Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
"[...] played a pretty evil Satanist."

I was imagining the other side of that.  Nathan Lane as Aleister
Crowley comes to mind, though something terribly Edmund Crispinian
about a dark, Satanic Juliet Mills creeps in there from somewhere.
  

    
I'm glad someone mentioned the Neverwhere video. I lurk and posted in
the very first thread and it's hard to know where to jump in!
Has anyone else seen the Diet Coke adverts in the UK with Lamia in
them? Well not Lamia, but the woman who played Lamia in Neverwhere. She
was also on a documentary spoof. Is that the same woman or is it just
a striking similarity? 
After seeing the movie I just wanted to give the Great Beast of London
a cuddle. I thought the actors were fantastic and in lots of ways the
movie reminds me of a stage play. 
I also wanted to thank Neil for being gracious enough to pose for two
pictures at the Bristol signing because the flash went off while I was
talking. I was like a bull (or Great Beast of Bristol)in a china shop
that day and knocked over some books on display next to the signing
table. 
  

    
Carole--Oh my.  That sounds like something like I would do (knocking
over all the books.)  And having a camera that doesn't flash as
well...could you be another me?  Maybe I just need rest.

Angelina.
  

    
Margret--welcome home! Hope you had a grand time in Australia.  I'm
enjoying K&C, but in small doses--no time to read recently.

Carole--I liked the Neverwhere video very much, as well.  *Loved* the
Marquis (which reminds me--must go do search to see if he's done
anything else I can rent, buy, steal, or otherwise view.)

Speaking of BBC videos, anyone ever watch Father Ted?  A friend just
made me watch rather a lot of it --it's OK, I made him watch
Neverwhere.  Haven't heard his reaction yet, but Father Ted has it's
moments (if you're not offended by poking fun at the Irish, and
particularly Catholics, and most particularly Catholic priests--it gets
a bit sacriligeous--sp?)  If it were made by anyone *but* the Irish,
it would be offensive in the extreme.

Will--congrats on the rejection letters--it won't always be this way.

Mike--you should go into casting if the whole writing thing doesn't
work out ;-p

Mary (off to search for Paterson Joseph & read Michael Chabon)
  

    
Oooo, forgot to ask--Neil, can we have just a tidbit about what
Anansi's Boys might be about? Just a hint?  Just a line or two?   Just
a smidge? Pllleeeaassee??
  

    
1179 -- Ja Nell -- I have no idea at all. If you want to know about Mr
Punch, the book is a good place to start, though.

Lioness -- For me, I have always found the secret to writing is to
make a nice, comfortable sort of writing nest, surrounded by comfy
things, and then to go and write somewhere else.

Mary -- sympathies to Debbie...

Erynn & JaNell -- I dunno. It's not really a written anecdote, it's
more of a told one. There's probably somewhere on the web where lots of
things I've said have wound up and can be listened to, but I wouldn't
know where to start looking. In the meantime, Eddie Campbell did his
version of it in his Bacchus comic.


Will, yup. She's in her own story (which was a prologue to the real
book), and also mentioned more recently.


Tree -- exactly

Carole -- it probably was Tamsin Greig, who played a wonderful lamia.
And is also Debbie Gerrard (nee Aldridge) on the Archers.

Mary -- I think Father Ted is a work of genius. ("No, Dougal, *these*
cows are tiny. *Those* cows are far away. Tiny. Far away.")  -- It's
hard to watch, like a lot of UK comedies, on BBC America -- they aren't
paced for the ad breaks they get, or for the length the ads spin them
out to. I think Father Ted, and Knowing Me, Knowing You With Alan
Partridge, were probably my favourite UK comedies from the 90s.

Anansi Boys is about two brothers who have never met each other
meeting for the first time. I think the first half may be more or less
funny, and the second half will be more or less scary.
  

    
Len - I didn't run into him. I saw his self-help rants listed in the
calendar of events (or at least those events that people decided to
announce before arriving at the event... ) and had put a question mark
next to it, wondering it it was someone doing actual self-help or if it
would be a parody... as it was, I didn't do 99% of the things I had
planned to on that list.... If I had known he was a friend of yours,
though, I would have tried to get over there though... 

Will - there's something so deeply satisfying about getting obsessed
over something and then getting your friends obsessed over it as well.
Watching Eden get helplessly sucked into Sandman, Joseph devour
American Gods, and now seeing people left and right reach the end of
"Worship The Comic" and cry out "Ah! It's over! More! More!"... it
makes me very happy... like some demented Santa Claus.

Mike - "Bunt." ... ok... I definitely need to start stealing stuff
from you... 

Mary - I've seen Father Ted. We've got a Brit over here with a British
VCR and a load of great TV shows on tape. I like it quite a bit. It's
completely wonky the way that the most delightful British television
is. I wish I knew a good way to express the difference between American
television and British... but something about the way that the British
television I've seen plays with reality just tickles me completely.

General - The postcards for the show are being sent out today. I did
the PR blurb on the back, which I share with you now.
C.A.F.E. in association with Theatre Residencies, Inc. present
Hearts In Shadow
with stories by Anton Chekhov, Neil Gaiman, Don Nigro, and Martha
Soukup
September 28th-October 27th
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm at The Next Stage
1620 Gough (at Bush) in San Francisco

C.A.F.E. brings together four stories of love's betrayal alive in its
signature style of narrative theatre, live music, animation and video.
Including, Martha Soukup's Arbitrary Placement of Walls, a nightmare of
failed relationships and the persistence of memory. The Little Apples,
an adaptation of Chekhov's chilling tale of temptation and cruelty.
Scarecrow, Don Nigro's smouldering exploration of generational
entrapment. And New York Times Best Selling Author Neil Gaiman's
delightfully dark tale of jealousy, assassins, and the irresistability
of a good bargain, We Can Get Them For You Wholesale. C.A.F.E. will
challenge your sense of theatrical evolution.

http://www.cafearts.com
  

    

We will be there!
  

    
E-mail from Patricia Clarkson:

I AM  here lurking like I have been the last five months and it has been
quite enjoyable.  Being *exposed* is rather disconcerting, though, and
I'm wondering how many will actually come out (in?), JaNell.  There have
been Others who have posted here now and again throughout four topics and
thousands of posts- good luck with the inventory! :)
 
On Saturday I picked up the audio of _AG_ from my local library after
being on the reserve list for over a month.  It seems the book and tape
are very popular here ( a small city in NE OH).  And because I can't wait
any longer to listen to it,  I will return to the lurkdom and let you get
back to your discussion...                       
                                                       Patricia Clarkson
 
  

    
Neil :
*sniff*
no scary trousers...
no, "sorry Cam's job is over"
no...
*sniffle*

OK, all done whining now.
I feel better.
Off to create havoc & mayhem. :D
  

    
JaNell--I may be no Neil, but I'll try:

::whispers to JaNell the secrets of Scary Trousers in a language only
understood by those who taunt and tease on a regular basis::

and "sorry Cam's job is over!"

Patricia--Don't worry about being exposed.  We are a pretty nice bunch
that overlooks stuff like the occasional stupid comment and merely
laugh when people stick things in their mouth.  (FEET people.  I mean
FEET.)

Angelina.
  

    
Neil/JaNell:  I see.  I should have said: "Once more, with
_accent_..."  

Carole and Patricia: Hi!  Welcome!  Carole, jump on in.  The water's
fine!

DanW: Welcome back.  Way to work in the "NYTBA Neil Gaiman."
  

    
Angela, the first time I read that you "merely laugh when people stick
things in their mouth...", I read it as "Thingies" and tried to
picture myself shoving handfuls of Jinxes & NightWalkers & Rockies in
for munchies...
Mmmmmm, squid flavored Rockies...
Whiskey NightWalkers...
Chocolate Jinxes...
Marzipan Squeeks, with almonds!
  

    
E-mail from Jouni:

AN UPDATE to http://www.geocities.com/jouniac/picts.html

I'm happy.

Saw a Jethro Tull -concert (from -77) in the telly. Ian Andersson was like
one of those fairy-creatures in Charles Vess's Stardust-paintings.

And the baby slept well through last night (meaning Piritta slept well and I
slept well...)

So I decided to do something fun with the extra energy...

Teehee...

This is dedicated to all those (including me) who didn't have the
opportunity to see Neil on his last tour... and ofcourse to Mr. Scary
Trousers himself...

Go and check it out.

Hope you like it ;-)

Oh, and don't forget to write something to the guesbook...

Jouni (sun is shining, smiling)
  

    
Jouni- I'm so glad things are going so well for you.  Surfing your
website now, and muchly enjoying it.

Had the very cool experience of picking up a FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
issue that just advertised a Neil Gaiman short story (yep, always
enough to justify cover price, and then some).  So I bought it without
checking the story, then got on the subway and looked it up, and
realized that I'd heard it read at the Magnetic Fields concert.  Also,
this weekend, went out with both of my best friends on two different
nights.  The first turned 21, and so I was best-bro-designated-driver
of the evening (fine enough as I really don't drink much anyway), and
then I gave the second the picture of him, Neil, and me taken at the
Bottom Line.  Since I gave it to him at the bar, we got a couple of
nice compliments about all the studs in the picture, which I thought
was nice, even if I can't bring myself to think they were talking about
me.

Mike- true.  A rather nice Satan-worshipper, who, say, helps old
ladies cross the street, and rescues cats from trees, really doesn't
work so well as an evil one, does it?
  

    
Jouni-- your work is wonderful!  Consider me a fan.

Neil-- I returned to school today to find that one of my colleagues
read American Gods on my recommendation (really, my incessant babbling
about it,) and has gone on to read Stardust and Neverwhere. Got another
one!
  

    
Missed me, missed me...
  

    
Pamela - thanks! Yes, I was rather particular about mentioning the
most recent feather in Neil's cap... not that it hurt the PR blurb
either. *grin*

Jouni - I like it! I like it! It was fun to see your haircut picture
in Squeak's Gaiman Garden at her tent at Burning Man... it was like
seeing a little bit of "home" stuck to a post on the playa.
  

    
Oh, one thing... i was bopping around the discussion forums over at
Neil's website, and caught a comment about people believing in the
Endless, and realized I had a sighting to report!
I was at the Anus of Truth (a 14 foot tall goat that people stand in
line behind of so that they might stick their head up its anus and have
truth revealed to them) and chatting with the folks in line. An
extremely disoriented woman shambled to the steps of the goat and
looked around vaguely, her eyes unfocused, her hair red and cropped
almost to the skull, her clothes and demeanor almost exactly lifted
from the first appearance of Delirium way back in Season of Mists. It
was like watching a drawing walking around breathing. She sat there for
a good fifteen minutes, not talking to anyone and seemingly unaware of
anyone else being around her unless they walked up or down the stairs
beside her. I never actually saw her leave. I just turned and she
wasn't there anymore.
  

    
Jouni--love it!  Just what we needed!

Have you named our fairy godchild yet?  *Very* glad to hear he's
sleeping through the night now.

JaNell, and Linda, and Cam--keeping you all in my thoughts.  Where are
the jobs that don't suck?

Dan--welcome back.  Glad you had such a good time at Burning Man. 
That was a really cool sighting, too.......;-)
 
Neil--I sometimes find myself flashing back to The Young Ones--it has
that same feeling that *anything* can happen, sort of as if we've come
unhinged from the universe....and the guy who plays Dougal is amazing.
But my favorite character may still be Father Jack--"Nuns!  Reverse! 
Reverse!"
I haven't seen the other show you mentioned, but will keep my eye out
for it.

Oh, and I totally agree about the pacing & commercial cuts.  You'd
think they'd know better, wouldn't you?  Och, ai.

Mary (who is apparently going to Stratford this year-who knew?) 
  

    
E-mail from Jouni:

Glad you liked the picture. I really like it too. Just realized that I have
to do two other author-portraits as well: Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. I
actually already have some Ideas (and even a sketch of Alan)...

I'll keep you posted about the matter...

Dan -- Haircut picture made it to the Burning Man, eh? Coooll...

Mary Roane -- The baby will be babtized next saturday, but since you all ARE
the boys fairy godparents... well I think that I must reveal that his first
name will be Joonas. Now promise you won't tell anyone! I'll announce the
full name (all three christian names) next monday.

You know, I really must do some pictures of the baby also...

Jouni
  

    
Jouni--I must say that I am very honored to be one of Joonas' fairy
godparents.  ;)  I like the drawing very much as well.  It got a very
nice chuckle outta me.

JaNell--I read your post about putting Thingies in our mouths just
before going to bed.  So not only did I go to sleep with a smile on my
lips, I also had a Strange Dream, which so rarely happens for me.  As I
recall, Miss Mousey tastes the best.  Not to say that they didn't all
taste delightful.  hehehe.

Angelina
  

    
Back,... and in (mostly) one piece.

DanW - no worries, we weren't camped with any theme, and I promptly
forgot where both you and Michelle were living. Of course, I blame it
on the cow.

For the record, we were at 7:45 and Pantaloon, aka "Cow vs. Suzuki
Camp". And yes, we did. Middle of the night, 70-miles-from-anywhere
Nevada, no moon, black sky, black mountains all around, and
oh-shit-at-the-edge-of-the-headlights-a-black-cow. Final score, Suzuki
1, Cow 0. Significant damage to the Suzuki (thankfully mostly body
damage), some damage to Kelly (cracked ribs, not the best way to start
the week), and, after the semi came along, one dead cow.

I took about 80,000 photos of the Temple of Tears - I had to, once I
saw the Douglas Adams quilt. I'll post them, plus the story of the
Temple, as soon as I can.

Right now, it's time to go find the couch in the back room (why yes, I
got home last night and am at work today) and lay down - ribs are
aching. (Did you know they don't tape ribs anymore? Apparently lends
itself to pnuemonia, which I really don't need...)

-Kelly, who is pleased to see other Rasputina fans - she has the album
with Transylvanian Concubine, as well.
  

    
Kelly - ohmygod! Cracked ribs?? I'm so sorry!! Probably best I didn't
see you, or I would have given you a hug which would have resulted in
you having to kill me.

I didn't know they don't tape ribs anymore.. that doesn't seem to make
sense to my. Why would it lend itself to pneumonia??
  

    
heheh DanW... my poor husband is having a time of it, wanting to hug
and coddle me, but afraid I'll punch him. For the record, I didn't
manage to hurt anyone who did get inside my "AUGH BROKEN RIBS" zone. I
just wish I'd been able to DO more. 

Apparently the best thing for these cracked beasts is deep breaths; if
you tape the rib cage, you can't breathe as deeply. I guess if you
cause the ribs to heal in a more constricted way, you irritate the
lungs to pneumonia, or somesuch. I can't imagine taping does much good,
anyhow - I'm having to forgo the bra right now, simply because it
hurts too badly to have pressure on the ribs at all. 

Oh well, I'll heal, and hopefully have better thoughts about BM after
that.  :-)
-Kelly