Currently

Currently is a little feature Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet and several other bloggers I follow occasionally post on their sites. Currently is essentially a list of what you're into at the moment and is a great way for your readers to get to know you better. I realized last night I haven't done a Currently post in nearly a year. (Here's one from Dec. 14, 2011). So I figured I was long overdue for an update. And away we go...

Watching: Most of my friends know I don't watch a lot of TV. When my husband's out of town I can go days without even turning the thing on. Furthermore, even though I'm African American for years I couldn't tell you what channel BET (Black Entertainment Television) was on. That all changed with the premiere of Don't Sleep hosted by T.J. Holmes. When Holmes left his job at CNN to head over to BET most folks thought he was crazy. And I must admit his decision left me scratching my head too. But Holmes knew what he was doing. Don't Sleep is the late night news show I've been waiting for. Think The Daily Show, but a bit more serious and focused on black issues.  Because of T.J. Holmes and Don't Sleep I'm running to the remote every weeknight at 10 p.m. to turn to BET. Wow, I never thought I'd type those words.

Listening to: I'm not sure if it was because of the 2012 presidential campaign, but I've been quite the news junkie lately. Not only do I stay up late to watch Don't Sleep, but I've traded in listening to my favorite CDs (yes, I still own those) for listening to my local NPR station, WBHM, on the regular. But I love WBHM not only for the news updates but for all the compelling stories. As a writer, you know I'm a sucker for good storytelling.

Planning: I know it's only November but I'm already making plans for 2013, especially for See Jane Write. There is so much I want to do next year including organize a panel discussion on blogging and the future of community journalism, a social media seminar and a memoir writing workshop. I'd also like See Jane Write to partner with some other local literary groups. I want to start a See Jane Write book club and by the end of 2013 I hope to file the paperwork necessary for See Jane Write to officially become a non-profit organization.

Thinking about: My future as a blogger has been on my mind a lot lately. I've decided that after #bloglikecrazy I'm going to focus on working to establish myself as a feminist blogger.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving Weekend. I'm looking forward to food, family, and fun. The writer in me is looking forward to time off so I'll have more free hours to blog. And the Alabama fan in me can't wait for the Iron Bowl. Roll Tide!

Reading: How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran has been sitting by my bed for months collecting dust. I started reading it weeks ago, but then got so busy with freelance gigs I abandoned this hilarious memoir. I'm determined to finish this book soon. Also, these days I'm reading all the thought-provoking blog posts being written by all the folks who decided to #bloglikecrazy with me this month.

Making me happy: This month's #bloglikecrazy project has me giddy. Sure, blogging daily and sending out writing prompts to the participating bloggers is a lot of work, but it's worth it. In just one week I've seen women bloggers, of Birmingham in particular, connecting like never before and inspiring one another in the process. Blogging is a beautiful thing!