Monthly Archives: December 2011

Survivor Guilt, 2011 Edition

Posted on December 31, 2011 by José Iriarte

I’ve been seeing a lot of blog posts around talking about how 2011 was a terrible year, either for the blogger or for the world in general. I’m not so sure how terrible it was for the world–yeah, we saw … Continue reading →

Posted in artist's life, bookish life, close to home | 4 Comments

More of a TBR Mountain than a TBR Pile

Posted on December 28, 2011 by José Iriarte

I have a confession to make: I’m a pathological collector of books. I buy ’em faster than I can read ’em. Especially if it’s on the discount rack–then if it seems at all interesting, into the basket it goes. Hey, … Continue reading →

Posted in bookish life, books you might enjoy, lists | 10 Comments

Seriously, Shepherd Boy, What the Hell?

Posted on December 25, 2011 by José Iriarte

I got to know this song way better than I probably needed to while preparing for my Candlelight Procession experience last week, and was struck by a verse I’d never really noticed before: Said the shepherd boy to the mighty … Continue reading →

Posted in fail, first world problems, music | 8 Comments

No Test Left Behind

Posted on December 20, 2011 by José Iriarte

Over the last couple weeks or so, many people in my circles were abuzz over this Washington Post article by Marion Brady relating the experience of a school board member who took a high-stakes test designed for high school students. … Continue reading →

Posted in math, teaching | 5 Comments

Jack Frost roasting on an open fire, chestnuts nipping at your nose

Posted on December 18, 2011 by José Iriarte

There may be people out there who’ve had more cool experiences than I have, but I’ve definitely been pretty lucky in that regard. I’ve met a lot of awesome people and had a lot of unique adventures, and last week … Continue reading →

Posted in artist's life, music | Leave a comment

Have you paid for your Wikipedia?

Posted on December 14, 2011 by José Iriarte

A few months ago I began using Write Or Die as a way to focus my concentration and boost my productivity. First I used it as a brainstorming tool, but in the last couple months, I’ve used it to draft … Continue reading →

Posted in artist's life, assorted nerdom, writing | 2 Comments

On rejection: the artist’s constant companion

Posted on December 13, 2011 by José Iriarte

I found this awesome post by Chuck Wendig via Janet Reid’s blog: 25 Things Writers Should Know About Rejection In addition to being filled with excellent points, it’s funny as hell to boot. This is my favorite part: Rejections Are … Continue reading →

Posted in link soup, writing | 1 Comment

My Current WIP

Posted on December 12, 2011 by José Iriarte

I’m not one of those people who can write 50,000 words in a month at the best of times. (Not yet, anyway.)  Still, while I did make a dent on a new manuscript last month, this is one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Leave a comment