Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
I'm glad you're back, o raisinaceous one.

Erynn... thanks for that link. I, uh, it just loaded in between my writing
the first line of this post and this one, and I have played it, and uh, my
head is on sideways now. <grin> To wake up, walk downstairs, and then have
this be the thing I see within the first four minutes of consciousness makes
for an interesting day.

Weeeeeeeeee!
Indeed.
  

    
Okay, well...I think I've given up on trying to read all the back
posts.  I'm just going to jump back in to conversation, and hope for
the best.

Happy belated birthdays to all I have missed!

Neil--glad to see that you are feeling better.  When there was a lack
of blogger entires, I figured you must have shut yourself away from the
world to get some work done.  Instead...well, you know the rest.

Angelina.
  

    
Linda, Elise, Angelina-- thank you!

Erynn-- a pleasure.  I hope this next album is good..feel like I've
been waiting forever!  And that link you posted was _brilliant_.

And in the spirit of posting links, here's one I found today, off the
musical group Rasputina's website. Very odd, very funny.

http://www.rasputina.com/jokes.html

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
  

    
Adriana-- do you know much about the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts
Foundation?  I want to apply for a grant from them, but I don't know
much beside what their website says.  Do they tend to favor certain
kinds of works over others?  Anything you cound tell me would be really
helpful.  Thanks.
  

    
"And I love the phrase "head radio," 

Thanks, Elise.

I have a running soundtrack in my head, and the weird thing is, it's
often backed up on the outside, too. Once I was driving back to
Chattanooga from Nashville, and somebody decided that I wasn't going
fast enough and created their own, second fast lane right through my
car... the radio was playing some song about "when the going gets
tough, the tough get..." CRUNCH. Right then I invented my all time
favorite cuss phrase, motherfuckinsononofabitchinbastard, which I
managed to get out before the second impact into the side of a van.
When the goin' gets tough, the tough get crunched.

Sometimes it's so hard to post here; I have a relatively small life,
not any money to see shows or travel, although I'd love to. I'm always
glad when something catches interest. It's very hard not to feel like
I'm in the wrong classroom from time to time.

The times when it's fun for me are when people are actually conversing
back and forth rather than posting their itineraries. 
  

    
JaNell--My goodness!  I hope you are okay!  (Though I'm going to rest
easy assuming that you are okay, since you didn't say otherwise.)  Car
accidents shake me up pretty badly, even if they aren't bad ones...
  

    
Ack, JaNell!  Did you have to move into the chiropractor's office? 
That is a mighty fine cuss phrase, though.  Trips from the lips.

I have a very persistant head radio, myself.  It even plays dream
soundtracks for me.
  

    
Jesus LafuckingWheezus, JaNell, I'm glad you made it through that accident!
That sounds like some serious scaryness and major impact.
  

    
I'm glad you all (well...the three of you, anyway) like the link. You
can't go wrong with Ween. 

Len- I've heard of Rasputina. I've heard good things about them, but
for some reason I don't own anything by them. Those jokes were so
damned funny that I've made a note to check them out. (as soon as
payday comes around) Thanks. 

JaNell- I hope you're okay! Do you still hurt? Are you...um...okay? 
I like conversing too. Mainly because I have no itinerary. Every time
I write one out, I always end up defying it one way or another. In
fact, last night I was supposed to do a million things....but I ended
up eating peanut butter and banana sandwitches at President Garfields
grave. I fed his goldfish too.
And on a sappy note: You're one of my favorites on this here forum
because 1. There's a certain boldness and honesty in your personality
that I wish I had more of (I roll my eyes as "wind beneathe my wings"
plays in my head) 2. You tease Neil (which to do humorously and
effectively takes skill) 3. And like you, I feel like I'm in the wrong
classroom from time to time....if I'm even in a classroom at all. 
End sappiness. 

One more thing (and then I'll go away.) Has anyone read the New Tori
Interview in Spin? Frankly, I was frightened, not in a bad way, but
frightened none the less. She seemed so angry! I guess I'm not used to
angry Tori. Then again, it was Spin Magazine, who, unsucessfully
attempted to humiliate her fanbase last year. And 3 miscarriages? Er?

Erynn, who is The Weakest Link--Goodbye! 
  

    
By "Once", I was talking about a car accident over 15 years ago... and
I walked away, even though my car was facing on coming traffic; in
fact, I managed to drive back to Nashville with it, since it was
closer, and the next day down to Chatta, then up to Knoxville where I
lived... the front left headlight was hanging up over the hood so it
looked like I had ET strapped to the car... didn't mean to worry
anyone.

At least none of us (I hope) ever feel like we've gone to school naked
here, like that common nightmare.

As for teasing Neil...
I can't help it, Erynn. It's a compulsion, no, maybe a hobby... I'm
not sure. He seems so wise, then D'oh! Aslan is Christ?! You're
supposed to COOK eggs? and this evil grin takes over...

Haven't read the Tori interview, but angry is sometimes good. Emotions
make people real, and that's what makes them interesting to me. 

Erynn, what did you feed the fish?

Rebecca, I do live at the chiropractor's office, but not for that
reason.
  

    
JaNell-- I think it's interesting how people interact in this group.
In my experience, the more similar people in an online discussion are
expected to be(ie: film geeks, theatre geeks, foodies,etc.,) the more
divisive and inflammatory conversations can become.... maybe it's
because there seems to be so much at stake for everybody.

However, somehow this group avoids that trap.  People are nice; no
flame wars in evidence.  Also, everyone seems to be able to avoid the
pitfalls of using excessive irony in this very straightforward and
un-voice-inflected medium.

I do think it's natural to feel like one doesn't have much to say
somtimes-- even in this august gathering.  I particularly feel out
there when people start talking about Tori-- I like her work very much,
but I am a novice as far as Tori fandom is concerned.  Still, I feel
quite priveleged to be able to interact with this mob.

And you _should_ eat raw eggs from time to time, 'cause the
alternative means no french-vanilla ice cream, tiramisu, and a host of
other good things.  Damn the torpedoes, Gridley!

Erynn-- oh, that was Ween!  Cool...  As for Rasputina, I saw them open
once for Moxy Fruvous, and I really liked them.  They take Edward
Gorey-- or Dame Darcy-- into the third dimension.
  

    
Len--I never really noticed how we don't have flame wars and the such.
 I think that we must think of each other as people more so than most
groups.  I think that sometimes people can forget that there are real
people on the other side of the computer.  Even if someone says
something wrong or stupid, they are still people.  Its good to remember
that.

No french-vanilla ice cream?  NO TIRAMISU?  I think I'm just going to
have to take my chances with the raw eggs...and the raw fish for that
matter.

I often feel I have little to nothing to say about many topics, just
because I know almost nothing about them.  I sit back and try to learn
something new...sometimes I become so interested that I go out and try
and find out more about it...then once I know enough about the subject
to say something, the conversation is months in the past.  :)  But its
a fun way to find topics to learn about.

JaNell--about the going to school naked dream...I've never had it. 
Nor have I had the falling dream, the flying dream, or any other dream
that supposedly everyone has.  I do boring things in my dreams most of
the time, like go to work and do normal work things.  It makes me
worried that despite what my teachers have told me, I am really quite
unimaginative.  

Very glad to hear that this accident was not recent!!  (But I am also
sorry to hear that you live at the chiropractor's office.  Doesn't
sound entirely pleasant to me.)

About the Tori interview:  She seemed rather passionate about some of
those topics, didn't she?  Of course, it might just have been Spin
trying to spice up the interview (I can certainly see them twisting
things if they didn't think it was "quirky" enough, or something.)  I
always have fun listening to what Tori has to say.  Often enough I
don't agree with her, but it gives me an interesting perspective, and I
love the way she describes feelings with foods and images.

Well, this post turned out much longer than I thought it would...
Angelina.
  

    
Did Jinxie Send ALL of us that link?

Len said "Also, everyone seems to be able to avoid the
pitfalls of using excessive irony in this very straightforward and
un-voice-inflected medium."
It's funny, I've been discussing the difficulty of any real
communication in this medium at length with a friend I care for very
much recently. I feel like I'm slogging through mud trying to express
subtle differences and such. I mean, I'm one of those people who talks
with their hands... Aaaarrrgggh!

Velvet, not having those dreams doesn't mean that you're not
imaginative...
just self-confident and not Freudian. I've actually dreamed about
using the toilet in the middle of the hallway at school when classes
let out...
Just recently I had one similar to that with y'all here and some of
the coffee shop people standing around outside the stall I was using
talking about how full of it I was and pathetic and then the stall door
broke and there I was...
  

    
JaNell, my fondest wish is that one day they'll work out how to add
hand-inflections to the posts.  I always feel like I'm talking with
half a voice.
Glad you're OK, and the accident was far in the past.  And, gosh,
you're awfully special to me--after all, I probably wouldn't have
joined the WELL if you hadn't whacked me with your purse!
  

    
I think there are several reasons there are no flame wars here.  Upon
inspection they all have to do with Mr. Neil in some way...

1.  Neil tends to have the nicest people as fans.
2.  Of all the various forums and newsgroups and whatnot I've been on,
people generally behave themselves a lot more when the person that
board is devoted to is reading it.
3.  Since we're all fans of Neil and try to go to readings and such we
all stand a very high risk of running into each other one day, and we
don't want such moments to be awkward, flinging orange juice in each
others faces for what you said about Our Susan, occassions (sp?). 

Never had the usual school/flying dreams.  Also, my dreams are odd in
that even when horrible things are happening in them I am utterly calm.
 "Hmmmm, I'm watching a serial killer horribly do some horrible things
and I am next.  Eh, whaddyagonnado."

Jen, who saw Henry V last weekend in stratford canada and enjoyed it.
"We are the makers of manners."
  

    
I'm sure Neil's fans are nice people because Neil himself is. Back in the
'70s I lived in England and worked for his father, David Gaiman, while Neil
was still young and always with hi nose in a book. Good kid then, still is.
  

    
"I probably wouldn't have joined the WELL if you hadn't whacked me
with your purse!" 
Now, Rebecca, you know it was the purse's own choice... after all, a
bag that size has to have achieved sentience.

Jen - Neil's fans are unusually nice. It's kind of eerie, actually.

John - Hey. Are you sure you want to admit knowing Neil that long? I
mean, it just tempts me to ask if he was difficult to pott... no, I've
sworn off teasing Neil. Honest.

I just got a call from Loretta at 11th St. Expresso,  and now have to
run down and keep them from painting metallic copper trim against a
pumpkin orange wall...
  

    
Always glad to contribute nicks, especially when it's not by design.
:)

Jenny--
Stratford is a wonderful place to take in some Shakespeare, isn't it?
I saw "Midsummer Night's Dream" there two summers ago, and enjoyed it
immensely. We've meant to go back for each of the last two summers, and
have been conspired against in our efforts.
  

    
Neil--Heavens, Bottersnikes and Gumbles? That takes me back... At this
rate, you'll be telling me telling me you're reading her 'Come
Midnight Monday' or 'The Nargun and the Stars'.

Where do you find all these cool books? Are they sent to you or do you
get them from the same mysterious source as your ideas? ;>

Tree
Who wants Neil's library when she grows up.
  

    
Bill - I saw that production too!  Wasn't it wonderful?  Especially
since I saw The Alchemist the night before and it was just... it would
have been a good play if it were only an hour shorter.  It was just too
overdone.  And to think I could've seen the Tempest instead and have
it be a Sandman themed weekend.  :-)  It's odd, there's this one actor
(can't remember his name exactly, Michael Tsomething, don't have a
program here), but he's always got a part in the plays I see there. 
And this year I wasn't able to see the ones I wanted because of
scheduling and when I picked Henry V I looked and didn't see his name
and I was disappointed that the coincidence wasn't continuing.  And
then I got to the theatre and sat down and read the full cast list and
it turned out he was in it.  I was happy, it made me feel all at home. 
:-)

Jen.
  

    
Hey everyone. I'm at BM right now, so I've gotta make it quick. Thank
Daddio for understanding my need to be a geek and let me borrow the
laptop and get on the net with his wireless. So,l I basically just
wanted to let you know that I'm having a blast (and being blasted by
dust, but what else is new). Have managed to convert one of my camp
friends to the following of 'Neil' (the boy she has a crush on likes
the camp). Will have lots of stuff to share when I get back. In the
meantime, the dome is up and I haven't run into any WELL people yet;
but I"m sure I will soon enough.

squeaks, who is being ridiculed by everyone at Death Guild who knows
I'm online right now.
  

    
Rasputina are indeed very wonderful, although I only have one album of
their's (the one with Brand New Roller Skates on it).

..

I've just become an addict of BBC Radio 4. (Well, I've been one for
over thirty years, only for the last decade it's been hard to indulge
my addiction.)(But it's now streaming in real audio... finally!) Only
problem is the world out here is 6 hours behind the UK. Do you know how
weird it is to hear the shipping forecast and SAILING BY at 7.00 pm? 
Finally, I am convinced that the Internet is a force for good.
...
JaNell -- oww. Sympathies for the longago crunch. & I dunno, I rather
like the occasional itinerary. It's always fun to live vicariously.

Erynn -- I think it's rather like a mother lioness, who has decided to
do what she can to improve the world for her cubs. & as Velvetraisin
says, passionate rather than angry.

John -- thank you kindly. My son Mike is much nicer and better
mannered than I ever was. Taller, too, like his grandfather. None of
the kids were quite as booky as I was though.

Tree -- I just went down to the office and got it from the shelf. It
was something I bought with my own pocket-money when I was about 8. I
think I'll read her "Borrobil" next, if I can find it. If not, there's
always Bookfinder...


Miss Mousey -- give my best to everyone at Burning Man -- and say hi
to Amacker if you see her.
  

    
PS Things I learned today:

do not leave garlic in the ground. Once the top leaves start browning,
dig up the bulbs. If you leave it in the ground after it should be
picked the papery stuff that surrounds the garlic vanishes mysteriously
and you will find yourself dealing with bunches of garlic cloves, and
not heads of garlic.


This was your useful gardening tip.
  

    
Oooooh, Jen, cool.  Every year we talk about going to Stratford, and
every year we don't.  Bummer.

JaNell, you scared me.  I'm glad that accident was not as serious as
it sounded.  Good cussword; consider it stolen ;-)

<Waves at Sqeaks as she disappears in a cloud of dust>

I always feel like I'm in the wrong *grade* here--like I've stumbled
into a graduate class and I'm still an undergrad.  I'm just too
stubborn to admit it & go back where I belong!

Adriana--meant to tell you--*so* jealous of your Sweeney experience. 
I think I'd take a chorus role, just to get to do it.  And I tried the
link, but it didn't work for me.  I'll try from work.

'K. I really didn't have much to say, but I sure did take a long time
to say it!

Mary (back to Bullfinch, 'cause I didn't finish it before I left town)
  

    

So, if I hate peeling all that papery stuff off, all I have to do is wait
long enough and the garlic will be naked?