"Okay... now go change the world!"

Those were the parting words that Elizabeth left us with as we walked out of the Phipps Mansion and into our undecided (and most likely low-wage-earning) futures.

It's a toss up from here -- it's all about being in the right place, at the right time, and knowing the right people.

I'd like to think one of those is already taken care of.

Thanks for the best Last Summer, DPIers!

The Final Countdown

Last weekend in Denver! Ahh! While time may have slowed during our editing workshops, it has definitely picked up speed in the past week. Carl was AMAZING -- not only did I come up with a marketing plan, but I LIKED coming up with a marketing plan, and was genuinely interested in how to go about doing so. Marketing is cool. Carl is cool. A big thumbs up to the past 7 days.

This job thing is still hanging over my head... I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another. Ah, well... I'll see what my offers are... and most likely take the first one, hah.

Our last week is all very profession-oriented -- mock job interviews, pitching book ideas, actual HR people with job offers coming in to interview, and, finally, "graduation." Then our network of publishing folk is re-scattered all over the country, and we wait and see what happens.

But, serious stuff aside, we're trying to accomplish all the Colorado-stuff we can in the next five days. Friday was the much anticipated Little Mermaid (which was incredible, sans the 20 minute improv ending), and today was the DPI-sponsored trips to the Broadmoor and Garden of the Gods. And, while I appreciated all the planning and busing on their part, I was sorely disappointed at the 30 minutes that were allotted for our exploration of the wicked cool rock formations at the Garden. We tried to make the best of it, though, and it wasn't all bad: the setting provided us with the perfect backdrop for Jillian's Next Top Model photo shoot! She's going to apply... she just doesn't know it yet.







Also, some more Mile High Tips and Tricks:
--Spanky's: The Restaurant, on University. Don't do it.
--Nights of Teddy Grahams, Rainbow Chip frosting, and Graham Crackers. Definitely do it.
--How many publishing students does it take to operate an elevator? Depends on how many floors are restricted.
--The Broadmoor may be fancy, but the truffles are NOT worth $2.80.
--Britney Spears is totally nuts. Have you read the article in Ok? Completely off the deep end....
--Warning: Denver is America's capital for single men. Keep that in mind when one of them tries to share an umbrella with you, or lift up your skirt at a Rockies game...
--The Coors Brewery Tour is great -- you learn, and you get three free 8oz samples (including ZIMA!) -- but if you don't have an hour and half to spare, opt for the short tour: a wrist band, and then straight on to the Drinking Lounge!

Kissing Camels @ Garden of the Gods

Scrabulous will be the death of us...

During the online marketing workshop today our speaker told us of a wonderful Facebook application called Scrabulous. He was a really cool guy (who works at Random House!), but that was not a good idea. Now we're all addicted to it... But other than that, the online marketing workshop was really interesting. I think I finally know how those ad links on Google work now :) I don't think I'm going to go into marketing, but it doesn't hurt to have the knowledge. I also talked to him about blogs and how advertising works for them and how it's becoming more popular. Gosh, I'm such a blog dork...

But it's been a pretty fun filled week, if I do say so myself. Monday night we went to see a showing of The Shining at the Red Rocks Theater. This isn't just any theater, it's a HUGE outdoor theater in the mountains. It holds ten thousand people. And it sold out. It was my first time seeing the movie and I don't think I could have picked a better location. Since it takes place in Colorado, every time they mentioned "Denver," "Colorado," or anything related to either, everyone started cheering. All in all it was a lot of fun and if you're ever in the Denver area, I recommend that you check it out.


We also have a very busy week ahead of us. In addition to class, we are going to a baseball game, the Coors brewery, The Little Mermaid musical, and much more. We'll check in later!

I think hummingbirds are magical.

Us DPI girls are gearing up for a week of marketing! I, for one, am uberly pumped. Carl Lennertz, vice president of marketing at HarperCollins Publishers, is heading up lectures for the week. We had an fruit-and-cheese reception today to have him introduce himself and Joyce, and damn -- what a cool guy. If he were my first boss, I would consider myself all kinds of fortunate. Maybe I'll turn into one of those cutthroat DPI students for the week, pushing myself through the lines and crashing in on Carl's lunch table. Could be fun. I'll report back on how well that works out, hah.

Short notes:
--Ate at the Wazee Supper Club this evening -- delicious! Right on the corner of 15th and Wazee... try the French Onion, you won't regret it.
--Loveland Pass in Breckenridge has a most excellent view. And snow. Slippery, hard snow. Rockin'.
--I have gotten 2 people addicted to The Baby-sitter's Club. I consider that an accomplishment.
--Whistles should not be allowed on public transportation, period.
--In the state of Colorado, it will rain every day. No, seriously.
--Pizza should be available 24 hours a day, and never farther than a block away.
--Parting life advice from Gladys: find yourself a talking canoe.
--Cursing people in crowded bookstores can be dangerous -- always keep your wand high above your head or very low at your side. And don't use it as a microphone. Unless you're singing Total Eclipse of the Heart.

I think that's it...

Oh, yea. We swam in a river.

Weak and Weary, the Weather is Wet

Greetings and salutations, my Great Lakes patrons. Since I'm rained in at the moment, I thought I'd take time update. Or maybe just express my tribulations (see: expostulations). I don't know; we'll see where this goes.

Maybe it's the 9-5 daily lectures. Maybe it's the fact that my inner forearms are sore (and I didn't even know muscles existed in that part of the body -- oh the wonders of rock climbing). Maybe it's because I'm supposed to be writing 125 word bio, and instead all I wanna do is watch YouTube videos and detox. Maybe it's because I have 10 page editing assignment on the corner of my desk, mocking me. Regardless, it's getting a lot harder to wake up in the morning. All I've craved for the past two days is sleep and mindless activity.

Don't get me wrong -- I love being out here, I love seeing the mountains every morning on my way to class, and I love discussing every aspect of the book day in and day out. I love meeting new people and learning everything I possibly can. But I'm getting anxious. I want a job.

Speaking of which, the immediacy to find a job is starting to hit me. Places I've been looking:
Lerner Publishing, based in Minneapolis, MN
Any and all listings on bookjobs.com
Any and all listings on idealist.org
John Wiley & Sons, based in Somerset/Edison, New Jersey (but they offer my DREAM JOB in Toronto, Ontario!)

I don't think either one of us has mentioned it, but the staff here is unbelievable. We're always encouraged to do better, but also not cut a lot of slack in terms of out-of-class assignments, which, I think, is the greatest way to learn. I will admit that I am a little bias: Gladys, the sassy grandmother-like figure, is always keeping us on our toes and continuously raising the bar ... but really, this woman is remarkable. She knows the business backwards and forwards, moved to Manhattan two days after her college graduation (and has since resided there), and she buys discount Birkenstocks on QVC ... now that's just freakin' cool.

To give you some idea of our editing workshops, here is The Board of Editors, minus Karl:

From left to right: Gladys, Arnold and Elizabeth

And, because I couldn't resist -- Gladys busting a move from the DUPI '05 Photo Gallery:


Okay. End random diatribes. Below, pictures of me and Steph getting ready to climb. Notice that we're both endorsing Michigan State. Pay up, Alumni Association!

Much Ado About Denver

Tonight we went to a free showing of Shakespere's Much Ado About Nothing in a park right by the 16th Street Mall in LoDo (Lower Downtown) . This wasn't just your run-of-the-mill performance, it was a No Holds Bard production. This means that the entire cast read from scrolls instead of rehearsing and also included the audience in certain parts. It was very informal and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We are going to go see the Hamlet performance sometime this week. Stay tuned for the recap. Here's a pic of our group:



I also tried Noodles and Company for the first time today. Leave it to me to try something new in Denver that I could have anytime in East Lansing. But I did find out that it originated in Boulder, which is a stone's throw from Denver. I'm learning all sorts of new things here:)

Also, Denver has amazing sunsets.

One time, there was this mountain goat...

Public Service Announcement: Don't go anywhere without an umbrella while in the state of Colorado. It just ain't smart.

In other news, I found the best bar in Denver: The Giggling Grizzly. DPI took it over last night, but we were there early enough to score free baskets of popcorn. Five hours, three vodka pineapples, and one giggly bear later, we made the trek back to The Towers. PSA #2: Lightrails are SLOW at night. Really, really, really slow. And overpopulated with police.

A memento from the bar that's giggle-worthy:


Today we traveled into the mountains. There was a rough encounter with a mountain goat, mild cases of hypothermia, and some homemade ice cream cones -- and, of course, mountains.

Highlights: