It’s two a.m. and my eyeballs are so stuck to my computer that I’m afraid I’ll have to use a spatchula to scrape them off the screen. I’m applying for jobs. Contract writing jobs, editorial positions, and (sigh) intern writing positions. The past two weeks have been hectic, as I’ve been churning out articles for several online magazines and print publications. This is, of course, in addition to the tutoring, editing, and web-building that I do on the side. My days are filled with words, as its my job to string sentences together in an effort to sew meaning in from the tattered chaos of language and information.

I try to sleep, but several thoughts tug at my pyjama sleeve: money, groceries, and, of course, my neglected pet project, Lady Medusa’s Blog. “Why haven’t you been updating Lady Medusa?” my friends and family ask, to which I can only reply by pointing to the fifty-something articles I’ve written for other publications. Put simply, I haven’t had time!

The title of this post hints that this entry will function as an apologia, a kind of defense for my lack of attention to Medusa and the aims of the project she represents. You see, Lady Medusa is trying to change the world, but in order to get to that point, Amanda Cosco must eat. I’m struggling to afford the basics like rent and groceries while trying to balance my humanitarian aims. At this point, my desire to do good is kept in check by my need for one thing: money.

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