Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    

> I still would have welcomed a shot at one more rewrite. I think we decide
> that books are finished when we run out of time to work on them.  The big-
> gest difficulties had to do with my own lack of confidence, though...the
> compulsion to ask myself why anyone would care what I have to say, sort of
> like biting on a toothache.

Come on, you know exactly what this is like, because it's the same thing we
go through with our records.

Someone said art works are never completed, just abandoned.  That's a little
melodramatic, but there is much truth to it.


> Some of our best ideals end up on the floor, snipped out for space by an
> editor who thinks they "know."

Which makes us learn to do the cutting ourselves before those churls can get
their mitts on our genius :^)


> "I don't get the joke," he'd say, "I think you should cut this sentence."
> "OK Jay, tell you what--go out in the hall and read the sentence to the
> first five people you see. If no one laughs, I'll cut." And, man of honor
> that he is, he would call back to say, "OK, they laughed. It stays."

That's a great editor!  I have had the insane good fortune to have a couple
of fine editor/mentors in my time.  Cherish them.
  

    
"Which makes us learn to do the cutting ourselves before those churls
can get their mitts on our genius :^)"

Oh, no. You always leave an obvious one or two in there so the editor
feels he/she's accomplished something. Otherwise, they go hunting the
good stuff! 
  

    
Good point.
  

    
That's how the TV producers deal with Standards and Practices, too.
  

    
I am very pleased to know there are other practitioners of the 
sacrificial lamb school of writing.
  

    

Or the unintentional sacrificial lamb. Every CD I've ever produced, 
despite painstaking editing and proofreading, comes off the presses with 
one typo. It is always such a relief when I find it, because then I know I 
didn't misspell the lead singer's name, or something. I guess the moose 
heads (which were really supposed to be Buffalo heads) were the 
sacrificial Moose in shoes, or a subconscious tribute to Bullwinkle, take 
your pick.

David is right of course, about the CD production process. Every time 
feels new and different though, to me.

Hey, I just had a thrill--first bookstore sighting, at Stacey's in San 
Francisco. Face out. Yippie!
  

    

Wow, that is exciting!

How are your colleagues at work reacting to your book? Has anything changed
sine you became a famous author?

By the way, I've been meaning to say what a gorgeous picture of you that is
inside the jacket. People are going to be rabid with jealousy that a mere
child wrote such a fine book. You don't look a day over 23.
  

    
Why do you think us old broads like to hang out in honky-tonks, where they 
have "dim lights, thick smoke, and loud,loud music?"
Cause those dim lights make us look younger!

Hmmm, as to the colleagues at Harper Collins, the PC answer is "everyone 
is thrilled for me, and very supportive" and in many ways that is actually 
true. But I don't know anyone who works in publishing who isn't secretly 
(or not so secretly) writing a book, and there are elements of jealousy, 
too. I am going to have to take 3 weeks of unpaid leave for my book tour, 
and my bosses were very flexible and understanding about that. But I do 
feel I have to be a little bit careful about getting excited about stuff 
around the office. The sweetest and most generous of all have been the 
ones you would think might feel the most threatened--the authors whose 
books I'm working on. Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg (A Jew in America, pub date 
in November) is planning to come to my booksigning in NY, and my 
cutie-pie Christian fiction writer Lynne Hinton is thrilled for me and 
gave me a totally sweet endorsement.  I put her fictional town, Hope 
Springs, in "Shoes" as the place where Marvella Claxton learned to sing 
Gospel music in church, to give her a little wink. Lynne and I will be 
performing together at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, she is 
the first pastor I am aware of to sign on to sing harmony on the Slut 
Song. Rumi doesn't care, cause he lived in the 13th Century and never 
calls.

So, the work thing is complicated, and all I can do is try to concentrate 
on doing a good job and hope people understand. At least, because I work 
in publishing, the IDEA of being an author is supported, and no one has 
questioned my need to go out on tour or duck out here and there to do an 
interview, even if might feel a bit inconvenienced or envious.

And basically, I work with a bunch of very smart, nice people.
  

    
After we had lunch that day, Kathi, I went back to the office and told
a coworker about this cool book you wrote and that it was coming out
soon and how exciting it was to hear about it and she immediately said,
"I'm jealous." And she doesn't even know you! I thought it was funny,
but I can imagine that if you're the author, it's not so funny. I hope
the jealousy you encounter doesn't detract from the joy and excitement
you have a right to feel!
  

    

Marvella Claxton and her hard-drinking gospel songs are fantastic.

I just want to say my car is packed full of crinolines and cowboy boots, and
I'm heading off to Texas for a few days to polka like fool. Y'all may talk
quietly amongst yourselves while I'm away. Ask Kathi some probing questions,
decide who's going to play what in the movie, and maybe write a honky-tonk
song or two. I'll be back Tuesday. Oh, and check your local bookstores! The
book may be in!
  

    
Gawd, I luv country music, country folk and just plain country.


Like Kathi, I was a mournful folkie when I was in college. . .but I
never graduated to being a full-on country music fan (not quite up to
CW slutdom here, I don't own a crinoline. . . yet)until Kath and I met
and bonded over a Barbie book I wrote. She had been a book escort on a
couple of the authors I interviewed and came to my own book signing at
the Paradise Lounge with a vintage Growing Up Skipper doll in her
pocket -- the one where you twist the arm back and the creature grows
half-a head and her little booblets pop out. That doll's gotta be worth
something!

Anyhow, we sort of bonded over Barbie pink and aqua; then she brought
Harlan Ellison to an interview and we talked even more and found out
that we had a mutual affecton for certain music. I went to one of her
jams, sang with the band (and absolutely fell in love with David, the
pedal steel player) and we've been friends ever since. She's nurtured
my inner cowgirl and now that I'm living in cowboy country, my radio is
tuned on a "hat boy" station constantly. Oh, how we yearn for KFAT.

Gotta say, however, it's much more fun to sing that stuff than to
listen to it and boy is it fun to write it! Kathi's got the best of all
worlds here -- she writes it, she sings it, she records it and now
she's written about it. Eeeeeehaaaaaaa!
  

    
Cynthia, you should come for some of our booksigning gigs. Book Passage 
(9/26) and Cody's (9/27) are going to feature the band playing songs from 
the book! And we're having a bash (all you inkwell.vue-ers are invited) at 
DeMarco's on 10/18, too.

(nan)--I know, it's so weird that people will say "I'm jealous" right off 
the bat, without knowing anything about the person or the situation. But 
at least she's direct and honest about it. That's something to appreciate, 
I think. Hey, how's your project coming along?
  

    

I just did something I promised myself I would NEVER do, which is check my 
Amazon.com ranking. Shoes has gone from yesterday's one million something 
to # 4,564! (This means they probably sold all of 30 books, but still...) 
Now I have to join the 12-step program for AAA ( amazon-addicted authors).

Cynthia, I checked those growing-up Skipper dolls on eBay recently and was 
surprised at how little people were asking for them. You too can have one!

And, a request to the hosts: Can someone email betty@well.com and explain 
to her how she can join in here? She still has a well account but hasn't 
participated in a while, and I'm shure, as "Aunt Perle", she would be 
delighted to answer readers' health and nutrition questions.
  

    
There are shrinks who can help you with the Amazon.com syndrome. . .
honestly. The obsession can make you nuts. "The Beauty Workbook" got as
high as 750. . . I was amazed.

I'm logging onto Amazon myself and ordering up copies for Christmas
gifts. ..

And sorry, Kath, am not going to be able to come to the parties (damn
damn damn ) 'cause I'm employed and we got deadliens. You know from
deadlines, right?
  

    

Now, Cynthia, you may not be able to make those BayArea signings but surely
you can rustle up some Las Vegas activities, appearances, signings, yoiu
name it for kkg?!

I heard a rumor that Aunt Perle is going to come to readings and answer
nutrition questions for book buyers.  Does she already have her Aunt Perle
outfits?
  

    

Betty is far more stylish than Aunt Perle, who favors natural fiber 
drawstring trousers and Reeboks, but yes--it's true she plans to attend 
some of the events, offering nutrition advice to book buyers.
  

    

Those book buyers don't know what they're in for!  Aunt Perle will sell MORE
books for you.  She's a natural born promoter.

Betty should dress like Aunt Perle, you know, to be in character.
  

    
I'd been picturing Aunt Perle attired in BT finery (that stands for 
Berkeley therapist) -- flowing, loose garments in colorful handwoven 
cloth with scarves and shawls and goddess jewelry -- and it was a 
pleasant surprise to read about her sensible, minimalistic fashion 
approach.
  

    

> (and absolutely fell in love with David, the pedal steel player)

Everybody does.  That's David Phillips, whose talents go way beyond the
stylistic confines of honky-tonk.  He's a great pedal steel player.


> Can someone email betty@well.com and explain to her how she can join in
> here?

All she has to do is type   g inkwell.vue   (or if she's using Engaged!, type
g inkwell.vue in the shortcut box.)
  

    

And I'd like to remind those of you who are reading this from outside the
WELL that you can contribute comments, ask questions, etc. by sending email
to inkwell-hosts@well.com
  

    
BT for "Berkeley Therapist" fashions! Ha, I never heard that before, but I 
so exactly know what you mean...no, Aunt Perle is more no-frills. Betty, 
on the other hand, is a stylish dresser. It really pissed me off when I 
got taller than she is and her pretty outfits no longer fit me.
  

    
The first time I met Betty was at one of Kathi's seders or
Thanksgiving dinners and Betty brought the salad which she had
garnished with a miniature kitchen sink! Love that woman.

As for David Phillips -- he of the luxuriant hair in the pony tail,
the Cherokee cheekbones and the flying fingers. . . ahhh. Talented and
great to look at, too. My kinda guy.

I love what Kath did with Aunt Perle because I could just see Betty
sliding into that role. . . the Nutrition Nazi. Hummmmm. She does have
definite ideas about what you put in your mouth, however.

So Kathi, where is <pk> in this mix?
  

    
You wanna do a book-signing in Vegas? Have Chronicle arrange it and
I'll do a party for you either at the ranch or around the LUV pool. 
  

    
road trip!

am excited to hear the band at Cody's! I've been lining up NOTW pals
to come. Did you talk to anybody at Diesel about doing a reading?
Barbara is good friends with the owners there.

(Kathi, you are sweet to ask about my project. AT some point it will
be my own dead bird that this old dog will drop in your mailbox.)
  

    
The kitchen sink topping my salads: I simply won't have anyone tell me
I have everything in my salad except the kitchen sink.

Kathi looking young: And I thought it was because she was raised by a
Nazi Nutritionist!

My clothes: You might catch me shopping at CostCo dressed like Aunt
Perle.

My daughter: She's something else, ain't she? What a lucky mom I am.