Dear Old Love

10/22/09

Dear Old Love gets a swell writeup on one of my favorite blogs: The New Yorker Book Bench! And congratulations to the lucky few of you who have now been kinda-kinda-sorta published by The New Yorker!

10/20/09

I apologize, but two posts (oh, and another and another and another and another) had to be deleted and re-blogged, as there is a problem with the “Submit” feature. Working on it…

10/19/09

I am crazily proud of the Dear Old Love book. I truly believe that it will provide more than $9.95 worth of entertainment. I adore the blog—its constant newness is a comfort and a kick. But there is something quiet and profound about the way the book works. I have read it many times, and there are always different notes that make me laugh out loud, or shake my head at the vividness of heartache. 

This book is tight. It includes choice bits from the site, plus a lot of new material. I thank my editors, Kylie Foxx-McDonald and Natalie Rinn, for their help in making it the best it could be. And the designers at Workman came up with an adorable cover. So cute. Also ruggedly handsome! So hip and now. Also classic! I’ve been caressing it. (Is that weird? No, I think you’ll want to caress it, too.)

I’ve wanted to be a writer since 7th grade. Majored in English. Got an MFA in fiction—what, ten years ago? Several unpublished books written in that time. Writers sometimes express anger at having novels rejected, but I’m more likely to send thank-you notes. Dear Old Love should be the first. I’m happy to collaborate with the blogosphere on editing and compiling the Great American Point of Purchase Novelty book. (No expectations! One of my favorite humor books, What’s Right With America, is out of print.)

As always, thank you for reading and contributing. Honored to be curating this small, sweet corner of the internet. (Until, of course, Barry Diller offers to purchase the site. A million? Sold!) So yes, I want you to buy Dear Old Love the book. But not for me or to “show your support.” Get it for yourself. (Reading is selfish!) To laugh. To connect. Maybe use it to seduce. Or give to someone who you want to be sure remembers you.

I hope you like it.

10/16/09

Go tumblr! You may also submit notes by clicking on “Submit” above or by emailing dearoldlove(at)tumblr.com. The Gmail address will also work.

10/13/09

You might like this tumblr about bad parking jobs. It’s also, incidentally, a worthwhile, casual survey of the American lotscape.

10/5/09

Please note! This post, “Release,” about the Dear Old Love book was an actual submission, and not some promotional ploy I concocted. I promise to be very upfront and un-sneaky about book stuff.

9/12/09

Happy Anniversary! Dear Old Love has been around for a year. To celebrate we’ll carry on as usual.

8/26/09

Observation: there’s been a decent number of Christmas-related submissions, here in the heat of summer. Pining for other seasons…

8/21/09

Maybe you have zingers that’d be good for THINGS MY DATE REALLY SAID LAST NIGHT (fun idea—not mine!)

8/3/09

Not that you can’t look it up, but Rhotacism is difficulty pronouncing R-sounds. Also, The Lisa Loeb note is on here because of this Sarah Silverman Program.

7/27/09

(Does Southside hold up?)

7/16/09

Ticklish Ivory has been one of my favorite posts of late. Curiously, no declared tumblr love for it! It has vivid characters, a gripping story, and tells of how we’re at once connected and disconnected.

7/14/09

Good to see a Bennigan’s reference. Also, Bennigan’z. Parody hip-hop duo Cracked Out, anyone?

7/07/09

One thought about adding ads to the site was: it would make things more exciting, like a stroll through Times Square. Then came banners for psychics, Scientology, dating sites, Chinese brides, Wolfmother, Ford, Radio City, AT&T—it’s more like Times Square than I even dreamed!

7/02/09

Advertising! Commerce and color. I asked myself: What Would Don Draper Do?