Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
For anyone who gives a damn, I think I'm finally finished with my web
page updates (this week any way). It now includes photos from the
Thingie Theme Camp at Burning Man (except the photos I have yet to
scan). So, um,
http://www.snafu.org/michelle/ 
and click on the ThingieCon link.

-squeaks,
$850 and no longer counting... I've had better weeks.
  

    
Neil, but you're very good at slinging the jargon.
  

    
Neil --  Ah.  Well, I’ll just have to feel it through your description
here then.  It does sound lovely, though; just the sort of place I can
imagine inspiring you.  One of the things I like best about your work
is the presence of different times and the sense of something hidden or
secret, even in (especially in) “mundane” settings.  Can’t quite work
up my summertime romanticization of cold, though, as my upstairs
neighbor’s pipes froze and leaked all over my apartment.  Nonetheless
the peat fires sound quite nice.  
  

    

Squeaks!  I was Thingie #1111.  I love that number.  And Miss Squeaks
looks lovely with her little bow tied around her neck.  She is even
smiling for the camera!
  

    
E-mail from Jouni:

Neil- Yesssss... ;)

Jouni
  

    
*** opening a virtual bottle of Veuve-Clicquot in honor of Neil's
accomplishment.***

I had friends in Ireland who used to drink a toast with the word,
cathaoireacha ("kuh-heer-ih-kuh",) which means "chairs," which, said
drunk and Irish enough, sounds a bit like "cheers."  

So... drink up, y'all & congratulations, Neil!  Cathaoireacha!
  

    
Michelle-

You've used my painting as your new wallpaper.  :]  

...And on another very different note, sorry to read about Fate.  :( 
  

    
silth, er, sarah... (too many handles!!!) you noticed! Well, it
transfered so well to a 2-colour background image. And isn't it pretty?
I've already received a couple of compliments. If you want, I can put
up a link to your web page re: the art - just email me and let me know.

As for Fate, I buried her in a nice spot in my parents' garden this
afternoon. Between that and the story I wrote about her, I'm doing much
better. Thank you.

-squeaks, who must now do strange things to James' head.
  

    
Neil - 190,000 words? Sweet Light! I bet all of the copy editors in
your pub's production department are having mini-heart attacks.
  

    
Congratulations, Neil!  ... and now we go back to holding our breath
and turning blue... ^_-

Michelle and Sarah: Yup, that's a very nice background. And Michelle,
I'm sorry to hear about Fate-Mouse... glad you're feeling better.

-- Mimi, who's leaving work *now*, really  -_-;
  

    
Michelle (squeaks? which is better?) -- just checked your website.  I
am so sorry to hear about Fate.  The picture is incredibly sweet.  (I
like the pictures of you, too... do you have the link for the photo of
you on the girls with glasses site?  I couldn't find it and wanted to
see it bigger.)

Jade (maidenfate) -- Hey, that's a good career idea!  As a copy editor
for Neil's publisher you could be reading the book *now*.  Yet another
reason to go to grad school for some English/writing-related thingie.
  

    
Michelle-- Like Emily, went to your site; my condolences.
  

    
Michelle -- sorry to hear about Fate.  And I appreciated the shameless
plugging that went on at your website. Hurrah for bribery.

Jade -- I don't plan to right another big thick book like this for a
long time. They take too much of your life. Novellas next, maybe. Not
another 190,000 words. Promise. 

Emily -- sundry freinds are in fact currently reading it, and pointing
out that I'd spelled margarita wrong and suchlike.

Mimi -- well, copies should be out in June.

And I'll try to spend a little time tomorrow catching up on the
backlog of e-mail and messages. Tonight, to celebrate, I bought a
bottle of nice wine for (I just checked, being interested) about $200
less then it ought to have gone for (one bottle of the 1985 vintage in
with the 1996s and all priced the same). 
  

    
And freinds. Seems it's spelled with an 'ie'. Who'd a thunk it?
  

    
A bottle of wine that can cost $200 less than it ought is a bottle of wine I
can't afford.  You deserve a big celebration, but I'm curious what it tastes
like that it's worth it!
  

    

Send us a taste in e-mail!
  

    
martha -- well, I got it for $60 instead about the $300 it should have
cost. And it was my 'my god, I have actually finished this book,
haven't I?" wine.

It was a tawny red in colour, and it tasted like lots of things.
Fruity, peppery, sweet, serious and very, very nice. And I, who have no
head for wines, happily drank a half a bottle, and then noticed,
puzzled, that I was neither drunk nor sleepy. Which is something I've
noticed with the few really good wines I've had over the years.
  

    
Oh, well, $60 is reasonable for a treat!  I thought you spent $200 on a $450
wine, or something.

I've only once had a red wine I liked.  Maybe this would be the second.
  

    
And the last section of AMERICAN GODS was called "The moment of the
storm" and it slowly started to drive me nuts as I knew I was quoting
something and didn't know what. And it can be dangerous not knowing
what you're quoting, after all. 

Finally I did an Amazon search and got nowhere. So I did a google
search for that phrase...

... and realised it was "This Moment of the Storm", a Roger Zelazny
short story. 

Which, considering the book is dedicated to Roger Zelazny and Kathy
Acker seemed perfectly appropriate, and made me smile, just as it did
when Teresa N-H read the first few chapters and sent me an approving
note saying It was about as hard to read and difficult to get through
as Nine Princes In Amber.
  

    
Oh no.  Throw us in the briar patch why don't you.
  

    

As hard to read and difficult to get through as Nine Princes, eh? Wow.
Congrats.
(*makes a mental note to track down "This Moment of the Storm", as it's a
Zelazny I haven't read yet...*)
  

    
Mary (reading Brett Butler's autobiography)~ I also got this for
Christmas, part of a "you used to be a battered wife so you might enjoy
this package" from the grandmother I don't care for (any wonder why I
might not care from this woman?). It was a shock that I've enjoyed it
as much as I have. She writes well, and honestly, and it didn't make me
flinch. Which is more common then I normally care to admit. To bring
this more on topic "Mr. Punch" actually made me flinch and I had to put
it down, I think it all depends on the authors ability to be
conviningly descriptive. This is not to say that I never finished it,
but it took awhile.

Michele, I am so sorry about Fate,...::::hugs::::

Rocky,...(re: the 7 am in the shower) isn't that always the way?

Neil, I'm pleased about book, and the wine for that matter. Now if I
can wait another few months I'll be set. The offer for a sub tour still
goes if you sign in the area.


Jinx who is currently trying to bribe a dear sweet friend whom she
knows loves her, to take her on the CBDLF cruise.
  

    
Email from Mary Roane:

Squeaks--very sorry to hear about Fate.  Loved the picture of her on
our site.    
 
Jinx--yeah, not a bad book at all.  I just wish she hadn't
self-destructed.
 
                                                              Mary
(who just got a copy of Midnight Days)
  

    

I'm not sure why I hadn't noticed this before, but I'm wondering if I have
forgotten something or if it's true.
In The Sandman, one thing that is interesting to notice is that the Endless
never call their sister by name unless talking to a mortal... and the only
time I remember that happening is when Morpheus punishes Alex and says,
"What? You wanted DEATH? Count yourself lucky that instead you got her
younger brother." Or something like that.

I used to run an AD&D game that incorporated the Endless. The party met
Destiny at one point. Right now there's an email conversation going on
among the players and I as we try to remember who, if anyone tried to poke
Destiny in the nose. This got me thinking.

Does anyone ever touch Destiny? Is physical contact ever made between
anyone and Destiny? The only things I can think of are in "Destiny- a
Chronicle of Deaths Foretold", and even there I'm not sure (I'll have to
reread). It is certainly possible that a member of the Endless could, if
desired, have a child without touching the mother. I'm trying to remember
if Destiny offers Ryder (was that his name?) a hand up at any point.
Of course, Ryder touches the book, briefly.

I can think of one instance that might count as physical contact with
Destiny- the creation of Eblis. I was surprised that he took part in the
crafting of the envoy. But then, in the aftermath of Dream's death, a lot
of the rules were broken- Death wearing red, for instance. 

Just thoughts, to distract me while I pretend to work...
  

    
everyone - thanks for the well wishes. Now that she's buried and I'm 
over the initial impact of it, everything's much better. 

Emily - Any name is fine. Some people even call me 'Bob'. Try
http://www.girlswithglasses.com/gallery/vision4/michelle/index.html

Not sure if any of the band photos are up there, and my hair's not
nearly as long any more... but if that picture is anywhere, it's at
that addy. (if not, email me and I can send you the photo - it's
*some*where on my hard drive...)

Neil - you're welcome. I'll update one of the links to go directly to
the cruise page in the next update. Cannot wait to read AG! The more I
hear, the more anxious I get. Also, "'I' before 'E', except after 'C'
and pronounced as 'A' as in 'neighbor' and 'weigh'". :) And is this a
good time to remind you that you said I could pick out a restaurant
when you're next in town on a signing?

-squeaks, who is mostly allergic to alcohol, but who will occasionally
risk discomfort for a good margarita (mmm... Porfidio)