Exciting quick trip to the Twin Cities last weekend: Gave a reading as part of the Taproot Reading Series, coordinated by recent University of Nebraska M.F.A. alum, Gary Dop. Saw this exhibition at the Walker Art Center, toured The Loft Literary Center and ate delicious food!

BEST OF ALL, there was an exciting Blogger Meetup with the smart, fun, funny, and fabulous Minneapolis-based poets and po-bloggers Teresa Ballard and Emily Lloyd. Yay!

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I am currently obsessed with Isamu Noguchi and George Nakashima. Part of this obsession has entailed the recent acquisition of a Nakashima-esque tree-slab coffee table. I have hemmed and hawed for many, many, many years over whether or not to get a coffee table--preferring, instead, to use T.V. trays, largely because of their convenient height. (I frequently like to camp out on my living room futon with my laptop, and my coffee, and okay, so I frequently like to eat there, too.)

There's something about a coffee table that has oftentimes struck me as somewhat, I don't know, inherently fussy, I guess?

But it's nice to have a coffee table when one takes the Fortress of Solitude off Lockdown Status and invites (not always imaginary) guests over, yes?

I'm not entirely used to it, yet, but I think I like the new coffee table, so far. Because it's a slab! From a tree! And it's inspired by George Nakashima! So it's mid-century modern! But also slightly Asian in sensibility! So what's not to like?







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Bad kittens! Bad, bad kittens!

I’m in favor of inviting big hunks of tree into your home. (I also have fond memories of similar slabs serving as trays for generous offerings of sushi.) The photograph, and your ambivalence about the whole coffee table concept, suggested a furniture innovation. That space under the futon frame (especially if it was slightly higher) could be the garage for an occasionally used coffee table.