Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Ok, this is great stuff.
Go to http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/
then plug in Neil's journal page (or any text page, really.. but let's
keep this remotely on topic)
http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/journal.asp

Next thing you know... Neil's jive talkin!
  

    
Ahahahahahahaha! 
*falls out of chair*
  

    
Pamela, we must do this.  Where and when?
  

    
Neil's journal in redneck may be the funniest thing I've ever seen.
Thanks, Stagewalker!

I changed my schedule, so please tell me Thursday, the 17th, is when
we're getting together?  

Mary, who *hates* allergy season!
  

    
completely off topic---I get to see Rasputina tonight! Squee!
  

    


From Christy Smith:



Neil!

Real quick, I just wanted to say that if you, Mike, and Maddy need anything
while you're in the DC area, or would enjoy being taken out to dinner or
coffee or something, the invitation stands open!  I'm right up in Maryland.
I sent you my e-mail address on the FAQ line (plus Lorraine might still have
it).

Whatever you folks end up doing this weekend, have a great time in our very
cool city!  Have fun!

Peace,
Christy

P.S.  It looks like rain all weekend, but it's probably just as well right
now.  The less you're outside, the safer you are from this @#$^*& sniper.
>:-(
  

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

    
Yes, it's next Thursday, the 17th, that we shall get together and do
groovy things. Chicago peeps: Email me and I'll give you my cell phone
for easier organizing! I don't know where y'all are in the city, but
maybe we should meet at Giordanos. People can make pizza requests and
then we can nosh on 'Za while y'all trickle in.

In an act of shameless self promotion, I'm going to post the review
that my show got in The Guardian, but I'll hide it so as not to be
overly obnoxious.
  

    <hidden>
  

    
Kindred spirit sighting!  Went to a preview for a newly listed
apartment yesterday, walked in and found a beautiful oil portrait of
Death hanging in vestibule. A quick scan of the bookshelves confirmed
the seller's affinity for the works of a certain "..tangle-haired
Englishman with hazel-green eyes [who] has been taken unawares by
success..."  As for the painting, it's very reminicent of Scott
Hampton's artwork. I can't wait to bring this guy an offer!  ;>

Slipped by Walker! 
  

    
Um, Dan, punkin'?  You don't have an e-mail addy listed in your
profile. Hence the emptiness of your mailbox  ;-)

Giordano's sounds faboo--which one?  I have to work until 6:00 in
River North.  Are you staying downtown?  Is there a particular show you
want to see?  They're kinda pricey in the Loop.....  

Neil--hope you're having a lovely time!

Rocky--oo, cool!  
  

    
Danw re: review- How lovely! I wish I could have seen it. 

Neil- I hope you're having a fab time as well. 

Rocky- Well that's a good omen :)


 Guess what guys? I'm getting published! My Christmas story will be in
the *gasp* Christmas issue of Aphelion (online) It's not pro and it's
just a webzine, but it's a start.I've been rejected from them before so
I know that they don't just accept anyone. Other than that, though, I
really don't know much about it. This is the same story that got
rejected a while ago that I was depressed about. So I still don't know
if the story is any good or if this editor is on crack....but I think
I'm happy about it. I've gotten so many rejections. I read: "I really
like your story and it will fit well in our Christmas issue.." I kept
expecting to see a But, but there was no But! Weirdness. 

So fortune cookies do tell the truth sometimes. 

And Rasputina was amazing, by the way. I was right next to the cellos
so my heart kept going buzzy buzzy. Melora was very funny and played
all of my favorite songs...

Erynn, in the Christmas spirit already. 
  

    
How very odd... I used to have a profile there...
and when I try to update it, it just doesn't do anything.

well, this account is going to die in a few weeks anyway. Go ahead and
email me at macguru@znet.com

Erynn - Congratulations!!!! *jumping up and down* That's great news!!
  

    
Mimi and Adriana:  More details to be emailed as soon as I call to
find out what dates my friend's on stage.  Prolly not until November,
tho, 'cause October's completely nuts for me.

Mimi:  That's just wild!  A friend just emailed me the thing about the
Reduced Shakespeare Company today, and I really wanted to go!  But
other plans interfere.  Sorry!  We'll keep trying to do our part to
keep the Thingie/Wellie Social Calendar filled with frills and
frivolity.

Erynn: A toast to you on getting published!  Many, many congrats. 
Just *wallow* in the glow.

Stagewalker:  CONGRATS!  "Clever riff" must have had you doing
pirouettes.  Er, the manly equivalent, if pirouettes aren't your thing.

And... bwaaaahaha!!!  Thanks so much for the Dialectizer!  What an
absolute hoot!  I particularly loved Neil's journal in Cockney...

'Allo Guvna Gaiman!  

"So I'm bloody well on a free day 'oliday in Werehington DC wiv an 8
year old. I'll do a few fings I've wanted ter do for a wile -- cop
backstage at the chuffin' Library of Congress, for example. And I 'ave
readers in the bleedin' oddest places."

Right, ven.  'ope it's just ducky.
  

    
Whoo-hoo!  Go, Erynn!  You rock!

And go, Dan!  Great review!  I'll e you in the next couple of days.

<<pouts>> Wish I could go see the Reduced Shakespeare Company....  
  

    
Pamela - I didn't do any dances, but I'm very *very* pleased. I'm just
really glad to get a review that will encourage people to come see the
show. I saw it again last night, and they've resolved 90% of the
technical issues... so I'm sleeping much better at night.

I won't see it again until I return from my vacation, so I'll be
interested to see if they can get it to 100% perfect.

Mary, see you Thursday!
  

    
It's that point where you log on and discover 114 messages waiting.

Erynn -- congratulations!

Christy -- thanks for the offer. (She walked Maddy and me through the
Washington Book Fair yesterday.)

My three day holiday ends today (sigh) and we fly home. Was good to
see my son, the Library of Congress, the Executive Offices and the West
Wing. 
  

    
Gee, I see The West Wing every Wednesday in my living room.
  

    
Dan - Congrats on the great review! :) You know, I have a friend who
does costuming in SF, I'd be tickled if you know her...

Erynn - Congrats on the publishing, that's fantastic! I'm still
working on my story (well, stories really :), but I hope to have
something to send around when I'm done with this one.

Neil - I am envious of your Library of Congress time! DC is such a
wonderful place to visit, and I've been several times, but I've never
gotten to the LoC. So many old books and papers, so much history!
Sounds like you guys had a great time :)
  

    
Meg, what's your friends name?

Martha, "nyuk, nyuk"
  

    
Dan, her name is Maggie Whitaker, and she's an awesome gal. The thing
I know she did recently was The Shape of Things, at the Aurora Theater.
  

    
Pam:  sweeet.  A long reply is on the way, btw.  

Erynn:  CONGRATULATIONS, that is very exciting, and I hope
encouraging.  Good for you.

ALL:  you MUST needs see Punch-Drunk Love.  Opens most places this
Friday.  Go go go.
  

    
I've eaten Tim-Tams.  But next time I must wait until after lunch
rather than eating them for lunch.

Some old replies:

Christy - I didn't spot any Well people in NZ - but I didn't think to
look.  I did see a girl from Happytown however.  Also I met a woman
that knew Miss Mousey which was a bit odd.  

Pamela - I got to see a bit of North Island (including White Island)
and South Island) You can now book a tour that goes to all the places
they did filming for LOTR - I've seen the broucher - but don't ask me
any details because I didn't see it until the end of my trip and
therefore didn't have time to do any of it.
  

    
Email from Christy:

Happy World Standards Day, everyone!

It's been a while since I've done anything more than guerilla posting,
and those were directly addressed to Neil, so here's a post for the rest
of ya.  I tried not to include _too_ much old news.

I FINALLY got ahold of the 500th issue of _Locus_ a couple of weeks ago.  
Neil, you're right, that is a good picture of you smiling with Gene.  
You have a certain Beatlish charm.

Still reading AG on and off between traveling and work, and when I feel
like something lighter, I've been reading the second Bridget Jones book.  
I had to chuckle at the second chapter; in it, she keeps referring to
"scary pants" and even "scary underwear"!  :D

Had a great time at Homecoming a week ago.  Got to see lots of people
from my class, since it was our 10-year reunion, and ended up laughing
with two friends until 3:30 in the morning.

I also made my yearly pilgrimage downtown to bring some goodies home.  
Tim-Tams, flim-flams -- You guys haven't LIVED 'til you've had a
dark-chocolate vanilla cream from Costello's Candies of Girard, Ohio or
Grove City, Pennsylvania!

Pam -- You met the crew of the space shuttle Endeavor?  Cool!  And did
you happen to know a Tom Foulke when you worked at Wolf Trap?

> 'cause October's completely nuts for me.

I could make a joke about wondering how October fell in love with you,
and does he bring you bouquets of autumn leaves and such, but... er... I
think I just did.

Lemony StickyDan -- Congratulations on _Pinch_!  How very cool!  And
please, do get that Web site up when you can!

Loved the Dialectizer.  We were playing with it over on the Choir message
board earlier this year.  And it _was_ funny doing Neil's journal in
Cockney.

And have a great time in Chi-town!

Mary (1578) -- You mean the 26th, right?  (My late grandfather's
birthday.  Cool.)  Lucky!  The CHS sounds like fun.

> I love that Tara makes Steinbeck references ;-)

And Tara goes, "What?  Oh!  Steinbeck -- Yeah!  That's what I was doing!"  
as she turns down the volume on the Warner Brothers cartoons.  ;)

Michelle -- Hope you're having a great trip!

Erynn -- Congratulations on your first gig!  What a great reaffirmation
for the story you had been so proud of.  You will definitely have to give
us the info when it's up at Aphelion!

And I have a friend here who, I just found out, likes Rasputina.  I told
him that I've now heard raves about them from two sources, and will have
to borrow it from him sometime.  Cello... mmmm.....

Abbess -- Yep, that he is!

Glen -- Welcome back, and I loved your cool, six-degrees-type story!

Rocky (1582) -- And here I thought St. Yves was the patron saint of skin
care products.  ;)

Strangely Coralinian news item from my DATACAST pager news service: BUGS:  
Canadian entomologist Rob Longair wants people to eat bugs.  The
University of Calgary expert says insects are low in fat & high in
protein.  But Longair recognizes what he calls a cultural bias against
eating bugs.  He says when you think about it, bugs are a lot less
disgusting than some gourmet treats...

And what's with all the weird pumpkin stories lately?

STRANGE PUMPKINS:  What's tall & thin, & not a supermodel?  Try an
Illinois pumpkin.  Growers say this summer's drought has resulted in some
strange looking pumpkins.  They're taller & thinner than usual, if you
can find one.  But grower Terry Boyd in Anna isn't too upset that his
gourds might look a little weird.  He says he's just happy to have any at
all...

And this one reminds me of a story I read as a kid: PUMPKIN THEFT:  
Someone has swiped Francis & Margaret Wade's entire pumpkin crop.  The
Wades report the veggie-napper stole about three tons of pumpkins from
their eight acres in northern New York.  They estimate the pumpkin crop
was worth about $600 on the wholesale market.

Well, I'm hungry and want to go home, but I do have more to say tomorrow!  
This weekend was certainly no less cool than Homecoming weekend.

Take Care,
Christy
  

    
Squeeee!  Li'l Endless action figures!  They're *so cute*!  Squeee!

Um, Dan, check the weather reports.  Our weather's gone kerflooey.

Hey, Neil--I think I know some actors who would work cheap ;-)

Mary (back at work this week, and *not happy* about it)