"Is Tom Montag there?"
said the voice on the other end of the line.
"This is he," said I.
He identified himself as the editor of a magazine I had just written to. "Are you Tom Montag, the poet?" he wondered.
"Yes, I am."
"Your package caught me at a slow time," he said. I had mailed him some chapters of the Peter's Story memoir I am co-authoring, and a letter proposing that he excerpt the story for publication in his magazine, to coincide with the book's release next October. "I read a couple of the chapters. I think you've got something that we'd be interested in."
He couldn't, of course, use the book chapters as they stand. He would want something full of the city's atmosphere, with a strong lead, which moved fast, and not more than 5,000 words at the absolute maximum.
I suggested some possible directions the article might take; he said he'd be willing to work with me; I set a date when he could expect to receive a draft of what I was proposing; he gave me his e-mail address. We said good-bye. That was the end of the conversation.
Then I was standing alone in the house. "Yu-haaa!" I yelled. The cats didn't quite know what to make of my outburst.
"Yu-haaa!" I said again.
Wo-hoo! That's great news, Tom! Congratulations.
Posted by: marja-leena | December 27, 2006 at 10:19 AM
FANTASTICO!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Fred Garber | December 27, 2006 at 10:23 AM
YAAAA-HOOO, TOM!
Major congrats
I have some news too:
gonna do a performance gig
in the UK
(and maybe participate in a new CD) with . . .
Thom Yorke and Radiohead
it all came about in the most
unexpected By Chance
way
he appeared on a website
read my poetry and listened to some .mp3s
checked with his "sounding board"
and they want me
as an opening act
*LAUGHING GLEEFULLY*
the most common response to this has been
"Holy Shit, Suzanne"
I had no idea who Radiohead was
until I mentioned the whole thing unfolding
to a friend
and he said
"H--- S---, S------!"
the first of many
me with a rock icon
who ever would have suspected!
Posted by: suzanne | December 27, 2006 at 11:31 AM
What a way to end the year! Hearty congratulations!
Posted by: Peter | December 27, 2006 at 03:03 PM
Marja-Leena, Fred, and Peter -- thanks so much for the good words. You must know it is terrific to hear people cheering; at least it is terrific for me. I appreciate it.
Posted by: Tom Montag | December 27, 2006 at 03:11 PM
Suzanne -- thanks! And it sounds like MAJOR CONGRATS are in order for you. Who would have ever thought that I knew you when.... Yu-haaa!! Go, go, go!!
Posted by: Tom Montag | December 27, 2006 at 03:14 PM
Yay!!
Posted by: MB | December 29, 2006 at 11:50 AM
Wowowowow!!! This post, the warm feedback loop from the gal who read Curlew...I'm sitting here grinning with shared joy for you.
I love it when good people do good and (to quote my blog-friend Jarvenpa) the universe says "Yes!"
Have a splendid weekend, and may you have more warmth and happy adventures in the coming new year.
Posted by: Lori Witzel | December 29, 2006 at 07:57 PM
Thanks, MB.
Posted by: Tom Montag | December 29, 2006 at 08:08 PM
Hi, Lori. Thanks for the good words. Yep, sometimes I just bounce up and down with the good news. Makes me wonder why I'm such a grump. And then sometimes I remember why I'm such a grump, and I have to think about such satisfaction as I've occasionally gotten, such as the news these past few days, which is about as good as the news can get.
Posted by: Tom Montag | December 29, 2006 at 08:12 PM