Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Erynn -  I'll say emphatically that this one is better than the first.
Unfortunately that doesn't exactly put it out as a good movie on its
own terms. However if you ARE going to see it out of curiousity or
dedication or whatnot, a real cinema is the only way to go. It truly
is, if nothing else, a spectacle, and the best experience is the
largest. :)

I share enthusiasm about Insomnia though. Momento was unforgetable to
me, and with Al Pacino chasing Robin Williams? How could it be bad. 
*whispers pleadingly to the movie gods*  "PLEASE don't let it be bad"

Neil - I've never met a computer problem that can't be solved by the
judicious application of a hammer. The "solution" tends to be permanent
but I guess you can't have everything. 

Squeaks - best cold-eradicating well wishes!

Shawn - who is looking forward to going to a wonderful steak house
tonight to celebrate his birthday
  

    
Shawn - Happy birthday!
  

    
Thanks to all for all the cold-be-gone wishes. They seem to have
worked rather effectively.

Peter Murphy signing went well. I *did* end up having to drive him...
in rush hour... thru parts of downtown SF... dodging construction...
which sucked. But it was kind of cool (and very surreal) because he was
singing along to the Cocteau Twins cd I had in the car. Neil - told
him you said 'sort of hello' and he said 'thank you' back to you.

Shawn - Happy b-day, and I rather agree with your computer problem
solution, tho' I prefer 2nd storey windows to hammers. :)

squeaks, who annoys the boss every other day with "can I *please*
throw it out the window today? Promise I'll only crush the *annoying*
tourists below...."
  

    

Happy birthday Shawn!

The tool I use for uncooperative computers is my big nerf bat.  I also 
used it on co-workers back when I had a job.
  

    
Squeaks,  got it, thank you!

Shawn,  happy birthday! 
  

    
Tara -- Hmm... you know, I got these strange vibes that you were trying to
tell me somethin' (I'm very sensitive about this kind of telepathy-thing)
;-)

But (almost) seriously, I can try to do some suggestions for designs IF
there's ready slogans (I'm just an illustrator, you know). So are the
slogans YOU used 'the ones' or are there others?

Maure -- I've so far done three (little) pictures for the poem (3 down, 30
to go...)

Squeaks -- Well yay back to you too...

Shawn -- Happy birthday!

Jouni (who will turn 30 next month... ouch)
  

    
Shawn - May 21 is your birthday? (Happy birthday! :) Would be neat,
because that is mine as well :) Hope you had a good one!
  

    
Happy birthday Shawn and Meg!
  

    
Hey, y'all!

Thank you very much for the birthday wishes!  It was a lovely
birthday, could only have been better if Maure had been there.  Hope
you're better, sweetie!

And if Coraline had been out.  Debbie wanted to get me that for my
b-day, and then I could get it for hers in a couple of weeks, but we're
too early.  :-(

Happy Birthday Shawn!

Happy Birthday, Meg!

Neil--where did you find the cherry tree?  And what kind did you get? 
A friend of mine is looking for one.  And congratulations on the grape
arbor.  It sounds lovely.  My dad tried his hand at grapes for a few
years when I was a girl.  It's so nice to have them right there in the
garden.  They were probably  easier to grow in Mississippi......

And the poem was priceless.  When *are* we going to see that volume of
verse.....;-)

Mike--Hee-hee!  I miss you when you're not around, not least for the
howls of laughter your posts frequently induce.

I just finished Scholars of Night and thought it brilliant, and sad,
and haunting, and, and, and......wonderful.  Loved it!

Squeaks--glad you're better, and glad the Peter Murphy thing went
well!

Mary (obsessively reading every book on Jackie Chan she can get her
hands on)
  

    
Jouni ... oh my. 33 illustrations? I'm so sorry ... but then, I'm so
excited to see them, too. Internal conflict between my apologetic side
and my selfish side! wheee!

Meg,  Happy birthday to you too! I hope it was fun.

Mary,  much better, thank you much, and next time I see you (soon, I
hope), I'll give you some homemade english toffee. It's one of the four
things I know how to make properly. Do you like english toffee? The
other things I know how to make are chili, french toast, and biscuits
and gravy. Would you rather have one of those? It might be safer if you
just let me take you out to eat.


I'm having so much fun this week -- we're doing "decade days" in
social studies. Every day this week and next, we talk about a
particular decade. This week we've done the 10's, the 20's, and the
30's -- and tomorrow, I get to dress up as Rosie the Riveter for the
forties. Hooray! I love those propaganda posters. I was just sent a
link about a Norman Rockwell Rosie painting that was just sold via
Sothebys for very nearly five million dollars. I suppose I'll have to
stick with buying the reprints .. 
  

    
E-mail from Jouni:

Maure -- I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun! And if it stops bein' fun, I'll
stop doin' it for a while, and start again when I feel like it ;-)

Meg -- Happy birthday!

Jouni
  

    
Email from Reg:

Hello again from me.

Belated happy birthday to Shawn and continued get well soons to Miss
Mousey.

I am really just sending this to let Neil know that he is officially off
the hook on the whole "tubes" issue and that in the unlikely event that he
comes across another Australian fan who is as dogged and unforgiving as
myself, there is a justification for what had previously been considered a
faux pas in "Seasaon of Mists".

One of my favorite Australian breweries, (Boags, in case anyone is taking
notes,) has recently reintroduced the 500 ml can, as opposed to the 385 ml
can which has been the traditional fodder of the Australian packaged beer
drinker. These 500 ml cans are called tubes, so eil was right all along.

I stand corrected.

Reg
  

    
439 -- Mike, just think how much sillier the Iliad would be i the
whole thing had been in double dactyls....

Maure -- remind me to tell you about my youthful toffee-making
exploits.

Reg -- Oh good. 

I still blame Barry Humphries, and the Paul Hogan Castlemain Four X
ads... incidentally, I just did a search for the lyrics to "(Chunder
in) The Old Pacific Sea" and discovered the lyrics (under the name of
"Bondi Pier") uncredited on a number of Grateful Dead sites. I find the
idea of the Dead doing Barry McKenzie songs bizarre...

...

Right now I love the Internet. BBC Radio 4 is playing right now on
RealPlayer, and to my pleasure and suprise I'm listening to an
interview with Paul Kinkaid and China Mieville on "Open Book".
  

    
Okay, funny story...

I was supposed to be on a train to Michigan right now, on my way to
MediaWestCon, an annual 5 days fanzine convention. Last night at 11pm
or so, my best friend Emma IM'd me because she was vexed--she couldn't
get ahold of our friend Jennie, who was driving her and Miss Elisabeth
(who last year attended MWC on the Inside and was going to be attending
this year on the Outside while Mr. Benjamin attended on the Inside).

She was vexed as well because she'd been having contractions for an
hour. Thing was, she was over a month early, and so they were just
assuming it was false labour.

Apparently, Ben had other ideas. He joined the world at 2:40 a.m.
(about 20 minutes after Em and her husband Jody arrived at the
hospital, in fact). I got a call on my cellphone at 3:15 am and spent
the next hour pretty much chanting "Oh my God!" and giggling like a
moron.  

Anyway, long story short: Ben is on the Outside, weights 5lbs and
change, and was cooing and happily munching on mamma cow when I got the
call, and I am so getting a ride to Michigan (Jen and I are now
rooming together at the con since both our roommies bailed...). Jen
even had the presence of mind to remember to take a photo of him still
covered in goo, just for me. I's so excited!

Yay, Ben!

neil: can I remind you to tell maure about youthful toffee-making
exploits? and can I be there when the amusing candy-making annecdote is
told?
  

    
Hmmm.

Heleny melony
Appled discordantly
Went to spend carelessly
April in Paris;
Hubby liked peace, but he
Couldn't just let it be
When you're a king, you just
Can't be embarrassed.
No, it's up there with doing the DIVINA COMMEDIA in clerihews --

Lucrezia Borgia
Enjoyed her orgia.
Should she be among the cozeners
Or circled with the poisoners?

-- best left as an exercise for the imagination.Interesting to
contemplate from a distance, though.
  

    <scribbled by dfowlkes Tue 3 Jul 12 10:14>
  

    
Swapmeet attendees et all. - Many belated thanks for the birthday
wishes. It was pretty nice although apparently the 23rd year is when my
father downgrades birthday fanfare from a present and a card to a firm
handshake and quick greeting. This new tradition from the same man who
replaced the Merry Christmas Tree with the far less labor-intensive
Christmas rocking chair. Hoom...


Neil - the paperback journal entry caught my eye, as whenever I can I
love buying hardbacks editions of books (still tracking down one of
Good Omens actually) I just love the feel of a nice big book while I'm
reading it. Butwhat is the difference between a trade paperback and a
massmarket paperback? Is there a difference in the way they're
distributed?
  

    
E-mail from Reg:

Dan Guy, I hope it was a decent blend at least. bad
tea is terrible for the sinuses.

Mr Ford, having recently read your Star Trek novel,
(and if it gives you any satisfaction, it is the first
Star Trek novel I have ever read. I'm a "Doctor Who"
boy,) I think you really need to write a farcical
novel set in Miss Tree's apartment of many doors.

If you want to make it a musical, put me down for the
fractured baritone.

And Neil, I never thought I would be abled to say this
you, but if you are doing web searches for the lyrics
of "Chunder In The Old Pacific Sea" I think you have
far too much time on your hands.

I know you are trying to understand the mindset of
your Australian stealth publishers, but it isn't going
to work. No-one understands Australian publishers, not
even the bookstore owners.

Thanks for trying. 

Reg
  

    
Oh :P, Reg. Just because my two bedroom apartment has 18 doors and
only one of them will let you leave...

And none of them lead to that dank dungeon that some have accused me
of.

Shawn--belated happies and I understand your predicament. My father
decided that my 30th birthday was time to stop the card and the very
welcome cheque. However my 25 year old brother looks like he has
another five cheques to go.

Tara--FISHIES! I want a shirt with fishies on it. Yay for fishies!

Miss Mousey--Glad to hear the cold has cleared up. I'm about to
celebrate my two month anniversary with a chest infection that laughs
in the face of medication. Ack.

Tree

"TB or not TB. That is the consumption."
  

    
Neil,  you got it. I made a note of it.

Tara,  Yay for Ben! Yay for Emma!

Tree,  ick. I hope you feel better. I haven't sent your book yet, but
it will be on its way to you tomorrow. I have to find a proper box.


This ebay description made me laugh:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2105403631
  

    
The threads in Neil's journal about what to read to Maddy have
reminded me of one of the first books that I ever had read aloud
to me: _The Dragons of Blueland_, by Ruth Stiles Gannett.  (This was
when I was in the First Grade, at age 6, I think.)  I remember I 
liked it enough to check out the other two books in the series
and read them on my own.
  
I've been working my way through Ursula Le Guin's "The Other Wind" and
"Tales from Earthsea," which, I guess, put me in a dragon mood.  
I remember kind of a sour taste in my mind when I read the original
Earthsea stuff about the indolent, lazy /p/o/t/ /s/m/o/k/i/n/g conspiracy
of the wizard Cob and his gang of dropouts.  It looks like she's
still chewing on some pretty fundamental stuff about the soul in _The
Other Wind_. But I'm more impressed by what Peter Beagle did with
the theme in _The Innkeeper's Daughter_.
I like the "Tales of Earthsea" collection of short stories better.
I don't mind having my higher self lectured to by Le Guin's Aesop/
Joanna Russ/Hans Christian Anderson storytelling style when she gets it
right.  But Neil's probably right that Charles Williams might find it
a bit square.
  

    
I picked up a collection of Edward Gorey's favorite ghost stories a
while back, and was reading it last night. In particular, I read Robert
Louis Stevenson's "Body Snatchers." Perhaps it's just me, but I found
this story's choice of names interesting in that the names have taken
on new associations since this story was written. For instance, the
name of a man who is murdered and his body disposed of by being given
to anatomy students for dissection was named Gray. An interesting use
of Gray's Anatomy, if ever there was one... and written years before a
volume of that name was published. The other name that struck me was
that of the primary villian... the arrogant, cruel, manipulative
medical student that murdered Gray and engaged in other reprehensible
behavior against his fellow men. His name was MacFarlane. 'Toddy"
MacFarlane.
It's a letter off, but I couldn't help but make an association with
someone else...
  

    
Neil - I'm wierdly giddy after hearing you use the word "demiurge" in
the May 27th journal entry. Listening to a NPR interview with an author
years back I was inspired to pick up his book "There's a Word for It"
after hearing that word, but I've never heard anyone use it since(or
understand it when I try to). It's one of those things that reminds me
why I like language and reading in general. I just like the taste of
it, and the idea that nothing out there is so obscure as to be totally
indescribable.

Went to my families new ranch in Llano (south Texas) for Memorial Day
weekend; had loads of fun hiking and driving around the mountains. Saw
lots of cheerful deer and fuzzy bunny rabbits and very few angry
scorpions, which is the sort of ration I like. :)
  

    
Oops, the word above should be "ratio" not "ration"; I really don't
like eating scorpions. (I'm sure they don't like it either.)
  

    
The Peter Beagle book I refer to in 471 is The Innkeeper's _Song_, btw.
Not to be confused with the Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter, which my
backbrain was probably doing while on the subject of dragons.