Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Neil -  I just got back from Taromina, Sicily last night.  Let me
assure you that the worst thing about being outside of the country when
this horrific event happened was the inability to contact family and
friends since all the telephone circuits were overloaded in the
aftermath.  We were also concerned that all flights had been cancelled
without any further notice, but they resumed on last Saturday without
incident.  

Security is much tighter at Rome airport, armed guards all over the
place, but people were going about their business as usual, and we
didn't feel unsafe.  The Italian people were very sympathetic and
concerned about Americans who were stranded after the incident.  The
very next day, people put up messages of prayers and condolences all
over the city. "To Our American Friends, your pain in our pain, your
mourning our mourning. Our prayers are with you and God help us all
through this terrible time." And people kept coming up to us on the
street to offer words of comfort and support. 

It was surreal to be in such an incredibly beautiful place, juxtaposed
against trying to comprehend the magnitude of such devastation in your
own hometown. 

I thank the gods of the internet for not going down. There were quite
a few internet cafes where we were, so people left messages to let us
know that they were ok. 

As our taxi took the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway to get us home, all we
could see from the highway was am eerie white pall over the city,
thickest I guess, where the WTC used to be.  However, nothing prepared
us for the sight of nothing where something rather massive used to be.

Please go to Europe. You will be fine. As you said, security is the
tightest it has ever been.  Just watch out for food poisoning, drink
some good Italian red wine, take Martha's advice and hug all your
friends. We will all look forward to your posts from abroad.  Bon
voyage! 
  

    
Today's the day the rest of the world gets their hands on Tori's
latest, unless of course the tragedy of the past week and the
disruption of airplane flights has delayed shipments and/or the street
date.  I hope not.  I really need a new cd to listen to right now.
  

    
Neil-My mom would think you were right to go, I guess, so I bow to
her, and your, moment of wisdom; and I'll be rethinking my plans for
future travel, in the going to more places way... in my mother's case,
however, she's more ill than she'll tell me and I think she has a
fatalistic view of it, as in, what has she got to lose?
I don't know if you caught that the toy was bought for Cam himself,
not Ro; or did you realize that, and for once teased me back? <hug>

Rocky-I'm so glad you're back. <hug>

Kelly-expect an email from me. I've twice had that sort of
not-willing-to-be-married, but not-willing-to-let-you-get-on-with-it
manipulation. <hug>

Last night, no one here slept well except Ro. Cam tossed all night,
which is very unusual for him; Sean had more troubled dreams as well. I
dreamt first that Neil was trying to hand me a hardback book that had
the front paper cover torn half off, diagonally, so that I could never
see the title; then that I was responsible for flying an airplane for
Tori, one that would take us all back home, and my family & I waited
and waited in a factory-like airport, but the plane was never ready;
and then, that I kept trying to get back to ConCat, but I was
scrounging for stuff like food, and trying to lay out the flyers with
pieces of scavenged board even though the convention was already in
progress, and I couldn't get there... 
  

    
DanGuy- No worries, there.  I'm now listening to SLG (and can I just
say Wow?  [oh.  I just did.  er]).

Rocky- Good to have you back.

Kelly- It does sound like you're getting hit pretty hard over there. 
Positive vibes your way.  And I salute you for being past the statues. 
I'm not.

Mary- Yes, I enjoyed Saint Patrick's, even if I didn't make it inside
(of course, that led to a major religious epiphany, that, while that's
the Cathedral, in there, we're the Church.  I mean, I *knew* that, but
I guess I didn't realize it).  A silent, subtle, intense prayer
service.

Neil- I laughed aloud about the tramp steamer, which was the first
good laugh I've had since Wednesday.  Thanks.  And happy New Year to
you.
That last goes for everyone, of course.

I was listening to the radio this morning, to 95.5 (Scott and Todd),
and they read an e-mail that someone had written.  Apparently, this
someone was upset (damn near enraged) that they were playing Sting's
"Desert Rose" because of the chant in the background by the 'Middle
Easter singer'.  They had a lot of fun with the someone who wrote, as
Cheb Mami is Algerian and thus, for the geographically disadvantaged, a
good distance from either Afghanistan or Pakistan, which was very
funny.
And frightening.  We're going to be angry, which means we have to be
even more careful.  I mean, really, America is a superpower, and
everyone with superpowers has super-responsibilities.  Superman never
killed anyone.  If Gwen Stacy counts, Spiderman has only killed one
person, and that was accidentally and damn near destroyed him
emotionally.  Point is, what happened was wrong and horrifying, but
angrily and blindly lashing out will just make it even wors--
er.  Sorry.  Just realized I'm preaching to the choir here.  It just
hurts to read about people killing a Sikh because he was wearing a
turban.  My bad.  rant off.
Mary's right, though.  There's a lot of hope in here.
  

    
Neil - thank you. My overriding goal with this show is to produce two
pieces that you and Martha would be proud of. She'll see her own
story's adaptation, and I'll have to hope that she gives you a good
report on Wholesale.

Have a good trip. I went and saw a friend's show on Saturday night.
She formed a sketch comedy troupe a year ago, and this was their second
show. They were concerned about opening two days after the attacks.
Was it appropriate to be doing sketch comedy so soon after this? As it
is, they've had thankful and relieved audiences. People need to laugh.
They need to enjoy themselves. They need to continue living. Not living
as if nothing had happened, but also not to stop the things that make
life beautiful. In that spirit, enjoy Italy. Make the most of the trip.
We all look forward to hearing about your adventures.
  

    
Grumbling ribs are accepting all hugs, thank you all. I realised
later, of course, that my post was quite vague and mysterious, which I
fully blame on a diet full of good fantasy books. :-)

Brief synopsis - Mars and I were married back in 1998. We split up
fall of 2000, after lots of problems and stubbornness and other things
that cause people to split up. We then immediately started seeing each
other again, living separately. Then I ended things in January of 2001
- found out our anniversary meant nothing to him, told him ciao and
that was it. So I thought, anyhow. We had to get together for taxes...
a month of hell after that, I asked him to coffee and he accepted. And
we haven't been apart since then. In fact, we're back to living
together, sharing lives, everything.

The divorce papers were filed, but not finalized. So now it's that
akward period where two people who have very different concepts of
marriage (mine == healthy, his == unhealthy, and by his own admission)
are trying to work out what the hell they're doing while simultaneously
trying to make each other happy. His ideal doesn't include marriage,
but he doesn't want the divorce because it will hurt me. My ideal
includes marriage, but I don't want him stuck in something he doesn't
want to be in.

I know, it sounds like a bad Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan sort of movie, eh? (In
fact, we've often joked we should screenplay how we met - it's too
much a movie to have actually happened.)

Anyhow, it's hard, of course. Relationships are hard work. But as I
was reminded last night by a good friend, they're worth it, probably
more than anything else we can ever do as human beings. To show and
share love with another person. Or, as so eloquently sung,... "the
greatest thing, you'll ever know, is just to love and be loved in
return..."

Which is a lesson I really wish more people would learn, could learn.
But frankly, I think Our Mighty Leader is sadly a good representation
of America in general... I think most people lose the ability to learn
at a young age. And I think most people lose the ability to empathise
with those thought of as "other" long before they lose the ability to
learn...

And thus we are stuck with things like chadors being ripped off women,
the women run down while picking her children up from day care, Sikhs
being shot in Arizona, mosques being set on fire, and perhaps most
notibly, Operation Noble Eagle. 

Neil, be well in your travels. It's a scary time to fly, safety or
not... and to be able to pick up and do it anyhow is indeed a rather
brave thing.

-Kelly
  

    
Oh - forgot to mention.

*holds up new Tori album*

But, four different covers? Do you know how hard it was to pick just
one? (I settled on the Happiness is a Warm Gun cover.) 

:-)
-Kelly
  

    
I don't know...
It takes work to maintain relationships, and for them to grow...
But *hard* work? Where one person does all the working, it's not a
relationship worth working at, to me... as I've finally learned to
great cost financially, emotionally, spiritually, even physically. If
you consistently put your all into it, and it still doesn't work... is
it ever going to? Do you find yourself, especially at a time like this,
looking past your partner for comfort? I could just hit Cam at times,
and I know that I'm not the easiest person to be with... but he's home.
My warm lap, even if I'm bigger. And it took me way too long to value
myself enough to find someone who I have that with.
  

    
Will - Thanks, very glad to be back. FYI -- There's a playlist of
about 150 forbidden songs being circulated by Clear Networks who own
numerous radio stations across the country.  These songs include, Ole
Blue Eyes singing, "New York, New York"...Pat Benetar's "Hit Me With
Your Best Shot.."..Kansas "Dust in the Wind"..you get the picture.

So basically this along with all the spanking new laws that have
hastily been passed to restrict our civil liberties really does mean
that we're effectively terrorized.  We're not playing songs because
people might get upset at the content?  And several new movies have had
their release date pulled due because they dipticted NYC's former
skyline?  If we keep this up, book burning will be back in vogue.

Ja'Nell - *Hug*  I came home to find the octopus poster had been
removed from over my building.  Somehow I feel a deep sense of loss.
  

    
Rocky, don't worry, Cam & I will send you all the octopi you want, and
then some... :D
"...book burning will be back in vogue."? Haven't you been keeping up
with Neil's blogger?
  

    
Neil, and all you bright souls:  I thank you so very much.  What you
are saying gives me strength and hope.  I will continue to build my
sandcastles.  I will create because that is my gift, and that is the
best way to counteract destruction.  I think a doggy named Barnabus
told me that.

Roxanne:  I certainly don't believe in censorship, but damn you'd be
amazed at the lack of sensitivity and propriety Hollywood can have.  I
work at Warner Brothers, and before the attack there was a HUGE poster
for "Collateral Damage," an AHNOLD film about terrorism on the wall. 
When we returned, we found that it had been replaced with an even MORE
HUGE (we're talking 4 stories high) poster of a TERRIFIED, SCREAMING
FACE for some horror film they were promoting.  Not surprisingly, that
too disappeared soon after and was replaced with a poster for a buddy
cop movie.  I just love thinking about the person who said, "That huge
screaming face is much more appropriate.  Go for it."  
  

    
(Warning: longish.)

I want to start off by saying that it has been really meaningful to
share the experience of this forum with all of you (y’all, for our
southern friends) before the past week and, especially, during.  I
think you are a truly extraordinary group of people: intelligent,
dynamic, talented and compassionate.  The fact that we are all also
barking mad and wicked-bad is just spice to the soup.  <g>  I’m
especially grateful to Neil for making the choices in his life that
foster the creation of things like this.  There’s something here about
the seeds of things and the fruit they bear.

On that note, and on hope, here’s a quote I just put up at my desk
this morning:

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would
still plant my apple tree."  --Martin Luther

So, Neil: Bon voyage!  You are an ambassador of creativity and
compassion, and I’ll be sending you support.  Meeting you in person had
such a profound impact for the positive in my life, and I know that
there are people in Italy waiting for the same experience.  I think
your trip represents just the sort of Life-building you talked about. 
Besides, I would LOVE to read a book you wrote after shipping out on a
tramp steamer!  (Here’s hoping it doesn’t come anywhere near that,
though.)

Adriana: You’re not alone, in your fear.  Whenever I start thinking
about what happens from here, I get overwhelmed.  But I’ve lived under
the rule of fear and desperation and they’re ruthless tyrants.  They
create monsters.  They’re worth fighting.   So I’m refusing to direct
my energy there.  I encourage you to look for hope and find any little
candlelight that’s meaningful to you--sunlight in the morning, the
warmth of your husband’s hand, the laughter of children--symbols of
things that are good and living and enduring.  Then hold on, hard;
don’t let it go.  Blow on it, fan the flame, and keep your focus on it.
 We’re here with you.  And I’m thankful you’re here with me.

Bill2: Thanks for your post, and especially for the quote about gods
and angels.  Sending a hug of support and a nice hot virtual cuppa for
your efforts!

Mike: Thanks for the update on Emma.  I’m glad she’s home.

Rebecca: YAY!  That did my heart good.  Hugs to you!  BTW, I just
finished _Fool’s Run_ by McKillip.  (A friend bought it for me at a
used book store.)  Who knew she wrote SciFi?  Have you read _The Fox
Woman_, by Kij Johnson?  It’s gorgeous.  I just thought you might like
it.

Len: May the New Year brings us all better things.  I’m so grateful
for the whole concept of renewal right now.

Will: I loved what you said about superheroes.  Those original
characters had so much of America in them.  

Dan W: I think your work represents the very best sense of the
the-show-must-go-on tradition.  

Mary: Let me know what you think of _Midnight Robber_.  I just got it,
it's on the To Be Read pile, and I'm looking forward to it!

Kelly: I’m so sorry.  My marriage almost ended a couple of years ago,
and there are few relationships that can cause that much agony.  Or
give that kind of reward.  I agree with you completely: it can take
incredibly hard work to make any kind of significant partnership
successful.  I think that the more you want/ask/need from a
relationship, the more you have to ante up of yourself to make it work:
truth, compassion, both self and selflessness.  The one thing I gained
a LOT of clarity on through my process is that it absolutely requires
that both partners be willing to make that investment.  One of the
hardest things for me to accept was that I had absolutely no control
over that decision in someone else’s soul.  If it helps to know that
someone understands something of what you’re going through, I offer my
little bit.  I’ll be holding up your heart while you walk this path,
and wishing that all things work for your ultimate best.

JaNell:
> And it took me way too long to value myself enough to find someone
>who I have that with. 

Me too.

I just wanted to say that your Snoopy bandaid made me smile.  It's the
little things, ya know?  It just pleased something childlike and
innocent in me, and reminded me that she’s still in there.  Congrats on
your donation, and thanks.
  

    
Well, I have to have a child-like side to balance the darkly intense
core that makes people so uncomfortable, once they really get to know
me. 
I'm at a place now where it's safe for the little girl to come out
again; so I try to enjoy it.
(I've been marking out the UT Vols related stuff on the t-shirt Medic
gave me with sharpies - the football helmet has turned into a menacing
Darth Vader. And take that, you!)
  

    
Well, in the wake of Pamelas very optimistic comments, I'd like
express my own appreciation for the warmth and humour on this board.
I've been lurking here for quite a longh while now, although I haven't
been able to post my thoughts nearly as often as I'd wish. But
following the your ideas and opinions has given me a great many things
to ponder, and I've enjoyed it very much.

On the recent prejudiced attacks, I'm extremely ashamed of the actions
of several fellow citizens here in Dallas. Our city was host to the
first several reported hate crimes following the WTC attack, with two
Mosques being burned by Molotov cocktails and shot out in drivebye
shootings. These both occured Tuesday night, when people SHOULD have
been contemplating the senslesness of violence, instead of responding
with more in kind. I can't describe how saddening it was to see CNN and
ABC national News reporting to the world, these crimes here in my
home. 

And then Saturday, just hours after the murder in Arizona, a Pakistani
shopkeeper was shot to death in his store. 3 13 yearolds have also
been arrested in Fort Worth (our neighboring city) for making death
threats to their Indian classmate. They're being held by police with
the possibility of being charged with commiting a hate crime by making
the threat. 

What's truly disturbing, is that typically, Texans have a reputation
as some of the most friendly people in the nation. And it's largely
well-earned. But, from experience, I can also say that we're among the
first to jump on a "cause" whether it makes sense or not. Our affinity
for guns is also well-earned.

I hope that the police and prosecutors are given the authority to
severely punish those responsible for these attacks, and can discourage
any further violence, but only time will tell.
  

    <scribbled>
  

    
Pamela -- you're welcome, and thanx for the hug & the cuppa. Although
the cuppa's going to have to wait, on account of a recently-extracted
wisdom tooth. Ow.

Neil -- having visited AG.com from work and noted the warning there
(and subsequently having my computer start acting freaky on me), are
you perhaps going to post an all-clear here for us?

Rocky -- I saw that list as well, and was baffled. I mean, Satchmo's
"What a Wonderful World"? John Lennon's "Imagine"? I gave that list a
hearty "WTF?"
  

    
Back to spread more light and hope...

Please take a moment to look at these images, if you haven't already
seen them.  I found it a powerful experience.

Link to:
http://spot.eroded.org/thankyou/

(Wait for the first page to load, click at "Here" and then "Next Page"
to see them all.)

One world.  One love.  One peace.

-P
  

    
I'm thinking about how freaked out I was by A Game of You.
  

    
ROCKY! - Geez, leave the board for a couple of days and come back to a
hello from the precious Diva of all divas. I mean, I knew you were
okay, but it feels so much better to actually hear from you. :) Welcome
back. And I'm with Bill, WTF?

CD delivery was very much unaffected for this week. I bounced around
the UPS guy yesterday (not just because he's a hottie this time!) to
make sure we got the new Tori. I'm really happy with my cover. 'Course,
I didn't have any choice in the matter, as mine was a promo. Still,
took me two reads to notice it said "SATIN"... :P 
But have you seen the cover for the new Gerald Levert album? What's
with the sequinned gangsta thug teddy bear? Scary!

Neil - have a wonderful trip!

Lenny - Not that it wasn't a freaky story at all, but what in
particular? (It used to be wallpaper in the mousecage.... er, it still
is, I suppose)

squeaks, who is off to pick up the rest of her Burning Man photos now.
  

    
OK, in the spirit of bravery and all...
http://www.xanga.com/home.asp?user=JaNell

and I'll probably chicken out in a bit, and scribble it, but...
there it is.
  

    
JaNell:  Well, if you chicken, I got the link first an' I'm not givin'
it back!  But it's wonderful!  All the dark and light and funny and
wildchild JaNell we love.  Smooches for your courage!
  

    
I'd blush but I've not got the coloring for it...
  

    
But if any of you do go, please let me know in the comments section
which parts you enjoyed...
  

    
Neil--I stumbled across a wonderful travel wish recently. A girl's mum
promised to hold the plane up in the sky for her and get her safely to
her destination. And the girl had a wonderful flight, knowing that her
mum carried her through the sky. I'm sure this bunch here will have no
problem carrying you across the sky to Italy and back again. Have a
wonderful, wonderful trip.

Rocky--YAY! You're home! Have you spoken to Tanya yet? Even my mum was
ringing me, panic-stricken, asking if you were OK. (For the record, I
spent almost a week at Rocky's in NYC in July.) I shall observe a
moment's silence for the octopus.

JaNell--People can only leave comments if they sign up for Xanga. It
sucketh mightily.

I'll check the stores today to see if Tori's new album has arrived. I
suspect it won't have, almost everything has been delayed here
(including Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine with Neil's new short
story in it.)

Unfortunately, acts of violence against Middle Eastern people are not
restricted to the US. I'm sad to report that even in Australia, mosques
have been fire bombed, busloads of Islamic students have been stoned
and Islamic girls refused access to trams by bigoted drivers.

Tree
Hanging her headcold-filled head with shame.
  

    
Okay -- in haste
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bu
lletin/MS01-020.asp
is the patch for anyone with Windows who's been to neilgaiman.com --
or to anywhere else with the e-mail worm on it...