"Beneath this bold and brilliant sun..."

[greygirlbeast]

I've just been told that Twitter has taken credit for the Russian Revolution.

Today is Darwin Day.

Here in Providence, the smallest fraction of snow has melted. The cold hangs in the air, thick as soup. In the the house, the house I do not leave, I suspect the humidity is in the single digits. The air is crisp, and it crackles when I walk through a room. A migraine came to visit yesterday, and I'm better this morning, but it's still very close.

Yesterday, I wrote 1,281 words on the eighth chapter of The Drowning Girl: A Memoir, despite the headache. Later, perhaps because of the headache, the final fifth of the novel occurred to me with almost perfect clarity, pieces falling into place, blindsided by revelation. Solutions to problems, problems I was not even sure existed. And this is why I detest proposals and outlines. This is how I discover a story, by writing it. I never could have imagined the end of the novel, because to learn that end I had to blindly travel the road of the book.

After the writing, we proofed "Night Story 1973," for Two Worlds and In Between. I wrote the story with docbrite back in 2000.

Answers to the current Question @ Hand— If you were to make of me— of my actual, physical body —a work of art, what would it be? —have almost all involved my death, a procession of postmortem art crimes. And that's entirely cool. But I'm beginning to wonder if I left readers with the impression that my death was a necessary part of their answers. It's not. You may actually work with the living flesh. Go ahead. I won't bite...

Last night, we watched Antti-Jussi Annila's Sauna (2008), and oh my fucking dog what a brilliant fucking film. I has been a long time since I've been genuinely disturbed by a film on the level that Sauna unnerved me. It's an exploration of the Wrong Thing, of the limits of human comprehension when faced with the unknowable. That which hides behind the back of God, to paraphrase the film. The cinematography is exquisite. There are five-second shots that communicate more dread and awe than most "horror" films manage in their entirety. Every frame of film is invested with quiet tension. Seriously, see this. If I made movies, it's the sort of film I'd be trying to make.

We also read the first six chapters of blackholly's White Cat. Actually, some time back, Spooky listened to the audiobook, read by Jessie Eisenberg, so she's already "read" it, but it's new to me. Very good so far.

A much appreciated package from Steven Lubold yesterday, which included a biography of Mary Anning, the most recent Mouse Guard hardback, and the new Decemberists album, The King is Dead. I already have a favorite track— "Don't Carry It All" –though I expect that by tomorrow I'll have a new favorite track off the disc. A box can brighten a day. Thank you, Steven.

Comments

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

But I'm beginning to wonder if I left readers with the impression that my death was a necessary part of their answers. It's not. You may actually work with the living flesh.

My false sculpture proposal doesn't require your death - parts of it would actually be more convenient if you were alive. (:

It might sidestep the "making art with your physical body" part, but then ceramic kilns tend to reduce most biological matter to cinders.

- Mel

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

My false sculpture proposal doesn't require your death - parts of it would actually be more convenient if you were alive.

This is why I said almost all....

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

I would love to fake out the gallery by having you take part in the installation, though. Cross the line into performance, too.

- Mel

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I would love to fake out the gallery by having you take part in the installation, though. Cross the line into performance, too.

I like that very, very much.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

I went to the local Sea Life Centre today, partially for inspiration for the Question @ Hand, and I thought of you and your stories. Not that many tentacles, but I saw a sea apple for the first time. And I've fallen in love. It looks as if it should belong on one of your covers.
Still not devised the Aunt Beast Sculpture yet, but I'd rather not bump you off.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Still not devised the Aunt Beast Sculpture yet, but I'd rather not bump you off.

This sentence makes me smile.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

And this is why I detest proposals and outlines. This is how I discover a story, by writing it. I never could have imagined the end of the novel, because to learn that end I had to blindly travel the road of the book.

Reading this today was good for me. Thank you.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Reading this today was good for me. Thank you.

You're welcome.

[lee-in-limbo.livejournal.com]

Not quite finished my offering to your body=art request. Just reading your comment that most folks seem to be doing a hatchet job on you made me think, rather perversely, of an old Blind Melon tune: Skinned (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHQiEouznmc). Probably one of several reasons I didn't go that route myself. Of course, I also remember the story from Outside, which is also a direction I didn't go in, but is probably a fair bit closer to where I actually did go.

I'll have it to you in an hour or two, I suspect.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Of course, I also remember the story from Outside,

Possibly...and possibly not...the thing that triggered this question in my mind.

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

Sauna! Fuck yeah! Wasn't that thing amazing? I saw it a year ago and still dream about that closing scene. Also, as I said elsewhere (http://jtglover.livejournal.com/241801.html), it felt a bit like what I imagine a Kathe Koja novel might be like in cinematic format.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I saw it a year ago and still dream about that closing scene.

Truthfully, the shots of the sauna sitting there in the swamp, that thing out of place, were more disturbing to me than the more overt terror at the film's conclusion.

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

I kept asking myself about that as well, though the building materials (concrete? ashlar?) disturbed me more than the location, in certain ways. I'm not an expert on premodern sauna construction, but it sure felt alien.

[tanthe.livejournal.com]

Mouse Guard is such a lovely lovely world! The boy got me to read Fall 1152, and I'm halfway through Winter 1152, with the 4 issues of Legends of the Guard (I was happy to see Ted Naifeh told and illustrated one of the stories there) and the first Black Axe one waiting in the wings.

Sauna sounds interesting, and I think I will definitely check it out. It'll be nice to find something that's horrific and not in the sense of solely throwing buckets of gore around.

[jacobluest.livejournal.com]

You know, you were a librarian and a mother of monsters in a dream I had (http://jacobluest.livejournal.com/362797.html). I know it's strange, but there it is.

~Jacob