I Got a Job

Actually, I got two.

No, I haven't abandoned the novel, and I've crossed the 100-page mark, which gives me the confidence that I WILL finish the bastard. But I have found that I'm not writing enough to be alone all day every day, and I think that six months was enough to come to an accurate conclusion. Plus the guilt and solitude was making me crazy. I've never not worked fulltime since university, and when I don't write for many hours each day, I feel awful. I'm also the kind of person who gets more done the busier I am, so I've been trying to find a job out that is a good balance with the writing - something parttime. And not crappy. And I think I found it!

But first, I took a temporary job with the Toronto International Film Festival, so for the next couple of weeks, I'll be organizing film buffs' tickets and hoping not get to yelled at when something is sold out. Because everything at the film fest gets sold out. That's why I haven't gone in ages, except for last year when some producer bribed me with gala tickets when I worked at the AGO and allowed him into Turner, Whistler, Monet at the last minute on the last day. The movie, Arsene Lupin, sucked, and I don't think it even got released here.

Anyway, I'm hoping it's fun, and I get some free tickets, so I'm aiming to see the Borat feature. The hours are crazily long, but the money is okay for a temp parttime gig. I may not even get to see many flicks, but that's okay. I don't really care about seeing celebrities either, but if anything really crazy happens, like Ice Cube says "Yo, LoveGrove, I read your books and I dig your poetry" then I'll post it here. Please don't hold your breath on that one...

But more importantly, today I got what I think will be a good permanent parttime job. It's at the University of Toronto with Hart House Theatre. The managing director of the theatre, whom I've been talking with, seems pretty nice, as does the manager I'd be assisting. I like that one of my interview questions was something like "What is a recent theatre production that you've been particularly moved by?" and I got to talk about absurdist theatre, Ionesco, and parallels between the post-war mood when The Chairs was produced and our current political climate. And they seemed to not only get it but appreciate it. I thought, hmm, this seems to be going well. And the building is of course beautiful there, and I enjoy the theatre environment, and the pay is good for parttime, and there are benefits, and access to the Hart House gym and pool. And I will still have time to write. So I am optimistic about this change.

Cheers.