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She's spent the last few weeks in treatment and in surgery, and still has been blogging her unique and hopeful voice out into the world. She's brave, compassionate, and strong as hell.
Spectacular Susan Henderson, over at the wonderful Litpark , has been instrumental in organizing this Patry Francis support day, in hopes that the community at large might help Patry's book promote, while Patry herself heals. That's how I found out about it.
I'm happy to support Patry, and her book. If you happen upon this, check The Liar's Diary out. It's absolutely worth your click, and your time!
xo
Maria
PS: Here's a little more about this book - shamelessly stolen from Litpark's much longer and much more informed posting!
Here are the publisher 's words:
Answering the question of what is more powerful—family or friendship? this debut novel unforgettably shows how far one woman would go to protect either.
They couldn't be more different, but they form a friendship that will alter both their fates. When Ali Mather blows into town, breaking all the rules and breaking hearts (despite the fact that she is pushing forty), she also makes a mark on an unlikely family. Almost against her will, Jeanne Cross feels drawn to this strangely vibrant woman, a fascination that begins to infect Jeanne's "perfect" husband as well as their teenaged son.
At the heart of the friendship between Ali and Jeanne are deep-seated emotional needs, vulnerabilities they have each been recording in their diaries. Ali also senses another kind of vulnerability; she believes someone has been entering her house when she is not at home—and not with the usual intentions. What this burglar wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali's soul.
When a murderer strikes and Jeanne's son is arrested, we learn that the key to the crime lies in the diaries of two very different women . . . but only one of them is telling the truth. A chilling tour of troubled minds, The Liar's Diary signals the launch of an immensely talented new novelist who knows just how to keep her readers guessing.
And now, here are Patry's words, which I lifted off her blog: "Though my novel deals with murder, betrayal, and the even more lethal crimes of the heart, the real subjects of THE LIAR'S DIARY are music, love, friendship, self-sacrifice and courage. The darkness is only there for contrast; it's only there to make us realize how bright the light can be. I'm sure that most writers whose work does not flinch from the exploration of evil feel the same."
Ready to buy the book? Why not buy one for yourself and one for a friend? And if you like it, tell people!
Here are links to THE LIAR'S DIARY at Amazon , Barnes & Noble.., and Powell's. You can also buy directly from Penguin to save 15%.. (after you add the book to your cart, just enter the word PATRY in the coupon code field and click 'update cart' to activate the discount).
September 6, 2007
Hi all! Long time no talk. In the last few months, I've been working on lots of things - among them an essay for the Sunday New York Times Modern Love section - which will appear on September 16th, 2007. Yay!
Also a new play, the first one I've written in quite a while. It's a wild and wooly satire called Last of the Breed, and it'll get its premiere in my hometown, Boise, Idaho at Boise Contemporary Theater, in April '08, with productions elsewhere to follow, I hope! Here's what BCT has to say about it: "Last of the Breed is the story of Wyatt Munro. Cut from a cloth familiar to many Idahoans, Wyatt lives on a pristine plot of land in the mountains of central Idaho. He has an impressive gun collection, and a pointed distrust of the government. When his private land is threatened by the expansion of a nearby resort, eminent domain law becomes just the first of his concerns. It's Wyatt's response to the threat that launches Maria Dahvana Headley's new play into the comic stratosphere. Seeking protection, Wyatt turns to the Endangered Species Act and has himself declared the "Last American Wildman."
I'm actually heading to Boise on Sept 14 to attend BCT"s season opener Gala, and to premiere another new play, this one very short, at that event. The short is called Fakespeare...and I had an appalling amount of fun writing it. So, if you're in Boise, I hope to see you there!
In other news/projects, I've been working on a couple of TV-related things, one of them regarding The Year of Yes - stay tuned for that! - and a couple of screenplays too. This is not to mention the book (memoir #2) I have almost finished, and the novel I can't seem to keep myself from noodling away at.
You see why I haven't been updating this page!
Hope all's well - and to new readers, thanks for the emails. I hear from new readers every day, from all over the world! For a writer, that's about the coolest thing I can imagine. If you'd like to send a note, click on the contact section, and I'll get your email.
Have a great day!
Maria
4/02/07
If you'd like to hear more of what I think, how I procrastinate, and all the random minutia of my daily life (as if there wasn't enough in TYOY!) pay a visit to THE NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, a consortium of writers logging in from all over hither and yon, and telling tales about everything you can think of. There are tons of great people here, and it's worth a visit even if you've already had all you want of me. I have my first post up today.
Also, if you happen to be in the Lexington, Kentucky area, you should stop by the Bluegrass Festival of Books on Saturday, April 21, to see me and the other members of The Memoirists Collective, along with David Matthews, author of Ace of Spades, live and in person, talking about a whole lotta stuff.
2/15/07
Hello and Happy Valentine's Day Recovery Period!
I have now officially eaten too much chocolate. Plus I made an ill-advised thing involving gelatin and mousse. Part of it was good. Part of it was the texture of a tire. My husband forgave me, but the tire part went into the garbage disposal.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION IF YOU LIVE IN NYC: I am reading on Feb 22, at 7:30 PM. Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
709 lorimer street - williamsburg, Brooklyn - 11211
(718) 302 - 3770
It's going to be fun, fun, fun!
So come out in the freezingness, drink a drink, and listen to me, and Nahid Rachlin, author of Persian Girls talk for a while.
1/08/07
Greetings from the New Year! The Year of Yes comes out in paperback tomorrow, so if you've been waiting to buy it...now is your chance! It's about the same price as a movie...and it will last you longer. Well, unless you're a crazy fast reader or a fan of really experimental stuff, anyway. Also - I'm reading in NYC with The Memoirist's Collective on Jan 16 at KGB Bar. 7pm. Be there, or miss your chance to drink (and, okay, listen to readings) with an ex-drag diva, one of the NY Times top 10 of 2006, at least one very special guest, and yours truly.
Also, one more happy piece of business - The Year of Yes is a finalist in the Books for a Better Life Award - in the Relationship category, and that, I have to say, is very cool.
Happy New Year!
11.10.06
Hello all ye who've gotten here because you read something on Gawker or Radar.
Let it be said that I think Alex Kuczynski is a major babe and in my opinion, there is nothing better than a hot chick with a smart mouth. I met Alex last week in Austin, TX, and not only did I find her hilarious, I really coveted her shoes. I've been reading Alex's book, Beauty Junkies, and it's really good. You should buy it. I like her. She likes me. We like each other. The only person I don't like is the person who said I look like a female Pee-Wee Herman. Although, hell, kudos for originality.
7.25.06
Info on the Cleveland Appearance!
Are you in the Midwest or anywhere near it? Then get yourself to Cleveland on August 7th. We're taking over the town - The Memoirists Collective (that'd be me, Josh Kilmer-Purcell (I AM NOT MYSELF THESE DAYS), Hillary Carlip (QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS), and Danielle Trussoni (FALLING THROUGH THE EARTH) will be appearing together for the first time ever. No, we will not be wearing feathers. No, we will not be high kicking. Well. Maybe we won't be highkicking. It depends on public enthusiasm. We WILL be doing a free reading and Q & A, and then announcing the winner of the Memoirist's WIN A SHOT AT GETTING YOUR MEMOIR PUBLISHED contest - both live, and via webcast, from Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village (24519 Cedar Road), at 7PM. In addition to the reading, signing, and announcement of the contest winner (which is free and open to the public), a ticketed cocktail party with us will be held at Joseph-Beth’s Bronte Bistro. Tickets are available by calling 216/691-7000 or by visiting the store. A portion of the ticket sales will also benefit the Ohio Center for the Book at the Cleveland Public Library.
Yeehaw! It's gonna be ridiculous amounts of fun.
7.18.06
Oh man. It took me forever to update this site this time. Remember the good old days when I used to do it all the time? I don't know what has happened to me. Things I Love is updated for this month (or, you know, this decade) and if I do say so myself, there are some really kickass things there, things you may not have heard of - I got a bit obscure on the music this time around. Heading to Portland, OR 7.20 to do LiveWire, so if you're in that city, and they aren't sold out, love to see you - and if you're not in Portland, come and check out the podcast. Heading to Cleveland on August 7th to do some major shindiggery with the Memoirists Collective, announcing the winner of our super-fabulous Memoir contest (which is open for entries til 7.19, if you happen upon this before then.) Joseph Beth Booksellers is the contest sponsor - and they are fantastic people. All is very very well- things proceed apace with the second book, which is now over 200 pages (it's daunting to look back at this, however, and see that I thought I was almost done with my proposal 2 months ago!!! Aghhhh! For some reason, my brain refused to write the proposal (50 pg) without writing 200 pages of book...)and going strong. Life's good. Summer in Seattle is glorious. And that is that.
5.17.06
Things I Love is updated for this month, so you should go there.
What else?The proposal for my second book is nearly complete, and if you live in Seattle, you can see me doing a very odd little piece on KOMO after the season finale of Desperate Housewives, on May 22.
4.18.06
Time flying here in Second Book Central. However, today, at long last, I've finally updated my Things I Love for this month, and there are some excellent, excellent things there. I give myself no credit. The world just happens to be full of wonderful things.
Also: I am headed to the Wordstock Festival in Portland, Oregon, and it's going to be fun as fun can be. It's a big, cool book festival. There are going to be authors there that, I humbly inform you, I'll be kneeling near, so if you want to find me, look no further than Ira Glass' toes. I am reading too, pre-Mr. Glass. No, I'm not his opening band, though that'd be lovely. I'm the opening band for Steve Almond. And actually, okay, I just happen to be reading before Mr. Almond, on the same stage. I like the idea of authors being opening bands for one another, though. It enables me to play air guitar during my set. I'm reading on the Powell's Books stage at the Oregon Convention Center Sunday at 11:00am. Be there. Be sober. Or not. Hell, be tipsy, and have a lot to say. Elizabeth Strout and I are scheduled at the same time, on different stages. I know, I know, it's gonna be a divided audience. Actually, I'm bummed. I would've gone to see her read, but it was not to be.
3.31.06
Huge news to report....and I grant you, it's a bit of work to get involved, but it's worth it. I've banded together with a couple of other memoirists to create The Memoirist's Collective - a.k.a. The Memoirist Mafia of MySpace. The merry/caustic band includes me, author of, in case, you arrived here without any knowledge, THE YEAR OF YES; Josh Kilmer-Purcell, author of the fabulous I'M NOT MYSELF THESE DAYS; and Danielle Trussoni, author of the equally fabulous FALLING THROUGH THE EARTH. What are we doing, you ask? At the moment, we're holding a contest. Not just any contest, either. The prize is a reading by a real, live, literary agent. Nothing to sneeze at, considering that generally, that's the hardest part about getting published. We put our heads together and determined that an agent is what most unpublished writers want most. You won't necessarily get an agent if you win, but you WILL get a shot at one. And all you need is a really awesome memoir paragraph. (Yes, you need to write it yourself.) Visit the page to see the details. We're sick of writer's bitching at one another, and so we decided to do something nice. And fun. Even if you're not a writer, come join us - we're going to do some exclusive content, and if we do say so ourselves, it ought to be entertaining.
3.21.06
I am in a definite state of high-yeehaw this morning, as I just got notice from The MacDowell Colony that I've been awarded a fellowship for this summer. How cool is this? Very, very cool. Basically, this means that I get to lurk in a little cabin-studio in New Hampshire for four weeks, and, in theory, get my second book done. And maybe my third, too. Four weeks in the middle of nowhere, with lunch delivered in a bucket to my doorknob means that I'm going to get a lot done. And it also means that I am even more grateful than usual. Everyone I know who has been to MacDowell tells me that it's paradise.
3.15.06 PART 2
I just updated the things I love section for March, at long last...I have a bitch of a time doing this. I love too many things.
3.15.06
Two big old things today. They're actually kind of related.
Thing one: I am in TIME OUT NEW YORK this week. It's the bar issue. It's also the 7 Deadly Sins Issue. Guess which sin I am? There's a photo. See my blog on myspace for some description of the extremely stressful photo shoot. One word. Vaseline. Not where you think, either.
Thing two: I will be on Playboy Radio tomorrow. 6pmPST. The show is called Night Calls, and it's on Sirius Channel 198. So, if you have Sirius, you can hear me being interviewed by bunnies. I'm not sure if they are really bunnies. I just like to say that. They are stars of the adult film industry.
3.7.06
WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Big News from Hollywood! Paramount Pictures has acquired the feature film rights for THE YEAR OF YES, for producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen - producers of, among other things, a little something called American Beauty. Needless to say, this rocks. Hard.
"The Year of Yes" is "that rare book that immediately calls out to be a big comedy film," Jinks told Daily Variety.
My feelings exactly. Yeehaw!
3.6.06
At long last, the winner of the contest...I know, I know, I was supposed to do this around Valentine's Day, but then I got strung out doing a lot of Valentine's Day mishigash. THE WINNER IS: Juicy Fruit Mama with Stop, Look, and Listen, a story of dating a man who was a)deaf (nothing wrong with that - in fact, I have a series of men in my life who regularly feign deafness in order to gain a reprieve from my constant conversation) and b) already married, much to the horror of Juicy Fruit Mama. Go to You & Yes to read Juicy Fruit Mama's story in its entirety. The part about the TTY operator is priceless.
3.2.06
Tomorrow night, at BookSoup in West Hollywood, I'll be performing a one-woman spectacle of thrills, chills, and whoop-de-do. In other words, a reading for The Year of Yes. 6pm. See when and where for details. I'm nearing the end of my publicity extravaganza, and I'm punchy. In Seattle, a woman asked me to mime. Who can say what will occur in Los Angeles? Come and find out, darlings.
2.28.06
How is it the last day of February??? Today, for all who are in Seattle, I'm doing a reading at the University Bookstore at 7pm. Be there, or stay home and watch television, but if that's what you do, I'm telling you, you're not going to be having as much fun.
2.16.06
Everyone should see this. Yeah, it's neither light nor funny, but it's incredible work by incredible people, and if you're here because love is something that matters to you, loving this planet we all live on should be part of that. Yes? Yes.
Check out this incredible slideshow of images of transformed landscapes. Photographer Edward Burtynsky did this to benefit Worldchanging.com. Watch the video, and then donate something to Worldchanging. Each dollar you donate will be matched by Burtynsky and the Sapling Foundation, to turn to three dollars. When else does your money multiply that quickly? When else does your money get to do something so good? It's worth it. I promise.
2.15.06
Things you might like to know today: I'm blogging this week (2.13-2.17) on www.powells.com/blog . There, you can read a bunch of miscellaneous thoughts from me, and some of them are even funny. Leave comments, my dears, as comments are how I know you're paying attention. And also how Powell's knows that my transmissions are not just going out into the void.
I'm doing an event in Seattle tomorrow night, 2.16...and if you're single, you should definitely come, because it's a Singles Mixer. Well, kinda. It's also a reading and a drinking-extravaganza. See When and Where for details. You need to register for this one.
