HOLD MY HEAD, WE'LL TRAMPOLINE FINALLY THROUGH THE ROOF
Everything something knocks me on my ass, I find myself sitting in front of my computer cranking up "Velouria." Maybe it's Kim Deal's voice, like velvet that's been set on fire and thrown to the bottom of a lake. Why didn't the Pixies make more songs like that? They're so good when they do the slow burn.

I AM MY OWN BEST TROPE
I just got back from the Poets for Peace II reading at Pitt, and I feel oh-so belle of the ball. CMU undergrads rolled in and stole the show. It was strange to be in a room with people from a different writing department. It's possible to forget how insular and self-referential your own department is, especially because after a while your in-jokes just seem to be common sense. It's nice to see similarly pale faces, and readings at least give you something to discuss with everybody else. Everybody was kind, and I met new people. Also, I really love the Cathedral of Learning, and how labyrinthine it is.