I just turned in the edited manuscript for my book to my editor at Simon & Schuster in New York City. I imagine he's printing the damn thing right now -- all 195 pages -- and carrying it down those cold, symmetrical Manhattan streets just before leaving for the holiday break.
Who knows. New York feels like another planet to me. What are they wearing over there these days?
I've been living in Mexico City for two years and two months, with almost no travel away. Since the day I landed in D.F., I've been working on this thing. We still have to finalize it, of course. I've gotta do an epilogue, notes, and a reading list. Maybe some pictures and maps? But otherwise, the book is actually, finally, just about done.
The project, as you might recall, has been ... tough. Right now my brain is so blank ("I can't see my eyes") and my heart unsure what it should be feeling that I'm just gonna go to a mall here in San Diego and stare at things for a few hours.
Then, a drink or two? They've got good, cocky micro-brews here.
Meantime, above, I am entrusting you with my book's working "thought diagram." I had this poster hung in my study space for months as I drafted and re-drafted the manuscript. It's a very intimate reflection of my process and my values. In June, in ritual sacrifice, I burned it.
Happy Holidays!