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~I'm haut.

~I love this quote from Tayari Jones:

"Something happened today that I think is worth discussing for all of us out there in Writerland. A friend, a former student, and a terrific writer was accepted into MacDowell for the summer. After seeing my frowny-face report yesterday, he was reluctant to tell me. While I love him to death for having such a tender and sympathetic heart, I hope that he will know that he can ALWAYS tell me his good news. He's my student and I am happy for him, always. (And doesn't he know that his accomplishments are mine, too? I brag about him. BRAG.)

This is an issue that will come up again and again. If you are a teacher, and you're any good, you will have at least one student that passes you by in terms of success. That's the way it's meant to be. You teach them everything you know and they add to whatever they came with and let's hope they end up with something magical and better.

On the peer side of equation, this will happen again and again. You have to learn how to listen to your friends squeals of delight and be honestly happy for them-- even if you applied for the same position. On the flip side, as a friend, you have to choose friends who can celebrate with you. But also, you have to learn to be friend enough to keep the back-flips in check.

It's a delicate dance, but it's part of the choreography of this life we've chosen. "

~PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you LIVE IN ILLINOIS, sign congresswoman Julie Hamos's petition to change policies at Tamms, the "supermax" prison that is guilty of hardcore human rights abuses. This is "do or die" time for a very important bill that Chicago-based activists have been working very hard for months and months to push through.