Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Look. 

I'm in Framingham.

I'm very jetlagged and need a haircut.

Goodnight.

(Dan -- No, I'm Sparcatus!)
  

    
Welcome to lovely Taxachusetts!
  

    
Ah, you are in the land of shopping malls?
  

    
I too am jealous that I can't be a Boskone.

Happy V.D.!!!!!
(though it's a bit of a bittersweet one for me as my Grandfather died
on this day last year. If there's an afterlife, and I see him again,
I'll surely kick his ass for dying on this day. No. I wouldn't. But
still.)

Neil, I rather like your hair shaggy. As long as you don't have that
Adam-Sandler-in-The-Wedding-Singer haircut, you always look marvelous,
I think:)
  

    
Mary - Yay for finishing crafty projects! Have you checked out the
crafts conference here? It never ceases to amaze me how many different
types of creativity there are there.

Mike (1664) - Actually, there's a smally group of us over on afn-g
that are putting together a 'which Endless are you?' thing... :)

Pam - Thanks, and I *think* the shoot went well. It felt like it did.
Haven't seen any of the shots yet tho'. Considering how often the
website gets updated, and how long it took him to get the photos of the
girl who refered me to him together, I'd be surprised if I saw any
evidence of the shoot before the end of March.

DanW - Maybe you didn't think to ask because you were afraid where the
line of questioning could have gone? Remember, we're only to discuss
my *imaginary* sex life at poker... :P

Linda - You were indeed missed. Guess I'll just have to get *another*
package of Tim Tams for the next round of BMP.

DanW - Looks like I *won't* be going on Friday, as I'm already engaged
to be attending a swell party my friend is singing at (lots of
fire-hippies, a band, and Marisa singing the operatic number from the
5th Element - hey, it's like my song ever since I was Leeloo). That's
assuming I don't go on a rampage after work tomorrow, needing to be
institutionalized and all because I hate being a manager. ;P 

DanW & Neil - I am Sparcatust.

And a Happy Flying-Baby-With-Arsenal Day to y'all.

squeaks, who will go back to experiments in crafting...
  

    
Just for the record, my MFA's from UGA, and if Caitlin doesn't stop
writing about Dear Old Athens, I'm gonna be so homesick......(for those
of you keeping up with Caitlin Kiernan's journal)

I have nothing else to say, really, except Happy V.D. to those who
celebrate it.  (God, I hate this holiday!)

And I, too, am jealous of you lucky folks at Boskone.  Please don't
buy up all the copies of AITDT, Debbie & I faxed our order in on
Wednesday.  ;-)

Mary (just finished Sick Puppy by Carl Hiassen, and starting Miss
Wyoming by Douglas Coupland) 
  

    

<in a very small voice>  O.  I missed Tim Tams.  %^(
  

    
Massachusetts is NOT the land of shopping malls, Martha.  New Jersey is the
land of shopping malls.   I grew up there, I should know. :)  Every now and
then I go to a shopping mall in Massachusetts when I actually need to buy
something and I am struck by how much worse our malls are than those good
old Joisey malls.  Then I come back to my senses and remember that malls are
not something to appreciate quality in, but to get out of as soon as
possible.

Neil, if you don't keep your hair shaggy how are we supposed to imagine you
as various of your protagonists? (I reread Stardust the other day and was
struck by the line about Tristran's hair falling into his face again and
again, though I have to admit that at the time it was not *your* hair that I
was fondly thinking of as I read it...)
  

    
Hey all,
I'm a little late but Happy V-day,...was recovering from the birthday
headache from hell,.....the hangover from the meds put me out for most
of the day. 

Abbess~ come find me I have chocolates to spare this weekend, the boy
brought me a HUGE box and I can't finish them all by myself.
I think there is a pic on my blog and if that doesn't work, just
listen I have a big mouth,...I mean voice.

Mousie I have one con book slot open do you need?

Anyone else going, look for the ponytails and that should be me.

Jinx who will be fashionable late tonight, but is taking the laptop
  

    
Pamela - Chicago's humanities?

I'm getting a travel itch. There's probably lots of reasons for it,
but I'm on the verge of just sticking a pin in a map and going for a
weekend romp or something...

Neil - I just got my hair cut, but now that it's not past my shoulders
it's getting all out of control. I keep waking up looking like a
red-headed Bob Dylan.

On Valentine's Day. I despise Valentine's Day, and have for well over
a decade. Actually, I think my entire adult life... since I can never
recall actually being fond of it. I felt rather bad about it last night
though, as the woman I'm currently dating has never really "been" with
someone on Valentine's Day and kept wanting to get all excited about
it, but couldn't because she knows how much I despise the holiday.
Intellectually she agrees with me, but we were all emotionally jangely
trying to be sensitive to our opposing pulls. 

I tried not to rant. Really, I did. Didn't succeed. But I tried!

... I just got told that I need to create a vacation schedule for
myself for up to August. ... like I know what I'm doing from one month
to the next!! ...

Squeaks - Um. I... *jaw opening and closing* I hadn't even made a
connection between .... 
*giving up*
you do realize that every time I see anything from one of our photo
shoots that my mind is going to go there, don't you?

Also... don't rampage. I've already got one friend facing assault
charges. I don't need this much drama in my life...

All right... back to work. Feel free to offer any suggestions for a
weekend or week-long vacation! (and yes, I'd love to sleep on someone's
couch!)
  

    
um... make that "one of YOUR photo shoots"
...
I mean if it was OUR, then my mind wouldn't have to go...

I'm shutting up now.
  

    

Wise.
  

    
Rocky--big hugs and virtual Tim Tams in honour of Mugsey. It won't be
the same without that grumpy miaow when you sit on the couch. :(

Pam--you prove again why I love thingies so much. I can send one of my
bestest friends to LA and tell her to meet up with thingies and I know
she is in good hands. I'll make Chili a thingie yet!

Neil--you know, if I could make it that couple of hours north, I'd be
happy to gently prop you up again if you needed it. Unfortunately the
client wants me in London on the weekend and not Boston. Bastards. I'll
be thinking of you all up there while I'm stuck here in Dallas/airport
hell.

Speaking of which, I owe Neil thanks, for many many things, not the
least of which is the bubbles of excitement in my tummy at the idea of
going to London for the first time. Neverwhere is such a piece of magic
that I can't wait to see the reality. And I'm staying near Down
Street!

Tree
Who wishes she was with Jinx right now.
  

    
Hey, I was _at_ a suburban Boskone in probably the same place this one's in,
driving with a couple of other writers looking for any restaurant along the
endless strip of strip malls that wasn't a TGIF or Red Lobster or something.
We finally found kind of a divey sandwich store.  Then we went candlestick
bowling, which I'd never seen before and loved, so there was a silver
lining.

There are malls almost everywhere in Americaland.
  

    
At one convention a year or two back, the consuite offered both Tim-Tams and
Nanaimo Bars.

Be afwaid.
  

    
Linda - I'm going back to San Jose in the next few weeks. I have
orders to pick up Tim Tams for several people, and will be sure to pick
up more for myself and the BMP gang. You'll just have to come out and
play more. :P

<lioness> - I *am* afwaid. If I were in that situation, I wouldn't
want to leave the consuite (tho' I might have to be hauled out on a
gurney for eating far too much).

DanW - on travel: two words, "road" and "trip". :) But then, I enjoy
driving insane distances with only the slightest (and not so slightest)
excuses for doing so. on photo shoots: have one of my model photos up
on the 'employee picks' wall at work. James told me yesterday that
someone was making, um, comments. So you asked about photos, and the
thought popped into my head. And I'm afraid of what would ever happen
if the two of us ever got in front of the camera together (I don't
think I can work with others and keep a straight face - must... be...
SILLY!!!). on going postal: no need. gave my boss an ultimatum today
which may result in necessary job hunting soon. Hopefully not tho'. 

jinxie - If you've got it to spare, I'll gladly give it a home. But if
anyone else would rather, I will concede.

Tree - I can't believe you're skipping San Francisco! (I'd whine and
whimper mocking jests about your hating me, but since I *did* postpone
the trip to Oz for a year...) Wave hello to any LondonFOGs you run into
for me.
  

    
Linda:  According to the Catholic parish of St Francis de Sales in
Northampton, England, the patron saint of writers and journalists is St
Francis de Sales. Apparently, he is the "first great writer since the
Early Fathers to be concerned with the spirituality of the Laity." You
can learn more here: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sales/francis.html

Neil - Thanks for the Inscriptions promo on your Weblog. I was stunned
and thrilled to see it pop up there. Winners of the Engraver Awards
will be announced on Monday. I'll be counting ballots all weekend. :-)

Jade Walker
  

    
     One thinks immediately of the famed Rectilinear Window of the
Northnampton Chantry House and Takeaway Grille, originally donated by
Anthony Woodville.  It depicts St. Francis de Sales accompanied by his
companions, St. Whizzo de Royalty Statement and Ste. Morganata of the
Five Reversion Clauses.  St. Francis stands before the entrance to
Foyles, blocking the entrance of a hordelet of printers' devils and
spelling demons, with a little speech-ribbon reading, "Retro me,
reilquum" ["Get thee behind me, remainders"]
     My understanding is that the window was rejected by both York
Minster and Wapping Ossuary ("unsuitable for our casements at present")
before being accepted by Northampton.
  

    
Miss Mousey--if this project didn't have a schedule as tight as a
proverbial's proverbial, I would have made it to both San Francisco and
Boston. Hell, if I'm going to fly this far, I might as well have some
fun. But the client wants me to finish the project in Australia and I'm
working to a biological deadline (one of the people on the project is
due to drop her first sprog March 6th.) So no holiday time. Meanies. 

Tree
Who expects to have the IQ of a jug of lukewarm custard when she
finishes. :(
  

    

Those last two posts leave me completely speechless.  

But, surely, writers can have more than one patron saint, can't they?  I 
was completely serious about Ganesh, BTW.  He is supposed to be the patron 
saint of writers and thieves.  In all the pictures you see of Ganesh, one 
of his tusks is broken off.  You see, he needed it to write with.  Surely, 
someone with greater knowledge than mine of Hindu lore will come along and 
support me in this.
  

    
All I know is that both Ganesh and Hanuman are Indian gods.  (Hanuman
makes a brief appearance in Grania Davis' Rainbow Annals, one of my
favorite fantasies.)

I'm at Corflu, today, a fanzine fan convention in Annapolis.  Saw Steve
Stiles and Dan Steffen (both fan artists).  Steve has a couple of fillos
in Whistlestar, a fanzine I'm about to distribute (with apology to Cat
Stevens).

I imagine the Boston-bound fans are having a good time.  I would have
liked to attend, but there was a schedule conflict this year.
  

    
Squeaks - see, I don't much care for driving... never have. I'd much
sooner fly than drive any day.

I'll probably spend some time tomorrow figuring out where I'm going. I
may just do it via Priceline and see where I can go for the cheapest
and work it out from there.

I'd be quite happy getting silly with you in front of a camera. I
don't think you've seen me be anything but reserved.. which is *not* my
default state of being. I'm usually too tuckered out by the time we to
poker nights to be anything but reserved. That, and I'm acting as
host, which puts me into a highly responsible mood. You should come see
Ubu Roi... you'd see a VERY different side of me.

Keep me updated on the job thing... hope you stay employed. It's a
nasty job market right now... BTW, are you at the Rasputin's near the
Powell BART station?

Mike - You keep doing this. I want to reply to the whacked out things
you write.. cause they make me smile... and I just don't have anything
to say... so ... *smile*

On the SHOW. It was interesting seeing Martha's story on Friday night.
Interesting for lots of reasons, but I'll just talk about the story. 
The new thing for me was watching what happened to the story after
going through extra filters. It was this interesting mixture of
Martha's writing, my interpretation of that writing, Ben's
interpretation of that writing, my interpretation of Ben's
interpretation, and then the actor's ability to make it breathe. I
think it worked. Some technical issues bothered me (I had a hard time
hearing one of the characters because she was too far away from her
mike), and it did lack some chemistry between the leads... but they
told the story.
Not all the choices were my choices, but they worked. I was holding my
breath through the entire show, and at the final moment let out a
long, happy sigh. Some of the things I'd read in the papers about the
show I agreed with, many of them I did not (and what are reviews but
opinions anyway). 
Doing a Q&A with Martha and the director was much more fun than I
expected. Considering that all three of us love to talk about our
work... we were pretty well behaved and I don't think any one of us
hogged the questions. Martha was the star, of course, and it was really
great to see her shine.
  

    
Ganesh is also popular for weddings,... and no, I'm not sure how I
know this.  :-)

And another thanks to Neil for the Inscriptions info - I signed up
last week, paid my dues, and WOW! I absolutely love the site! It has an
amazing amount of information, the first newsletter answered a lot of
random questions, and the Feb inspirational desktop is on my desktop.
Now if only I had actually written a damned thing last week,...

I had the odd experiance of being in a courtroom on valentines day - I
had my last name legally changed to that of WhatsHisName. Now I begin
the oh so tedious process of replacing every piece of identification I
own, oh joy.

So I'm curious - those of you who write, how do you actually sit down
and write? What gets your pen moving, thoughts running, etc? Is it a
constant thing, or do you have to force it some days? 

Cheers,...
-Kelly
  

    
    Dan W. -- Smiling is Good.  Really, it's the whole point.

    Kelly -- it's a constant thing that you have to force some days.
That is (and of course I'm talking about me, not Everybody), there's
almost always eomething that's in progress -- or at least should be --
and if I plonk down with the notepad I can almost always turn out a
scene or part of one,  I don't tend to get "blocked" in the sense of
"there's no possible direction this can go," but often enough I don't
like any of the directions I can see.
     Actually, a couple of days ago I was asking a friend in the trade
if he ever had the situation of "do I sit here and hammer at this, or
do I go do something else for a day or two and come back to it?"  His
response was approximately, "Oy."  Not unexpectedly.
     It's Newtonian, I guess: it's not hard to keep going when the
words are coming smoothly, and it's easy to stop when they don't.
     I suspect that almost everyone thinks it would be a fine thing to
do something every day, no matter what, and I even know some people
who manage something very close to that.  And there are very few days I
don't at least think (on a bus ride, say) about where this or that
scene or character is going.  My experience is that what's -really-
forced out isn't often very good.  It may be salvageable with revision,
and it may be useful in the Edisonian sense of "Now we know five more
things it would be really dumb for this character to do."
  

    
In my fantasy afternoon of "people I know (sort of) hanging out &
shooting bulls" there will be a table with Mike, my friend Denny the
priest, and my friend John, the ex-Episcopalian-in-a-Catholic-seminary.
 And people will laugh until they can't breathe.  Which is what I just
did.  Mike, do you mind if I send that to the two of them?  They could
use a giggle.

I forgot to report back on Denny's response to the patron saint
question--he actually had to go look it up (a first, I believe--this is
a man with a collection of 250 saints' relics).  Indeed it is St.
Francis de Sales.  I was sort of surprised that Denny didn't know--he's
written 2 1/2 published books himself, and 2 more that haven't been
published yet.  We were all sort of thinking St. John the Divine (which
is sort of scary, really) and were rather surprised by St. Francis,
but there you are.  I think I prefer Ganesh.  I'm fascinated by the
connection between writers and thieves ;-)

Very, very envious of all of you West Coasters--you get Barking Mad
Poker, Q&As with Martha, *and* access to Tim Tams.  It's really not
fair.  Be good to our UisgeJack if you get to see her.  We want her
back all in one piece ;-)

Good traveling vibes, Tree!  And good job vibes, Squeaks!

Saw Gosford Park last night.  Wow.  What a cast!  And Dame Maggie is
just an international treasure.  But so is Helen Mirren.  And Sir
Derek. And Stephen Fry.  And Emily Watson......

Mary (buggering off to go watch Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back with
Debbie)