"The fruit of her amorous centaur, inside her..."

[greygirlbeast]

The only thing keeping me in this chair, at this desk, today is knowledge that clouds and rain are heading towards Providence from the west, and will be here shortly. Otherwise, Spooky and I would be on our way to Beavertail.

But there will be clouds, and there will be rain, and so I'll sit here and wrestle with the dreamsickness.

No actual writing yesterday. Lots and lots of reading on alchemy and dragons, looking for the way into "The Alchemist's Daughter" (a title I'm growing increasingly unhappy with). Today, I need the words to come.

And, by the way, as of night before last, we've been in Providence for a whole year now. Which just seems impossible. But a good sort of impossible.

Probably the best thing about yesterday was the arrival of a 1941 Royal typewriter we found on Etsy. It's the same make and model as the one that Sarah Crowe discovers in the basement of the old house on Barbs Hill Road, the one Charles Harvey was writing on, the one that Sarah uses to write The Red Tree. It's one of the few props we needed to acquire to shoot the promotional "trailer" this summer, and Spooky was lucky enough to find someone over on the east side of Providence with one for sale cheap, even though it's in fantastic condition. This is, by the way, the same make and model of typewriter that I grew up writing on, and that I was still using as recently as 1985. It weighs a marvelous 30+ pounds. Here are a couple of photos:





By the way, I'm trying to think of a contest wherein the prize would be one of the ARCs of The Red Tree. So far, the best idea has been a contest to create banner ads, and that's certainly something I need, but I'm still thinking. I might come up with something even better. The book will be released on August 4th, in case you're wondering.

Last night, Spooky read to me from Andrea Barrett's The Voyage of the Narwhal, and we watched Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army again. Gods, I adore this film, and not only for its beautiful and terrifying vision of Faerie (though that would be sufficient). And then we played some WoW. I'm almost halfway to Lvl 70, which is as high as I'll go for a while. We're planning on playing through the rest of "The Burning Crusade" expansion, and going back and doing a lot of the dungeons on Azeroth we were unable to do when we should have, before moving along to "Wrath of the Lich King." Northrend and the death knights can wait. I got to bed at 2:30 a.m., a vast improvement over the last few nights.

This is the last thing I read before bed last night, news of a Sacramento, CA morning talk-radio show's attack against transgender children that went so far as to advocate physical violence against them. It's unspeakably sick, the things these people were allowed to broadcast, and that their listeners are receptive, but then it's the same sick, hateful shit I've had to live through. The more I see...well...never mind. I've seen much too much in forty-five years, and it's left me with absolutely no tolerance for this sort of ignorant, inexcusable intolerance. GLAAD is watching these assholes now, and I'll be following the story.

Comments

[kalamah.livejournal.com]

The typewriter is a Thing of Beauty. And, yes, don't you just hate the haters?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

And, yes, don't you just hate the haters?

I do, and I'm not ashamed to say that I do. There is no educating assholes like this out of their hate, and I've never cared much for turning the other cheek.

[kalamah.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[brienze.livejournal.com]

In case you haven't seen this yet...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

In case you haven't seen this yet...

I've seen it. And I approve. But it's still a small step forward.

[sovay]

And, by the way, as of night before last, we've been in Providence for a whole year now.

Mazel tov!

This is the last thing I read before bed last night

I hope they are not just being watched; I hope legal action is being taken against them. That was one of the most upsetting things I had read in months.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I hope they are not just being watched; I hope legal action is being taken against them. That was one of the most upsetting things I had read in months.

At this juncture, GLAAD is asking for an apology, which seems utterly absurd, so far as I'm concerned. That is, unless the station apologized and fired these psycho redneck fucks. There's talk of a boycott of the station's advertisers, and complaints are being filed with the FCC. The First Amendment does not protect hate speech or calls to violence.

[sovay]

That is, unless the station apologized and fired these psycho redneck fucks.

That would be a start.

There's talk of a boycott of the station's advertisers, and complaints are being filed with the FCC.

Good. I hope the FCC has its act together. I don't understand how this behavior isn't simply illegal.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Good. I hope the FCC has its act together. I don't understand how this behavior isn't simply illegal.

Actually, when taken to this extreme, it probably is.

[humglum.livejournal.com]

As I recall, and this is going back a long time now (haven't done college radio since about '95), the FCC was really very strict about what could and could not be aired. Our program director was constantly monitoring both music and the DJ banter, regardless of time of day, to make sure we were not endangering the station.

[juushika.livejournal.com]

By the way, I'm trying to think of a contest wherein the prize would be one of the ARCs of The Red Tree.
How about a pimp my book contest? Other people post about/link to info or preorders on the upcoming novel on their blogs and then link that post back to you in the comments? If you have a banner or book trailer by then, you could perhaps require that bloggers post that, or award multiple drawing entries depending on how much content they post. Having others talk publicly about the book quite literally expands its market. (There was a similar release contest (http://cindypon.com/2009/silver-phoenix-set-free/) for Silver Phoenix, if you want to poke more at how someone else went about it.)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

How about a pimp my book contest? Other people post about/link to info or preorders on the upcoming novel on their blogs and then link that post back to you in the comments? If you have a banner or book trailer by then, you could perhaps require that bloggers post that, or award multiple drawing entries depending on how much content they post. Having others talk publicly about the book quite literally expands its market.

I'll add this to the list of possibilities. Thanks.

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

Lots of ideas here (http://yuki-onna.livejournal.com/439405.html). Cat's promotional plan for Palimpsest was, I thought, very effective, though I will be interested to see the end result in terms of sales, if she discusses that online. At least in the places I frequent online, it was more or less impossible not to know that the book was coming out and something about it. Don't know how much time all that promotion took, though I assume it was substantial.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links. Lots here to consider.

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

And thank you for posting about the talk radio attack. Horrifying.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

And thank you for posting about the talk radio attack. Horrifying.

I wish there were a lot more I could do. I mean besides post here, complain to the station, and file a complaint with the FCC.

[eclectic-writer.livejournal.com]

That Sacramento thing has me cross-eyed in anger: it's my hometown and I thought it was better than that. All I can think to do is a letter-writing campaign to the station and local newspapers but all that would do is give these motherfuckers publicity.

God. I hate this shit so fucking much.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

All I can think to do is a letter-writing campaign to the station and local newspapers but all that would do is give these motherfuckers publicity.

And I know these assholes will likely thrive off the publicity they've already received because of this. My hope is that force can be brought to bear against the station for permitting it. These same "shock jocks" had their show in Seattle canceled.

[eclectic-writer.livejournal.com]

I hope the FCC steps in. I haven't heard the broadcast yet but if even half the things quoted in that article were said on air, there has GOT to be repercussions, even if noothing else than that one fucker having CPS called on his family.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

even if noothing else than that one fucker having CPS called on his family.

Yes, that's another thing I'm hoping to see (but not holding my breath).

[suzie-n-sophie.livejournal.com]

Boy! That typewriter brings back memories.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

That typewriter brings back memories.

I thought that it would.

[gargirl.livejournal.com]

omg

Those radio guys are... how could they possibly SAY such things??? That is the sickest garbage, just the most hateful, horrible bullshit! They are advocating, GLORIFYING child abuse! They are actually bragging that they would abuse and humiliate and torture their own children. ... I am fucking SICK over this.

How could you hate your own kid???

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

How could you hate your own kid???

Indeed.

Of course, many parents of transgender children and adults will say, "I don't hate you, I hate what you're doing." It's a variation on the old "hate the sin, not the sinner" crap.

[gargirl.livejournal.com]

That is awful. The people kids should be able to count on to be on their side should seriously BE ON THEIR SIDE especially if the kid is different in some way, be they learning disabled, autistic, gay, transgendered or some other thing I can't think of because my head hurts. I am telling you, I am loving and supporting my kids through their troubles now and will be on their side if they are hetero, homo, transgendered or whatever. How could a sane parent do anything else?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

How could a sane parent do anything else?

Hate. Fear. Ignorance. There are a lot of answers to that question.

I don't think many people are "sane."

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

That typewriter is dead freaking sexy. In fact, it needs its own icon to demonstrate how sexy it is.

As for shock jocks, there's no need to repeat what's already been said. Repugnant.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

That typewriter is dead freaking sexy.

I think so.

In fact, it needs its own icon to demonstrate how sexy it is.

You're probably right.

As for shock jocks, there's just some shit that doesn't even need to be said. Repugnant.

I don't listen to this stuff, and really have no idea how common this sort of thing is. I wouldn't have known of this story if it hadn't come to my attention via the web.

[kongjie.livejournal.com]

I don't listen to this stuff, and really have no idea how common this sort of thing is.

A couple times a month I drive to work instead of riding my bike and I turn on talk radio for the 20-minute drive, and inevitably within that short interval I'm grinding my teeth and furious.

The last unbelievable thing I heard was a local San Francisco idiot who was expressing concern about the number of Muslims getting into positions of power in government in the US, and how it should be looked into. How do you respond to something like that?

Also, I've heard on that station on more than one occasion the prop 8 debate devolve into "if we allow same-sex couples to marry, what's to stop people from marrying children, or animals, or multiple spouses?"

So please, don't *start* listening to this stuff, as it's not good for your mental health.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

I've gotten several of those typewriters for my mom, who uses them daily. The only problem being it's getting more difficult to find replacement ribbons. There used to be a great little shop for that sort of thing in Beverly (or maybe Peabody), MA. There's also an old typewriter repair place in Southern Maine :)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

The only problem being it's getting more difficult to find replacement ribbons. There used to be a great little shop for that sort of thing in Beverly (or maybe Peabody), MA. There's also an old typewriter repair place in Southern Maine :)

So far, we've only found them online. But they're surprisingly cheap.

[maetrics.livejournal.com]

Oh hello, lovely day. I think I'll just leave this here..

http://www.tegehel.org/art/painting/paint32_giant_cthulhu.htm

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I think I'll just leave this here..

I've adored that painting since the first time I saw it. But, likely, you knew that already.

[maetrics.livejournal.com]

Yes, and as have I. However, I never knew the artist, and thus never could pay him my respect (or order prints). I also enjoy the new meaning of his perspective.

"... now the children become the caped freaks, by association with their original position in the Wyeth painting. It makes the mood even creepier, knowing that one of them is being sacrificed, by the same children who, decades ago, played together on this very sand beach."

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

"... now the children become the caped freaks, by association with their original position in the Wyeth painting. It makes the mood even creepier, knowing that one of them is being sacrificed, by the same children who, decades ago, played together on this very sand beach."

It is sublime.

[chaos-sleeps.livejournal.com]

After going through a recent buying spree and acquiring a handful of other manual typewriters, I've come back to that model of Royal to write my current manuscript on. It is indeed a lovely beast, both aesthetically and functionally.

Mine has an old tag on it labeled "Methodist Pub House" which is particularly satisfying considering the blasphemies I'm writing with it.

[kazdreamer.livejournal.com]

Totally agree with you about del Toro's Hellboy II. Loved it. He's going to be in London for a booksigning this Saturday... Am very much looking forward to meeting the man. :)

[violentbloom.livejournal.com]

weird I have one just like that! They weight a ton, shipping must have been expensive!