Ellie Di Julio's Blog, page 34

The Internet is Amazing 02.23.13

Another brave lady lets her husband support her so she can chase her dream. Rock on.

Sometimes it takes a white guy to get serious about racism. Louis CK talks history.

A 3-D pen you say? WANT.

Most English grammar rules are myths – even the Smithsonian says so.

The extraordinary science of addictive junk food. A must-read.

Another food read: What does it mean for food to be treated as a luxury accessory?

Other stories you might like:

The Internet is Amazing: 12.23.2012
The Internet is Amazing: 01.20...

Graturday 02.23.13

Saturday + gratitude = Graturday!

Every week, I like to thank the universe for all the things I’m grateful for in my life in the last seven days. It could be as simple as having heating, as deep as answered prayers, or as silly as Twister. The only real rule is that you share at least one thing – and yes, you can be grateful that something didn’t happen or doesn’t exist.

Here’s what I’m grateful for this week:

All the beautiful support for Inkchanger‘s launch!
The freedom to pursue my Big Work u...

Write Against the Machine: Self-Publishing, Emily Dickinson and You

It’s podcast time again! In this installment, Mary and I start off talking about self-publishing (since I just published Inkchanger and she put out two books of her own that way) but quickly take it up a notch and rap about the myth of Emily Dickinson, why believing in the value of your own work is not arrogant, and drop several F-bombs. We also cover how too much inspiration can keep you from getting down to the real work, how to repackage blog posts, writers we admire, celebrating milestone...

Hangry: Paleo and me are not friends.

I got seriously hangry yesterday. This ever happen to you? Where you’re so fucking hungry you get pissed off?

Hungry + angry = hangry.

So, Lino recently started doing CrossFit, and they recommend Paleo nutrition for optimal results. Basically, it’s all the lean meat, fruits, and veggies you want, but no sugar, dairy, grains, or potatoes. Pretty simple stuff, and the grocery list isn’t much different from ours.

But despite following my usual food-patterns, drinking lots of water, and snacking on...

INKCHANGER has arrived!

My First Novel! ™

Inkchangerwas born during National Novel Writing Month 2012, part as an exercise in stretching my writing limits and part as an avoidance tactic as my marriage was imploding. It took approximately four months from outline to Amazon, a pace that’s blowing my friends’ minds and feel way too fucking slow for me. Ain’t that always the way?

If this story were a literary confection, it’d be filled with gooey teen angst, sprinkled with secret agents, baked in a fast-paced oven, and f...

The Internet is Amazing 02.17.13

More Star Trek: The importance of a good haircut.

Anatomical Lego autopsy things!

Authenticity is the new bullshit. A manifesto on the changing nature of work.

Ever wondered what it’s like for someone with depression? Take a Depression Quest.

I wanted to post this whole picture strip, but it’s waaaaay too long. Suffice to say that it’s a series of literal edits to hipster-y inspirational memes. Example: ”You were born because you are going to be important to somebody because your parents had sex....

Graturday 02.16.13

Saturday + gratitude = Graturday!

Every week, I like to thank the universe for all the things I’m grateful for in my life in the last seven days. It could be as simple as having heating, as deep as answered prayers, or as silly as Twister. The only real rule is that you share at least one thing – and yes, you can be grateful that something didn’t happen or doesn’t exist.

Here’s what I’m grateful for this week:

Lino finally home after 14 days away!
Being given the (albeit scary) gift of freedom f...

The reading is not enough, I need to swallow it whole

Each story I finish

– particularly those filled with magic and sex and glamour –

begs more of methan the simple act of reading.

More than understandingor going on a journey.

More than tearsor laughteror insight.

I ache to dismantle ita word at a time,

lovingly reconstructing the paragraphs

with my own imperfect handsto understand how

it lives, breathes, loves, dies.

Pull apartinfinitesimally fine layers to reveal

the secret of its existence.

Dissect the black and whiteand find

the soft red within

so that...

And that’s how I became a housewife

There needs to be a name for that feeling that hits right after you get exactly what you want but then you immediately start freaking out. It’s the sort of emotion that makes you want to barf, but you’re not sure if it’s out of joy or fear. Uncomfortably tight in your chest and pleasantly tingly in the crotch.

Whatever that’s called, I’ve got it. Because my husband’s just given me the thing I most desire but am terrified to have.

Freedom from work.

Not freedom from my writing work or heart work,...

Little soul, big world: Be proud to be small

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There is so much pressure on us today to be big.

To be where it’s at and know all the right people. To make our mark and have history remember us forever. To do something spectacular for the entire universe to see and appreciate. To explode onto the scene, any scene, and have that be where it all started. To stretch and bend and do beyond what anyone has done before.

Our world today is enormous. Superquadruplemegahuge. We’re hyperstimulated, hyperinformed, hyperconnected.

We have to be everywher...