Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
jinx- Yes, it is. It drives me crazy, which is the main reason I don't
watch a lot of TV. Unfortunatly, a lot of movies these days are like
that too. I almost would have liked "The Cell", but I didn't care if
she got caught in that world or died. In fact, I was kind of hoping she
would die. I think the pendulum is starting to swing the other way,
though. There are a lot of good directors, writers and musicians coming
out of the woodwork. (and Neil, I know, will be an excellent director)


Michelle- Yay for rats! :D

Joeseph- I'm currently reading Ursula Le Guin's "The Left Hand of
Darkness" It's weird because I've always written sci-fi/fantasy-like
stuff, but I've really only recently began to read it. Very good book.
Next stop: Mr. Ellison. 

Will- Congrats on the dancing! I bet it was groovy:) As far as novel
length... I've read that the reason they don't usually accept longer
novels from previously un-published authors is because, if no one's
heard of you, they can't be sure that people will put down money on a
big honkin book. all marketing-buisiness stuff that doesn't usually
(and probably shouldn't) make sense to an artist. However, if your name
is out there and you've proven that people will buy your stuff, they
don't seem to care how big or small the book is. But I wouldn't worry
about it too much. It's hard to find an agent and get publised no
matter what the length of mss is. I would think that if length were an
issue, they would tell you that upfront. don't know. When I was trying
to sell my screenplay years back, I heard a lot of crazy things. Some
said it was too short, some said it was too long, some said it was too
commercial, some not commercial enough. Finally, someone offered to buy
it, but I think they just wanted to use parts of it or something. Just
try as many agents as you can (reputable ones) and if they reject you,
ask them why. 

Maria and Tori bat- Hi!

aahhh, off to eat Italian food again. I swear, I'm gonna get so fat
living here....
  

    
I had a very Neverwhere sort of Sunday night.

I was going up to Fort Tryon Park, which for those unfamiliar with NY,
is a very un-Manhattan park way up on the upper, upper, upper West
Side (190th St.+) of Manhattan.  It's where the Cloisters is, and it's
full of winding paths and flower gardens that overlook the Hudson
River.  Up there is the only place you can go mountain climbing in
Manhattan.  The reason I was going there was to see a local theatre
company, Gorilla Rep, do a production of Macbeth.

Anyway, the subway to Fort Tryon lets out, after an elevator ride up
[elevators are really rare in the NY subways], right onto the
cobblestone plaza entrance to the park.  There's tons of trees and
grass there--it's like taking an elevator into the middle of a forest. 
And Gorilla Rep's Macbeth is staged environmentally, meaning that the
entire park is their stage-- you run around chasing the actors, the
witches appearing at the tops of gates and the warriors fighting their
way through real forests-- and with the sun setting over the river, and
with the Cloisters hanging overhead you couldn't have asked for a more
magical place to see theatre.  It worked-- I was transported.  This
wasn't NYC-- it was NYC's dream of itself 800 years ago.

Coming home, I took the A train and transfered to the 1/9 train at
168th St.-- and I don't know if it's the first time I ever noticed it,
but the 168th St. station is amazing-- high, vaulted ceilings with
intricately patterned mosaic borders, lit by wrought-iron and
glass-globed streetlamps that must have been gaslit once.  There's even
two open bridges-- with their own set of streetlights-- that go over
the tracks to allow you to easily change directon. Weirdest yet, at the
top of the ceiling vaults are those big tile circles that almost look
like chandeliers used to hang from them or something, which I suppose
is impossible.  The total effect isn't NY at all, but of some Victorian
Underground station-- and since it's deep in the heart of Washington
Heights, I'll bet that most New Yorkers don't even know it exists.

 I feel like I got to see one of New York's secret faces last night. I
don't know why it lends itself to the language of myth and fantasy,
but it did feel transformative--something out of Neil's stuff, or John
Crowley's or Peter Beagle's.  Maybe the next time I go to that station,
or to Fort Tryon Park, what I'll notice will be the grime, or the
homeless or whatever... but last night was a pure dose of the magic
that keeps me in this city.
  

    
Linda--I have some good news and some bad news and some worse news.
The bad news is POA means price on application. The worse news is that
I could have sworn that 'Mischief' had a sold sticker on it when I saw
the exhibition. The good news is that if you scout around, you can find
a bunch of his work as limited edition prints which, with the Aussie
dollar worth a hearty chuckle at the moment, will be dirt cheap for
you. Email me (me@ladymisstree.com) and I'll scout around and see what
I can find for you.

Erynn--I loved the visuals of The Cell. JLo or whatever the hell she's
calling herself today, however, gets up my nose. Can't stand the
woman. If she had just shut up and wandered around inside the baddie's
head for the entire movie, it would have been of the good.

Len--How wonderful! I adore that moment when you look up at a building
and see a gargoyle that you had never noticed, or you wander down an
alley you never knew was there. That fantastic sense of wonder you get.

Tree
Who is in a shockingly bad mood right now because she received a 60
day eviction notice last night and will be overseas for a large chunk
of the time she has left to find a new home. :(
  

    

Tree - why being evicted??  That's terrible!

Will send e-mail immediately about Mischief!
  

    
jinx/tree- That's horrible! oh no! I hope you find a place soon <good
vibes your way> 

I love Neverwhere Sundays. And it always seems to be Sundays because
Sundays are boring days when nothing is open and I go wandering out of
boredom, into strange things....
  

    
Gentrification, Linda. I should have seen this coming a mile off.

Literally dozens of new apartment blocks have been built around me
recently. The landlord (may lobster-sized boils plague his arse for the
remainder of his days) must have found out the exorbitant amount of
rent they are charging and decided to slap a little paint on and cash
in. But to do that, he needs to evict everyone from the building.
Including my brother, who lives upstairs.

I'm enlisting as much help as I can between now and the deadline to
find a place and get moved. Unfortunately, I have an overseas guest
staying with me when I get back from my trip, so he may find himself
helping me lug boxes. Poor bugger.

Any good vibes sent my way are muchly appreciated. Anyone know of a
good real estate charm? ;>

Tree
Who needs a Neverwhere Sunday this weekend.
  

    
O.K., I'm starting to feel like a jinx.  Have *all* of us moved this
spring?  Tree, I'm so sorry.  Many good vibes!  The only charm I can
think of is buryig a statue of St. Joseph in the yard, but that's to
*sell* your house.  All wrong.  Better to pray to St. Brigid--your
woman's Irish, she knows from homeless!

Len--when I was in NYC a year ago, we went to the Cloisters.  That
show must have been cool!  (Have you seen Producers yet?  What did you
think?)  Next time I come, I wanna check out that train station.

Will--congrats on the dance competition!  Sorry about the rejection
slip.  Next time!

Mary, gigglig maniacally over the "Buggre All Thatte" Bible
  

    
I will not take it personally that the Well servers went down at the
same moment I sent my reply to the last 30 or so messages, zapping it
off into the ether. Nope. Not me. Uh uh. Not even a little bit.
  

    
        I, on the other hand, will take it terribly personally that the post
I just spent 20 minutes composing is now so many random electrons
someplace.  Short version: pillaging Douglas Adams's PC for novel
fragments bad.  John Bellairs good.
  

    
I mourn for every lost post.

A friend of mine got her English prof to accept her pitch of a paper
about comic books and their relation to Dostoevsky.  The resulting
paper cites Neil, Jeff Smith, Edward Gorey, The Battleship Potempkin,
Scott McCloud, and Maimonides, as well as including part of a panel
from _Arkham Asylum_ by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean.  I'm very proud
of her, so I thought I'd throw out the link to it:
http://www.manufacturingmystique.com/inkursion/comics/maintext.html
  

    
Jinx-- oh, man-- good luck!  [Have you considered relocating to the
source of all good things, Astoria Queens?  We need people like you.] 

Erynn-- Neverwhere Sunday-- lovely coinage!

Mary-- No, haven't seen the Producers yet-- I'm seeing it on June 27. 
To be frank, I'm such a fan of the movie-- and such a critic of Mel's
later stuff-- that I thought the musical would be an abomination. 
BUT-- when the reviews came out (I've never seen the Times give such a
rave), I ran to the computer and got tickets off the telecharge
website.  Cheap seats, but in the theatre.  I heard the CD of the score
recently and was't blown away-- much better than adequate, but I don't
know if it deserved Best Score.  I'm hoping that the gestalt effect of
the whole show will be better than the effect of the CD.

Neil-- an American Gods question-- is the Odin in AG essentially the
Odin you used in Sandman, or have you re-invented him to suit the new
novel?  Were you ever, at any point tempted to throw in oblique little 
references to the world of Sandman?
  

    
Danguy-- printing your friend's paper even as we speak.  
  

    
Tori Bat--Just finished the hell that is school as well.  :)  I
suppose that with all the poo I have in my personal life that school on
top was just too much.  I think I'll play the working game a little
bit too.  Good to hear from you again!

Len--Wow to your Sunday Neverwhere experience.  I would love to see a
play performed like that.  It sounds incredible, but I wonder if my
feet would get tired.  

Tree--My goodness!  How horrible to get evicted, and at such short
notice.  I am definitely sending good real estate vibes your way. 

Was wondering if anyone here is planning to go to Dayton, as it seems
that all my other destinations are falling through.  :(  I suppose it
gives me much more money to buy obscene amounts of American Gods as
presents for basically everyone I know...but I was so looking forward
to New York.  Oh well.  Perhaps next time.

Angelina.  
  

    
Tree - I am so sorry... I hope that you find someplace wonderful and
immediately available in the time you have.
  

    
Did some laundry, hit the gym, and got some sleep, and am past my
cold.  woohoo!  I tried to find the Moulin Rouge soundtrack last night,
but HMV Herald Square didn't have it (or didn't have it new releases,
or soundtracks, and *that* threw me sufficiently).  Looking forward to
a night of revising now.

Tree and Erynn- I feel the same way about television and movies, and
had that thought watching Moulin Rouge; during that Gichy-Gichy number,
the speed and cuts were near seizure-inducing.  I've been working in
the production end of commercials for the past year; I've thought it's
a good stepping stone, but, well, I think it's getting time to move
on...
It was interesting when Unbreakable came out, to see that many
reviewers actually noted that some of the scenes were shot in one take,
on one camera, as in the hospital, and on the train.

Len- I wish I had days like that.  I'm looking for reasons to stay in
NYC.  I *loved* the Cloisters, and am probably going back within the
next couple of weeks.  What was the play you mentioned?  I'd love to
see it, and wondered where I could get tickets.

Tori-bat- Good to hear from you!  Glad the job is going well.

Tree- Positive moving vibes your way!

Neil- I'm very happy!  I returned to my desk (after learning about new
film shooting [24p digital]), and found Live at the Ambassadors on my
desk!  Woohoo!

-Will, who must now decide whether he will revise or watch Eddie
Izzard tonight, and is really hoping to do both.
  

    
And I forgot to say that we in NY will miss you, Angelina.
  

    
Len, no, neither of the Odins in American Gods are the one in Sandman.


And the only reference to a Sandman character is a tiny one in a San
Francisco park, and it may not even be her.
  

    
Toribat -- get Jon or Linda to forward an e-mail from you to me:
there's a party in Lexington that night that might be fun, and I'll put
you in touch with the host. (I won't be there. I'll be signing in
dayton.)
  

    
Email from JaNell:

Hi, Tori Bat! 
So, you're from Knoxville. If you'd like to meet another
poster in person, drop by the 11th St. Espresso House some saturday night.
Just ask for me. JaNell
  

    
Email from Tori Bat:

Bill^2--> ah my idea of fun is anything interesting and can be exciting
for 4 very different people! *laugh* I think just someplace to eat that
has alot of atmosphere and stuff would be nice... my friends and I are
staying over that night so I'm looking for something to do after the
signing.

Erynn--> Hi! *smile* italian food is yummy...but my favorite right now is
Indian~ there's a great little place here. and I'm very close to just
moving in there! haha

Tree--> I'm sorry to hear about the eviction stuff. that would send
anyone, even mary poppins into a bad mood! I hope you find an answer to
your living problems soon!

ok--> I'm going to grab some breakfast and go to work! *laugh* I told a
friend of mine that I am giving my dad all of my paychecks...and he said:  
"why? do you owe him money?" --> well I bet after almost 22 years I owe my
parents A LOT of money but...I'm just contriubting to our little house
hold.

anyway--> don't want to be late. 
                         *HUGS* 
                              Tori Bat! 
  

    
Heya wellians :) I'm on lunch break from a meeting, and wanted to give
*hugs* and report that the wedding was gorgeous, I was shocked when
Chicago was abouy 20 degrees *colder* than Dublin had been, and that
after 3 hours of both of us waiting in exactly the wrong place the
Backflip Boy and I did eventually locate one another at the evil known
as O'Hare International Airport and I am (mostly) over my jetlag :)

Travel Tip #1: If you're ever planning on vacationing in the vicinity
of Castlebridge, Wexford, stay at the Maple Lodge if you can. It is a
lovely B&B and Margaret and Eammon are just the best hosts in the
world.

Travel Tip #2: If you're ever planning on vacationing in Dublin, and
get a room at the Temple Bar hotel, make sure that it is NOT one that
faces onto Fleet Street, because as a trendy part of town their are
very noisy young people just outside your windows who will be laughing,
shouting, and occasionally even screaming until about 4am every
night/morning...

Travel Tip #3: If you ever fly into Terminal 5 at the aforementioned
O'Hare, make sure you tell your loved one(s) to meet you outside the
Aer Lingus *ticket counter*, rather than anywhere else in the area that
they might go to instead, such as down by baggage claim or, say,
anywhere near customs... It may save you 3 hours of sitting outside in
the cold, having visions of said loved one(s) dead in a ditch by the
time you reach the 3rd hour of waiting. On the up side, I did have time
to read most of "The Commitments" and a chunk of a very funy book
called "Aberystwyth Mon Amour" that is particularly entertaining if
you're a Chandler fanatic who is also vaguely familiar with Wales...


Okay, I go back to work now :)
  

    
Somewhere there is a bulletin board of lost posts.
  

    
        Heh.  Run by L00z3N, presumably?
  

    
Most likely, it would be found via the internet connection available
from Lucien's library.
  

    
Darn it, Bill_2, you beat me to it.