I have a few things to say about American Idol before the season gets filed in the TV archives. Many people have told me and I have often read on-line that this has been “the most boring season yet. Worst year ever. No talent. AI is done. The phenomena is over. It’s going downhill.”

Wait! Worst year ever? NO TALENT?

Can you say Melinda, Lakisha, Jordin, Blake, Gina, Chris, even Phil if he’d kept a stetson on his balding* head and truly channeled Garth? Excuse me, but when did a lot of talent turn into NO TALENT? You see, this is the problem. We hard-core Idol fans are desensitized. We’re experts now, so the slightest break in a warble becomes a reason to dismiss someone as a hack, has-been, get rid of ’em no talent. We want the BEST? And we got it. Think about it. Would any of the superstar guests actually get into the top twelve today? Which ones? Akon? Gwen? Barry? uh-hem.

Of course, getting rid of the contestants is the whole point and so the unpredictability of both the performances and the results is the hook, and it works. It worked this year too.

“Idol’s going down hill?” I get cranky when people start making sweeping statements based on a 10% dip in a couple of shows. Let’s face it, part of the dip is do to some valiant efforts of competing networks, and the age of AI itself. There will be attrition. There always is. So what’s the problem this year?

2007 may have produced the most talent ever. And this talent weeded out most of those who might have brought controversy to the show. There were so many strong, interesting voices and personalities–especially among the ladies–that there was no room of those who might develop as the season went on. We even had to lose two fabulous competitors in Stephanie Edwards and Sabrina Sloan.

The only weak link in the beginning appeared to be the men and they were more diverse than the women. However, the men failed to step up and it was only the numbers quotas (12 guys, 12 girls and later 6 guys, 6 girls) that kept some of them on the stage. The final twelve all gave at least one good performance (I would argue this is not true for Sanjaya, but there are those including the judges who thought he acquitted himself well on Latin night).

And the Top 12 bonded. They didn’t even seem to resent the fact that Sanjaya stole the stage from more worthy candidates. The biggest factor to the “It’s boring” comment is that every one of the final 12 idols seemed to be genuinely friendly, passionate, caring, non-controversial, unrebellious, and well, NICE. Anyone will tell you, “nice” is boring. The only two who provided any attitude were Sanjaya and Lakisha. SANJAYA! How can a show have Sanjaya in it and be boring? And Lakisha, her ‘tude was subtle and wouldn’t even have shown if the rest of them weren’t wearing those toothy grins.

But what most people fail to talk about is the good that American Idol does. Why it ultimately succeeds every season. Idol creates uncommon common ground. While it’s always different each season, the basic elements of the show bring people together, exposing them to a wider variety of music and talent than any other program before. While the demographic may be younger (I have no idea about the stats), the audience overall is composed of people of all ages, colors, tastes.

My daughter still can’t get over the fact that Chris Daughtry lost. I still miss George Huff. This year my mother-in-law loves Melinda, can’t understand a word of Blake’s music (it all sounds alike), and claims a great injustice has been done. But, every Friday at lunch, we engage in a lively conversation about music, people who strive, digging deep to keep one’s determination, living through disappointment. All because of Idol. This is bad? This is boring? A show that brings together generations to discuss life lessons such as what it takes to do the best you can, to be critiqued and live through it, to be dumped from the show and end up on the charts for, what, over 20 weeks?

No. The premise and the people aren’t boring, but the audience demands lively entertainment and the show is often crass, over dramatic, stagy, and manipulative. And that CAN get boring. It’s up to the producers to respond by listening to the fans and to continually refine the format.

Who will win? Bottom line: it doesn’t matter. What IS really important , as in real life, is the journey and where it takes you.

*I mean no offense to bald people. There’s good bald (Chris Daughtry, Michael Stipe, Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis, Telly Savalas) and bad bald (Donald Trump, Britney Spears). Sorry Phil. Take a hint from Kenny. He is NEVER without a hat.

Yesterday I ran errands until after six, coming home hot, ragged, annoyed because the library has misplaced three tapes I know I turned in. The new gate didn’t work right. The dog was barking. The trash in the kitchen smelled. I dropped my purse on the floor, grabbed the plastic garbage liner, and took it outside to the curb. Back on the porch, I noticed among the scattered mags and ads, a familiar white envelope. Manuscript size. Addressed to me by me.

In my world this spells R-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N. I let go an expletive and scooped up the envelope. Must be “One Question,” a flash piece, I thought, because it’s so light.

I tore it open. A minute of true confusion. A check? Who would paper-clip a check on a rejection?

Waitaminute.

“Dear Gay Degani,

Your manuscript “Hawaiian Hair” has been accepted…”

Omigod.

Yep. As Annie Potts yells in Ghostbusters, her voice echoing through the empty fire station the boys spent their last dimes renting (“Three mortgages? Everyone has three mortgages these days”) : WE GOT ONE!!!

So. “Hawaiian Hair” will be in the fall 2007 issue of THEMA, Written in Stone.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the current issue, THEMA, Rage Over a Penny, shown above, or the Written in Stone issue in the fall, follow this link to the THEMA website.

Or if you would like to subscribe to THEMA, here is that information.
Subscription price: $20 per year for three issues ($30/year outside the US)
Single issue, back issue (see below), and sample copy price: $10 per copy ($15 outside the US).
Postage and handling: 1-3 copies, free; 4-8 copies, add $5; 9-15, add $8; more than 15, C.O.D.
Make check payable to THEMA Literary Society and mail to: THEMA, Box 8747, Metairie, LA 70011-8747

Nice weekend for mothers. I’m a mother and I got my turn too. And I will avoid making the obvious comments such as Mother’s Day is a Hallmark holiday. Which it is.

What worked for me yesterday was 1) a nap in the middle of the day. A nap not stolen when no one was around but a BALD-FACED nap that everyone knew about. 2) My husband did the driveway shuffle with my car AND went to the grocery to buy salad-fixins for Mother’s Day dinner at his mother’s. 3) My daughter put away the dishes from the dishwasher and came up early with us to the mother-in-law’s. 4) Wonderful Mother’s Day cards. 5) Beading with my daughter and mother-in-law. 6) A giant bouquet of flowers. 7) NO HASSLES and NO THINKING on my part!!! Wow. That ain’t bad. Maybe even perfecto!!!

Not much time today. It’s Friday and as always I have things to do on Fridays. However a sense of routine is a good thing. At least for me. When I’m free-floating out there in the real world, I tend to waste time and I’m running out of that commodity.

I’m so torn between not wasting time and doing what I’m in the mood to do. The arguments on both sides of the issue are seductive. I’m older. I don’t have forty years ahead of me to hone skills, make mistakes, do what I was put here on earth to do. I don’t have thirty. I may, if I’m lucky, have twenty. And maybe not twenty COHERENT years. I can already feel the hot breath of forgetfulness steaming up the hairs on the back of my neck.

But if I only have twenty years, why not indulge myself? Do what I want? Haven’t I earned the right to live life exactly how I choose? If I need or WANT a nap, what’s wrong with stripping down in the middle of the day and crawling between cool sheets? If I want to wander through an antique mall for hours even though I can’t put one more leg of furniture in my house, what’s the harm?

None really. But I can’t shake the feeling that what I do with my time should be of some use to someone other than myself. And if I want to “change the world” writing probably falls into the self-indulgent category, so where does that leave me?

Indecisive. Fearful of wasting time while defiantly wanting to waste time. In other words, a mess.

I love American Idol, but haven’t written about it in this space before. (Hmmm…maybe once a while back). Usually I unspool my jewels on the Iowa board, but since I’m committed to doing a better job on this blog, I’m stealing from myself.

Despite the scorning of disco music for 30 years, the BeeGee oeurve sounds current. After all, the Bee Gees were the first boy band. (Even I won’t call the BEATLES a “boy band”).

Barry Gibb. What was up with those teeth? Why can’t the English–who’ve conquered the world a couple of times–get basic skills of orthodontia and enamel RIGHT? BUT. I’m a BEE GEE fan from way back. Love him. B.G.’s gone through a lot and looks it, but wow, he’s the real deal. And a good mentor from what I could decipher. (Teeth).

Melinda-The consummate professional, and since I don’t really know how a “back-up singer” would approach a particular song, Simon was all wet about her first “joint.” (Randy-speak) She did what she said she wanted to do which was to make a solo out of a group song. And it sounded excellent proving this woman can do anything. The second song totally ROCKED. I be downloadin’ today.

Blake-While I thought his first number was good, it felt a little too trance-y to me. I know young kids might like it, but I missed the original beats. Seemed like the arrangement was missing a bass line? (I don’t have a clue what that means, but that’s what it FELT like. Blame the judges for teaching me lingo without clear definitions. Pitchy? Lower register? See what I mean?). Blake’s second “joint” was terrific. Worthy of a first single release from his album.

Lakisha-I won’t even bother. Anyone else hear that sucking sound?

Jordin-Wow and double WOW. I liked both her songs, but especially the first which was perfect-o. And I loved the second one too. Maybe she isn’t quite Babs, but who is? By the way, the Babs/Barry “Guilty” album is worth downloading. Anyway Jordin’s either got me mesmerized or the judges are looney-toons about the second song not working. Oh, wait. Two of them are!!!

You’ve heard of continental drift, I’m sure. How as the earth formed and reshaped itself, the continents moved closer together, then farther apart, back again? Still do? Not a scientifically accurate explanation*, but that’s not the point. The point is WE drift too.

It is the rare human being (writer) who doesn’t suddenly find herself in a different landscape far from the one where she wanted to be. Sometimes the new island, mountain top, whatever, is pretty damn pleasant and for a moment, when she realizes where she is, she thinks maybe she’ll stay.

After all, the place she used to be is a bare speck on the horizon. From where she sits now, that speck seems rugged and untamed, jungle-like, and a good rowing distance away. A hard row. And she’s never learned to sail, can’t crank an outboard. For her it’s strong arms, back, and legs all pulling together or nothing. And that’s soooo much work. Easier to stay put in this new place…

But no. Can’t do that. Gotta get out the row boat, patch the leaks, and get rowing. And next time when playing in the vast sea becomes a temptation, she’s gotta point the prow straight back to the jungle, and pull it up into the sand.

*I googled “continental drift”: In 1915, the German geologist and meteorologist Alfred Wegener first proposed the theory of continental drift, which states that parts of the Earth’s crust slowly drift atop a liquid core. The fossil record supports and gives credence to the theories of continental drift and plate tectonics.

Yes, even the powers that be at Blogger forgot who I am. Either that or they’ve figured out a way to make me “join.” So here I am, back, but with little time at present to say the things I’d like to say. Do I dare to commit to loyal perseverance AGAIN??? Why not?? Life is full of new beginnings. Thank goodness.

There is nothing I like better than to check my calendar and find there is NOTHING ON IT. One plain blank square! A day without an obligation to anyone else. Hooray!!! Of course the painter will still be here working on our remodeling project, but he’s quiet, pleasant, and efficient so I’ve gotten used to him. And there is the DOG. In her great age–almost fourteen–she has learned how to manipulate me even better than the rest of my family so I will have to attend to our walk and her other doggy needs, but basically, THE DAY IS MINE.

I’m trying to build the momentum to finish revising my novel. I lost it completely this fall between the remodel, the onset of Christmas, and trying to market short stories. At least the last was writing related. I’ve sent out about 55 submissions and received about 28 rejections since last August. I expect an onslaught of rejections now that the holidays are over and the college lit students strive to meet their deadlines. I’m sure that my stories have been tossed into corners too. It happens. I sent out three stories in quantity and a couple additional ones to a contest or two. This brings me into a new realm of writing: actually sending out stuff I write. So that’s a positive. Still, the novel has been shoved on the back burner, occasionally stirred and tasted, but few new ingredients added to the stew.

Now it’s time to move it to the front. I’ve already started. I’ve rewritten or rather edited three chapters and have reread and reedited two of them. Once I do chapter three, I’m taking them off the stove and setting them in the window to cool. I will try very hard not to nibble on them until the whole dinner is cooked. What an analogy. Sorry about that but sometimes I can’t help myself. Oh well. It’s time to head out for the garage. I’m trying to stay accountable in this space to my writing and perhaps that will prove the nudge I need.

Okay so I wrote my goals yesterday and it was exhilerating. However, I never did make it out to the garage! Is that crazy? By the time I got dressed and walked the dog and did all those things I need to do before I can actually go out, some one called and then it was 11:15 and the parade of workman were due to come from 12-4 and I can’t be in the garage then. I made stew instead of writing, and I threw away all the fattening left overs.

While I waited for the repair men I did start a review of The March. I have a hair up my butt about it because the praise is so profuse and while I liked it, enjoyed reading it, it’s no Tess of the D’urbevilles and I don’t understand how I’ll ever succeed when literary books feel shallow to me and yet they win prizes. I just don’t get it.

I’m still working on the review to get the sarcasm out of it…or at least to justify the sarcasm and will post it on my blog sometime in the next couple of days. So I can’t really say “I didn’t write,” but I can’t really say I did.

Here’s a clarification. General fooling around writing counts 1/4 of a point compared to fiction writing on either a short story or the novel.

That way I won’t be saying I wrote a thank you note and using that as my “writing” for the day. That doesn’t count this year!!!!

Okay so the end of 2006 fell in a hole. It’s done, over, finito. Now for the NEW YEAR and a FRESH START.

January Goals

1. Write. I am a writer. My goal is to write every day, long and hard, and in a professional manner, so that I will actually finish my book and also develop and complete other writing projects.

I will think in terms of DAILY hours at the computer, not minutes, in order to complete my book as well as work on the thousand other writing projects I have.

2. Be accountable. I will report here every day even if my message is brief, even if all I write is “I didn’t write.” The reason? If I force myself to post about writing, then I will force myself to notice of the amount of time and effort I put into writing. If I don’t write, then perhaps I will get tired of typing “I didn’t write” and TAKE action.

3. Commit. Whether I write for five minutes or five hours,I will write EVERY SINGLE DAY. No missing. If I am pressed for time, then I will write with the egg timer set so that I know once I fulfill my commitment to write–even for 5 minutes–I can guiltlessly attend to “real life” business. No wasting time, feeling sorry for myself, wandering to the refrigerator to get a snack, doing a quick sudoku, taking the Spider Solitaire detour. I will get what I have to do in “real life” done, and get back to the writing.

4. Have fun. One of the reasons I write is because it’s fun. It is PLAY despite the fact that I am serious about it. But I often forget to allow the “fun” to happen because I am either worried about who will tell me it sucks–voices in my head as I type–or I go straight to the point, how useless this all is because I’ll never finish. I’m giving that up. Right now.

Actually. I think I have already given it up.

I have a right to write and to have fun. Give up the worry. Just do it. I often forget that nothing can be perfect the first time around, so I must insist when I get stuck to move on, change scenes, be creative about my approach.

5. Market. Continue on my quest to send out work. Use revising shorter stuff as a break from the novel but allow myself to use my hours to write and market rather than waste time with tv or computer games or visiting that big white appliance that lies in wait for me in the kitchen.

I did not achieve my goal of 100 rejections this past year. I will start fresh and send out again and again. I still have several prospects out in the market ether and perhaps one or two might yield something, but I will not focus on the result once the decision is out of my hands. What I will focus on is getting good stuff into into its best shape and continuing to put it out there. As I do this, hopefully I will learn what works and doesn’t work, not just through the rejections, but through the experience of shaping and reworking my stuff.

6. Read. Read long hard and well. Think about what I’m reading, why it works or doesn’t work for me. Read fiction and non-fiction. Explore areas of interest and non-interest because ya never know.

7. Explore. Explore long hard and well. Every experience will enrich my real life and my writing life. But don’t let the exploring take over the writing. Writing first. Writing first.