A Couple of "Best Of" Encounters

Cindy and I decided to slide on over to our state capitol yesterday (Annapolis, for those of you outside the Kingdom of Maryland) and check out two of the places named "Best Of" in...oh, I don't know, some magazine we picked up somewhere....

The wings at Acme Bar & Grill on Main Street were quite good, certainly deserving of the "Best Wings in Annapolis" title. The wings come in fifteen flavors and are served regular, hot, extremely hot, and insane. I wimped out and ordered "hot" which had just a little kick to them. (Next time I'll punch it up a notch.) It's a tiny place that also features live music at night. In such a tight room, I hope it's two thin girls playing piccolo duets.

Just down the road, Storm Brothers Ice Cream was, I must admit, a bit of a let-down. There were plenty of flavors to choose from (I picked pralines and cream), and the prices weren't bad, but the ice cream didn't seem much better than what you could get anywhere else. Maybe I should go back and pick, say, seventeen or eighteen other flavors. To be fair, ya know.

Speaking of "Best of"s, in an effort to slowly turn Cindy into a spec fic fanatic, I twisted her arm to read two stories from Science Fiction - The Best of 2003: Jeffrey Ford's "The Empire of Ice Cream," which she enjoyed (despite our not-so-best-of ice cream experience of the day before), and "Only Partly Here" by Lucius Shepard, which she didn't care for. Oh well, Lucius is an acquired taste, I suppose. I'll bet Lucius would go for some insane wings...

The Scratching of the Head of Lot 49 (Spoilers)

I finished reading Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 a couple of days ago and it's fair to say I've been thinking about it ever since. It was my first encounter with Pynchon. I certainly don't plan to read his entire output (which is only seven books), but I'll probably read at least one more, maybe his new book.

So much has been written both about The Crying of Lot 49 and the elusive, ultra-private Pynchon* that I can only add my own stumbling thoughts.

This probably flies in the face of literary scholarship, but if The Crying of Lot 49 were a genre novel, I'd say it was a quest story. Oedipa travels to Southern California to settle the estate of her former boyfriend, meeting several trials, tribulations and dangers along the way. When she arrives, the purpose of the quest has changed – wildly – but her determination is unshaken. Maybe I'm just flat-out wrong, but I couldn't get the quest theme out of my mind. That way of looking at the novel didn't diminish it for me, however. Just the opposite.

The short novel (183 pages in my edition) is jam-packed with paranoia, conspiracy, sex, drugs, rock n roll, communication (and the lack of), entropy, scientific experimentation, deception, corporate greed, puns, psychology, underground networks, and enough cultural references to delight flower children of all ages. All of which is fascinating, but the first thing that struck me about the book is Oedipa's relationship with men.

All through the book, every man Oedipa encounters either disappoints, dupes or uses her in some way. In fact, the entire scheme beginning with the very first letter from her former lover Pierce might be an elaborate hoax. It seems that Pynchon's choice of a female protagonist constantly coming into contact with weak/powerless/deceitful men reaches far beyond any generic postmodern interpretation. She doesn't trust these men (I keep thinking of the multi-layered clothing in the strip game with Metzger), but time after time, she has no choice but to helplessly embrace the information given her by men. Is there no way out?

There's so much to be fascinated about in the novel. It's very possible that the whole journey is a monumental joke played on Oedipa, who – although distracted from her original purpose – is simply looking for answers.

Pynchon seems to be saying that there aren't any answers, that this whole existence is a joke, a universe without meaning. A funny joke, to be sure, at least as long as the quest is going on – depending on whom you ask. (Certainly not Oedipa.) The Crying of Lot 49 came out in 1966, a time ripe with conspiracy theories, paranoia and all the rest. I am interested in reading at least one more Pynchon novel to see if he still appears to embrace the same postmodern world-view posited here. But I have other questions as well.

No one knows whether Pynchon is a complete recluse or if he has personal relationships with people who don't know who he really is. I hope the latter, but from reading the novel, I suspect the former. What do you do with your life for forty years? Okay, write novels, but what else? Is paranoia a huge part of his life? Is personal communication with others something Pynchon feels is impossible? Pointless? Maybe he's playing the same joke on us that's been played on Oedipa. Or maybe he's the one sitting at the auction waiting for answers that will never come. Something to think about.

* "the man simply chooses not to be a public figure, an attitude that resonates on a frequency so out of phase with that of the prevailing culture that if Pynchon and Paris Hilton were ever to meet — the circumstances, I admit, are beyond imagining — the resulting matter/antimatter explosion would vaporize everything from here to Tau Ceti IV." – Arthur Salm in the San Diego Union-Tribune, February 8, 2004

M. Night Shyamalan's new film

They Only Come Out at M. Night (Spoilers)

After weeks of bemoaning the fact that we never see any movies in the theater anymore, Cindy and I decided to treat ourselves to the new M. Night Shyamalan film The Lady in the Water.

Cindy and I enjoyed Shyamalan's first three films*, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs, but were both hugely disappointed with The Village. But, we thought, everyone deserves a second chance.

You already know the plot (or if you don't, you can find it easily here), so let's talk about the topic I hear most people complaining about: Shyamalan's starring in his own film.

First of all, he's appeared in all of his films from The Sixth Sense on. (And I believe he appeared in Playing with Anger, but I haven't seen it.) Do moviegoers have a problem with a director appearing in his own films? If so, they should also have a problem with some of these people:

Charlie Chaplin
Orson Welles
Alfred Hitchcock
Woody Allen
Mel Brooks
John Huston
Roman Polanski
Clint Eastwood
Kevin Costner
Warren Beatty

And those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

It could be, however, that the problem lies in Shyamalan's character in the movie: a writer whose book will greatly influence not only a future world leader, but millions of people. Is Shyamalan for real? Does he really think so highly of himself that his films are going to change the world? Maybe he's got a bigger head than I thought. If that's the problem people have with his appearance in the film, I can certainly understand it.

If that weren't enough, Shyamalan attacks (literally) movie critics in general, killing one off in the film. Had Shyamalan not appeared in the film (or maybe if it had been a cameo appearance), this jab at his critics would be funny, even a bit charming. But the best way to silence your critics is easy: make a good movie.

Has he done that? The Lady in the Water has a lot of problems and weaknesses, but for me, it still qualifies as a good movie. Sure, the movie's got problems: stereotypical characters, inconsistency in story and character, and the film requires a constant (and very unsteady) suspension of disbelief. There really aren't many surprises here. If you've seen even one of Shyamalan's films, you'll probably have a good idea what to expect. You might even be bored.

Yet in spite of everything I've mentioned, I enjoyed the film.

What?

Yes, I enjoyed it. One of the reasons the film works for me is Shyamalan's obvious passion for the story. Yeah, it's got problems, but he believes in it. He wants you to walk out of the theatre feeling something. Remember how you felt after you saw The Sixth Sense? Probably because you cared about the characters. Shyamalan makes you care about Cleveland Heep (and so does Paul Giamatti in a very good performance), even if you could care less about Story (Bryce Dallas Howard).

And it's entertaining, despite the flaws. Maybe Shyamalan's passion was enough to override all my reasons why the movie shouldn't work.

We might find fault with the film, we might dismiss it by saying "It's just a fairy tale, it's just a bedtime story," but when it's all over, Shyamalan does something that not many filmmakers know how to do anymore: entertain us and more importantly, give us hope.

*Actually he directed two films before these, Playing with Anger (1992) and Wide Awake (1998).

Word Explosion/New Stuff to Watch

Yesterday was one of those rare days that I didn't write anything - I was just too busy. But when I woke up this morning, it was like words were pouring out of me. I sat down and wrote 1600 words non-stop, finishing my new story (Well, a first draft of it anyway) at 6,500 words. Don't know why, but sometimes it happens that way. It's better not to question these things...

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My good friend Kelly has several great posts about upcoming films and books on his blog. I can always count on Kelly to recommend good stuff to read and watch. It seems we're often on the same wavelength. A few weeks ago, he recommended the series Carnivale to me, so I had NetFlix send Season One, Disc One.

I have to admit, the first episode was interesting, but didn't really have me doing backflips. But then I watched the second episode and that sucker really kicked the doors in! Now I'm hooked. (The worst thing about the DVDs - there's only two episodes per disc.) If you haven't seen it, Carnivale is about a traveling carnival in 1934 and the strange young man who joins them after the death of his mother, but that only scratches the surface. It's sort of a cross between The Grapes of Wrath and David Lynch. Somewhat unconventional storytelling, but very effective. I highly ditto Kelly's recommendation. Check it out.

Word Count/Get In, Get Out/Mix It Up

The last few days have been fairly productive. I wrote about 1500 words yesterday on a new "short" story and added about 750 words this morning. It's still early in the revision process of my YA novel (Chapter Three of twenty), but it's going well - can't complain.

After experimenting with my schedule, mornings seem to be the best time to work on new stuff. I'm one of those weird people that really doesn't mind getting up early, as long as I've gotten around six hours of sleep. (And as long as there's coffee.) Lately I've been getting up around 5:30, having breakfast/reading, then starting to write about 6:00, usually for a couple of hours. Again, new stuff first, then revising if I have time, using the evenings if I don't.

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Watched a French film (via Netflix) this weekend called Cache (Hidden). I liked it quite a bit, but Cindy didn't care for it. In the extras, director Michael Haneke talked about getting in and out of scenes. He likes to skip all (or most of) the introductory elements that usually begin scenes, the "Hello, how are you" elements, getting to the meat of each scene. Once you're in the scene, let the scene do what it needs to do and get out quickly. Move in quickly, move out quickly.

(The odd thing is that Haneke, due to the subject of the film, breaks his own rule, but he has a good reason. In the very first scene, it seems absolutely nothing happens. Just keep watching. The anthesis of the "Get In, Get Out" rule provides an interesting contrast.)

I haven't seen any of Haneke's other films, but the technique works very well in Cache*. There's a definite difference in telling a story in a visual medium like film and telling one in prose, but I understand what Haneke is saying. I'm sure there's a way I can trim down the unnecessary and mundane in my own work and I'm certainly going to look for ways to do it. I think part of that is realizing that your reading audience is smart. (Not that your film audience isn't.) You give them credit for knowing what's going on without spelling it out for them, but scenes have to have a logical progression, even if they're not linear, even if you have to read it a couple (or more) times. What's there has to work, it has to be comprehensible. Anyway, Haneke's comment is making me analyze my own writing to a greater degree, which is always a good thing.

Maybe one day I'll talk a little bit (or invite you to do so) about the similarities and differences of the process of developing works in the arts. It's something I think about quite a bit, having spent many years in the music world and now kicking around in the writing world. Like the cute little overlapping circles in your first algebra book, the arts have lots of things in common and it can be interesting to look at those similarities. And you never know when you'll find something you can use.

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* I'm not going to tell you anything about the plot and I encourage you not to read about it. I will say that I was on the edge of my seat for two hours and I think you will be too.

Today's Short Story = "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad" - M.R. James

A Few Thoughts on Horror

I consider myself very much a horror neophyte. Up until about a year ago, I read very little from the genre, but after being introduced to several writers, novels and stories, horror has taken up a good chunk of my reading. During the past year, I was delighted to discover two reference books edited by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman: Horror: 100 Best Books (1988) and Horror: Another 100 Best Books (2005).

Horror: 100 Best Books (hereafter referred to as 100) contains essays by authors and professionals in the field, citing their choices for the genre's best offerings. The book moves in chronological publication order, starting with Christopher Marloe's The Tragical History of Dr Faustus (ca. 1592) and ending with Ramsey Campbell's Dark Feasts (1987). Each entry provides a summary of the book and other interesting information, including whether (or how many times) the work has been adapted to film (and how successfully), after which follows the contributor's essay.

The majority of the essays offer insights into what makes the work classifiable as horror, sometimes surprisingly so. (Can you really consider Northanger Abbey a horror novel?) Most of the essays are quite good, disappointing only when the writer takes a trip down nostalgia lane ("I remember this story scaring the pee out of me...I was just a little tot when my mom gave me this novel, hoping to keep me off the streets" etc.), practically ignoring the attributes of the work at hand. But for the most part, readers will get a good glimpse into what the book is about and whether they should seek it out.

A word of warning: Some contributors give away too much. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive Malcolm Edwards for ruining the ending of Iain Banks' The Wasp Factory in 100.

With 100, the essayist's name isn't given until the end, which may not come for two or three pages. At first I was a little miffed at the practice of omitting the contributor's identity until the end, but it's probably a good idea. After all, if you're a writer, you might be negatively influenced by seeing Joe Schmoe's name at the top of the essay – the same Joe Schmoe who has rejected all 47 of your "Stinky the Vampire Boy" stories for his magazine.

My copy is a revised 1998 edition with a List of Recommended Reading in the back, followed by notes on the contributors.

With Another 100, you get the same basic format, except the contributor's name is placed before the book selected, (i.e. "Robert Silverberg on 'The Revenger's Tragedy' by Cyril Tourneur") with the contributor's biographical info immediately following the essay. The writing is generally very good and the excursions seem more limited than in 100. The List of Recommended Reading returns in Another 100, but also included is a Selected Webliography devoted to authors, contributors and titles.

One infuriating aspect of both books (which is no fault of the book or its editors) lies in the availability of the works chosen. Most of the newer books (and even some older titles in reprints) are readily available, but several of the selections were either published in limited editions or by a small press with low print runs (Jumbee and Other Uncanny Tales by Henry S. Whitehead an example of the former, Manly Wade Wellman's Worse Things Waiting the latter) or are simply too expensive. (The lowest priced edition of Michael Marshall Smith's More Tomorrow and Other Stories on Amazon.com is an ex-library edition going for $99.91. Bob Leman's 2003 book Feesters in the Lake will run you $127.25.) Still, reading copies of many of the 200 titles can be purchased on the cheap.

I noticed that several of the books in 100's Recommended Reading appendix were chosen for essay status in Another 100. I suppose you could look at that in a couple of ways. The obvious choices for the first book (Frankenstein, Dracula, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, etc.) open up the door for some overlooked titles to appear in Another 100. But does that mean lesser works might be considered for future volumes? I don't think so. It certainly seems obvious to me, pretty much a rank beginner, that the genre has more than adequate depth and richness for future volumes.

I was talking to my friend Kelly about the possibility and frequency of future volumes. Another 100 was published seventeen years after 100. I hope the interval between Another 100 and Yet Another 100 (or whatever Jones/Newman choose to call it) will be less than seventeen years. I'd love to see a volume every ten years and I think (and hope) that that is workable. In the meantime, we have summations of each year from Ellen Datlow and Stephen Jones (The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, respectively), as well as others.

In the meantime, you've got 200 books to get through.

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Today's Short Story = "The Rapid Advance of Sorrow" by Theodora Goss from In the Forest of Forgetting

Closer to a Million

Someone - I want to say it was Ray Bradbury - once said that in order to become a good writer, you have to pay your dues with about a million or so words. It's a pretty famous statement and lately I've seen other people blog about their own numbers. I figure I've still got quite a bit of work to do. A rough estimate of everything I've written the past few years comes to about 300,000 words, which is not very much. (This doesn't count my books of notes - freewrites, ideas and sketches, about seven or eight full notebooks.) I have written two novels, one a 60K YA novel (now revising), but most of my short stories are 5,000 words or less.

So no matter how you slice it, I've still got some dues to pay, which is fine. Part of the fun of the whole thing for me is the process of discovery, of taking risks, pushing yourself, challenging yourself. And seeking/embracing those voices of encouragement.

While looking for the million word quote in Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing, I came across several other quotes:

"For the first thing a writer should be is - excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiamsms. Without such vigor, he might as well be out picking peaches or digging ditches..."

"Who are your friends? Do they believe in you? Or do they stunt your growth with ridicule and disbelief? If the latter, you haven't friends. Go find some."

"...my stories have led me through my life. They shout, I follow."

"Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art, be it acting, writing, painting, or living itself, which is the greatest art of all."

Bradbury also got into the habit of writing and sending out a short story each week. He did this for ten years. (Even if he took two-week vacations, 500 stories in ten years ain't too bad.) I think Jay Lake has been following this method for several years as well.

There's a lot packed into these 158 pages. It's been a couple of years since I read the book; maybe I'll read it again this week.

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600 words this morning on a new horror story.

Today's Short Story = "Lost Hearts" - M.R. James from Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

My niece Sarah's baptism was Saturday. Later that afternoon I read to her from F&SF and as you can see, she insisted on devouring the magazine. Girl's off to a good start.

Just arrived!

Received my copy of the new Theodora Goss collection, In the Forest of Forgetting, a release I've been looking forward to for quite some time.

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Finished Peter Straub's lost boy lost girl last night. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Straub uses several POVs and takes a non-linear approach which is perfect for this tale. Obviously written with many layers in mind, this is a book I'll want to read again before the year's out. Highly recommended - Definitely good enough to buy.

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Nearly finished with the first draft of a new horror story involving a motel, a corpse and a guy named Fred. Something for everyone.

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Saw a sign in a convenience store the other day: Open 25 Hours. It sure didn't look like Bixby, Oklahoma....

Today's Short Story = "Small Magic" - Jay Lake from the June Weird Tales

Our first stop...

...was here.

Maid of the Mist boat ride - a must!

...

Just before The Maid of the Mist boat ride. (We're still dry.)

Vacation!

Cindy and I had an absolutely wonderful time at Niagara Falls, a trip I highly recommend. The trip took about twelve hours on the way up, but we stopped quite a bit. One of those stops was at the Yuengling Brewery (America's oldest existing brewery) in Pottsville, PA, where of course, had a few samples. (It would be un-American not to.)

We stayed on the Canadian side of the Falls for most of the trip, with one day on the American side. Our very first stop was for breakfast. There was only one choice: The Flying Saucer Restaurant, where I had the E.T. Special – three eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, toast and pancakes. (E.T. wasn't too slim, if you recall.)

For the first two days, Cindy and I checked out most of the touristy stuff on the Canadian side: The Journey Behind the Falls is okay – you travel down an elevator to tunnels that let you see a fair amount of the falls and feel some of the mist. You don't really get that close to the water, but the sound of it from the tunnels is pretty impressive. Go on this first – you'll be disappointed if you do anything else before The Journey.

The Skylon Tower elevator ride gives you a great overhead view of the Falls. Highly recommended, unless you're afraid of heights (which I am – but I still enjoyed it).

You'll have to go to the American side for the Cave of the Winds tour, and you should. You'll get drenched, but it's worth it. (For this, the Journey, and The Maid of the Mist, you'll receive a poncho, but don't count on it to help much on the Cave tour.) The Cave of the Winds is as close as you can get to experiencing the Falls without diving in.

You can take the Maid of the Mist boat ride from either the American or Canadian side. (We took the American side since the line was much shorter.) Highly recommended.

There's tons of other stuff, but if you've read this far, you're either already interested in going yourself or bored stiff. Anyway, we had a great time. (Pictures to follow, if I can get Blogger to cooperate.)

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Reading material for the trip? Since my XM Radio wouldn't work in Cindy's car, we thought we'd read to each other during the drive. We made it most of the way through Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia), one of the few books we could agree on. I read about half of Horror: 100 Best Books and the first hundred pages of lost boy lost girl by Peter Straub which is so far excellent. Magazines? Nada.

Just finished

Dad's Birthday/The Book Thief/Vacation

First of all, a Happy Birthday to my dad who turns 77 today! His secrets to good health: lots of fresh air, working in the garden, catfish from his own pond, and daily meetings with his buddies at the coffee shop. Happy Birthday, Dad!

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I finished The Book Thief last night. This is one of those YA titles that appeals to both kids and adults. It's also a book that's received a lot of media attention (or hype, if you will). The novel is by Marcus Zusak, a 30-year-old Australian writer, and regardless of what you hear, this is not his first novel. Apparently the book was first marketed in Australia as adult fiction, but in the U.S., it's being marketed and sold as a YA.

The story takes place in Nazi Germany. After the death of her young brother, nine-year-old Liesel Meminger has been sent by her mother to live in a foster home in a small town near Munich. As you might expect, Liesel has trouble adjusting to her new foster parents, new friends, and the memories of the family that has been taken away from her. Liesel quickly develops friendships with three very different people: her foster father Hans, a young Jewish man hiding out in their basement, and a boy named Rudy who idolizes Jesse Owens.

Although Liesel and Rudy are a part of Hitler Youth, they both rebel against Hitler's authority – Rudy by acts of childish defiance and food theft, Liesel by stealing books. Of course there's much more to The Book Thief than stealing books: subplots abound dealing with war, death, loyalty, family, love, fear - all of which readers have seen before. But what makes Zusak's novel unique is its narrator: Death.

The use of Death as a narrator produces some of the book's strongest and weakest elements. Death's point-of-view helps Zusak to write with remarkable restraint, avoiding scenes that would typically come across as heavy-handed and sentimental. While it knows what's going to happen to each character (and when), there are many things Death doesn't understand about humans. It attempts to relate human emotions to the colors of the weather, which is effective, if somewhat overdone.

Death also has a tendency (not unlike the Lemony Snicket books) to frequently interrupt the story with word definitions and asides in bold type, leaving no doubt that this is a YA story in which readers should have things spelled out for them. Also much of the book is written in short, sparse sentences, which, when added to the narrator's many excursions, tends to deprive the novel of another level of depth that it should have had. Possibly I'm being too picky. The novel works quite well and is frequently gripping, but I think it could have been superb.

It seems that many readers are ready to immediately elevate The Book Thief onto a list of classic children's/YA literature. I'm not sure I'm ready to praise the novel that highly, but I did enjoy it and have no reservations about recommending it. Good enough to buy.

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Cindy and I will be on vacation for the next several days, so everyone have a great 4th and beyond!

Choices

I spend far too much time dwelling on what most would call "trivial" issues, such as what books to bring on our upcoming vacation to Niagara Falls. Clarion bud Trent had similar issues awhile back and now the shoe is on the other foot. (Literally. As you can see, packing is not going too well.)

As I mentioned to Mr. H, I usually take a novel, a non-fiction and a magazine. Even with those limited categories, I'm having trouble deciding:

Fiction choices:

The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon
lost boy lost girl - Peter Straub
They Thirst - Robert R. McCammon
American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis
Perfect Circle - Sean Stewart
The Night Class - Tom Piccirilli
The Basic Kafka - Franz Kafka (Okay, so it's not a novel...)
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary - M.R. James (Yeah, yeah, not a novel either...)

Non-Fiction choices:

Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets - David Simon
Horror: 100 Best Books - Stephen Jones, Kim Newman, eds.

Magazines:

July Asimov's (one story read)
July F&SF (three stories read)
June Weird Tales (one story read)

There it is. Gotta decide soon. Vote early, vote often.

Now Playing = "Arch's Nutty Variation" from Endangered Species - David Schumacher (XM)

Sucker

Every now and then I'll find out about a contest that I should by all rational thought processes not enter. But I usually do anyway. Here's one I saw about a week ago: ChiZine is holding a contest for a publication called ChiZine: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words. Man, just look at the panel of judges: Ellen Datlow, Neil Gaiman, Jay Lake, Brian Hodge and more. I must be crazy for entering this contest...

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Rejection today from Talebones for "Results May Vary." Sometimes once a story has been bounced around a few times, it's time to let it breathe its last. But I still believe in this one. On to the next place.

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Found this bit of writing advice from Mary Doria Russell on Marjorie M. Liu's blog.

Episode 44 - Modern Times

I heard this on XM Radio the other day and am just now seeing the story from The Washington Post. Dylan's new album, Modern Times, will be released August 29.

Now Playing = "Velvet Handcuffs" from Sonic Trance by Nicholas Payton (XM)

Over the weekend, I read a story by Steve Rasnic Tem called "The Company You Keep" from last year's anthology Outsiders. It's the only one of Tem's stories I've read, but I won't be able to say that for much longer. The writing is very clear, very restrained, yet full of stunning images that match perfectly the story's ponderings on alienation and culture. Great story, great writing. If this is representative of all of Tem's work, why isn't he talked about more?

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Sometimes writing a new story is like driving a car on an abandoned highway. (Certainly a dream around the Baltimore/DC area.) You want to go faster and faster and think about putting on the brakes at some point, but you really shouldn't. This story is taking me to places I'm not comfortable being, but I can't put on the brakes - I've got to go there for the truth of the story to come out. I think my best stories have come from facing the darkness (or danger or whatever) head-on. Who knows what I'll find?

Now Reading = A Drink Before the War - Dennis Lehane
Listening to in the Car = Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
In the DVD Player = Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season One

Are you ready?

Six Incredible Weeks

Just a quick shout of encouragement to everyone who will be attending Clarion East (or West) this summer. Most people will probably arrive in East Lansing today. Ah, that first critique session is just hours away.... Best of luck to all. Savor the experience - it'll be over before you know it, but the friendships will go on. Enjoy.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CINDY!!!

Run to those Dylan tunes!

Now enjoying

Today's Events

I'm extremely proud of my wife Cindy for running in the Odenton Kiwanis MARC Train 5-Miler today. Six years ago when she started getting ready for Navy boot camp, she couldn't run very far. "I hate this! Hate it!" she'd say. Now she's finished a 5-miler. Again, I'm very proud of her. (Plus her birthday is tomorrow.)

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One of my Clarion stories "Uncle Snuffy on Doomsday" got a close call from a market today, but ended up in the rejection pile. This particular editor said the story "was a lot of fun" and "I love the concept and the characters," but apparently it wasn't enough. Onward -

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Wow, if you love great speculative book and magazine covers, you simply must check out Cover Story : The Art of John Picacio. What a gorgeous book. Picacio is simply one of the most stunning illustrators working today. Plus he's a super nice guy. This is a must-have.

Now Playing

Progress Report

My short story "The Black" returned yesterday from its first stop on the Tour of Markets, getting rejected by F&SF. So, I'll ship him off somewhere else this afternoon.

Revisions continue on my YA novel currently titled Fortress. (You'd think a better title would come to mind, but so far that's it.) In the meantime, I finished the first draft of a new story early this morning. I have the terrible, awful, gut-wrenching fear that it also wants to become a novel. (Man, I hate it when that happens.) The story is 6500 words long (which is a pretty good chunk for me) and it feels like I have much more to tell in it. Man...

Today's Short Story = "The Owl" - Conrad Williams from TYBF&H 18
Now Reading = Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews, Jonathan Cott, ed.
...plus about six other books...

Now Playing = "City of Brass" - Chick Corea (XM)

A fairly uneventful weekend, which is just fine with me. Started a new story tonight and am about to continue revising my YA novel. It's going to be a long process, but so far, so good.

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Cindy and I watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night, which was not very good. Visually it wasn't bad, but the storytelling was lousy. Not recommended.

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I've known about it for awhile, but I just started cataloging a few books on LibraryThing, stuff I've read lately or am currently reading. Cindy took one look at my catalog and gave me her best "You've GOT to be kidding" look. She thinks I'm the biggest geek on the planet. She might have something there...

Today's Short Story = "Tales from the City of Seams" - Greg van Eekhout from TYBFAH 18

Help Me Rhonda

How Much Should We Pay? or Ratio of Cost to Time

I was in the Annapolis Record & Tape Traders store yesterday, one of my favorite stores. I had a bunch of CDs and DVDs (several from garage sales) that I wanted to trade for credit. R&T is great - they rarely refuse anything I bring in and they always have great stuff (new and used) to choose from. Yesterday was no exception.

One of the CDs I picked up was the new Rhonda Vincent disc All American Bluegrass Girl, which, despite what you might think of the cover, is a disc of mostly traditional bluegrass tunes. I've only listened to it once so far, but it's pretty good. The biggest disappointment is the playing time = 39:45.

I'm sorry, in this day and time, nobody should release a disc that's less than 45 minutes long. With few exceptions, I'd rather see an artist release discs less frequently with more time on them. At least you'd feel like you're getting your money's worth. (But I can't really complain, since this one didn't really cost me anything.)

I've always wished the price of the disc reflected the playing time of the disc. A CD with 78 minutes of music shouldn't cost the same as one with 30 minutes. I remember when the Stand By Me soundtrack came out. A friend of mine bought it and was enraged that it was less than 25 minutes long. And he probably paid $15.95 for it. (It's still under 25 minutes long. Amazon sells it new for $10.98.)

Changing the subject slightly, if you haven't heard, the music industry (as far as CD sales go) is in big trouble. People are downloading and burning discs from their friends like crazy and disc sales are tanking. If you haven't already, you'll start seeing discounts all over the place, especially at Amazon. But most of those are the mass-produced older releases by big name acts. If it's a popular artist you're really into, you're probably going to be in luck. But if you're looking for an indie or something really out there, it's unlikely you'll see any discounts.

But the music industry (like the movie industry...another topic for another time) still doesn't get it. Prices are still too high. Had I not traded for the Rhonda Vincent disc, I would have paid $13.99. That's $1.16 per song. I could go to iTunes and get each song for 99 cents (which isn't much better) or download the whole album for $9.99. A few weeks ago Cindy was looking for a certain classical CD. Amazon had it for $17.95, but she got it from iTunes for $9.99.

I don't know if it's just a matter of time before CDs become obsolete, but the record companies don't seem to be doing much to slow down the inevitable.

New Story/The 70's Reconsidered

Finished writing the first draft of "The Black," which is now in the hands of my first reader (Cindy). I also started revisions of the YA novel I finished a few months back. Lots to do.

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XM Radio sure is great, but I'm encountering some painful reminders that maybe all the music from the 70's wasn't so great. In the span of just an hour or two, I encountered England Dan & John Ford Coley, Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods and the dreaded "Convoy" by C.W. McCall. I wonder if we have any Pepto in the house...

Now Playing = "Kodachrome" - Paul Simon

I've been really frustrated with my writing the past few days, but reading Glen Hirshberg's blog this weekend really brought the problem into focus. It's about the work, nothing else and I hadn't been focusing on that. I did this weekend and it's really made a difference. Thanks, Glen, for sharing your insights and giving me a gentle kick in the pants.

Having said that, the story I've been working on called "The Black" is really starting to come into focus. It's really hard to compare every aspect of writing to my former life of teaching music, but sometimes the similarities are unavoidable. Some of the best times I had as a teacher occurred when the kids in the band grabbed onto what I was saying and immediately understood that "Hey, I actually understand how to listen/balance/tune (or whatever) across the band. Now I understand what to do." Sometimes, in spite of myself, it happens to me too.

Now Playing = "Tomorrow Night" – Carl Smith – XM Radio – Traditional Country
Listening to in the Car – Cold Hit – Stephen J. Cannell
Today's Short Story = Clownette – Terry Dowling from The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 18
Reading = His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

The Theme Time Radio Hour 

A Review of The Theme Time Radio Hour, hosted by Bob Dylan

The Theme Time Radio Hour, hosted by Bob Dylan

Broadcast 6/7/06 – This Week's Theme: Jail

Anyone who's read his interviews (or his autobiography Chronicles, Vol. 1) knows that radio was a huge influence on Dylan as a youngster, so it's really not too surprising that Bob would end up hosting a weekly radio show for XM Radio. And like Chronicles, the show is surprisingly good.

You could call them introductions, you could call them mini-commentaries, but Dylan has something of interest to say about each song. With more familiar songs, such as Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," he might relate a bit of trivia. (Merle Haggard was an inmate in the audience during the live recording of the song.) To introduce a more obscure tune, he might tell you a bit about the artist, like Warren Storm – the Godfather of Swamp-Pop Music. (I kid you not.)

The credits at the end of the show name researchers, but having read Chronicles and the liner notes to the Dylan album World Gone Wrong, I wonder how much of the info Dylan relates comes straight from his own knowledge. My guess is quite a bit.

The delivery is often whimsical, playful, tongue-in-cheek; you can tell Dylan is having a great time. And you can't help but grin at his corny jokes ("Life in prison: here today...here tomorrow.") and goofy rhymes. Even in the XM ads that run throughout the week, Dylan ends his spiel with "The Theme Time Radio Hour, the best hour in American broadcasting." You can almost feel your pants leg being pulled.

All of Dylan's antics are great fun, but the highlight is the music itself. Sure, some of the tunes you've heard millions of times before ("Back On the Chain Gang," "Folsom Prison Blues"), but where else are you going to hear Bessie Smith's stunning "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" or "Prison Wall Blues" by Cannon's Jug Stompers? Some of the songs are no doubt meant to be funny, but even Andre Williams' "Jail Bait" throws a bit of merciless truth in your face. More importantly, Dylan introduces his audience to singers and bands that many listeners have probably never heard of, possibly bringing new fans to acts that have been gone for generations.

So there's Dylan, spinning tunes, spinning tales and having a great time...and maybe showing us a little bit of himself. What could be better than that?

Set List

Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
21 Days in Jail – Magic Sam
Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair – Bessie Smith
Prisoner's Song – Warren Storm
Back on the Chain Gang – Pretenders
Jail Bait – Andre Williams
Prison Wall Blues – Cannon's Jug Stompers
Columbus Stockade Blues – Kenny Layne and His Bull Dogs
Nine Pound Steel – Joe Simon
Okie's in the Pokie – Jimmy Patton
Christmas in Prison – John Prine
In the Jailhouse Now – Sir Douglas Quintet
Jail Bird Love Song – Mississippi Sheiks
Riot in Cell Block #9 – Wanda Jackson
Sing Me Back Home – Merle Haggard
The Last Meal – Hurricane Harry

Now Reading 

All Kinds of Fun Stuff

I'm really enjoying my new XM Radio - a great gift from the family. Thanks! I'm eagerly awaiting Bob Dylan's radio show, which will be on in about an hour. This week's topic: songs about jail.

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You can find some great stuff on the web by Clarion buddies Nicole Kimberling, Tenea Johnson and John Schoffstall.

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Just started reading Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon, which so far is delightful.

A new collection from Glen Hirshberg coming soon. 

Reasons to Celebrate

I just read the news on Jeff Ford's blog that Glen Hirshberg's new collection American Morons will be coming out later this year. (Amazon has the date as October 1.)

In the meantime, if you haven't read Hirshberg's first collection, The Two Sams, I highly recommend it.

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I walked into Gold's Gym last night and saw a notice that the contest winners could now pick up their prize money. Whoooot! I didn't get my hopes up that the check would even cover a dinner at Popeye's, so I wasn't too disappointed to find that each winner (There were 66 of us.) received $38.63. So subtracting the entry fee, I earned $13.63 - the hardest $13.63 I ever earned. But it was fun and I'm 12 pounds lighter and feel great.

Today's Short Story = "Hunting Meth Zombies in the Great Nebraskan Wasteland" - John Farris from The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 18.

I went to a moving sale yesterday and found a kindred spirit. Sort of.

These two women were selling an entire household of stuff (including the house) that belonged to their mother, who is now in a nursing home. The ladies had placed an ad in the paper, part of which read "hundreds of books," so of course, I was there.

The ad was wrong. There were thousands.

I got there early as the ladies were setting up some things outside. I mentioned that I was interested in the books, and as soon as the B-word came out of my mouth, they each grabbed an arm and led me inside.

"What category would you like?" they said, their eyes lit up.

"Science fiction, fantasy, horror...but I'll look at anything."

They led me to a room, three sides of which were filled from floor to ceiling with books, at least half of them sf/f/h. As you might imagine, it was all older stuff, several book club editions, but still some good stuff. I didn't really find much collectible stuff (other than a first edition of Watership Down), but still some nice reading:

Best Ghost Stories of J.S. LeFanu
Collected Ghost Stories of Oliver Onions
Tales of the Uncanny and Supernatural – Algernon Blackwood
Tales of the Mysterious and Macabre – Algernon Blackwood
Lilith – George MacDonald
Over the Hills and Far Away – Lord Dunsany
Poseidonis – Tales of Lost Atlantis – Clark Ashton Smith
Gather, Darkness! – Fritz Leiber
The Best of Cordwainer Smith
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream – Harlan Ellison

and much more, including some books on sf criticism.

I picked up a few more books, mostly non-fiction. This woman had any category you could name: history, classics, theology, science, anthropology, women's studies, language, reference, costume, theater, music, crafts, archaeology...it just went on and on.

The ladies told me that what I'd seen was about a third of what their mother had. The rest would be appraised and sold at their next sale in six months. I gave them my card and told them to please give me a call and they said they would.

I drove away thinking that this woman, now in a nursing home, must be a pretty amazing person. I instantly regretted not having met her. I'll bet she's got some amazing stories herself.

Now Playing = Beatles 65
Listening to in the Car = The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) – Jonathan Stroud
Today's Short Story = "Speir-Bhan" – Tanith Lee from The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 18

Wheels

I hate to even contemplate it, but it's getting close to that time again...

My Saturn will turn 10 in about six months, so I really should start looking for something new. It's still hanging in there, but for the past year, I've had several substantial ($500+) repairs that have hammered into the ever-shrinking Wolverton Retirement and Island Cruise Fund. And I think the AC is starting to go. Worse than that, the CD player's on the fritz.

I really hate to think about getting a new car/vehicle/whatever. In nearly 30 years of driving, I've only had four cars:

1977 Mercury Monarch - 8 years
1985 Subaru (Can't remember the model...That tells you something) - 4 years
1988 Toyota Celica - 11 years
1997 Saturn SL-1 - 6 years

When Cindy and I married she had an old, barely running Dodge Colt that broke down just about every week. The car was disaffectionately referred to by me as The Clot. One day while we were driving to Fort Worth, The Clot breathed its last just as we were pulling onto the highway. That was far from the first straw, but it was certainly the last. "I'm getting you a new car tomorrow," I told Cindy and that's just what I did. I think she's been eagerly waiting to return the favor, so I should have something in mind before the Saturn decides to shut down.

I'm not picky...at least not too picky. I don't really need an SUV or a truck. I'd like to stick with a four-door, something Bullet can ride in. I need good mileage. (Don't we all?) I've been getting 32 MPG on the highway. I'd love to keep it around there. Just give me a good AC, a CD player, XM Radio, and I'm set. (I know, I don't ask for much.) All recommendations will be considered.

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On a sadder note, another used book store is being sold. Deja Vu Books in Bowie, MD, one of my favorite stores, is for sale. Hopefully the new owner will keep it a bookstore - this area has already lost a couple of nice ones lately.

F&SF June Issue

If you've read the issue, go over to The Slush God's site and vote for your favorite story. Here are the stories ranked according to my level of enjoyment:

1. "Hallucigenia" - Laird Barron
2. "Counterfactual" - Gardner Dozois
3. "The Protectors of Zendor" - John Morressy
4. "Why the Aliens Did What They Did to That Suburb of Madison, Wisconsin" - Tim McDaniel
5. "Terms of Engagement" - C.S. Friedman
6. "Animal Magnetism" - Albert E. Cowdrey

Now Playing = The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
Just Finished Reading = The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1: The Field Guide - Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi
Today's Short Story - "The Protectors of Zendor" - John Morressy

Just What I Needed Part II

I hate it when this happens.

I'm working on a short story, everything's going just fine, flowing smoothly when I hear a little voice. Fred.

"You know, this needs a little more description."

Okay. More description. Okay.

"Yeah, that's it. That scene is nice. But readers need to know why the woman has that particular wallpaper in that particular room."

No they don't! It's just wallpaper!

"There's a reason it's there...."

It's not important.

"It could be...."

All right, all right. Let's explore the wallpaper. A little! I'll give you fifty words.

"How 'bout 100? You could really make it happen with a hundred..."

And it keeps going just like that. One thing leads to another and I've got a 5,000 word story that's just begging to grow bigger and bigger. I hate it when that happens. Fred....


Now Playing = Barricades & Brickwalls - Kasey Chambers
Now Reading (almost finished) = The Keys to the Kingdom Book I: Mister Monday – Garth Nix
Listening to in the Car = 1776 – David McCullough
Today's Short Story = "Mr Justice Delany" – John Morrow from Shadows and Silence, edited by Barbara Roden and Christopher Roden

10 Years Together 

10 Years

Cindy and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary today. When I look back at how much we've been through, it's pretty amazing that she's put up with all of my antics for an entire decade. She's been amazing thorough it all - graduate school, long hours (and weekends) of being a Texas band director, changing jobs many times, writing, Clarion, all my junk (literal and figurative), and so much more. She's a saint. If you've ever read Proverbs 31, that's her. I want to thank her for these ten wonderful years and tell her that she's come this far, she might as well stick around.

Victory!

The 10-Pound contest is over and I made it! I went from 180.6 pounds to yesterday's weigh-in of 168. Wooooooooooooo!

For those of you who haven't kept up with this nail-biting story, Gold's Gym held a contest several weeks ago: Pay $25, lose ten pounds, and split the total prize money with everyone who meets their ten-pound goal. I know at least 120 people signed up. I figure at least 10% (probably a lot more) of the people gave up early. At least another 10% lost a few pounds, but didn't make it to ten. I'm guessing that maybe half the people met their goal, in which case we all get $50. Whatever we get, I'm twelve pounds lighter, in better shape than I've been in 20 years and feel great.

Cindy and I celebrated by going to Hunan Rose, where I reveled in a huge plate of Hunan fried rice. Mmmmmm......

Afterward we found that there was a Scholastic Book Fair just a few miles down the road. (They have a warehouse in Odenton that I didn't even know about.) Scholastic was selling books for half-price, so I picked up a few:

Coraline – Neil Gaiman
The Game of Sunken Places – M.T. Anderson
The Keys to the Kingdom Book I: Mister Monday – Garth Nix

Plus I sent two stories out yesterday. Not bad for a Wednesday.

Now Playing = Chaos and Creation in the Backyard – Paul McCartney
Now Reading = The Keys to the Kingdom Book I: Mister Monday – Garth Nix
Today's Short Story = "The Weight of Words" – Jeffrey Ford from The Empire of Ice Cream

Happy Birthday, Bob! 

A Quick Shout at Bob

Believe it or not, Bob Dylan turns 65 today. That's right, 65, the age most people retire, but not Dylan. This is probably the busiest he's been in at least a couple of decades: he still tours (almost non-stop), he hosts a radio show on XM Radio, and his supposedly has a new album coming out later this year.

I didn't really start digging Dylan until the mid-80's, even though my good friend Joe Clarke gave me the double album Blonde on Blonde around 1978 or so. I don't know why, but one day in 1985 I was in the Music Emporium in Meridian, MS (across the street from Meridian High School, for those who remember) and decided I had to have the 3-disc Biograph. I talked the owner down from $50 to $35 and have been listening to it ever since.

I saw Dylan for the first time in 1988 in Memphis at Mud Island. I was way, way back and this nice lady told me I could borrow her binoculars for a few minutes and that was my first glimpse of Bob. I saw him again in Jackson, MS in 1992 (I believe) and on the Gulf Coast in 1995 - thanks to a friend of mine who won two second-row tickets by calling in to the radio station and singing the chorus to "Like a Rolling Stone." (Thanks, Leah B.) Once I moved to Maryland, I saw him at the MCI Center in DC in 2002 and then last summer on the "Baseball" tour at the Bowie Baysox Stadium. Each time has been great. You'd think the crowds would diminish for someone who's been around so long, but they keep coming. Most of the times I've seen him, it's been a full house or close to it.

When I saw him at the MCI Center, he performed an encore (I believe it was "Like a Rolling Stone," but I'd have to look it up) to a packed floor. When he finished, the place was going crazy and Dylan just stood there with an amazed expression on his face, kind of a Sally Field "They like me...they really like me...STILL!" look.

I could go on about Dylan, but I'll stop here and celebrate the man's birthday. Maybe blow a few notes on the harmonica. Maybe go get some white poster boards and a black marker and a video camera. Maybe call up Joan Baez.

Now Playing = The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Garage Sales

I love garage sales. Garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, whatever you want to call them - I love 'em. (Most estate sales are usually not real estate sales, but garage sales in disguise.) If there's not a weekend book sale within about a 30-mile radius, I'll go scouting garage sales.

I usually don't find much to sell at these things, but last weekend I did pick up a couple of books I can sell for about $40 or so. (My cost - 50 cents each.) I also got a pristine copy of the 4-disc DVD set of The Two Towers for $2. Even when I don't find anything, it's fun.

Moving sales are the best. I've moved so many times I get dizzy just thinking about it, but I know that the last thing you want to do is have more stuff to load onto that moving truck - so you sell it, and cheap. I've been to moving sales where I've bought several of their books/DVDs/CDs and asked, "Got any more stuff you don't want to move?" Usually the husband (more usually the wife) will get this look of euphoria and say, "...Yeah! Wait right here," just before the big boxes start coming out.

At most sales, you have to wade through mountains of Danielle Steele, John Grisham, Stephen King and Reader's Digest books...if they have any books at all, besides tons of kids' books the dog has chewed (or worse) on. But I've also found some really great stuff. Last year I replaced my old (stolen) Taboo game for a buck. Bookcases are usually readily available. Lately CDs are coming out of the woodwork.

For some reason, people are getting rid of a lot of classic rock CDs. I mean practically giving them away - fifty cents, three for a dollar, that kind of thing. 80's and 90's CDs show up a lot, too. I can't tell you how many Michael Bolton CDs I've seen sitting out in the sun, fading into oblivion. Or we can only hope.

Jazz CDs are showing up more also. My Pat Metheny collection has expanded considerably of late. Classical stuff doesn't show up much, unless it's some cheap edition of Swan Lake performed by the Buttmunchausen Philharmonia. Country (or what they call Country these days) is there in abundance. But if you're looking for anything from Hank Williams, Sr. to about 1968, forget it.

The most rabid buyers I see aren't interested in books, CDs, DVDs, clothes, furniture or any of that. But weekend after weekend, I see nothing but Record Vultures. Records, you know, those black vinyl discs old guys like me used to play. Maybe it's just this area, but people around here are insane about records. Just about every one of them I talk to claims they sound better than CDs. Maybe they do, I'm no audiophile. But I always ask them if they still like the bacon soundtrack of records. (Most of 'em don't get it.)

Got a free Saturday morning? Experience a little bit of Americana. Maybe I'll see you there. I'll leave the records untouched for you.

Today's Short Story = "Coffins on the River" - Jeffrey Ford from The Empire of Ice Cream

Great...Just What I Needed....

Great, now I'm hooked on another TV show. Cindy and I are watching the first season of Lost, and so far it's pretty good. It's got enough of a speculative element for me, yet not too much for Cindy. Another TV show... This is the last thing I need, ya know. But please, DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT SEASON ONE...OR TWO! Thanks....

Today's Short Story - "A Man of Light" - Jeffrey Ford from The Empire of Ice Cream

Some clown who wanted his picture taken with Bullet, the famous retired racer.  

This is one happy boy 

Just Another Weekend

I must admit, the weekend has been a pretty nice one. Visited with my good friend John last night, hit a few garage sales this morning (more about garage sales in an upcoming post), went to the dog park, and am about to send a story out. "Other Places to Go" was rejected by F&SF, so it's off to the next market.

Cindy and I are going to start watching Lost on DVD tonight. I hope it lives up to all the positives I've heard from just about everyone.

Now Playing = Different Light - Bangles (50 cents at a garage sale)
Now Reading = 1066: The Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry - Andrew Bridgeford
Listening to in the Car = The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
Today's Short Story* = "Counterfactual" - Gardner Dozois from the June F&SF

* John and I have a mutual goal of reading at least one short story a day.

S is for Skipping

Just started listening to Sue Grafton's S is for Silence in the car. I like Grafton's alphabet mysteries, but I'm skipping just a few in the series. Let's see, I went through A, B, C, S.... So what's a few letters, huh?

Anyway, I remember from reading the early novels that Grafton was always great at description and pretty good with characters. Only one disc into the book (probably the equivalent of 30 or so pages), the descriptions are still good and the characters not bad. The plot (at least so far) seems pretty routine, but I'll keep listening.

The odd thing about the book is when it takes place: 1987. Do all the Kinsey Millhone books take place in the 80's? Does she ever enter into the 21st Century? I guess that would make Kinsey match Grafton's own age, which I believe is at least in the mid-60's.

Jeffrey Ford's Outstanding New Collection of Fantasy/Horror 

The Fine Line Between Fantasy and Horror

I've been thinking a lot lately about the relationship between fantasy and horror. This started many years ago when I was casually reading science fiction and fantasy. It seemed that the line between science fiction and fantasy was a fairly solid one. In the years that followed, I heard a lot of people try to pinpoint the differences between the two genres (rarely discussing their speculative similarities). It really wasn't that big an issue for me then or now, although people still discuss it at length.

After I started writing – and especially after I attended Clarion - I realized that most of what I was writing was fantasy. Even my "science fiction" stories had very little science in them. Most used some aspect of science as a speculative springboard to launch the story.

But then I began reading more horror stories and things got murkier. As I read stories in several of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror anthologies, I was often surprised to see that some of the stories that I would have called fantasy were chosen by Ellen Datlow (the horror editor for the series) rather than Terri Windling. Sometimes I'd read a story and purposely cover up the introduction containing the editor's initials to see if I could guess the genre. It was pretty much a crap shoot.

A few years ago I heard Datlow on a WFC panel. She said that she looks primarily for horror stories (or horror elements), even when reading submissions for (the now defunct) SCIFICTION. Since then, I've heard people discussing different stories, arguing back and forth over whether a certain one is fantasy or horror. Other than discussions of the blatantly obvious (elves vs. vampires, for example), I haven't heard anything tangible differentiating the two genres.

I've been reading Jeffrey Ford's new collection The Empire of Ice Cream, asking myself if some of the stories are fantasy or horror. Or both? (Of course much of this speaks to Ford's versatility as a writer.) I guess it really doesn't matter. It's all speculative fiction and I love both genres. I also tend to write in both genres, although I would be the last to tell you which of my stories are horror and which are fantasy. I don't know what the stories are and don't really want to spend too much time thinking about it. But for the purposes of sending out stories to markets, it helps to know.

I've probably heard them before – maybe not – but I'd like to hear your thoughts on the differences between fantasy and horror.

Now Playing – Abbey Road - Beatles
Reading/Listening = Same as last time

By the Numbers/New Stories

I got my cholesterol results back yesterday and I feel like I won the lottery. Well, okay, maybe more like I won a few bucks from a scratch-off card, but still pretty good. My total cholesterol is 201 - an all-time low for me. Triglycerides - 139. That's a huge turn-around, considering they topped 500 just a couple of years ago. HDL and LDL levels are very acceptable. Best of all, my doctor doesn't want to check me again for another year. Whooooooooo!

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Story ideas are just zipping around like crazy. It's a real challenge to decide which idea to work on first, but for now I think I've figured out which one to place over the hottest burner. It's important for me (at least at this stage) NOT to think about potential markets, but to just try to tell the story. As I was working on a story this morning, I found myself thinking in very broad terms whether the story was headed in the fantasy or horror direction. I'm trying not to listen to the "market demons" inside my head, but it's tough. After all, you don't want to end up with a pretty good story that doesn't fit anywhere. But I believe every story belongs somewhere (even if it's in the round file). Onward.

Now Playing = Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
Now Reading = 1066: The Hidden History of the Bayeux Tapestry - Andrew Bridgeford (as recommended by John - Thanks!)
In the Car = The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke

Just When I Was Getting Warmed Up...

...another good market closes. That's right, Fortean Bureau announced that it will be folding soon. This was a good market and I'd submitted to them a few times in the past year. Alas, no more. I hate it for them and for writers like me who are focusing most of their efforts on short fiction. Lord knows there aren't enough quality markets out there as it is. It's sad to see another one closing its doors.

And to make matters worse, I feel like my short stories are starting to inch their way up to the next level (whatever that is). Lately the ideas have been coming faster than I can put them down on paper, but I'm trying to keep up.

The Fortean Bureau editorial doesn't rule out a future incarnation of the zine. Let's hope it returns at some point.

Now Playing = Rare, Live & Classic (boxed set) - Joan Baez
Now Reading = Shadows and Silence - Barbara Roden & Christopher Roden, eds.
Listening to in the Car = The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke

Today's Letter

Ask and it shall be given. From John League I received the letter F (Hey, watch it.) in the ongoing audience participation meme. If you're the first to comment on this entry, I shall confer upon you your very own letter which you will use to come up with 10 words beginning with said letter and explanations on what the words mean to you.

So without further ado, the letter F (minus the obvious colorful f-words one might expect):

Forest, Mississippi – My hometown, population give-or-take 5,000. It was a fun place to grow up. You could hang out in the parking lot of my dad's grocery store on weekends or steal traffic signs in broad daylight. They had a great Taste-E-Freeze, too.

Faulkner, William – How can you be from Mississippi and not like Faulkner? (Or at least try to.) Favorite quote: "The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past."

Fantastic Fiction – Does this count as two? Broad umbrella encompassing science fiction, fantasy, horror and all the little sub-genres and sub-sub-genres. Although right now I'm reading more horror than fantasy (and very little straight sf), I love it all.

Flatulate – This isn't a real word, but as kids a lot of us thought it was a great verb – an alternate way to say "fart" without getting in trouble with the grown-ups. Later I found out that it wasn't a real word, so I overcame my anxiety and used the word "fart" exclusively. It's a great word, isn't it? Fart, I mean. Flatulate is a good word, too, even if it's made up. As long as you don't do it too much. Flatulate, I mean.

Fear – Where would writers and readers of fantastic fiction be without this one? When you think about it, fear is a wonderful thing. Think of fear as a defense system that keeps us alive, otherwise we'd play in traffic, walk around downtown Baltimore counting money, and run for public office.

Face in the Crowd, A – Andy Griffith's first movie (1957) and his best performance. Griffith plays Lonesome Rhodes, a country bumpkin with a little talent and a lot of charisma. He's discovered by a television station, given his own show and rises to stardom. A Face in the Crowd was way ahead of its time, exposing media demagogues, the lust for power, exploitation, betrayal and much more. Lonesome Rhodes quote – "A guitar beats a woman every time."

"Freddie Freeloader" – The second track on the classic Miles Davis album Kind of Blue. "Freddie Freeloader" is a 12-bar blues number that features Wyn Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and James Cobb on drums. And of course, Miles on the horn. (Plus a couple of sax players you might have heard of – Cannonball Adderly and John Coltrane.) To simply label the tune (or all the tunes on the album) as "relaxed modal jazz" is an injustice. It's so much more. In his autobiography Miles, Davis says "That song was named after this black guy I knew who was always seeing what he could get from you free, and he was always around the jazz scene."

Fort Worth – I lived a stone's throw away in Arlington, TX for four years. Fort Worth isn't a bad city, despite the fact that nearly half the episodes of Cops seem to be filmed there. I wish I could remember the names of some of the great Mexican restaurants there (John, you can probably help me out here.), but come to think of it, those places probably didn't have names.

Film – Sometimes I watch movies. Movies showcase movie stars. Films have actors. There's nothing wrong with a good (or bad) movie if that's what you're in the mood for at the time. At one time you could see good American films. Now all you get are American movies (most of them lousy). There are still good films out there, but finding them is a lot harder than it used to be. Unless you have Netflix or live in/near a metropolitan city.

Firebird Suite – The first time I heard Stravinsky's Firebird Suite I was a freshman in college. It rocked my world in a pretty substantial way until I actually played it (horn) in graduate school, which rocked it even more. The conductor kept giving me the hand to back off, but it didn't do any good. That bird was soaring.

I'm already at ten? I didn't even get to felon, Karen Joy Fowler, funk, fabricate, flux, foo-foo, free speech, freebase, fuzzy, fugue, fruit punch or Fritz the Cat. Man....limitations....

Now Playing – Debut - Bjork
Now Reading – Shadows and Silence – Barbara Roden, Christopher Roden, eds.
Blue Like Jazz – Donald Miller

Free Issue of F&SF

I'm already a subscriber, but if you're too cheap to buy a copy of F&SF, why not get a free one? Details here.

Stories, Novels, Music

This afternoon I sent out my third story in as many days. Don't be too impressed - only one of them is a brand new tale. But at least there's four stories out there now instead of one. More to come.

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After finishing Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and getting closer to finishing Don Quixote, I think I'm going to indulge in some short fiction. And what better way than to buy nearly three years' worth (roughly 1982-84) of F&SF at a used book sale Saturday?

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My first reaction to the new Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris project All the Roadrunning was disappointment, but it's beginning to grow on me. More on that later.

I also found a used copy of Poe's Haunted. Many of you will know that lead singer Ann Danielewski is the sister of Mark Z. Danielewski, author of House of Leaves. I haven't given the disc a really close listen, but apparently many of the songs are connected to the book. (Titles include "Exploration 8," "5&1/2 Minute Hallway," "House of Leaves," etc.) So far not quite what I expected, but very enjoyable.

Now Playing = Haunted - Poe
Now Reading = Dark Mirror - Marjorie M. Liu
Now in the DVD Player = Rear Window ($3 at a library sale)

Fewer Stamps These Days

I feel like I'm starting to get back on track as far as sending more stories out. At one time, I only had one little story floating around the nether regions of speculative fiction. As of today, I'll have three, possibly four. It's a slow process, at least for me.

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My YA novel was not chosen as a finalist in the Avari Press contest, but I'm not too bummed about it. As I'd mentioned before, I mainly wanted to see if I could operate under a strict deadline, producing the best product I could. I'm glad I did it and now have something I can polish later on. The contest had 215 entries. But since they only listed their eight finalists, I don't know if I was #9, #215 or somewhere in between.

Now Playing - Beatles 65
Now Reading - Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
Listening to in the Car - Don Quixote - Cervantes (disc 23 of 35)
In the DVD Player - Firefly, disc three

Zona, Writers of the Future and (of course) More Books

Cindy and I got back last night from visiting my mom in Arizona, where for some crazy reason my allergies decided to go nuts. But Mom's doing well, Cindy and I got to watch the Greyhound races and I got to go to Half-Price Books (where I picked up a nice hardcover of Charles de Lint's Tapping the Dream Tree and a not-so-nice (but good enough for reading) copy of Robert R. McCammon's They Thirst.

On the plane, I finished Glen Hirshberg's excellent collection The Two Sams and got about 75 pages into Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Man, what a tale that is.

When I got home to check my mail, I finally got something from Writers of the Future. I guess it's good news – I've made the quarter-finals a number of times, but this time I reached the semi-finals. Progress, I suppose.

Season One on DVD. Not a bad show... 

The Capitol Albums Vol. 1 (or, The Beatles' first four American albums) 

Veronica Mars, The Beatles and Cranium

Just finished watching Veronica Mars Season One on DVD. I didn't really have very high expectations for the show early on, but I was surprised. I definitely recommend the show's first season, mainly for the strong characters. (And the actors aren't bad.) The writing is pretty good overall, although a careful watcher can frequently figure out what's going to happen by the end of most episodes. (Hey, if I can, most of you can.) Still, the show held several genuine surprises and was quite entertaining.

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With the release of the Beatles' The Capitol Albums Vol. 2 this past week, I decided to buy Vol. 1 first. For those of you old enough to remember, the Capitol recordings from 1964 were different in several ways from their British counterparts. This set includes the first four Beatle albums released in America: (Not counting A Hard Day's Night and The Beatles Story) Meet the Beatles, The Beatles' Second Album, Something New and Beatles 65. Now I'm not enough of an audiophile to know what makes Capitol's "fake stereo" fake; all I know is the discs sound great to me. (They're presented on the discs in both stereo and mono.) I haven't heard some of these versions in fifteen or twenty years and it really takes me back. I've been playing these suckers non-stop.

I'm glad they added the American version of Help! (with the full version of the title song) to Vol. 2. Help! also includes some of the actual orchestral soundtrack, which the British version does not. I wonder if Capitol will do the same with the Yellow Submarine album.

Part of this return to Beatlemania is the result of a party Cindy and I went to yesterday. One of the guys there is a huge Beatles' fan, but he's quite a bit younger than me. I was able to give him some "I was there when it happened" perspective on British version vs. American versions, the "death" of Paul and the pros/cons of Wings.

At this very same party, a group of about twelve of us played Cranium. I was on the guy team, which got smoked by one of the girl teams. You know, one girl can draw a curved line on a pad and the rest of their team correctly guesses The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Either that or they can name tunes in one note. And then I have to hum all the verses and choruses to "Hotel California" (including the drum parts on my knees) and they still don't get it. Guys just can't win.

And my wife won the game on a question about rap music!

That's messed up.

Nationals Home Opener...Wake Me When It's Over

I just knew from Dick Cheney's lousy throwing out of the first ball (It didn't even make it to the plate...and he was standing WAY out in front of the mound.) that the Nationals' home opener was going to be a bust. They lost 7-1 to the Mets in a real snoozer. Things got interesting in the final inning with the bases loaded. Ryan Zimmerman came up to bat for the Nationals, but there were already two outs. He added another and the game was over. At least Placido Domingo sounded pretty good on the National Anthem. And the weather was great.

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It's nice to get back to writing some short fiction. I've got a story that needs another three or four days before it's ready to send out.

Now Playing = The Original Master Tapes - Buddy Holly
Just Finished Reading = Midnighters 2: Touching Darkness - Scott Westerfeld
DVD Player = awaiting Veronica Mars Season One disc five from Netflix

Opening Day

Cindy and I are going to the home opener for the Washington Nationals tomorrow. I listened to part of the Nationals/Astros game on the radio this afternoon. The broadcasters said to come to tomorrow's game early because of heightened security. Seems that Dick Cheney's going to throw out the first pitch. I guess it'll take awhile for security to check the Vice-President's shotgun.

Weekend at Last

Looking forward to a great weekend, the first Cindy and I have spent together in four weeks (thanks to Navy Band tour). Maybe a little walk along the B&A Trail will be in our future if it's not raining. (Bullet could use a little encounter with nature.) Might even have time to read a little this weekend.

Speaking of reading, the DC Writer's Way reading was well-attended last night. (I'll probably have some pictures up later.) Three of the members of my workshop read and all did a great job. I read a portion of "Results May Vary," which is an expanision of Jeff Ford's 900-word exercise at Clarion.

Now Playing = Heart Shaped World - Chris Issak
Now Reading = Midnighters 2 - Scott Westerfeld
In the DVD player = Veronica Mars Season One disc four

Reading

It's hard to believe another DC Writer's Way workshop has finished and it's time for a reading. Anyone who has been to any workshop (or just anyone) can come and read tomorrow at 6:30 PM in the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets, at 2021 14th Street NW Washington DC. Looks like a very cool place.

For some of the members of my workshop, this will be the first time they've ever read their work in front of an audience, but I think they're all ready. (Of course I have no idea what I'm going to read.)

Now Playing = Blow by Blow - Jeff Beck
Now Reading = Midnighters 2: Touching Darkness - Scott Westerfeld
Watching on DVD = Firefly Disc Two
Listening to in the Car = Don Quixote - Cervantes (on 35 CDs!)