in or out

William cooking Chili with Billy, pouring the beer into it, which he calls a ‘grown-up drink’

Photos by Billy

I want someone to film a local cable cooking show of Billy and William. William, high up on his ‘learning tower’, pushed up against the kitchen island, and Billy floated around in a fog of fragrant steam. It is like a laboratory, two mad scientists chopping and grating and measuring and pouring, intent on completing their work—namely dinner for me.

William at his favorite diner, The Blue Moon Diner
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for the (grand)mothers

William with my mother, doing ‘expressive dance’ maybe.

video and photo by Billy

Both of our mothers drove hours to see William during the last week, and William could not be more grateful for the adoring and overflowing love and attention from his Grand Mothers. Linda brings vintage books, and metal matchbook cars with paint worn off from Billy’s childhood fingers. My mom, for a sick day, brings a bag of goodies, noodle soup, and oyster crackers to float on its surface.

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An picture from back in the summer, from William’s 2-year old birthday party.

b

Photo by Billy

This picture is here because I rarely share pictures of Billy.
Because he takes all of these pictures for me.

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what you don’t know can’t hurt you

William does not yet know that at any time he can scramble out of his low toddler bed. He still thinks there’s something magical about us walking into the room, our sleepy shuffling, that releases him into the world.

Photos by Billy

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cup cake theif

Video by Billy

William has always said, It’s hard to wait. Sometimes I agree.

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Recycle

Photos by Billy

We only watch TV on the computer these days, but Billy recycled some other things the day many Charlottesville folks abandoned old TVs in the Crutchfield parking lot.

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authors, anyone?

Photo by Billy

I have been charged with finding published authors who will read and review my manuscript. My agent would like to send these ‘blurbs’ out to publishers, like little flags that say, ‘Look! So and so thinks this is good…’

I am struck with how much displaying art depends on connections, on knowing people and building relationships so that people can vouch for you, and you for them. This isn’t entirely a bad thing—in many ways it works. And I will do my best. But I can’t help but fantasize about handing in a hundred blurbs from ordinary readers. People like me.

‘I’ll remember these stories’ Someone you’ve never heard of might says on the back book cover.
‘These stories meant something to me.’

Any suggestions on published authors who might want to read and possibly review a collection of stories by me?

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still life

Photo by Billy

I teach elementary art, and am so humbled by the efforts of my students, who work like real artists, despite the fact that they are children, and no one much takes them seriously.

Check out my lesson plan here.

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forgotten

Will Rocks from Billy Hunt on Vimeo.

Video by Billy

This must have only been last summer, but I’ve already forgotten what it’s like to have a babe who cannot yet form words. Now William speaks in near sentences, sharing complicated thoughts about the day.

-Is it night-night time? he asks after sunset as we are driving home from dinner. Is it almost night-night time? he says. Mama, Look! The sky is dark and light.

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kiss

Photo by Billy

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