Journal
June 16, 2008
A friend asked me to guest post on his photo comic blog. I did so, and wrote a new story to mirror and expand it here on my site.
reading: The Thin Man (Dashiell Hammett)
June 15, 2008
Spring league ultimate is completed. The all-day tournament was yesterday, we didn't win many games, but I had much fun with my team. My knees are not those of a 20-year-old any longer, but I'm in better shape now and will play pickup games and maybe some summer league to keep in shape. The most rousing cheer we made before a game was the revenge quote from The Princess Bride.
reading: The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett)
June 3, 2008
I faintly recall reading a poem or two of Frank Stanford's in college. Today I was reminded of him, and now crave to read The Battlefield Where The Moon Says I Love You, a 15,280 line poem.
watching: Dog Day Afternoon (dir. Sydney Lumet)
June 1, 2008
Story7 was ushered right back out the door. Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion was so dense that I couldn't finish before the library due date. Now I seem to have an omnibus of Dashiell Hammett on my nightstand. And ouch tried too many exotic Beligian beers last night.
watching: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (dir. Shane Black)
May 24, 2008
Received a somewhat encouraging rejection note for Story7 today. Then I spent the afternoon under the sink trying to fix various leaky connections, breaking pieces of metal that I didn't realize I had the frustrated strength to do so, and then buying and installing a whole new faucet.
watching: The Fury (dir. Brian DePalma)
May 20, 2008
Lions and tigers and dating websites, oh my.
watching: Open Range (dir. Kevin Costner)
May 18, 2008
I've seen Magnificent Seven a few times, and I knew it was very inspired by Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (whose films were somewhat inspired by US Westerns). After the recent viewing, I now realized that it preceded Leone's trilogy and other "spaghetti westerns", and that it was a turning point into the darker themes of the genre.
watching: The Magnificent Seven (dir. John Sturges)
May 16, 2008
Record-setting high temperatures in Portland this weekend. Today was only slightly cooler than yesterday's 93°, but I decided it was the perfect day to take the heated silent paint remover to the porch. I think all the sweating may have helped kill the cold I've been battling. Then I went to one of the Sauvie Island with some friends (no, not the nude beach).
watching: Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (dir. Sam Peckinpah)
May 13, 2008
Transparent plastic may score high on the hip and cool scales of gadget design, but it sure does make said devices look ugly when the dirt gets inside and you can see it. Dirt and hairs and other treasures have been staring back at me from the casing of my keyboard. Canned air and tiny vacuum attachments didn't solve the problem, so bought a .05 hex key wrench and pulled the keyboard apart. Among the desert of sand and grit I found a tiny spider and her web home.
watching: Ultraviolet (British TV series)
May 9, 2008
I'm pleased as punch that my story "One Wicker Day" now appears in Abyss & Apex magazine. Thus ends the long dry spell between publications. Thinking back, I realize that I wrote this story — the first draft, at least — nearly fifteen years ago. It hasn't changed very much, and it's since been one of my favorites. Cheers to an editor who finally liked it as well. Check Story1 off the list.
reading: The Year's Best Fanatasy and Horror, Fourth Annual (ed. Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
May 4, 2008
Burma: It Can't Wait | Support Cycle Victims
reading: Sometimes a Great Notion (Ken Kesey)
May 3, 2008
How many stories do I have submitted for consideration right now? Thus far I've been superstitious about referring to my stories by name until they are accepted, and I believe I'll keep it that way. But here's a brief review… Sent out Story2 today (having withdrawn it from elsewhere with no query response for 3 months after the 90-day reading period). Received a query response that Story3 is still in the editor's slushpile. Story 4 (1/6/08) still no response from the query of two weeks ago, (I usually query 2–4 weeks beyond the magazine's declared reading period). Story5 (4/21/08) and Story6 (3/7/08) both confirmed received (one pulled from non-responsive market), now within their reading period. Story7 mailed off last week (4/26/08), after a previous magazine never received it. Still waiting on the publication date for Story1 which was accepted 2/1/08 (previously referred to by name, and I'm hoping I didn't jinx that magazine's ongoing publication).
watching: Straw Dogs (dir. Sam Peckinpah)
May 1, 2008
Further casualties in the speculative fiction market, as more magazines announce they are ceasing publication: GrendelSong, Rogue Worlds, nanobison, and Noctem Aeternus. Thanks to them for sharing great stories, this writer is sorry to see you leave. The market for submitting stories tightens as a number of other magazines declare themselves booked for a few issues and are taking a reading break (naming names isn't a bad thing in this case, but it never did anybody any good).
watching: The Ballad of Cable Hogue (dir. Sam Peckinpah)
April 28, 2008
Nearly fifteen years ago, a friend insisted that I read Haruki Murakami. I did start Hard-boiled Wonderland but became overwhelmed with two literature classes on an every-weekday schedule… and then I just got lost and distracted. So I'm finally getting back to something that kept slipping off the reading list. Skulls, dreams, scotch. Thanks for the recommendation, Gordon. You were right, it's great.
reading: Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Haruki Murakami)
April 24, 2008
Terrible, vivid dream about my dog. Not lucid, too real, could not escape.
watching: Battlestar Galactica, season 3 (dir. various)
April 21, 2008
The snow yesterday on Mt. Hood was heaven on earth. I moved through untouched powder in complete silence. Dark clouds released white perfection.
skiing: Timberline
April 19, 2008
A disappointing day in the life of a writer. An editor responded to my query of one month ago to say he'd never received the (Story7) the previous month, making it over 60 days that that story has been going nowhere. I thought the piece was a good fit for that magazine, being why I sent it of course. Then he tells me they're closed to submissions for an undetermined amount of time. This type of situation shouldn't upset me at all, professionals don't get upset, but my dismay was complicated for a few reasons. I know the market fairly well and don't have a next idea of where to send this one. And that I have queries out for a number of my stories and am not receiving responses. I've even pulled a few stories from consideration for unusually long (non)response times. A day in the life, I suppose. Just keep reminding myself that I have one story accepted for publication.
making: mulligatawny soup
April 16, 2008
I made it into the mens' lottery, and so spring league ultimate began last night. There's a good spirit to my team, to be enjoyed for the next few weeks. My knees aren't what they used to be, but it feels good to throw and run.
watching: Ronin (dir. John Frankenheimer)
April 14, 2008
A sighting. The author as scotch-sipping, possibly foot-friendly assassin.
reading: Out of the Silent Planet (C.S. Lewis)
April 1, 2008
After a year of reading submissions and a few weeks of artwork, issue #17 of Three-lobed Burning Eye is finally up. With those duties completed, now it's time for me to write.
watching: Klute (dir. Alan J. Pakula)
March 30, 2008
A late evening of goth and garb. So very late. With breakfast at 4 a.m. Want only to sleep now, but must complete artwork and proofreading for 3LBE. Sleep when (un)dead.
featuring: fangs and horns
March 29, 2008
The editor of (secret for now) magazine says my short story "One Wicker Day" will appear in the Q2 2008 issue, likely next month — and assures me this is no April Fool's joke. For this, I am excited.
watching: Salaire de la Peur (Wages of Fear) (dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot)
March 26, 2008
Further miscellany ensued last night. Katie was out of town, so I was privileged with the full-on title of host. New trivia now added to the archive. Then the car transmission made the sound of a blade on a sharpener's stone. I'll be biking everywhere for at least a week, which is a good thing.
watching: Carnivale, second season (dir. various)
March 24, 2008
If anyone in the movie business were to ask my opinion, I would tell them we just really don't need remakes of Friday the 13th, The Exorcist or Death Race 2000. These might make some money, but let's consider the conservation of resources: time, life, energy. And the creation of waste: plastics, a shitty unoriginal product. Heed my warning: There will come a time when you will be judged by beings more powerful than am I.
watching: better movies than you're making, ya dunderheads
March 21, 2008
Yesterday I drove to Mt. Hood, purchased a spring pass for $99 and skied in incredible weather. My knees are not 16 anymore, but I managed to have fun.
riding: powder and pleasantly-groomed runs
March 18, 2008
A moment of silence for Arthur C. Clarke, age 90.
…
March 17, 2008
We're one step closer to Farenheit 451. Witness these eerie mechanical hounds.
reading: 3LBE (by various)
March 12, 2008
More trivia co-hosting last night. My questions lie here.
watching: Carnivale, first season (dir. various)
March 9, 2008
Today I learned that my dog Grendel reacts with concern and anxiousness at the mention of Cthulhu's name. I was attempting in my office a proper guttural pronunciation as H.P. Lovecraft transcribed "Khlûl'hloo", when Grendel came running from the other room. Each time I repeated the name, Grendel leapt into my lap, tried to nip and kiss my mouth, as if to snatch away whatever had possessed my tongue. I calmed him, and, as an experiment, spoke the laymen's attempt at the word, "Kaa-thoo-loo", to which the canine was apathetic and stationary. It must have been some kind of fluke, some odd happenstance, I thought, and uttered again the proper name of the Great Old One. Grendel immediately barked at me with alarm and licked my face with worriment. My apologies to the world if I have awakened any slumbering things.
watching: Shoot 'em Up (dir. Michael Davis), Seraphim Falls (dir. David Von Ancken)
March 2, 2008
A truly fun find. On the Road of Knives is an ongoing comic of illustrated violent goodness wherein Zak Smith, Shawn Cheng and Nicholas Di Genova alternate drawing a continuous story of monsters killing and fighting monsters.
watching: Michael Clayton (dir. Tony Gilroy), Into the Wild (dir. Sean Penn)
February 29, 2008
Some things I miss... Calving & Hobbes, Looney Tunes cartoons (voiced by Mel Blanc) before they had any association with Michael Jordan or commerical products and didn't have some unnerving 3D CGI shadowing effect, the days before email, the park across the street.
watching: The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (dir. John Huston)
February 24, 2008
A few of my friends let me know in plain words that Friendster is yesterday's hip thing. So I joined the Facebook zeitgeist. I've connected with some friends from high school and rock climbing buddies of yore. It's a different structure in that one cannot view anyone else until they have accepted you as a friend.
watching: The Compass Rose (Ursula Le Guin)
February 21, 2008
I may have found the final two (of six) stories for the next issue of 3LBE. Soon it will be time to unlock the closet and trunk in the basement and call forth Rew X for some cover art.
watching: The Italian Job (remake) (dir. F. Gary Gray)
February 19, 2008
Goodbye to Alain Robbe-Grillet.
watching: Elizabeth (dir. Shekhar Kapur)
February 18, 2008
Went skiing for the first time in a year. Three days in a row at Mt. Bachelor, where the snow was marginal and the weather was an incredible 50°+. Demoed some pro gear, drooled over their performance, and winced at the prices. Stayed in a lodge near Sun River, and met some new friends. They brought a Wii along, which provided entertainment on the final evening, and it was incredulous (for me) to learn that the controllers are called nunchaku.
watching: Pirates of the Carribean 3 (dir. Gore Verbinski)
February 7, 2008
The house is echoingly empty. I don't feel very here myself. Uncontrollable crying lurks constantly under the surface, especially during the days at work, and every time the memories flash passed. I still talk to her, and sometimes that hurts the most.
doing: not much (me)
February 5, 2008
Big sad tonight. Big sad.
watching: The Fountain (dir. Darren Arronofsky)
February 4, 2008
I strapped on the harness and weapon, friends adorned us with camo headbands, and we hurled ourselves into the neon-flashing labyrinth. Yes, there was some lazer tag mayhem. I think our entire team was decimated by the a few mercenary elementary school kids (and their parents?) who entrenched themselves on the upper catwalks.
playing: Lazer Tag (friend's birthday party)
February 3, 2008
I may have some news about and upcoming story publication. Details when they arrive.
reading: Tales of the Alhambra (Washington Irving)
January 29, 2008
I've added a LibraryThing widget to my links page that shows books in my collection. I'm also considering a GoodReads account to track my new reading.
reading: Salt: A World History (Mark Kurlansky)
February January 28, 2008
I have a new nephew. Exciting!
watching: Lunacy (Jan Svenkmeyer)
January 16, 2008
More trivia from my wee little brain.
watching: The Wire (season 4)
January 13, 2008
Feeling poorly that it's now been one year between issues of 3LBE, intended to be a tri-annual magazine. How frustrating since I haven't been lax in reading submissions. Truth be told, most stories in the slushpile simply haven't been appropriate for the magazine, in terms of quality or what we want. What I have not been actively doing is soliciting stories. I've raised the pay scale, which is nowhere near professional rates, though it may help. Also been trying submitting the market listing to as many sites as possible.
reading: The Best Alternative History Stories of the 20th Century (ed. Harry Turtledove)
January 10, 2008
I'd love to say that I'm not writing for the pure support of the WGA strike. But I'm a little selfish. I'm not writing because it's too difficult at the moment. Getting through.
doing: work, sleep, sad
January 4, 2008
OTHELLO: "A horned man's a monster and a beast."
IAGO: "There's many a beast then in a populous city, And many a civil monster."
being: wittol
