Yes, I know you’ve seen this photo a zillion times but I like it. It’s how we looked Back in the Day. Just cope.

Today is our anniversary. Twenty-two years ago, I met Kelley in the corridor of the sixth floor of Owen, one of MSU’s graduate dorms. It was the first day of a six-week writers’ workshop called Clarion. (I’ve described that meeting before.) But on our friend Mark’s blog are some pictures you’ve never seen. (He says we were on the seventh floor. His memory is probably better than mine in this regard. Anything over two stories is unnatural as far as I’m concerned.)

The first photo Mark shows was taken in week four. Kelley looks beautiful, of course. (I’m not in it–perhaps I was passed out under a table somewhere). The second was taken just a couple of days before we all split up and went our separate ways. We’re dressed up like this because, apparently, the Stupid Class Photo is a Clarion tradition: look like doofoids and see if you can get your picture in Locus magazine. Sadly, we succeeded. This is where I learnt that one shouldn’t do Funny Fotos for publicity purposes. (Those big hammer things, by the way, are croquet mallets.)

Speaking of Locus, this afternoon I’ll be at the Locus Awards here in Seattle, where I have every expectation of losing, hopefully with a modicum of grace. But, hey, it’s always a blast to be nominated for something, and we can party afterwards. Life is good.