Words With Friends.The real thing, not the game.

So the past few posts have been a bit, uh, depressing in tone....so, here's what I've been up to, and hopefully, this will be seen as what it IS: an attempt to jump back into life, head-first.A diving-into, as it were... Wednesday, I attended a truly boffo reading at Bound To Be Read Books, which I chronicled here, and on Facebook. Editors of that Anthology, "A Face To Meet The Faces", a collection of persona poetry, are Stacey Lynn Brown and Oliver de la Paz. I was shored-up that night, and later, at the ironically-cheerful dinner and swing-dance club, named "The Graveyard" in East Atlanta Village, I felt even better. We chose no cocktails for us, just iced tea and good grub, thank you. And great company. Thursday turned into an all-afternoon-into-evening-photo-shoot with eternal friend, Coral McGhee, who needed new shots to submit for a new film being lensed in Atlanta. Long-time dear friend, (Videographer/filmmaker/director) Alan Wright supplied the photography skills, I held the reflector, and Coral? Well, she had to look gorgeous. Which happens to be incredibly easy for her, because she IS. The pics turned out great...I learned just tonight via her Facebook announcement, that she has been selected for a small role in the aforementioned "new film"!!!Yaaaay!!! On Friday, I met up with the delightful Crystal Rast, a poet and novelist I seldom get to see. Because besides being a poet/novelist, she's also a writer of "white papers" (that's corporate-speak for writing papers for business execs), and she's also a professor, a graduate student working on her Master's in Creative Writing, and,in her most important role...she's also Tristan's mom. We met at Bahama Breeze, the 'burbs answer to a staycation: the setting is tropical, and the drinks are strong.After a few "Pineapple-Coconut Martinis" (that was this past Friday's designated Happy Hour Drink of the Day)you might begin to believe you're actually IN the islands...We were there several hours, enjoying a few appetizers (please note: the appetizers are HALF-PRICE every WEEKDAY from 4:00-6:00 PM) and more than a few drinks.(her:Pinot Grigio me:the aforementioned Rum cocktails) After hours of noshing on flatbreads with salsa and goat-cheese, coconut shrimp, and crab-stacks (the very best of the various appetizers)and downing drinks, we headed for the corner Starbucks, where we drank strong coffee, and wrote. Here's to writing. Peace, kids.

UPDATE ON LISA NANETTE ALLENDER.

UPDATE ON ME?
Lots going on, kids, beginning with my successful audition, just last week, for the 2009 version of "Lend Me An Ear", the annual stage event featuring SAG-AFTRA members, to benefit The Atlanta Community Food Bank.
I'll be playing "Laurine", described as a "Femme Fatale Southern Belle", in an episode entitled "A Logic Named Joe", of the sci-fi series, "Dimension X". It is probably unnecessary to even mention this, but I am sooo thrilled to have such a juicy role!
All the sketches are adapted from old-time radio-shows, and are mystery, sci-fi, romance, intrigue, comedy...and this year, they include a musical version of "Dick Tracy"--with my dear friend, Yolanda Asher, playing--who else? "Tess Trueheart". You go, woman!
I am thrilled to be working for the first time with director Jon Hayden, and am delighted that directors Doug Kaye and Barry Stoltze are once again directing many pieces in this collection. Get the full details, here, and updates, almost daily--at my Facebook Wall. PLEASE "FRIEND-REQUEST" me, using "Lisa Nanette Allender" so you can be in the loop! You'll see the Auto-Link to my Facebook Wall, to the right of this column. Simply scroll down 'til you see "Lisa's Links" and click on "Facebook".

I'll have updates on the turnout for my CAbi (Carol Anderson by invitation) Show(presented by eternal friend, Coral McGhee) & Party, in my next post.
Want to know what CAbi is? Check it out, at:
www.coralmcghee.cabionline.com



Peace, kids.