Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Dammit Martha. I wanted to be the post 1,000! Ah well :P 

I'm so excited about the album! I wish I could hear it now. But of
course we all have to wait....
And I know that the waiting will be well worth it. I'm really happy
for her as always:) I wish you could tell us more about what excatly
you have to do with it, but I understand if you can't.

Michelle- I can't wait to here the demo! You definatly have your own
voice.
 My husbands going to kill me because I'm pretending to be his
producer and I'm making him record the same song over and over
again...and it's getting more powerful.
E
  

    
Neil - What if we're expecting the unexpected? :) Can't wait to hear
the new album. People have already come into the store asking if
anyone's heard anything about it. Odd, that. In San Lo any way.

Jen B - Happy b-day! And I don't remember how expensive it is, but
Chambourd is in a rather pretty bottle, and you don't even have to toss
the stuff, just save it for cooking desserts - e.g. raspberry fudge -
just remember to add it early enough to burn off the alcohol. mmmmm...
razzamaberry fudge... <insert homer simpson drooling>

damn, don't have all the ingredients.

oh, and Dan, I'm sure everything will turn out fine. Still have to
figure out when I'm going, but will let you know.

squeaks, who needs more Tim Tams and some photographic creativity
  

    
Thanks for the happy b-days.  :-)  I ended up buying something with a
german name just because it came in a very pretty blue bottle shaped
like a cat and cost less than ten bucks.  I have to admit I was pretty
much at a loss and just wandered up and down the aisles for quite a
while with disgruntled roommate in tow.  I think now I know how some of
my friends feel in a library.

I so need a job.  I have just enough money for American Gods when it
comes out and then not enough for a Tori album.

I really need to stop avoiding studying.

Jen, who has become strangely addicted to Andromeda fanfic and still
doesn't feel older thatn 14 really.
  

    
Email from Tona:

Michelle- Your cat caught a Hummingbird?  They are quick little things are
they not?  We now have five little kittens and they are ALL OVER THE
PLACE.  I think they are driving the dog mad!  But they are so cute!
 
Neil- Thak you very much Neil for getting all excited over Tori's new
album!  And I was doing so well at containing my excitement!!  You know,
it was because of Little Earthquakes that I started to read your writings!  
I kept wondering, "Who's Neil?"  And then, I put two and two together...  
Anyway, it was kind of strange because I had been meaning to read The
Sandman comics way before I heard Little Earthquakes, I just didn't know
who wrote them:)  And now I do, so life is good...
  

    
WOW.  I am looking forward to this album in huge ways.  Paired with
American Gods, I feel just about ready to explode.  Eep.

Angelina.

BTW, happy birthday, Jen!!!
  

    

What she said. Nothing really to add to it.
  

    
Neil - thank you so much for the foralerting about Tori's new album!
Like a lot of people, I discovered your writing and Tori's music at
about the same time and from totally different sources. (cosmic
convergence, who knows?)

So many things to look forward to! American Gods. Strange Little
Girls. Lord of the Rings this winter. Wolves in the Walls. The new
Vertigo Tarot...


Streak - Did you keep the spine? *That* would be interesting... skulls
you see a lot of... but spines? It'd make an interesting coat rack.

Michelle - people are starved for quality culture in San Lo... hell, I
couldn't even rent Time Bandits from *any* of the local video stores
when I lived there.
I'll be sure to listen to your stuff before you make it to the show,
btw...I'll be doing box office this weekend, but if I know I've got
people In the audience I'll make it a priority to be there that night.
(I try not to be at every show once it opens because the temptation to
"give notes" to the actors after the show is too strong and I don't
believe in doing it.)

Jen-B - Happy Birthday!! May your 20's be adventurous, weird, and
unexpected.... 

Dan
  

    
Regarding Neil, Tori, LOTR, et. all:  
In the words of Milhouse Van Houten:  IIIIII'M FREAKING OUT!!!

Dan- What is your show?  I think I must have missed that post.  

Along those same lines, Michelle, when is your show?  And what is the
link to your music?  My band just played last weekend but dummy me
didn't even think of mentioning it here.

-sweetly oblivious adriana
  

    
e-mail from Mary Roane:

Was just sending this to a friend, & realized you guys might wonder if I
were dead, too.......

O.K.  I'm crazy busy, so here's a short update.  

My rent went up $125
I got laid off
I got rehired
I'm moving
This week
Easter was gorgeous, but it happened in the middle of all of this
My tax forms were stolen from my apartment by someone who was being
shown the place when I wasn't there
I had to file for an extension
I only found a place I don't hate last week
My new landlord won't call the current tenants & ask them what day
they're moving & keeps telling me "the first of the month" when I ask
when I can move in
My current landlord wants me out on the 30th
The money I borrowed from my 401K for the deposit & to pay movers has
been held up because my idiot accounting dept. sent the forms back
without  a signature
Every person in Chicago moves on the !st of May, so the chances of my
finding movers at this late date are slim to none
Will write next week, provided I have a roof over my head & have not
comitted what I think I have proven is a justifiable homicide

Mary Roane
  

    
Happy Birthday Jen!! ^_-

Mary - *hangintherehanginthere*

-- Mimi who can't wait for the new Tori album as well... and 54 days
till American Gods + shipping! ^_^;

P.s. Adriana, new season of Simpsons comes back on air next week over
here... *^o^*
  

    
Adriana - I'm directing an adaptation of Ursula K. LeGuinn's short
story "Darkness Box" for a show called "Mapping the Box" which opens in
San Francisco ... Friday night. It's one of five pieces, and I'm
really proud of it.
And a bit freaked... my lead, who has missed rehearsals due to a bad
back, missed last night's dress rehearsal due to food poisoning. I'm
taking today off and learning the part... just... in...case. I'm 80%
done.

Mary - Good fortune to you.. and strength.
  

    
(Le Guin; I'm being pedantic, forgive me.)
  

    
Oy... thank you, Martha.... *embarrassed*
  

    
Dan - All I know for sure is that I won't be able to make it this
weekend. Depending on when the store decides to hold inventory, I may
not make it next weekend either. But I will do my darndest to make it
sometime!!

Adriana - No shows yet. I plan on remaining a studio project (stage
fright sucks), with the exception of an occasional appearance opening
for other SF Midi Mafia bands. Before ANY of that happens, I have to
get over all the crap life has thrown at me in the past two months, get
back in the studio, and work on all the half-written, completely
unrecorded stuff I've got collecting on scraps of paper and ratty
cassettes (my bandmate's computer ate all the somewhat recorded stuff).
At the moment, there's just one thing available to the public.
http://www.sfmidimafia.com/ - media section, band is Bastet's Dream.
What band are you in?

Mary - <<<<<<<<<<HUGSHUGSHUGSHUGSHUGS>>>>>>>>>>
;

squeaks, who came home early to sleep, and can't because of all the
construction noise outside her window. SUCK!
  

    
Hello everyone, this is my second post on the Well. I just wanted to
introduce myself and give everyone a wave hello. It is lonely in Wales.

Michael Niederhausen- I just wanted to say hello and thank you for
letting me quote your thesis in my Master's essay on Neil Gaiman. I did
e-mail you about it. The essay was about the 're-telling' of tales. Do
you remember that far back? I just thought I would give you an update
and tell you that I passed. The marks were: fail, pass and distinction.
At least I passed...my problem was 'organizational.' Trying to juggle
too many ideas at once..the story of my life. 

Dear Mr. Neil Gaiman- I just wanted to say thank you for writing so
much about the writing process. It is really wonderful to read about
how an author writes, not only does it help other writers-but it just
makes for some damn interesting reading. I was so immersed in reading
many on-line interviews while writing my essay (see above) that I was
having Neil dreams. My husband was getting worried about me. Forgive me
if someone has asked this, but is there any new news on the American
Gods UK book signing tour dates? 

-Carole Montoya Torble (the girl with too many names)
  

    <scribbled>
  

    
Carole -- no news yet, although I've been asked to give them a few
extra days, so the UK tour will now go for about 9 or 10 days, until
around the 15th of July.

...

I've been up for almost 24 hours now and I am very tired, happy to be
home but tired...
  

    
Carole -- and I expect that Cardiff is very probable and Bristol will
be practically definite.
  

    
Mary--my god, how overwhelming.  I send positive energy your way.

Neil--Welcome home.  I'm glad that you were able to find time for such
a trip.  :)

Angelina (who hopes her post made sense.  She is more than a bit sick,
and is never eating chunky peanut butter again...)
  

    
Email from Vicky:

Hiya

Neil, thanks for Carroll, what an absolute gem...I am marauding my way
through his books at present, and it is a truly enlightening and enjoyable
experience :)

And now again, a question ;)

Neil, on the front cover of the 1988 (?) UK version of After Silence,
there is a marvellous Dave McKean piece. It includes a photo of a boy with
copper wire coming from the eyes so that is looks like a mask. What I
would like to know is does this image relate at all to the eyes you draw?  
I don't know if they are Sandmanesque, but you did draw the lines out of
Dream's eyes when you signed my other half's first edition :)

Ok, thanks :)

Oh yeah, and look forward to seeing you at one of the book signings in UK
:)

Take care

Vicky
  

    
Email from Mary Roane:

Linda (and all)-- Just wanted to say sorry about the format of that last
post.  When it left here, it was a long list <grumble>

Thanks for the positive vibes.  At this point, there's nothing left to do
but laugh.  And scramble for movers.

Jen--happy (belated) birthday!  May you enjoy your twenties as much as I
did!

Dan--Merde, break a leg & in bocca al lupo!  I almost threw up during the
only show I ever directed--a twenty-minute student project in school.  I
have never been so nervous in my life!  I do *not* know how you do it.

Neil--dreadfully jealous of the Dawn French "Dream".  Did you see any
other shows?  (Like you had time).  I hope you're not as jet-lagged as I
get every time.  It really knocks me for a loop.

(Just finished Doris Lessing's "Briefing for a Descent into Hell" & now
reading "Ladies Night at the Finbar Hotel" by a bunch of Irish women
writers)

Mary Roane
  

    
Wow... take a half-week internet break and it feels like you miss a
month's worth of postings...

Neil-- thanks for the permission to post your words.  I share Mary's
jealousy at your seeing _Dream_.  It's strange-- I would have thought
that, having just directed it, I'd have no interest in another Dream
production.  Nope-- my enthusiasm for the play has only increased since
directing it.

On the other hand, the Arabian Nights are driving me batty.  I've got
my kids divided into three teams: the Tale of the Hunchback, Ali Baba
and the Tale of the Talking Bird. Great stories, but lonnnnnnng.

Can't wait to hear Tori's new album.  It will be my first-- I am
looking forward to being enlightened.

Jen-- belated birthday celebrefestations!  I will shortly be leaving
my 20's (sigh.)  Enjoy!

Mary-- holy cow.. what an opera you're going through!  My best wishes
go with you (for what they're worth.)
  

    
Well, I've just finished reading all of Topic 73. Hi, my name is Dan.
(And since there is another Dan here already, I suppose I'll go by my
middle name.) I started reading this topic via the web back around the
time when it was created and quickly became convinced that I needed to
get an account on the WELL. In preparation for joining in, I took it
upon myself to read all of Topic 73, which I accomplished over the
course of the past four or five weeks. (I commute by train to work an
hour each way, giving me plenty of time to read.)

Having done so, I rather feel as though I know all of you, which I 
suppose is the sort of false sense of intimacy that often arises from
spending a good deal of time reading the thoughts of others, after
which you feel as though you've just carried on a long and personal 
conversation with the author -- and then think nothing of attempting to
pick that conversation right back up again should you ever chance to
meet him or her. So if you find me treating any of you like dear old
friends, please forgive me my transgression into intimacy and salve it
with the thought that "Well, now I know how Neil must feel on
occasion."

Like many of you, I am eagerly awaiting the releases of <b>American
Gods</b>  and <i>Strange Little Girls</i>.  I had been planning on
buying AG locally once it came out, but after two weeks of trying to
resist the urge while reading bits and pieces of it here, I broke down
and pre-ordered it from Amazon. Can SLG be pre-ordered from anywhere?
I'll have to poke around and see after I complete this post.

Neil -- On a tenuously related note, I ordered <b>Faces of
Fantasy</b> from B&N and received it a few days ago. I love it to
pieces! It's an interesting feeling to flip through it and examine the
faces (even if  they are, as you say, masks) of these authors whose
works I have so enjoyed; it humanizes them for me in a way which simply
knowing that they were actual people, out there somewhere, did not.
And at such an unbeatable price; thank you for  the heads up and the
URL (way back in the day on Topic 73).
        Let me also add my congratulations concerning the blurb by Harlan  --
high praise indeed!  Reaching the end of that journal entry, I got
shivers. (And that night, I had the strangest dream in which I ran into
Harlan while attempting to defend a run down little castle from the
encroaching  metropolis surrounding it -- he was guarding the rear
gates, holding the skyscrapers at bay with his acid tongue -- and in
the middle of it all I stopped and said, "Hey, I hear you sent Neil a
blurb for American Gods!" And he said, "Shut up, you."  Ahh, Harlan.
^^)
        I read 'Myths Over Miami' many moons ago and immediately thought, 
"Wow, I could write a really good story involving this, if Clive Barker
 hasn't already beaten me to it."  But alas, he had, having allegedly 
already signed a deal to pen a movie script based upon it.  Not that
this  will stop me from taking my own stab at it, of course, but it
does dampen my enthusiasm a bit.
        Speaking of scripts, I see that AICN has a review of the Death:HCoL
script up. Hrmph. I've been having trust issues with AICN of late.

Martha -- When I began reading these forums, I was sure that I
recognized  your name but couldn't for the life of me remember from
whence.  A ways through Topic 73, I came upon the connection: (cringe)
Big Brother  (cringe). My wife, Lori, was completely addicted to it,
not so much to the show but to the live webcasts.  For those months,
there was always at least one computer in the house tuned to one of the
live feeds; it was rather mind-numbing. (And then the frustration as
the idiotic hamster  revolt flopped and was completely edited out by
CBS!)  Point being, I read all of the coverage you did of it on Salon
and loved every word. It was a bit of a sanity-saver, you can no doubt
imagine, having concrete  proof that someone else out there regarded
the show as I did. Will you be covering the second season?  Are you as
loathe to see it arrive as I?

Shira -- I tend to run into you in the oddest of online places. ^^


I was looking forward to getting to attend a reading on the AG book
tour  but, alas, I am thwarted by two factors: [1] there are no stops
within reasonable afternoon/evening driving distance (admittedly my own
fault for not getting on the ball months ago and phoning around to
stores demanding that they request to be a stop) and, while I'd happily
take a two hour flight (thereby burning through all of those free air
miles which the credit card and phone companies keep throwing at me,
most of which are about to expire I believe) to attend the nearest
reading, [2] that nearest reading falls soon after the projected date
for the birth of my first child, and so I'm not about to make any plans
to be elsewhere.  I'll just have to bide my time until the next one,
and maybe then I'll  bring the little Neil Harlan Fowlkes along to meet
his namesake.  *lol*  Sorry, bad joke, bad joke (and only a joke, I
promise -- not that "Neil"  and "Harlan" aren't perfectly delightful
names).

My quick "Gaiman Pedigree" (as it were). Have read and own: all of 
Sandman, Books of Magic (original miniseries, not series), Violent
Cases,  Signal to Noise, Mr. Punch, Stardust (book and comics),
Neverwhere  (American edition only, alas), Good Omens (British
paperback ed.), Don't  Panic, everything available on the web (24 hour
comic, "Snow, Glass, and  Apples", etc.), Angels and Visitations,
"Warning: Contains Language".  Have read but do not yet own: Black
Orchid, Last Temptation of Alice  Cooper, Smoke & Mirrors.  Have not
yet read: first bit of Sweeney  Todd, Miracleman, everything else I
imagine.

And now that I've managed to go on and on in a voice that, upon
reflection, sounds mysteriously like one of my academic papers, I think
I'll sign off.


-- Guy
  

    
Sot but that turned out long.
It looked so much shorter in the little input field.
Ah well.
I did have 2928 messages to reply to, after all.
  

    
Wow, DanGuy, that's an introduction.  Hello to you.  From me.

Dan, the other guy--did your lead show up or are you on your way to an
amazing impromptu performance?  My best friend lives in SF-I will tell
him to go see your show.  He's a theatre fool like me.  

Michelle--I heard your track.  Very VERY nice.  Are you a fan of This
Mortal Coil?  yumyumyum.  What kind of keyboard do you work on? 
lalala.

-a