I point at the ceiling, She smiles, so kind

[greygirlbeast]

I don't know where to begin, really. Since my entry yesterday, there have been so many kind comments and offers to help, and suggestions, and eBay bids, and I'm a little flummoxed and humbled. I'm extremely grateful, more than anything else. This morning, I have a bunch of email to answer, which I'll get to as soon as I finish this entry. Where to begin (you said that already, Kiernan)? I'll begin here, just arbitrarily. Two readers of Sirenia Digest have offered to purchase six-month gift subscriptions for people who are not in a position to afford them (thank you brokensymmetry and kiaduran). If you wish to claim one of these, you may post a comment to that effect here in the journal, or you may, instead, email Spooky at crk_books(at)yahoo(dot)com and she'll make it happen.

A number of people suggested I set up a donation box via PayPal, and we did that last night. Here's the button to make donations:

All donations to this account will go directly to cover the medical/dental expenses I am presently incurring due to the ongoing PNES seizures. Also, we have the current eBay auctions, which are proceeding well, but I'm going to be adding a few new items over the next couple of days, including a suitable-for-framing handwritten copy of my poem "Zelda Fitzgerald in Ballet Attire" (from Tales of Pain and Wonder, and thanks to troublebox for that suggestion), the only copy of the Daughter of Hounds trade paperback I intend to offer anytime soon, a copy of the (gorgeous) Korean translation of the Beowulf novelization, and a few other things. Also, Spooky still has one doll up on Etsy (Miss Starla Pink, as Aurora just sold).*

Several people have asked if they may link directly to yesterday's journal entry from their own journals and/or websites, and yes, of course. Please do. That one and this one, too, for that matter. I think that's everything for now, and I hope I'm not forgetting anything. Sometime in the next day or two I'll post a list of everyone I wish to thank, everyone whose offered assistance in one form or another. Just know, for now, how truly grateful I am. It's one thing to have to be afraid of being sick and dealing with the pain and uncertainty; it's another to have to do that and waste my remaining energy — which I need to write — worrying over the bills the sickness creates. You guys are wonderful, and truly, every little bit does help. Spooky and I thank you, more than I can say.

---

The weather is a little cooler today, but will be warm again tomorrow. We had a short walk yesterday, far enough to see Daisy Dog over on Sinclair. One of the most delightful parts of yesterday was discovering Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno (thank you, robyn_ma). I mean, I'd have settled for Isabella Rossellini merely dressed as a female invertebrate, but here we get her crossdressing as the male insects and mollusks, demonstrating...well, you'll see.

After dinner, we watched Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (based on Ron Hansen's novel). Another splendid film. It has about it such a wonderful grace, every frame of film, every line of dialogue placed with such skill. It is permeated with a thunderous, silent tension. One is always waiting for that shot to be fired, even knowing it cannot yet be fired for two hours or so. The score is provided by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (as per The Proposition), and we even get a cameo of Cave singing "The Ballad of Jesse James." So, this one goes on my 2007 "top ten" list, and it should be noted that three of the films I consider among the best of 2007 are westerns (No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), and four of my favourite films of the year were westerns (just add 3:10 to Yuma to the list). Later still, we watched the new episode of Project Runway and were delighted with Chris' win. That was yesterday.

Okay. I need to try very, very hard to actually write today, as all I did yesterday was map out Chapter Three of Joey Lafaye in my head. First, there's all these emails to answer...

* Postscript (3:48 pm CaST): Never mind. Starla just sold, as well.

Comments

[e-underwood.livejournal.com]

Thank you for letting us know.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

'The score is provided by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis'

That would be one guy intoning lyrics about 19th century murderers and one guy going 'Hey! Look at this body mod! Read my new comic book!'

...yes, I know. Different Warren Ellis.

Did I miss where you talked about finally getting to see There Will Be Blood? I must've.

Did anyone suggest doing l'il monster scribbles on stickers that can be purchased by members of Team Caitlín to stick into their copies of your books? Figure if you did 20 of 'em in an hour (we're talking scribbles, a la Kurt Vonnegut, not ornate designs) and sold 'em for $5 a pop, that's $100 for an hour of your time.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

l'il monster scribbles

Yeah! Like the Caitlin critters from a few years ago! I'd say that's a good idea. I proudly have the one I got from you ("The Wages of Inbreeding"). I'll see if I can dig up the web page that showed those sketches...

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I'll donate from home tonight.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Did I miss where you talked about finally getting to see There Will Be Blood? I must've.

Here's the link (http://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/426383.html) to that entry.

Did anyone suggest doing l'il monster scribbles on stickers that can be purchased by members of Team Caitlín to stick into their copies of your books? Figure if you did 20 of 'em in an hour (we're talking scribbles, a la Kurt Vonnegut, not ornate designs) and sold 'em for $5 a pop, that's $100 for an hour of your time.

Hmmmmmmm. Let me think on this one.

[wendolen.livejournal.com]

Could open a shop at Cafe Press or Zazzle and not even have to mess with getting the stuff printed, too.

<i>More</i> Good News?

[cliff52.livejournal.com]

eBay to reduce seller fees by 50% next month
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/01/29/ebay.fees.ap/index.html
I hope I'm reading this right and that it will help!

Re: <i>More</i> Good News?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I hope I'm reading this right and that it will help!

Well, it's really sort of a boondoggle on eBay's part. They're lower the insertion fees, but jacking up the cut they take, so that, in the end, eBay is far less profitable and cost-effective than it once was.

Re: <i>More</i> Good News?

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

Between the sales fees and eBay's insistence that sellers are no longer allowed to give negative feedback to beastly buyers (such as the shithead who bid on two Jhonen Vasquez T-shirts I was selling, claimed he'd sent a money order, and then threatened negative feedback if I didn't send him two T-shirts he didn't pay for), I'm not going back. It's hard enough to sell books and magazines without the incessant crowd of Cat Piss People who buy used books at used prices and then throw tantrums at the items not being new, and I don't need to spend more time and energy on the vermin who demand that I refund their money and shipping fees and keep the item because they feel they're entitled to free stuff.

Segar, eh?

[deekskusting.livejournal.com]

I am quite interested in the Sirenia Digest sub that is up for grabs.
And I have sent Spooky a message elsewhere which may surprise you.
I hope everything works out for you.

Re: Segar, eh?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

am quite interested in the Sirenia Digest sub that is up for grabs.

Then it's yours! That leaves one still up for grabs.

that surprise

[deekskusting.livejournal.com]

I trust that Spooky informed you of that little secret I had!
I am so bad at keeping things like that to myself.
There are very few who know. Very few.
But it was in regards to your mention of some of your recent reading materials that sparked me to blab! I just could not help myself!

Re: that surprise

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Awwwww Damn I am glad to be back. And glad to see my friends are still my friends. You know who you are.

She did, and it's safe with me. And the Professor. ;-)

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

I wish I could donate more, but I donated what I could. In fact, I'll tell you what: if you can get a decent price for those two Mars books I lent you, sell them off and put the money toward your teeth. I don't think I'm going to be needing them in the near future, and I'd rather know that a friend wasn't in pain than that I had Viking and Mariner orbiter photos.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I wish I could donate more, but I donated what I could.

I feel bad asking people to donate anything, and I certainly don't want them donating more than they can afford. Which is to say, thank you.

In fact, I'll tell you what: if you can get a decent price for those two Mars books I lent you, sell them off and put the money toward your teeth. I don't think I'm going to be needing them in the near future, and I'd rather know that a friend wasn't in pain than that I had Viking and Mariner orbiter photos.

Nope. I'll get them back to you eventually. ;-)

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

Awwwwww. Then I'm just going to have to sell other books to cover the difference. I'd sell copies of mine, but I sold off my sole copy of Squashed Armadillocon last year and practically had to pay the guy to take it away. I didn't know so many states had such laws about the transport of toxic waste.

[bloodlossgirl.livejournal.com]

If it's not already spoken for, I would love the other subscription to Sirenia Digest.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

If it's not already spoken for, I would love the other subscription to Sirenia Digest.

You got it. Please email Spooky at crk_books(at)yahoo(dot)com and give her your email address, and she'll add you to the list.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

This is a little off topic here, but I am trying to remember which of your publications was involved in the Great Trade Paperback Remainder Scandal of a few years back? Was it Silk? I recall that there was a request to steal back purchase these copies where found and return them to you.

I'll be donating tonight after I balance my checkbook.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

This is a little off topic here, but I am trying to remember which of your publications was involved in the Great Trade Paperback Remainder Scandal of a few years back? Was it Silk? I recall that there was a request to steal back purchase these copies where found and return them to you.

It was, in fact, the tbps of Threshold, Low Red Moon, and Murder of Angels. I think Amazon wound up with most of those. That was July 2006.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Well, at least I have a renewed copy of the tpb of Silk. My old first run of it was a bit torn-up.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

I'll be donating tonight after I balance my checkbook.

Done and done, hopefully a respectable contribution. I also pre-ordered the brand spanking new edition of Tales of Pain and Wonder, a long-overdue correction to an oversight.

Well. One of them anyway, there's still another one I need to deal with. *meep*

[terriblyvexd.livejournal.com]

Thank you for creating the donation box!
I've given what I can and am pleased to have done so.
I love your books (and blog) and wish you the best.

[alvyarin.livejournal.com]

Sent along my donation - sending well wishes your way too. I wish I could give more, but have to have a tiny bit left over to give to the local humane society, and then to eat. =)

Since I only discovered you after you'd written In the Garden of Poisonous Flowers, I obviously missed a great deal of your books the first time around. I'm really hoping that they will all get back into print (like Silk has done, etc.) so I can buy them in a way that will benefit you. Do you have any idea of this is the plan for The Dry Salvages, The Five of Cups, etc.?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Sent along my donation - sending well wishes your way too. I wish I could give more, but have to have a tiny bit left over to give to the local humane society, and then to eat. =)

Danke. Like I said above, I certainly don't expect anymore than anyone can reasonably afford, and I am hugely grateful for every donation, no matter the amount.

Do you have any idea of this is the plan for The Dry Salvages, The Five of Cups, etc.?

Right now, there are no plans to bring those two particular books back into print, though there has been talk of subpress doing a free e-book version of The Dry Salvages.

[activistgirl.livejournal.com]

Thought to make a video like this myself but with cuts and clips to make it look like dancing in the bowling alley. Alas, I have neither the time nor the talent so I looked to see if a similar effort had already been made. I don't know if it will top the Isabella Rosellini bug porn or if you know the song by Kellis, but here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCCdZmHk5Fk

Critter sketches would be a great idea, I cherish the one I have from a few years ago!

A small donation in return for the pleasure that is your books

[amygdalafruit.livejournal.com]

Dear Caitlin,
I have made a small donation, I hope it helps in some way.
I only discovered your books in October last year (I have read Threshold, Low Red Moon, Daughter of Hounds, currently reading Silk and have Tales of Pain and Wonder on pre-order) but they have brought me great pleasure - thank you.
Best wishes,
Jay

[blubeagle.livejournal.com]

I haven't any money to contribute, Cait, but know that you're in my thoughts and I buy everything I can of yours, when I can, and I tell everyone to buy your books.

[lindorm.livejournal.com]

In Sweden we have free healtcare and subsidized dental care so I feel lucky and used the donation button to share my good fortune. I've also written a post telling people about it at
http://sfbokhandelnmalmo.blogspot.com/2008/02/en-lysande-frfattares-hrda-vardag.html

It's in Swedish but the pictures are nice! Thank you for the pleasure of reading your books.

[kazdreamer.livejournal.com]

Several people have asked if they may link directly to yesterday's journal entry from their own journals and/or websites, and yes, of course. Please do. That one and this one, too, for that matter.

Done. Sending you healthy vibes and good thoughts.

[daydreammuse.livejournal.com]

I am sorry that I am finding your blog, when you are actually in a tight spot in life and I don't know how much it helps, but for now I can send only my moral support and healing vibes. If I manage to publish a story for a paying magazine (I am still waiting for an swer to my submissions) I shall donate whatever I can. Hope it happens soon.

Hugs! Stay tough!

Hope this helps

[cammycat.livejournal.com]

Hi Caitlin,

Just sent a donation (I would have bought a book or something, but um... have 'em all). I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles. Being self-employed as well, I know how hard it can be.

I hope this helps.

Take care of yourself!

- Cam

Found you via Neil Gaiman...

[phyxius.livejournal.com]

random stranger here, donating partly because of this line: One should always have either mountains or the sea, or, preferably, both at once. having lived in new mexico, vancouver and san francisco, I agree.

Love your taste in movies too - I'm going to see the Assassination of Jesse James tomorrow (for the fourth time, in a third theatre - it's #1 on my list of '07 movies)

... I just noticed that you'd technically stopped taking donations via paypal. and I have a feeling you'll be getting a bunch more due to mr. gaiman's publicity (who linked to your post dated the 6th)...