"Into fire you can send us. From the fire we return."

[greygirlbeast]

I'd certainly not planned not to make entries for the past two days. But there's been damned little to report. We were hit with a sort of micro-heatwave, compounded by outrageous humidity. Which pretty much made working in the House impossible. On top of that, I've been in a worse-than-usual funk, which I suspect is the comedown after last week (book release, filming at the Arboretum, hanging out in Boston, signing at Pandemonium, etc.). Add to that stress over book sales. So, I thought it best I stay away from the journal for a bit. Last night, the rains came, blocking our view of the Perseid meteor shower, but driving away the heat and rendering the House livable again.

But, we got out of here yesterday, and drove down to the public library in Peace Dale (1890-1891), one of my favorite libraries in the state. We'd meant to do this on Monday, and my week thus far might have been more productive if we had. But Monday was Victory Day, and Rhode Island is the last state in the Union that still celebrates it, and all the libraries were closed. Anyway, I sat in the Peace Dale public library, in the glorious AC, and for a while I only listened to an audiobook of Jeremy Irons reading Lolita. That seemed to jog my senses back to life, and I made pages of notes for the novel that I have to write next, beginning in September, now that The Red Tree is out in the wide, wide world. I think I may have found a plot, and I have to report it has nothing much to do with vampires. And though the working title is Blood Oranges, it also has nothing much to do with citrus. Later in the day, when I had no more notes to write, I read part of a biography of Walt Disney, which was fairly surreal after Jeremy Irons and Nabokov. The library closed at six, and we headed back to Providence. The rain caught us just as we made it back into the city. There's a fairly random set of photos below, behind the cut. Oh, I also mailed out three copies of The Red Tree yesterday, to various people to whom copies were owed.

There was a moderate seizure on the way to Peace Dale, and I hate when they happen in the car. But I was wearing my seat belt, and have no bruises or chewed mouth parts to show for it.

We've added a little bit of new content to the website (thank you, Chris), including a new video clip on the front page, and a free downloadable wallpaper based on the accumulated "evidence." (thank you, Nicola). Much more new content is on the way. Spooky's still editing the "trailer." And I very much want to encourage readers to submit potential content, whether it's visual art or additional "evidence" and scholarship related to the "red tree" and other phenomena at or near the old Wight Place. Just send it to me at greygirlbeast(at)gmail(dot)com.

I received a marvelous care package yesterday from txtriffidranch, which included a copy of Cristiano Dal Sasso's Dinosaurs of Italy, which has been on my Amazon wishlist for about two years. Thank you, Paul.

Yesterday I also read a very, very good review of The Red Tree, one I have already called "extra splendid." I love it all the more because it was not written by a professional book reviewer. Increasingly, pro reviews seem to me like one-paragraph book reports. Anyway, you can read the review here. It is marvelously spoiler free, by the way.

Okay, today I must write. I'm three days behind schedule, at this point. Not much more to say, anyway. We've been watching Space: Above and Beyond, and proofreading The Ammonite Violin & Others, and eating things you don't have to cook.





The post office in Slocum, my favorite in Rhode Island.



I managed to get a shot of this groundhog (Marmota monax) trundling across a front lawn on Upper College Road, near URI.



My "work station" (I deplore that term) in the Peace Dale Public Library. I forgot to get an exterior shot, which is a shame. Gorgeous building. And I love the idea of "graphic noes."



Thunderheads over Providence, view to the northeast.



As above.



View to the west, as the clouds swallow the sun.

All photographs Copyright © 2009 by Caitlín R. Kiernan and Kathryn A. Pollnac

Comments

[txtriffidranch.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that you got it. Did you need more Cthulhu figures? I can get a whole bag of 'em for $15 if you need little strange things to leave around Providence.

[brienze.livejournal.com]

Just in case your morning needs a LOL...

http://roflrazzi.com/2009/08/11/celebrity-pictures-william-shakespeare-stephenie-meyer/

[sovay]

nd a free downloadable wallpaper based on the accumulated "evidence."

That is really awesome wallpaper. Also, the clouds.

[timesygn.livejournal.com]

Reading the words Blood Oranges together made me squirm uncomfortably. If that was your intention, then mission accomplished.

I only listened to an audiobook of Jeremy Irons reading Lolita ...

His turn as HH in the film remake is quite good ...

[gargirl.livejournal.com]

That really is an excellent review. Having finished reading The Red Tree, I can say I agree whole heartedly with it.

Yes, the weather was just disgusting the past couple of days. So humid everything is clammy. We are still waiting for a nice storm to end it. Happily it is overcast right now.

[ardiril.livejournal.com]

I love that Paulus Torchus review. I will quote him when I recommend the book to others. I can't wait to read the book itself but I had a double bypass the day it published. I still feel too sick to read anything. Just as I wrote you, that mad dash move from Boston to Fresno would put me in the hospital.

[c0rporatetrash.livejournal.com]

I caught a few meteors around 2 AM and tried to take some long-exposure photos, but unfortunately the clouds got in the way.

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

I have been two seven or eight bookstores in Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and various other places in the southwestern PA area and not one of them has The Red Tree. I've now ordered it online, of course, but I wonder what's going on with distribution here....

[elmocho.livejournal.com]

I'm curious about what spiral notebook that is. It looks like the print on it is two lines to a regular line, unless you're using quadrille.

[imajican.livejournal.com]

Hello,

I couldn't help noticing your picture of the groundhog. I thought the boyfriend and I were the only ones who would take such photos of these poor little fellows that most think of as "pests". We had three baby ones in our backyard last summer. Nothing made for a cuter photo than the mama her and her three babies.