the light at THE END

[greygirlbeast]

Okay. This morning I know that I have a hangover.

A good writing day yesterday. I did 1,268 words (bringing the total to 14,263) and finished the thirteenth section. "XIII. The Weaver's Retreat" was especially taxing, but I think I did right by it. And for anyone who hasn't already figured it out, yes, "Bainbridge" is the story that links all the Dancy Flammarion stories to the hemispherical world of Murder of Angels (currently available from Amazon.com for only $4.99, by the way). I can only hope that I've not been overly ambitious with this story. It's a piece that's trying to interweave three narrative threads, two Southern Gothic and one something resembling "traditional" fantasy. At least if I fail, it will be what the Bear recently referred to as an "ambitious failure." I very much need to contact Ted today and see how his work on the art for Alabaster is progressing.

Afterwards, after all the writing, it was late and the sun was setting. But it was warm enough outside to open a window in the living room. I dressed hastily for a walk to the park. There were brilliant clouds, great cumulus Maxfield Parish clouds — enormous, roiling banks of pink and orange, blue-grey, purple, bluish-white, patches of what I can only describe as a cotton-candy blue-green. Spooky took a bunch of cloud photos. It was warm enough that I was able to wear my biker jacket over a tank top, instead of having to bundle up in wool. Sadly, I knew the gorgeous cloudbank was being pushed away west by cold Canadian air. I tried to call them back, but rearranging clouds and halting the advance of a cold front is entirely beyond my magickal abilities (or anyone else's, for that matter). But I called to them anyway. I told them I was on their side. There were flashes of lightning deep within the clouds, and I pretended they were answering me. We stayed until the last of the sunset tints faded from the highest of the clouds. Today, it's cold again.

Spooky and I were awakened night before last by one of the loudest thunderclaps I've ever heard. I'd meant to mention that yesterday and forgot. It was wonderful.

Okay. It's time to announce the winner of December's monster doodle sculpture (MDS #5), the Nebari ice skipper. It is (drum roll) Elizabeth Harrington. Presumably she's reading this. Elizabeth, Spooky needs your snail-mail address. Please send it to her at zquid_zoup@yahoo.com, and she'll get your monster into the mail ASAP. See? This is what comes of subscribing to Sirenia Digest. Free monster doodle sculptures.

Spooky's finished the "cozy" slipcase for Frog Toes and Tentacles letter X. It'll go up on eBay in the next hour or two. No "buy it now." Bids only. This will be a ten-day auction. There are photos behind the cut. The bag is black crushed velvet lined with red silk. The letter X is hand embroidered. I cut the fabric, and Spooky did the design and all the sewing. The winning bid will also get a copy of the chapbook, False Starts. Click here to go directly to the item.









And, of course, there are other goodies up at eBay. Like The Dry Salvages and one of our last remaining copies of In the Garden of Poisonous Flowers (illustrated and signed by Dame Darcy). And there's Sirenia Digest. Click here to subscribe now and be eligible for the next mds giveaway, coming later this month! Stop being a slacker.

By the way, if there are people on my friends list who live in or are familiar with the Salem/Marblehead area of Massachusetts, drop me an e-mail (at lowredmail@mac.com). I know kambriel is in Salem, but I don't know about anyone else. This will be our last year in Atlanta. I'm sick of living in the South, and I'm sick of living in a city with no identity beyond a common desire by its inhabitants to make money. Really. I've been amazed, reading Poppy's post-K entries, how New Orleans has behaved like a community of people instead of like a place where a whole bunch of people just happen to live. If Atlanta were struck by a disaster, I really doubt you would see people fighting to stay. Anyway, yeah, I'm interested in Salem and Marblehead.

Spooky and I finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban last night. I almost forgot to mention that. I enjoyed it muchly. Okay. Today I'm going to finish this story...

Comments

[extatika.livejournal.com]

Not owning that book hurts me :(

[styggian.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

If you go with Salem, you're gonna want to shoot everyone everywhere the week of Halloween, when every idiot who would've cheered on the witch-hunters in the 1600s converges on the town to buy vampire fangs, condescendingly pay psychics for readings they don't take seriously, and pull T-shirts with moronic 'witchy' slogans with considerable effort down over their pendulous bellies.

Also, i/r/t snow: better learn to love it.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Also, that cozy is to die for. I have died and am dead.

[tactileson.livejournal.com]

A good friend of mine was living in Salem for a few years, but he just recently moved to Boston. And yes, I echo Robin's sentiments, better learn to love the snow. We just got a few inches last night, but some other people in the region got over a foot (I live about a two hour drive west from Salem). It seems you have your attention focused on the eastern coast, which is quite nice. If you were to look to the north west corner of the state (where I live) you'd find a nice little bustling town in Northampton. It's not a big city, but certainly has the feel of a little 'mini-New York' or some such. It's one of my favorite destinations. Plus, Susan Powter lives there, and I once ran into her at a fresh pasta bistro, it was a weird experience to say the least. I thought her multi-colored dreads were going to come alive and kill me.

[tactileson.livejournal.com]

Also, as an aside, and I'm sure there are plenty of people who disagree with me, but my experiences with Salem have left me a little underwhelmed. Perhaps it's just not my favorite place in the state, but I didn't like the "feel" of it as much as other cities. Also, though I don't know if you care about such things, should you not want to live on the coast, Northampton has one of the greatest gay/lesbian communities in the state. Then again, the entire state is obviously quite accepting of all lifestyles since we're the only ones in the country that allow gay marriage. Which just makes me feel all the more like I'm standing at the evolutionary curve and waiting for the rest of the country to catch up.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Then again, the entire state is obviously quite accepting of all lifestyles since we're the only ones in the country that allow gay marriage.

And this is certainly a very large part of our attraction to Massachusetts.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

If you were to look to the north west corner of the state (where I live) you'd find a nice little bustling town in Northampton.

Interesting. Northampton might be a possibility. That would place us pretty much equidistant between Boston and NYC.

It seems you have your attention focused on the eastern coast, which is quite nice.

If we can afford it, I'd very much like to be near the cost, and near Ipswich, Marblehead, Gloucester, Cape Anne, etc. A lot of this is about what we can afford.

[lonelydolly.livejournal.com]

Northampton=very expensive...
Danvers is actually Old Salem Village.

[tactileson.livejournal.com]

The coast is really beautiful. I remember taking many family trips there during the summers of my childhood, usually out towards Cape Cod. I've not totally browsed this site, just found it as I'm heading out the door for work, but more info on Northampton can be found here http://www.noho.com/ (http://www.noho.com/) it looks like a decent site. Northampton is probably more affordable than the eastern coast, and there's certainly a lot to do in the area. There's never a shortage of concerts and events. And it is basically a perfect middle point between NYC and Boston. Not to mention, living anywhere in Mass means you'll be able to enjoy shows that are smoke free as (I believe) the entire state has put a ban on smoking indoors at public venues.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Not to mention, living anywhere in Mass means you'll be able to enjoy shows that are smoke free as (I believe) the entire state has put a ban on smoking indoors at public venues.

This is a HUUGGEE selling point.

[sovay]

Northampton might be a possibility.

I have several friends in the Northampton-Amherst area who are very pleased with it. Apparently the frequency of used book stores is just terrifying. I consider this a good thing.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Amherst area

There's a wonderful little museum at one of the universities in Amherst. I used it for a short story, "From Cabinet 34, Drawer 6."

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you're leaving, but I completely understand. Living here, while definately important for mental development, has been a large difference, for me.

I hope that you find somewhere more suitable, and conducive to the things you need.

[lokilokust.livejournal.com]

first, a relevant comment!
i just received my copy of the limited of 'frog toes and tentacles' and it's simply GORGEOUS.
it's one of the best looking books su press has done, and i was pleasantly surprised to find that it came with a bonus chapbook, along with the bonus material in the book itself.
another outstanding book.
second, an anooying question!
i had thought that i had read somewhere that 'alabaster' was the title of the chapette that you did for camelot.
now it seems i'm mistaken.
i do hope it's not too much trouble, but i was wondering if you could tell me what the title of it was.
also, is the content of it to be reprinted ever?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

i had thought that i had read somewhere that 'alabaster' was the title of the chapette that you did for camelot.
now it seems i'm mistaken.
i do hope it's not too much trouble, but i was wondering if you could tell me what the title of it was.
also, is the content of it to be reprinted ever?

Here's the deal. Yes, I did a chapbook for Camelot called Albaster, which consisted of a short, early draft of a Dancy story which I later expanded upon. The longer version was re"printed" last year in the subpress newsletter. But Alabaster is also the name of the book collecting all the Dancy stories, which I am finishing up now and which will be published in 2006 by subpress. The collection entitled Alabaster will, of course, include the short story "Alabaster," which is the expanded text of the Camelot chapbook. Any questions? I think I just confused myself.

I very glad you liked FT&T!

[lokilokust.livejournal.com]

i think that settles it.
now, i'll still have to find some way to get ahold of the original, but now i have something else to look forward to in the meantime!

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

now, i'll still have to find some way to get ahold of the original, but now i have something else to look forward to in the meantime!

I think they're pretty rare. I'm pretty sure I only have one copy.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Have you been up here before? If not, I'd be happy to play "tour guide" and take some time to show you around the area so you can get a good feel for things.

What people say about the crowds in October is true, but having lived in other very conservative parts of the country (including a couple of stints in the South), I've learned not to complain about the masses of people that come here for Halloween, because at least we are fortunate enough to live in an area that celebrates it full-on as opposed to trying to ban it altogether. So the pendulum swings, and we celebrate it to extreme... I'll take that extreme over the alternative. Besides, it's lovely at other point in the year when you get a Halloween-like feeling, but with no crowds at all. If you *must* get away from the October crowds, it's a perfect time to take a mini-vacation to get away from it all ~ that's what many of us locals do.

Marblehead is expensive, but there are some must-see places there, which I'd be happy to take you to. There's also a road that goes up Cape Ann along the ocean where the population becomes less dense and it's one of the most beautiful drives you can do.

We do get snow in the winter, but with that at least once a year, also comes ice sculptures all around the city ~ including ones of dragons and such that are quite exquisite.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Have you been up here before? If not, I'd be happy to play "tour guide" and take some time to show you around the area so you can get a good feel for things.

That would be wonderful. Very kind of you to offer. I've been up around Ipswich, Rowley, the northern edge of Cape Ann, but not to Salem and Marblehead.

So the pendulum swings, and we celebrate it to extreme...

I really don't think this would bother me that much. It's not the gawkers coming to gawk at the witches that worry me, it's the snow — that's what I have to learn to live with.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

In the interest of full disclosure, and perhaps a wicked sense of putting a little *boo!* into your day:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/kambriel/6430.html

I find it beautiful myself, and love it when the snow comes. That's something special about this area of the country, we truly do get to experience all four seasons in the classic sense. Is it possible you could just use the winter wonderland days to be reclusive and get lots of writing done?

It is a bit more expensive here than many other parts of the country, but as they say, "you get what you pay for". I'm a self-emplyed artisan, and most definitely not wealthy, but I still manage fine (it helps that the nice brick building I live in has free heat!). When we go to see bands like Bauhaus or Dead Can Dance play, we see them in opulent fin de siecle opera houses, there is an overall measure of "sensibility" when it comes to the lawmakers ~ even those who don't agree (say in the case of same-sex marriage), agree that since it's the law, they will support it all the same. The smoking ban is a real plus ~ it spoils you for going to clubs/bars elsewhere.

Just let me know when you and Spooky want to come for a visit...

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

In the interest of full disclosure

Wow. Thanks. That's actually quite beautiful. And terrifying. In equal measure.

When we go to see bands like Bauhaus or Dead Can Dance play, we see them in opulent fin de siecle opera houses,

Er...yeah, I could handle that.

Just let me know when you and Spooky want to come for a visit...

We shall have to see. I wish I could come in the winter, to get a sense of what I'd be in for, but the next month or two are going to be nuts with editing.

[stardustgirl.livejournal.com]

Meh. I bid, knowing darn good and well I'd be outbid, but what the hell... more money for authors, artists, and cats. All good causes.

Caitlín moving NORTH? With SNOW? Oh holycrap. 2006 and the Apocalypse is upon us. I actually don't mind snow, it just when people expect me to drive in it. Snow is not for driving in. It's for making pretty photos - kambriel those were gorgeous images - or looking out the window and gazing upon while drinking tea and reading a good book by a roaring fire.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Meh. I bid, knowing darn good and well I'd be outbid, but what the hell... more money for authors, artists, and cats. All good causes.

Thank you.

Caitlín moving NORTH? With SNOW?

Nar'eth has promised to help me adapt.

it just when people expect me to drive in it. Snow is not for driving in.

I don't drive (the blind in one eye thing). And Spooky's hoping for some place with decent mass transit.

[tactileson.livejournal.com]

I was just talking to my roommate about the snow earlier and he said the same exact thing. It definitely takes getting used to driving in the winter. However, even out here in north western Mass, the roads get cleared right after, if not during the snow storms themselves, as long as you have snow tires on your car you should be fine. Neither me nor my roommate have cars with four wheel drive and we do fine every year. And, there are always buses as well if all hell breaks loose and you can't use your car for whatever reason. Personally, I prefer living outside of major cities, as the prices on housing are usually cheaper, and the level of peace and quiet is greater. And it makes trips into places like Salem, Boston, etc, that much more of an excursion away from daily life.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

It definitely takes getting used to driving in the winter.

Spooky says she's an old hand at it. She's from RI and has lived in Boston.

Personally, I prefer living outside of major cities, as the prices on housing are usually cheaper,

I'm sure you're right about the housing prices, but I really want to stay in an urban area. I don't drive, and I've gotten awfully used to being a "city person."

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Most people I know who live here don't even have cars because the MBTA transit system is so good. We have a commuter train that runs from Salem (and points north up to Ipswich) down to Boston. For holidays like Halloween, it runs as a free service to help keep people off the roads. It's a short ride to Boston's north station (which is very close to the oldest Italian neighborhood in the US), and from there, you can easily go anywhere else in the Boston area. This is very nice if you want to go check out the museums and such, without having to deal with parking.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

For holidays like Halloween, it runs as a free service to help keep people off the roads.

What a novel idea. Down here, the holidays just mean that people try that much harder run into (and over) each other.

This is very nice if you want to go check out the museums and such, without having to deal with parking.

Indeed.

[thingunderthest.livejournal.com]

You know, the Seattle area can be nice.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

You know, the Seattle area can be nice.

Yeah, I know. But I fear I'm hopelessly bound to the East Coast. I just don't want to be hoeplessly bound to the frelling South.

Spooky lived in Portland for a few years, you know.

[thingunderthest.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. But I fear I'm hopelessly bound to the East Coast.
*Sigh*, I know, but you can't blame a guy for trying. ;)

Spooky lived in Portland for a few years, you know.
I didn't realize. I knew there was something of quality in that lass, besides her taste in women. ;)

[activistgirl.livejournal.com]

Portland
Isn't Portland basically a bathtub waiting to be filled with the lava from the two volcanoes around it?!?
Chris and I desperately want to live in the Pacific NW but I, like Caitlin, am very much afraid of natural disasters-esp. ones that can be easily avoided (as it is I think we are too close to St. Louis-what with the New Madrid and all).

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Isn't Portland basically a bathtub waiting to be filled with the lava from the two volcanoes around it?!?

Yeah. Pretty much. Portland and Seattle both.

[thingunderthest.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but with Seattle the Tsunami is gonna come and cool off all that lava, So were Aces. ;)

[tactileson.livejournal.com]

Of course, any Tsunami to hit the east coast would demolish Salem and Boston, probably why my paranoid ass never moved out there. Amherst is nice, as someone mentioned. I'm very partial to the middle of my state, there's a lot of very nice cities there.

[gallifreyangoth]

*bats eyes* New Mexico is nice, you know...little snow, lots of warm...

I know, I know, East Coast...

FT&T is *excellent* so far. I'm sad I couldn't spring for the black and red version, but I still love my little trade edition. It looks so innocent on my nightstand.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

It looks so innocent on my nightstand.

Yep. It's the stealth edition.

[styggian.livejournal.com]

Something occured to me last night considering the final fantasy games and that I have been watching so much Farscape lately; the main character in FFVIII has a weapon called a "gunblade" that now reminds me of Dargo's weapon.
The difference is that in FF8 the weapon looks like a stylized old-west revolver with a sword blade coming out with barrels on either side of it.
Thought that might interest you a bit.