A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT

Freelancing Without Fear

Not everyone is born for an artistic life.

Nor is everyone right for a thirty-five year, 9-5 office job, despite the security it may afford.

We are all born with different temperaments, goals and dreams. Artistic types, though often an asset in business situations, may find traditional office life stagnating, and the demands of a "regular job" may cost the very hours (and energy) needed to do their own creative work with its own rigorous demands. (It should be noted however that most people in America actually like and even depend on the structure of the 9-5 job, greatly discomforted by the idea of not knowing where their next meal is coming from!) If, like myself, you have gotten caught up in jobs that were almost right, but not quite--and then clung to them because you desperately needed the benefits, I am here to tell you there is finally hope--and a solution!

In case you haven't heard (or seen their clever ads on subway platforms, bus stops or on the web), there is now the Freelancers Union, a marvelous organization for those who cob together their living from various creative and productive endeavors. Not only do they have a web site where you can post resumes, swap job tips, list gigs for other free lancers, and meet interesting, creative people, but someone had the smarts to use the power of individuals as a group to get healthcare benefits at a reasonably affordable rate! If you are an independent worker who's earned $10,000 from various part-time jobs in the last six months or have worked at least 20 paid hours in each of the last 8 weeks, you may be eligible to join their health insurance plan. I highly advise a visit to their web site, either via www.workingtoday.com, or else www.freelancersunion.org and check out how you can structure your life according to your dreams and desires, not just in order to achieve survival. (This is not paid advertising, by the way--this is just yours truly passing on valuable information to those trying to make ends meet and stay both sane and functional!)

Literary Salons Live

As mentioned in a previous "blogs," Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House in Park Slope is a wonderful way to meet writers and have the express pleasure of hearing authors read from their own works. Curated by Louise Crawford, herself a writer and blogger--click on the links for Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn--Brooklyn Reading Works provides an evening of two or three authors' readings, followed afterwards by a convivial meet-and-greet with light refreshments. (Okay, that may sound like Hyacinth Bucket on Keeping Up Appearances, but it really is charming and fun!) In this fast-paced, hustle-and-bustle city, it's a wonderfully civilized way to stop and smell the literary roses!

This coming Thursday, November 16th at 8 pm, the talented guest writers will be Elissa Schappell, Ilene Starger and Darcy Steinke. Elissa Schappell is the author of Use Me, which was nominated for a Pen/Hemingway award. She is co-editor with Jenny Offill of The Friend Who Got Away and the forthcoming Money Changes Everything. The co-founder of Tin House, Elissa also writes the Hot Type column in Vanity Fair. Ilene Starger, is a poet whose work has appeared in Bayou, Oyez Review, Georgetown Review, and numerous other magazines. She was a finalist for the 2005 Ann Stanford Prize. Darcy Steinke is the author of Suicide Blonde (chosen as a New York Times notable book of the year), Up from the Water, and Jesus Saves.

The Old Stone House is located in JJ Byrne Park on Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Street in Park Slope. 8 p.m. $5.00 includes the afore-mentioned light refreshments. Books are sold at all readings.