Needed to get this off of my chest ...

Here's a quick post, just so I don't forget.

Please, please, please stop using the word "me" as the subject of your sentences. Some examples:

Me and her went to the movies.

Me and him have some issues.

Me and him have been going out for a year.




It's "She and I," "He and I" and "He and I" once again. "I" is a subject. "Me" is an object. This is something I learned when I was at least 8 years old.

I can't take hearing people talk like this and having to bite my tongue any longer.

Whew, I feel better now.

I'll post more later.

The Writing Project

My boyfriend has left for the weekend and he has this giant iMac computer in the most secluded part of our apartment -- it is like this big machine that I never ever touch -- but now that he is gone, here I sit behind it. Which makes me feel like I should probably post something here.

Normally I write on the little laptop, but he took it with him on his trip to his parents' house.

I'm not really that interested in writing about fashion today. I get to edit stories on it for real now, on a near-daily basis. So maybe that need is being satisfied.

In any case ... I need to make some headway on my book. I've been writing it on the train, but sometimes I am too tired to stick with it. Last night, I saw "Julie and Julia" with my mother, who was up for a visit. Something about watching this 30-year-old in Queens embark on this huge project that involved writing every day really inspired me.

The movie was definitely more empowering for women than anything I've seen in a long time. Despite the fact that it was about cooking.



But there was a time when cooking was "men's work," especially if it was seen as an art, so for someone like Julia Child to think she could study it with a bunch of men was probably considered absurd back in the 1940s.

I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this ... I guess it's that there was a part in the movie where each of the protagonists, Julia Child in 1950s Paris and Julie Powell in Queens, NY, in about 2002, received word that a book they had written was going to be published. And both wanted to be able to find some kind of purpose in their lives ... to take what was their passion and share it with others. Julia did so with a lengthy cooking book, which ended up having a large-scale effect on so many women. And then the modern-day character, Julie, used that cooking book to jumpstart her life and find something she really loved doing. She found herself surrounded by "writers" who had achieved some kind of mainstream success and couldn't figure out how to do that on her own, despite the fact that her husband constantly encouraged her writing and told her how talented she was.

I should probably attach some kind of spoiler alert to this post. Sorry if you've yet to see this movie ...
Anyway, I want to have that feeling in my life ... that is all that I'm saying. Maybe I should update my process in this, in finishing my memoir ... or at least my process in finishing this essay I've started for The Sun (a literary magazine that recently asked me to contribute).

My boyfriend works and socializes with several young writers, people trained in fiction writing, who have published one book if not many. People who are well-known now, although they may not have been when I first met them.

There is no reason why I can't be brave enough to be one of these people. And I'm not saying that I want any kind of notoriety. Just that I want to succeed with putting my stuff out there ... stuff that is not just journalism, which is my main profession, but the writing that is more free-form for me ... because my sense is that I could have a strong impact, just maybe ... and just maybe have that same sense of fulfillment those characters have in that film.


(The moment Julia discovered that her book would be published.)

I'll have to keep updating on here ... maybe this can be a motivator .... who knows.

In the meantime, here's a great article on the movie and Nora Ephron.

Summer 1989 ... I mean, 2009

My posts have been few and far between lately. I apologize for the idiom, but that's the best way I can describe them ... I'm thinking that the post about losing my friend has to win some world records for length, though, so maybe that makes up for the lull.

I've been busy. I'm copy editing and getting paid lately, soon to be full-time with benefits. I'm super happy about this.

I was actually not paying attention to fashion much for a little while there. It seemed rather frivolous, what with people getting laid off and the economy the way it is.

And I suppose, now, it is still frivolous. Despite my getting a job, so many people are still out of work and I can't help but feel a bit guilty about that, especially with the state of my industry. I know I am extremely lucky that I'm no longer out of work and I'm planning on doing some community service on the weekends from now on to give back more.

In the meantime, maybe frivolous things like my blog can at least provide some entertainment. So here goes ... Summer 2009 version ...

From what I can tell so far, this summer is all about the 1980s. It's been inching on us, this crazily unrealistic trend, and now it is here in full blast. It seems odd since that decade is usually considered the "me" decade, full of materialistic tendencies and those can't be running high right now. Then again, lots of people were out of work in the beginning of the 1980s, so maybe that's what this is all about.

I hadn't noticed the trend so much until I visited two of my all-time favorite stores yesterday -- Free People and Urban Outfitters -- and was confronted and affronted by the following ensembles:

(In Free People)









(In Urban Outfitters)









So, to sum up, everything was ugly, ugly and more ugly.

I eventually had to leave both stores because of the searing pain in my eyes. My left eye was actually pretty dry and bothering me, but this experience made the pain both literal and figurative. So, it was figuratively burning my eyes. Take that, all you abusers of "literally."


I only found a total of two items I might consider buying in the stores:

(In Free People)



(In Urban Outfitters)



I guess at least I know that if I ever want to look like Princess Leia on the planet Endor, all I need to do is buy a helmet and one of these:



Sylish, no, But good to know for when I feel like befriending some Ewoks.

I don't know what it is about the return of the fashion trends from one's birth era that makes them so unappealing. Or what it is that makes those kids born a decade later so curious about dressing in those retro styles once they turn about 20. As many people say, these were TERRIBLE the first time. So how they are actually selling this stuff is beyond me.

Any ideas?

I guess I can't be too critical though, considering that Macy's is hawking what they call the "Summer of Love," which I think already happened, but the cool, bohemian looks are calling out to me just the same when I walk by their windows on 34th Street. I was definitely born about 20-30 years too late.



For some reason, I'm really liking that oxymoronic, army green peace sign T-shirt. And despite complaining about them last summer, now I keep thinking I NEED a maxi-dress. I still don't like the word maxi-dress though. There's something excessive about it. When you think about the word miniskirt, any other length would just be called a skirt, right? Maybe not. I guess there can be an optimal dress length and then a maximum dress length. Maybe that's what bothers me about it -- what is the maximum dress length allowed?

Let's just call them sundresses.

As far as grammar gripes go -- I found this on The New York Times Web site the other day (from Schott's Vocab blog):

"Lovers of language can be jealous types, quick to object if the subject of their affections is mistreated by politicians, jilted by marketeers or molested by journalists.

'At the end of the day, guys, you know, it’s about vowing to boldly create a level playing field, OK?, where – to be fair – frankly, and in all honesty … um … the vast majority of very unique issues are literally jaw-dropping, irregardless of the bottom line or the options for synergy and the hope for change.'"

Yeah, that's about right. Click here for more.

Typical grammar issues are bothering me lately. I heard people use the words "me and her" and "me and him" as subjects of their sentences at least eight times today, but part of that was because I inexplicably watched the newest season of "The Real World" on MTV twice.

I really hope the country doesn't have to lay off any more teachers. It seems our education system is failing these kids ... or at least their vocabularies are severely suffering. Just the other day, I heard little Abigail Breslin use the phrase "at the end of the day." The horror.

And I have to admit that even Jimmy Fallon (whom I love) used the words "me and my wife" as the subject of one of his sentences tonight when it should have been "my wife and I" ... but I'll cut him some slack, for obvious reasons ... and because lately he's been wearing some of the funniest sneakers I've ever seen. If anyone can find a photo of his mirrored shoes, please send it to me. They basically look like disco balls.

Unbelievable sense of relief ...

After about a year of searching, I am now employed full-time as an editor at a magazine in NYC. Which means I've essentially accomplished what I set out to do when I moved to New York in May 2003.

There's something extremely gratifying about that. I'm glad I never gave up.

More on all this later.

On a personal note -- sorry, fashionistas, I needed this ...

I've figured out that I need to raise somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000 by December for my friend's wedding, which will be impossible if I don't get a full-time job soon.

Stressed? Yes, although I have to say, that's a pretty ugly word. And it's really over-used these days. Still. I'm not really upset about the situation -- it will be a wonderful time and they have decided on this crazy-luxurious resort in Jamaica -- a seven-room villa with its own personal butler, chef and housekeeper, not to mention a private pool and two golf carts! Like I need a golf cart, but still ... I read somewhere that Queen Elizabeth once stayed in this resort.



My friend is paying for my room, but I still have to pay airfare and for this meal plan that will last for the three days I am there. Oh, did I mention that the resort also has a few miles of private beach?

All that money does not include paying for the bridal shower and bachelorette party, so I figure it will end up around $2,000. But I'm sure I will get that new editor job to replace the old one in no time ... it is strange to have another reason to have to get one, other than my own well-being. I guess I didn't have these kinds of responsibilities before. My boyfriend (who works from home) has been getting rather annoyed with me being around so much lately ... as I mentioned, I was sick for about a month for reasons I won't go into ... and he was great with taking care of me. But not being able to leave the house got kind of old.

And now I have this part-time job for his company that I am learning how to do still. My training is in journalism -- in magazine and newspaper editing. I am a crackerjack copy editor -- my last boss used to tell me that I had very talented eyeballs, which I found ironic because of my Duane's syndrome, but I guess I compensate nicely -- and now I am editing fiction, which is another animal altogether. I did well with the first book and got to meet the author the other night at his reading in New York. He was pleased with my edits and he said "we did a nice job together" which gave me such a nice feeling. But this week, I heard complaints that I had basically corrected too much in the last two books I edited -- that I had added too many commas and appropriate punctuation marks, used AP style to change spelled-out numbers to numerals where needed and to abbreviate dates and state names, etc. One author was particularly angry, and that is something I've never experienced before. In fact, I've gotten used to reporters or higher editors being very happy with my edits and either learning from me or feeling that they could rely on me to get it right.

Thank goodness my boyfriend vouched for my abilities (he is the book designer), but going forward, I am going to have to use a very light touch with these books. Only misspellings from now on, maybe. Or if it is drastically wrong, I will definitely change it.

This has been an odd summer, to say the least. I feel like lots of things are happening in a way that I have no control over ... and it is up to me to react to them appropriately. My step-dad has this favorite saying about how you can tell a person's character from how they act when things are not going well ... but I think you can tell even more from how they react when things are going well one week, not so well the next, well the next week ... and up and down like a roller coaster.

Because that is how things seem lately. That is a much stronger test of faith and I am trying not to be a brat or "stressed" about things ... but it is not easy.

A time for every season and fashion

I have a meeting today with a magazine editor whose work I have respected for some time ... and I am very nervous. Since I was sick for most of the past two weeks and I've been indoors quite a bit since getting laid off (which kind of sucks for summertime!), I'm concerned that I'll come across as less social than I normally am. I wonder about the timing of this ... I could have e-mailed this editor two years ago when I discovered that she contributed to my boyfriend's lit. journal, but I was too intimidated ... it was one of those deals where the thing you want the most is also the thing that scares you the most. I just plain was not ready.

Now, it turns out that I am copy-editing her short story collection next year and I mentioned to my editors that I would love the chance to talk with her, especially about how to go about recovering from my layoff and moving on to the next step for me in magazines. Working for a print magazine is super-scary right now. I only had my first job at one for five months, but I loved it and I know for sure that it is what I want to do.

Anyway, this could be a fantastic opportunity and I hope I do not ruin it for myself just because I am nervous. I just have to remember that I don't have to prove anything to this person ... I just have to be myself. Right?

Still debating on whether I should bring in a binder full of my published clips ... she said she would like to help me get a meeting with a talent recruiter at Hearst, which makes it all the more fitting that my boyfriend and I rented "Citizen Kane" on Friday night. Not that "Citizen Kane" is encouraging for journalists ...

If I do get the opportunity to meet with this talent recruiter -- as I'm guessing I will, unless I seriously blow it tomorrow or spill scalding, hot coffee on this editor's lap -- it might also be helpful that my favorite journalism professor used to work for him. I was rather surprised to discover that ... as much as people might complain about online journalism replacing print journalism, I mean, c'mon, this medium can provide excellent research tools. As long as you are smart enough to know what to believe and what not to ... which is the danger of it, of course. Maybe we need Kane telling all of us what to believe. Oh wait, we have tabloids for that ... and our government.

Scary times ... but also rather synchronistic times. At least for me at this very moment. The past month I said a couple times that I hoped God had some kind of project he was working on for me because things were pretty damn sucky and surprisingly so. Yes, I added a "y" to create an adjective.

I apologize for the attempt at insight and the over-usage of ellipses ... this is how I write when thinking things out. I promise I'll be back to fashion and grammar nonsense soon ...

Here is something to tide you over, however:

Seems that Urban Outfitters and those born between 1985 and 1995 still have a memory lapse when it comes to terrible 1980s fashion. Yes, this pair of gorgeous, Dwight-Shrute-esque glasses are really, truly available on the Urban Outfitters Web site right now. I know I'm a bit out of touch on hipster fashion since leaving New York, but if I see someone wearing these at any point this weekend when I go into the city ... well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I'm only going to feel truly old when mid-1990s fashion comes back in style ... yeah, I know grunge has made a slight reemergence, but it's not really in full-effect anywhere yet. I did see a suit-warehouse commercial in York, PA, a month ago, though, which featured four models dressed in a variety of crayola-colored suits reminiscent of Color Me Badd, circa 1994. Hence the band name? Maybe they were colored extra bad, so it required that extra "D"? Imagine trying to explain that musical phenomenon to a 14-year-old, as my boyfriend's nephew saw the commercial with us and had no clue what we were talking about. "You've never heard of 90210?"

Thank goodness VH1 broadcasts shows like "I love the '70s". I don't think I remember much of anything earlier than 1982, and if I do, it is in this weird bottom cabinet in the back of my brain. My boyfriend couldn't believe that I had never heard of some weird antiquated video game called "Merlin" that they mention on "I love 1978" (he was born in 1974 -- go figure). Anyway, it made me feel young, which was fantastic.


Yes, I am still watching too much television lately.