Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Martha -- Just read it.  <i>Cool.</i>  And dangit, now I'm curious!

Oh -- just one question, hidden in the next post to prevent spoilers.
  

    <hidden>
  

    <scribbled>
  

    
Mary, you'll be such a fun teacher. I can just see it. I can't wait to
hear about your first day!

Christy, Mom is the coolest, really. But not for her pets. She has two
ferrets (Chicken and Houdini), a tarantula (had two, but Kira (my cat)
killed one of them -- woops), a python, and a gigantic yellow lab. She
used to have fish, and cats, but they died. Not in the same incident.

Had a lovely time at Tara's Onion Soup 2003. Was delighted and
intimidated by the gorgeous gorgeous house in which she held it. It was
the sort of indoors that I imagine belong to houses like the Castle by
me. Very, very cool.

The band gets odder by the day -- we now have a special guest
musician, a bassoonist who has played with the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra. Maybe we can have a lovely bassoon/ukelele duet. 
  

    
Hi everyone my name is Jinx and I'm a lasped Wellian.
I've been lurking just to tired to post it seems. I've had a lot of
Doctor's and still nothing other then maybe's, personally I think the
medical profession blows, no offence to anyone involved here.
However since I have no energy I have been reading tons, almost a book
a day again. All four Harry Potter books, my entire collection of
Charles DeLint novels, all the Sandman tp's, a slew of B-movie type
crime novels (no nightmares as of yet, esp ones that involve vomiting),
and all of Neil's stuff.
 Basically nothing new has given me any goosebumps or the urge to
re-read it right away so I'm asking everyone, What's the last new thing
you read that you wanted to pick up again right away?

Maure, I'm so pleased for you and the song titles are making me drool.

Mary, Belated congrats on the new position.

Jinx in bed, with the laptop, wondering why people agree to go on FOX
shows.
  

    
Jinx! Yay! Hi. I'm so glad Chrissy's song titles make you drool. We
were talking about some of them today, and "I Thought You Had A Trust
Fund" made a maintenence guy who was working on the fridge today fall
off his ladder from laughing. I felt bad, but was gratified anyway.

This coming Monday I am going to be on a radio show. I get to play
songs I like, and talk, and mess around in general. Not that most of
you can hear it, but do any of you have suggestions for songs you don't
hear on the radio, but would like to?
  

    
Jinx- so sorry to hear that you haven't been diagnosed as yet and
continue to struggle with your illness. I was looking through _The
Antelope Wife_ by Louise Erdrich the other day and decided to re-read
it. (I did the same thing with _Brief Lives_ last week.)

Maure- how about "Bombs over Baghdad" by John Trudell? It was recorded
on AKA Grafitti Man ten years ago and somehow seems appropriate
today...
  

    <scribbled by maureluke>
  

    
Put that very badly.

Martha,  Teri Goulding would like to read your new short play. SHe
asked that I ask you whether or not you object to me emailing it to
her. Would that be ok?
  

    
*pokes head in door*

Hullo everybody!  Many thanks for your love and encouraging comments
on my marriage.  I'm sorry I haven't been around.  Been focusing on
putting our lives back together, mostly, working like a madwoman,
reading like a fiend (I didn't read much this past year), and, um...
sort of taking the sort of breather you take after spending a year like
I have...

Anyway... hugs to all.

Congrats to Neil on your near-Nomination (better than near beer, I'd
say).

And this one's for Lioness Elise... (MIKE: Can you let her know, if
she's not reading?)

http://www.lordofthepeeps.com/lotp/images.html
  

    
Just finished a long backlog of Neil's journal entries.  Bummer about
the iPod -- and after all that ripping!  Well, at least you found some
forgotten CD's in the process.  Semi-belated "safe travels," by the
way.

Maure -- I see your default scribble name isn't "Heather Ma" any more!

Ferrets, a tarantula, AND a python -- What, no scorpions?  Or rats? 
Boy, your mom's such a square.

You know, I just quickly looked back at your post with pythons on my
mind and thought I read "bassoon/ukulele d<i>i</i>et."  Now I am
picturing a satisfied and very odd-shaped snake.

I think "I Thought You Had A Trust Fund" should be the new theme song
to <i>Joe Millionaire</i>.

Ooh, cool!  Have you ever DJ'd before?  (<i>There's</i> one for the
spell checker.)  I'd recommend some bands, but you'd never have heard
of any of them.  Trust me.

Tracey!!!  Welcome back!  :D

I'm really sorry to hear that you're still dealing with health
problems.  Not knowing what's going on must be making you nuts.  Thank
Heaven for books, though!  Let's see...

Right now, a friend of mine is feeding me bits and pieces of the novel
she's polishing, about three or four chapters at a time.  It's
astounding.  It's the back-story of Erik from LeRoux's <i>The Phantom
of the Opera</i>, though she's said it could stand alone as its own
story, and so far I'm agreeing.  Since it isn't ready to submit yet,
she's asked me not to keep printouts around for very long, but I can
already tell that I'll be re-reading it once she has it in a more
permanent form.  I'll probably re-read <i>Phantom</i> first (which I
read last year an loved), and see what new facets show up for me after
I know "the rest of the story."

Not that this helps you (yet), so I'll throw out a few suggestions
that you've probably already read, but it's worth a try.  In my case, I
usually don't think of re-reading right away; I tend more to wish that
there were more of the book so I could <i>keep</i> reading it for
the first time.  Books I hated to see the end of have included:

<i>The Lathe of Heaven</i>, Ursula K. LeGuin
<i>Smoke and Mirrors</i>, but of course you've read that

I was lucky enough to have a British version of the latter.  And I
tend to like short stories in the first place.

And, in high school:

<i>The Little Prince</i>, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I read it to my little brother, translating for him on the fly, and we
both agreed that we wished there were more stories about him.  We did
find a cute little cartoon series with the character, though we thought
he looked odd with a nose.

Pam -- Great Peeps site!  I will be forwarding that one along.  And
breathers are definitely good for you.  :)

Whew!  Long post.  That's what happens when you start raving about
books.

Take care, y'all!

Peace,
Christy
  

    
Oh, Rocky -- Watch your mail at work.  (Look for something coming from
Wisconsin.)
  

    
Christy-- the!  ... ERIK!  !!  Backstory....  *droooool*  I can't tell
you how many hours I've spent imagining his life before that book. 
Please PLEASE let me know when that book will be available.  There was
a book called Phantom by Susan ...something... written a while back
that was alright, but not amazing.  I'd love to know what she's coming
up with.  Someday I think I'll write about Christine's adventures
afterwards.  See, I've played Christine and Carlotta in the musical
version and am quite attached to that story.  

Pamela--I miss you so.  Every day I check to see if you are ever
coming back to your journal.  But I understand.  Maybe soon we can see
eachothers?  I've got a show coming up...(heh heh heh)
  

    
Christy: Aren't they cute!  A little sword and everything! *giggles*

Adriana:  I miss you, too.  I'd LOVE to see you soon.  I'm sorry I
haven't emailed.  I haven't emailed much of anyone, if that's any
comfort.  I'll send one soon.

I apologize to all for all the back posts I've missed.  I just don't
have time to read them just now.

But I thought I'd share something I emailed to someone today. 
Thoughts about life and endings and stories.  Just 'cause this seemed
like a place to do that.

     *

I wanted to tell you that I've been thinking about [a character], and
Karen Shaffer, and about how we all suffer so much damage in
life--sometimes small hurts, sometimes devastating ones.  And how it
seems to be human nature to wish urgently every time that it's a story
with an *ending*.  But it's occurred to me lately that life is really
about learning to live many stories without knowing how they'll end. 
And this has made me easier with [the character's] story, and Karen's,
and my own.

I think that's one of the reasons I love books so much: they have
*endings*.  It's a special kind of magic.  As a reader, I sometimes
feel like an alcoholic who drinks just to reach the bottom of the
bottle, because that's where a kind of peace can be found.  But every
once in a while, almost despite myself, I admire the books that
withhold just enough of that magic that I'm forced to meet it halfway
with my own.

It's what I'm thinking about, anyway.

     *

“And mysteries linger in ways that explanations never can.”

-Neil Gaiman, The Well, 7/27/01
  

    
Haven't been able to read Neil's journal or this site for about a
week, and the reason actually isn't because I'm overbusy.
I mean, yes, Comedy of Errors opens tonight, but tech week isn't why
I've been out of the loop.
I got a Playstation 2
It is eating my life
Doom
Doom
Doom

It seems like a lot of us have been having a hard time catching up
with things. I think this is a good time to rest, as far as each of us
are able to allow ourselves to.
  

    
I agree.  After this weekend, I'm crashing.  (Have fun with your
Playstation!)

Pam -- You always did have a way with words.

Adriana -- You've played Christine and Carlotta?  How COOL!  I have
never seen the musical, believe it or not.  I kind of wanted to read
the book first, and now I finally have, so that won't be a problem.

My friend (who is also named Susan) has mentioned that
<i>Phantom</i> book, with about the same reaction you had.  I think
her own book delivers, though, and when it's available, this'll
probably be the first place I announce it!  I think she'd be thrilled
to know that her own book is already gathering a potential audience. 
Do you mind if I quote that part of your post to her?

And I think it would be neat if you wrote about Christine.  You must
let us know if you do!

'Night, all.
  

    
Severely envying the people who just saw ASFAJB in Angoulême.  Hope it
went well, Neil!
  

    
Also envying the lucky folks at Angouleme. Can't wait to hear how it
went!

School is.....interesting.  These kids have *no* idea how to behave in
public, and very little desire to make decent grades.  I'm fascinated.
 

In case I hadn't mentioned it, I'm in an inner city school in a poor
neighborhood.  One of the students was shot to death by another student
in December right across the street.  Not a place for weenies, I
suppose.

Today was my first day alone with them--for the last 2 days I
"shadowed" the substitute who has been with them for the last 2 months.
 It went pretty well.  For the most part they actually do want to do
their work, once you get the room quiet. It's hard to say how long I'll
last--I can see this job breaking your heart pretty quickly, and I
*really* want to move out of Chicago, but you never know.  I just keep
thinking how much I would love a smaller school.......

Mary (reading nothing but textbooks at the moment :-( )
  

    

Christy - Thank you so very much!  Now I can listen to Tom and
Alannah's last and latest.  You rock sweetie...yes, you do.  :)
  

    
I just returned Eddie Izard's Dress to Kill DVD today.  I found it odd
that a stand up comedy routine needed a full commentary - so I
couldn't force myself to listen to 2 hours of someone talking over
themselves.
  

    
Did you listen to any of the commentary?  What did you think of the
DVD?  I'm dying to see it.  Is it the full, uncut show?

Mary (reading Loverboy by Victoria Redel)
  

    
I had so much fun doing the radio show. I played two of Adriana's
songs, the Flash Girls' "Meaningless Dialogue", and a bunch of Stephin
Merritt-related tunes (played a lot of other things, too, but those are
the ones that sort of fit the topic here). And I have a stalker from
my first night on the air! I am so amused by that. We had lots of calls
about the show, and so we're hoping that maybe we can score a regular
gig (Chrissy is already a pseudo-regular DJ, but she's only on once a
month or so) together. I had no idea how much fun that can be.

Mary,  good thing you have such a strong heart. I hope the teaching is
getting better for you.
  

    
(the-roane) I think the DVD is uncut - although if there was something
missing I wouldn't know.

The only part of the commentary I actually ended up listening to was
the last bit - where he's talking in French on stage.  He made some
interesting notes about being worried that it wouldn't work in the US,
but that every time he's done it, it has gone over well.
  

    
Rocky -- Great!  That was fast!  As soon as you tell me it plays OK,
I'll leave them Cheeseheads some nice, positive feedback.

Envying everyone at the London screening of Neil's film as well, and
relieved to know that the sound screw-up wasn't part of the film.  I
really really hope this DVD that's in the works will eventually find
its way into my future DVD player... or at least a borrowed player.

Neil, sorry to hear you've been sick, but glad you're cutting yourself
some slack.  Hope all that stuffiness clears up soon... and whatever
you do, do NOT fly like that!

(I'm telling this to a 42-year-old frequent flyer who knows
everything.  Oh, well, just humor me.)

I'd post more, but I'm a) at work and b) in an evil funk, for which I
am tentatively blaming too much alcohol and a poor night's sleep on
Sunday.  But at least I had a good time.

Uggghhhhhhhh.
  

    
hrm, my Izzard DVD is due any day now. 
I'll probably listen to the commentary track at some point. I like
doing housecleaning to those.