greygirlbeast | "Quell the rage that deeply seethes, the extremes of these devotions."

1. No idea why I'm using the cute Bjork icon the morning. I just couldn't seem to help myself.

2. Still happy about The Red Tree, A is for Alien, and "Galápagos" having all three landed on Locus Magazine's 2009 Recommended Reading List. It's always nice to know someone has noticed.

3. This morning, I awoke to a dusting of snow here in Providence. Maybe half an inch. We've had much less snow this winter than last.

4. Last night, Spooky and I celebrated her release from jury prison by binging on movies. First we watched Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, which I found completely delightful. It's the sort of film that leaves me with nothing at all to complain about. And then we watched Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys again. It's a favorite, but both of us had only seen it twice ("Fuck the bozos!"). And speaking of movies, Geoffrey read me the Oscar nominations yesterday and I was...baffled. It's a baffling, and, at times, ridiculous list. But I am glad see Tarantino and Inglorious Basterds getting the attention it deserves, and I'm also rooting for Avatar, Up in the Air, A Simple Man, and a few others. And yeah, I did like District 9. I liked it a lot. But it's presence on the Oscar list still leaves me a bit perplexed.

5. Today, I finish pulling Sirenia Digest #50 together, and tonight, barring any unforeseen cataclysms, it will go out to subscribers.

6. There are few surer signs that's I'm not firing on all cylinders than discovering I've failed to get a set of revisions to an editor on time. Last night, I got an email from S.T. Joshi, wondering about my line edits to "Pickman's Other Model" (which will be appearing in Black Wings: New Tales of Lovecraftian Horror from PS Publishing). And I thought, "I sent those." But no, I'd not. I made the edits, back on December 16th, but I never actually typed them up and emailed them to Joshi. It is likely now too late. Fortunately, it was all very minor stuff. But it is a warning from me to me, to get back on the ball.

7. Back on Sunday, Spooky bought a new coffee maker (I've not had a coffee maker since 2005). It has a single glowing blue eye, and I call it Hal (yes, even though the eye is blue). She also got a pillow, two pairs of pajama pants for me, and a new bath mat. Combine this with the gifts from her mom, and it's been an odd (but needed) shower of domesticity around here.

8. Remember how much I loathe the cover of The Red Tree? I first saw this video devoted to the evolution of the "tramp stamp" urban-fantasy cover a year or so ago, but Spooky came across it again last night, and I thought I'd share. It would be funny, if not for the damage this sort of drek has done my own books (or at least done my nerves and aesthetic sensibilities):

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

On the bright side, weremonkey and I love the cover and interiors of Alabaster (we have copy # L). Naifeh is a personal favorite.

Thank you. Yes. I am so very happy with the all the art Ted did for Alabaster.

I didn't realize Alabaster came in a lettered edition. Was this not advertised or was I not paying attention?

I didn't realize Alabaster came in a lettered edition. Was this not advertised or was I not paying attention?

You know...now I am very fucking confused. The copy on my shelf is from the numbered edition, and Spooky can't recall, either. But if someone says they have "L"....

I'm going to look into this.

Yeah, it's stated right there on the signature page, 26 lettered copies. I never noticed. I definitely would have purchased the lettered edition had I known of it!

I think we have some in storage. We auctioned one, with a doll, back in Dec. 2006.

Hmmm, I may have to ask you very very nicely to some day take one out of storage for auction again ;)

What about A is for Alien or To Charles Fort, with Love? May I ask why those did not get the lettered edition treatment? I'm just curious, now that I think about it.

I am so very happy with the all the art Ted did for Alabaster.

Ted did a great job. His visual treatment is one of the reasons that I think the book could actually help sell a screenplay—that and the fact that it’s such a short book. I admit it’s only a slight edge, but it’s, you know, an edge. (Okay. I’ll shut up about it now.)

I’m reading The Red Tree (finally), and I keep wondering, “Where is Sarah’s witchy tramp stamp?”

I’m reading The Red Tree (finally), and I keep wondering, “Where is Sarah’s witchy tramp stamp?”

The woman on the cover was actually meant to be Constance, though it really looks like neither of them.

The woman on the cover was actually meant to be Constance, though it really looks like neither of them.

Is Constance the one with the tattoo then? I haven’t gotten to that part yet...

Joking aside, I am liking the book. The narrative is making me rethink my approach to the book I’m working on. When you started writing The Red Tree, did you begin with the fictional editor’s preface, or did you write that later? I guess what I’m asking is, did you have an agenda when you wrote the preface, and did you always know you were going to write it? Did the book fit the preface or the other way around?

Is Constance the one with the tattoo then?

Yes...and you would have thought they'd taken presence of a book with an actual tattoo to go with that sort of thing.

When you started writing The Red Tree, did you begin with the fictional editor’s preface, or did you write that later? I guess what I’m asking is, did you have an agenda when you wrote the preface, and did you always know you were going to write it? Did the book fit the preface or the other way around?

I wrote the preface first. Then Chapter One, and so on. It's pretty much the way I always write.

Edited 2010-02-03 22:13 (UTC)

I wrote the preface first. Then Chapter One, and so on. It's pretty much the way I always write.

Not I, said the fox. I always save stuff for later. Otherwise, I get hung up. But I figured you were going to say that.

Witchy tramp stamps are money. There is always the mass market paperback...

Not I, said the fox. I always save stuff for later. Otherwise, I get hung up. But I figured you were going to say that.

I know many, many good writers write books out of order. I just can't even imagine doing it that way.

There is always the mass market paperback...

It gets the very same cover. The layout has already been done.

I know many, many good writers write books out of order.

I’m choosing to take that as encouragement.

"Quell the rage that deeply seethes, the extremes of these devotions."

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