A Day in Newport (Three Days Ago)

[greygirlbeast]

I haven't much felt like making entries the last few days, and as I was on "vacation," I didn't.

But today it's back to work, and a small mountain of tedium awaits me. I only have to make a molehill of it all by the end of the day.

The time has come that I have to get very serious about beginning the next novel. I'd decided that it would be Joey LaFaye, and I thought, back in December, that it was a hard and fast decision. But now I'm thinking I'm still not ready. I think maybe I know, now, what Neil meant about not writing The Graveyard Book for so long, because he didn't feel as though he was yet a good enough writer to do it justice. I believe that's what has happened to me with Joey LaFaye. I want to write it. I've been attempting to write it for something like three years now. But I'm just not ready. Instead, I will write something else. I do not yet know precisely what, but it might involve the "yellow house" in Providence (see "So Runs the World Away," "The Dead and the Moonstruck," Low Red Moon, Daughter of Hounds, etc.), something concerning the New England vampire hysteria of the 19th Century. But I'm not yet certain. Mother and I are still collating.

Seven days off, and I might actually feel more exhausted than I did beforehand.

The most interesting thing I've done in the last seven days was Sunday's trip to Newport. I have it in my head that the story I need to begin tomorrow will be set there, and, also, I wanted to see the waterfront, which is always too clogged with sweaty, ill-dressed tourists in the summer to bother with. It was warmish and sunny when we left Providence, but by the time we crossed the bridge to Aquidneck Island and reached Newport, clouds had moved in and the day had turned chillier. We parked off Washington Street, then walked south along America's Cup Avenue and Thames Street. I was sorely disappointed, though I should have expected it. I recall having said before how much I want to see a fishing town that is still a fishing town, and not a self-parody, living off tourism. Gloucester is the closest I've gotten. Newport, though, feels like fucking Disney World. Everything is too bright, too stark, too friendly, too not-quite-real. And even in that nasty weather, there were tourists from Connecticut and New York (just not so many you couldn't walk along the sidewalks). But the harbour was nice, and the boats, and we found a wholesale lobster place that didn't mind us strolling about inside amongst the holding tanks and equipment. I think the lobster place was the only thing that actually almost felt real. When we'd finally had enough of tacky gift shops., we drove east to the Redwood Library and Athenaeum (ca. 1747), which is gorgeous. We may be heading back there tomorrow. It's the oldest lending library in America, and the oldest library building in continuous use anywhere in the US. Anyway, there are some photos behind the cut:





Approaching the Claiborne Pell Bridge to Aquidneck Island. View to the southeast.



Boats make me feel better.



Inside the lobster place, I found this dessicated exoskeleton of an Hamarus americanus.



The lobster wholesale place, and it seems that, during the summer, the place also houses gift shops. A shame, that.



Lobsters! A few were really huge, and there were also rock crabs in the tanks.



Looking across Newport Harbour to Goat Island, view to the southwest. I love that shot of the sky.



This scruffy little black boat just sort of made me love it.



Sails on the harbour. View to the southwest.

All photographs Copyright © 2009 by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Comments

[nykolus.livejournal.com]

dammit, janet! sorry. i can never help myself...

as much as we would love to read JLaF, we wouldn't want a premature birth. if a proper gestating period is required, then so be it. we'll wait. good vibes. good vibes.

[timesygn.livejournal.com]

Having enjoyed the JOEY LAFAYE excerpt in a previous SIRENIA, I find it fascinating that you have the self-awareness to say you're "not ready" to write something yet.

Assuming you're not too busy/exhausted/distracted to respond to comments, I'd be interested to hear how you experience this "not ready"-ness. And how will you know when you _are_ ready? Will it be by some personal scale of quality evident on other, finished projects or as part of some more internal, personal experience?

Thanks.

[sovay]

I do not yet know precisely what, but it might involve the "yellow house" in Providence (see "So Runs the World Away," "The Dead and the Moonstruck," Low Red Moon, Daughter of Hounds, etc.), something concerning the New England vampire hysteria of the 19th Century.

I'd read that. And while I'd also like to read Joey LaFaye, I would like best to read the Joey LaFaye that you feel you have written as it deserves. I can wait.

I am very glad you got boats and lobsters.

[awdrey-gore.livejournal.com]

I, for one, would be very interested in a book about the New England vampire hysteria. I read Michael Bell's Food for the Dead several times. I had a little fantasy of finding Mercy Brown's grave, but I think that is more an excuse to get the hell out of Texas into Rhode Island, damn the reason.

I'd be very interested to see how you'd write about the Browns and the Tillinghasts.

[gargirl.livejournal.com]

"something concerning the New England vampire hysteria of the 19th Century. But I'm not yet certain."

Well, you have piqued my interest. I am still catching up with all your work, probably will be for a while, but it won't stop me from grabbing the new stuff as it gets released.

It would be great if vacations could be restful. Seems like they are often more tiring than work-weeks. :/

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

Mother and I are still collating.

At least your break has you feeling more sly.

Looking across Newport Harbour to Goat Island, view to the southwest. I love that shot of the sky.

Now, were this tinted slightly red, it would perfectly resemble the moment in your novels when absolutely everything goes completely to fucking hell.

Fishing village

[pumpkinthunder.livejournal.com]

If you're after a fishing village that still is a fishing village, I recommend a trip to the northern end of Cape Breton Island- follow the Cabot trail from Ingonish to Cheticamp and you're likely to find what you seek.