Janus

Here we are again, and here are the two faces of Janus. It's time to come to terms with my resolutions for 2007, and how I did or didn't do. Then to launch the new ones.

Last year at this time I wrote as follows:

"1. Breakthrough at work (I'll leave the nature of it indefinite here -- but I'll know it if it happens)

"2. Weigh no more than 185 at some point this year

"3. Contact agents/editors who might be interested in my novel on antebellum US. Begin work on revisions.

"4. Be in Dublin for Bloom's Day

"5. Follow-up on Reason publication, place something else there."

I can credit myself with success on points 2 and 4 on that list.

I accomplished 2 in early November, and again in mid-December. I'll make a related resolution, going a bit further, for this year.

As to 3, I did contact some agents, but those who replied said they couldn't help me with the kind of book I'm trying to sell. And I did no work on revision at all. Black ball for me.

I was in Dublin, though, for Bloomsday 2007 and aye, a fun time I was havin'. There was no Bloomsday tour such as I had envisaged. There were various events that day centered on the James Joyce Centre, and I attended the breakfast. The novel has two breakfast scenes -- one at the castle and one at the Bloom household -- ingrediants from both were included. I also saw a play with a Joycean theme that evening, Himself and Joyce, and generally explored the city for myself the rest of my stay.

No follow-through on the Reason publication. Nor can I claim the kind of dramatic "breakthrough" I had in mind for my resolution 1 of last year, although my worklife has been satisfying in general this year. I feel that when a breakthrough comes, it will involve the rise of the far east within global finance and my ability to contribute to coverage of that trend.

So ... where is the new list of resolutions? Here:
2008

1. Set my feet down in some far Eastern city at some point this year
2. Learn some Cantonese and/or Mandarin
3. Weigh no more than 180 at some point this year
4. Forget about agents, pitch my novel outline directly to book editors
5. The Met. In a Tux.