On the Balls of Our A$$ets

Remember when I attended that writing conference in Italy in 2018 ? (I know, I barely do either. Sometimes I think about Paul Simon's " America " and hum, " Recanati seems like a dream to me now..." Not quite the same ring as Michigan, but  the same sentiment. Y ou get it.)  I've never recapped that trip, probably because it still  feels wildly self-indulgent—going alone, drinking amazing wine, talking about books for a week .  B ut I have an exciting update that's a direct result of attending so I wanted to share.  I started out in Rome, wandering through piazzas, admiring breathtaking architecture at every turn, getting lost despite having a map, courtesy of my hop-on, hop-off bus tour, sampling eggplant Parmesan ... ... nursing my minimal jet-lag with coffee and tiramisu.... The following day, my fellow attendees and I met and divided into small groups for  the drive from Rome to Recanti. I rode with two poets who already knew one another. One had pub

Photo by  Ian Taylor  on  Unsplash Lately, there's been a lot of talk about "The Great Rehire" as companies ramp up following last year's mass layoffs.  Initially, I was skeptical, but then I heard from two  recruiters in the same week. One had a great opportunity that I wasn't really qualified to pursue, so she said she'd be in touch if she found anything better suited to my skill set.  The other had an opening for a copywriter position at a young but rapidly-growing fintech firm. Though I've been fortunate to have plenty of freelance work to keep me busy, it's always exciting to consider the possibility of a corporate gig with paid time-off and benefits. (I still have no dental or vision coverage... hence this rather large font.) The HR rep and I had a great conversation, and after three subsequent 45-minute interviews with various executives, I found out this past week that I'm still in the running. (I joke that I've been in long-term relati