The View From Here #113: Arlington Heights, IL

Okay, I’m going to write fast. This is an interim “View From Here,” to give you a quick heads up as I gear up for the next big traveling season.

Contrary to some suggestion from the last “View”, I am NOT going to stop sending out these updates, but rather was drawing that particular line of narrative to a close, to give some sort of punctuation to the book I am pulling together.

What have I been up to? Mailings, Posters and Books. I’ve sent out lots of e-mails, mostly to French teachers, in anticipation of the annual American Association of Teachers of French Conference, and the response is still active and lively.

I downloaded a 30-day trial of Adobe Illustrator, and re-did all of my flyers and posters and brochures in about 30 days. As of today, I’m cut off again, but I may be able to live off of the advertising I’ve pulled together for the next 5 or 6 months.

I’ve updated most of my books with new drafts, and gotten some copies into the hands of some publishers / editors / agents, but still have LOTS to do before I get on the road again for good on July 16. Somehow, editing is always the thing that I leave for last. I don’t know why, I’m always excited to read the material I’ve created so far, and new ideas pop all the time for new chapters and sidebar comments. I think it’s the cynicism of “none of this will ever get published anyway; why bother?” Gotta lose that.

Also, I did another Pathways weekend, which gave me yet another fresh outlook on life! Life is good. Really, it is.

Tomorrow I set off for Chattanooga, Tennessee, where my new event: THE ONE-MAN, ONE-MAN PLAY FESTIVAL, is making its world premiere at the Barking Legs Theatre, June 29 through July 1. You can see three shows in a single night, with “Criteria” at 6 pm, “Moliere Than Thou” at 8 pm, and “Karaoke Knights” at 10 pm. The press releases alone (along with good word of mouth from Sabra) seem to have stirred some interest, and the Chattanooga Pulse has named the event “OUR TOP PICK” for events going on this summer! Likewise, I’ve had two interviews over the phone with the Chattanooga press, so I have high expectations.

If Chattanooga is too far to go, I’ll be coming back to Chicago to do it all again on July 14 and 15. You can catch all three shows in a single night at the Actors Workshop Theatre, 1044 West Bryn Mawr, in Chicago’s Edgewater District. Info and reservations at: http://www.actorsworkshop.org/. There are only 35 seats in this space, so reserve your seats ahead of time!

Also, you’ll notice that the Vancouver Fringe is back OFF of this year’s schedule. Confusion in the application process led me to believe, incorrectly, that I was “in” for this year’s fest. I’m not, but that means my September is open for events in the Pacific Northwest! I’ll let you know as things develop!

That’s it! See you soon!

Love,
Tim

Discoveries: Stop being so cynical!