At our Christmas 2013 recital. I will accepting new students starting late February. Contact the Victoria Conservatory of Music to set up an audition/interview.
Spring Studio Recital
Announcing our Spring Studio Recital
Wednesday May 29th
7:00-8:00pm Wood Hall
Victoria Conservatory of Music
Open to Public
Featuring students ages 4 and up from the studio of Erin Frances Fisher
Writing Shirts
My Writing Shirts. I think they describe the process pretty well.
The Goddess Lisa – Forthcoming Short Story
For five years I’ve been walking the same route from home to the Victoria Conservatory of Music where I teach. By the same route, I mean the same route. I’m on automatic pilot to the point of discomfort if, for some reason, I have to walk on the other side of the street.
So for five years I’ve walked over this in the Rudlin sidewalk:
And I wrote a story. “The Goddess Lisa” will find a home with the good people of Little Fiction this Wednesday.
PRISM international 2013 Fiction Contest
I’m thrilled to learn that my short story “Last Concert – Luzon, Philippines” won first runner-up in PRISM international’s 2013 Fiction contest. The story features a constipated classical guitarist on the last concert of his first tour, a hole in a wall, some dogs, and other stuff. This year’s judge was Annabel Lyon, whose writing I admire. Check out the other winners here: THE WINNERS
In other news, I freaked myself out last night, here’s how: apparently I was staring at my lamp with only one of my eyes (??? I know. I was in bed and the other was blocked by a pillow I guess) so when I turned my light off I could see with my left eye but not my right (due to starting at the lamp) and I thought I’d burst a retina or some other awful thing. (All’s back to normal now.)
In third news, I went to Seattle and geeked it out at comicon. Here’s a shirt I bought:
And some friends I made:
Malahat Review May 15th Reading
Malahat Issue 178 (and my short story “Apiculture”) is out and in the mailbox! I hope you enjoy–I had great fun reading at the Malahat Review/This Side of West launch last Tuesday.
Will Johnson interviewed me about this piece, as did Cody Klippenstein (here).
Harpischord, Chair, Sheila Heti
Being done classes has meant that I have a little more time again, and though I’m looking forward to returning to work on a MFA in the fall, it’s been nice to have the morning free before slogging it out on the computer then teaching. (Always on one keyboard or the other)
A number of my students are playing J.S.Bach’s Inventions, so I cleared off the harpsichord of notes for the novel and more than a few glasses/mugs/plants. It’s just a kit, but more apartment friendly then a piano (as is the tiny pump organ beside it) and I’ve developed a weird affection for it.
I also dragged out “Darwin’s Bastards” collection by Zsuzsi Gartner because Sheila Heti has a story in it and she’s reading and being interviewed by Lee Henderson tomorrow. (Check it out here: Open Space) And yes, that is an overgrowen pitcher plant behind the book.
A Few Books
I recently read “The Flame Alphabet” by Ben Marcus. The book looks great, the title is good, and the premise (the language of children has become toxic) got me on a bus in search of it. Additionally, it has Big Names (Chabon, Sfran Foer) on the back pumping the book’s Awesomeness. And there is some awesomeness to the book–there’s a lot of great descriptions and the quality of writing is A+. There’s just…too much of it. And nothing really happens.
There are comprehensive (uncomfortable) reviews already out there, so I won’t go on, but reading “The Flame Alphabet” got me thinking of all the really great books I’ve read lately.
Here (in the order they came to me) are a few:
1. The Sisters Brothers ~ Patrick deWitt
A Western that doesn’t go where you expect it. Dark, funny, and surreal. A book that inspires writing (read: I wish I wrote this)
2. Breath ~ Tim Winton
I’ve admired Tim Winton’s prose since discovering his short stories “The Turning”, and while his stories seem well-knit I haven’t always loved the structure to his novels. This one, though, was fab: a lesson in retrospective.
3. The Golden Mean ~ Annabel Lyon
A novel about Aristotle, this book convinced me to try first person point of view (thank-you, Annabel.)
4. Civilwarland in Bad Decline ~ George Saunders
Bleak, funny, heartful; classic Saunders plus ghosts.
Cross section of a Saturday night at House of EB
The Juicer–a new addition to the family. Way fun on a Saturday!
Pieces in Progress
With a bit (a tiny, tiny bit) more time this year (taking less classes) I’ve been hoping to put on a concert either late this spring or early next fall. Here’s one of the pieces on the list: Rachmaninoff’s Suite #1, Fantasy for Two Pianos, played by Martha Agerich & Dario Ntaca.