Catch-up Cobbler 2015

It's been 18 months since my last CobBLer... for those of you just tuning in, here's the summary:

• I was interviewed by clowns.
• I've been presenting on and doinginterviews about
  The Bullying Antidote.
• I was PTSA president during Oakland Tech'scentennial year... which meant lots of events and (my favorite thing) costumes! (Then my son graduated...and went to college!)
• I wrote lyrics to Franz Liszt's amazing Invocation.
• I broke the bounds of gravity and went toItaly!
• Cranked out dozens of Life in the Fast Brain blogs at ADDitude Magazine.
• Wrote another few installments of Dance Like a DecoBelle.
• Child-Friendly Initiative has come back to life!
• The Souls of Her Feet is finally out in paperback.
• I'm publishing a book via Uplift Press about ALS.
• I'm co-producing a reading series called Heart of the Muse, AND...
• I am still working on music for the musical...(journey of 1,000,000 steps!)

Read more here...

MAY I serve you some fun-filled COBBLER?

In this fun-filled spring issue, the news was:

• A book event with clowns at the Literary Foolery Cabaret
• Writing a new book! Dance Like a DecoBelle
• A new collaborator: Caroline Altman
• I'm a Zorgos Evangelist
• I'm an ADHD Guru

And more!

End-of-Year COBBLER Cheer

Special highlights of the SUPER-newsy end-of-year issue included an update on our bullying workshops, fun with sports and pastry, some quotes about me by my husband, and some quotes BY me in an article ABOUT me.

Then there was another great link to a Moya Stone article about The Souls of Her Feet.

And some sad and silly goodbyes to my dear friend and dog-daughter, the lovely, elegant goofball Maddie Moose Maddyson Maddog von Caven. Or however she spelled it.

A.k.a. Mad-tilda, Madison Square Garden, Madagascar, Madeline Albright Caven.

The Bullying Antidote COBBLER

In SUMMER, 2013, Hazelden published The Bullying Antidote, culminating a 2-year writing adventure with my mother, and kicking off another one: publicity.

Writing and publicity require two opposite states of mind. One is introverted and quiet; the other is extroverted and chatty.

Here's a link to the Zorgos blog, where I'm chatty about bullying a few times a month.

A Flurry of Spring Cobblers

In February 2013, I launched an Indiegogo campaign (it'll be easy, right?) with a crazy, wraparound story about my musical, The Souls of Her Feet.

In March, with a small side-track into a movie cameo by Renaissance Woman that wasn't, the novella, The Souls of Her Feet, was born. It had gestated as a blook for nearly a year.

In April, three versions of the book were launched, and in May, there was a huge and successful writing retreat with my partner Michael, funded by our friends and supporters!

Thank you to everyone who donated... you know who you are!

Catch-Up Cobbler

My Last-Minute Cobbler of 2012 showed up in inboxes in early January, 2013.

It was so very long that I couldn't get a clip of it, but the main thrust was:

• I'd been writing a book about bullying all year

• The blook had been publishing to an audience of 52

• My websites and blogs all had makeovers, and

• Lots of bad crap happened to me in the fall.

Read it and weep!

May Cobbler Be With You

In which I launch the blook!

And I reminisce on the Zumbathon...

And a movie starring TINA FEYwants to use Renaissance Woman as set decoration!  

click to read more...

Leap Day Cobbler

The Leap Day issue of the Cobbler called readers to action with this quote from 30 Rock: "Every four years you get a magical extra day! A day to do the things you ordinarily wouldn't do - to take chances!"


Then I discussed my own "leap" into web fiction and begged readers to sign up to read my forthcoming BLOOK.

I also introduced my first kindle book, let readers know about my free ebook, and announced a new blog about LOLs.

The featured 'stuff' was the "Sorry about your Uterus" card and the Relax t-shirt.

Cobbler Cheer, 2011-style

The year of 2011 wrapped up with highlights from our funniest xmas card, the holiday letter I didn't write, and an image of the Caven family Xmas card (Dave took the lead this year).

I cheered about reuniting with my composer, made predictions for my career, and shared a link to a very terrible shirt I made with my son.

Eleven Eleven Eleven Cobbler

Things felt a little magical to me on 11-11-11; I snapped a photo of myself at 11:11:11a.m. and sent a wish for the world.

I was excited about some upcoming events, namely a quickie reading of The Reason She Left, and a table sale with a really cool person at a really hip venue.

I also announced my new sideline career as a Zumba instructor and my work on the novelization of my musical.

It was awesome, I tell ya!

Presenting: Fresh, New Cobbler!

A fresh redesign of my Wandering Pie columnblognewsletter came with exciting news: the arrival of a box of my second book, The Reason She Left.

The sidebar announced more exciting news: my first nationally published magazine article. (A good, funny, and exciting writing experience, but what I learned later was: this publisher doesn't pay his bills.)

I was also excited about a host of upcoming events surrounding my book launch.

Fresh Summer Cobbler

In this issue I crow about my interview in The Monthly and the book trailer I finally made for Perfectly Revolting.

There's also a picture of me snuggling up to founding father George Mason.

What happened after? I must keep masonic...

Have a Good (Valen)time.

I used to be so tormented by this holiday and all its expectations. Valentine's Day seemed engineered to point out the fact that I was the only one who did not have one. Except I wasn't the only one. My best VDs were days that I hung out with other 'losers'. My friend Dave and I would go out in search of Mr. and Mrs. Right...so we could introduce them to each other. Read more...

Boxing Day 2010

As the year (and the decade, again,) dwindles to a close, our mailbox fills up with holiday letters from friends far and wide. I love reading these letters. This year people died, people were born, people lost and found jobs, and traveled to places I can only dream of. My favorite this year was a page of family photos with a short note that said, “Santa brought Matt a new colon for Christmas.” Read More...

Seasonal Segue

Last month I wrote about Lederhosen (and 350). Speaking of German words... it's time to segue into the next holiday! A year ago this time, my son was wandering around on Thanksgiving, quoting a cartoon of mine he'd found in a pile of rough drafts. Then he and a few awesome friends did a "dramatic cartoon reading" of it at my book launch. Here 'tis... Read more

Zehn-Zehn-Zehn

It's 10-10-10...

and I'm sending this ten seconds into 10:10 a.m.... and gosh, it would be just magical  if you read it before 10:10 p.m., since I have something important to tell you.

Today's Cobbler is brought to you by the number ten. Ten is a great number for lists of all kinds—from commandments to comedy—and on a scale of one to ten, ten is the perfect number for rating things. So by all accounts, today should be a pretty outstanding day.

All over the world today, people are working together on bringing attention to thirty-five times ten, which happens to be ...

The Most Important Number in the World.

Read More...

The View from Here

I am really appreciating and enjoying all the congrats on top of the sheer satisfaction of completion. My friend Rhonda just said, "I'm so glad you are 'getting out there.' 'There' seemed so far away for so many years and now 'there' is ... 'here'!"

Last week I got my first Amazon review and there was a nice article about me in the local paper. The week before, there was another feature in the Mills College paper's Strike Anniversary Edition, which covered the big event that surrounded my book launch. Which by the way resulted in a small photo of me in the L.A. Times on 5-10! Enjoy all the ups and downs of the adventure in my author blog/scrapbook.  Read More...

Perfectly Exciting!

I keep saying to myself, "I'm an author... I'm an author..." but it doesn't feel real yet....

Everyone had fun at the great unveiling ("soft opening" in business terms). I got in free to Wondercon as a "professional creative." Last Sunday I sold my first book online. I've done my first media interview. I've got three booksignings scheduled in Oakland. And everything is set for the big launch ("grand opening") at Mills College, with two book signings, an art exhibit, and a great big event about women's education!

Now I think I'd like to take a nap...Read More...

New Beginnings Like Crazy

On 1/21, an important person sat down at an important desk for the first time: my new intern, Caitlin "I've always wanted to be a minion" Ayers. Welcome, Caitlin! Can you schedule me a neck massage? I've got whiplash from this sports-car of a new president. He went from zero to OH MY GOD, DOUBLING THE EDUCATION BUDGET? In just seven days!
Read more...

Relax!

As the country breathes a collective sigh of relief at the end of eight very stressful years, it can now turn its attention to meaningful and affordable holiday merchandise. I am happy to announce the opening of our new online store! My RELAX poster is now available again, as well as t-shirts, postcards, and even postage stamps. Read More...