"Gather up the lost and sold."

[greygirlbeast]

Rainy and cold here in Providence. The sky is the color of the way I feel.

Comments always welcomed, especially on Mondays.
---

To-do list for April (with three days already behind me):

1. Story for Dark Horse (TBA)
2. Story for sf anthology (TBA)
3. Sirenia Digest #65
4. All that other stuff.

---

Yesterday, I pulled the manuscript for The Drowning Girl out again and added a new page of text to the "epilogue." It's not actually a conventional epilogue; it's a section at the end called "Back Pages" which contains various oddments and loose threads, after which I(mp) typed THE END. Then I rewrote and expanded a portion of pages of 281 and 282. And then I read aloud to myself the section of the novel which I think of as 7, though I think the actual title of that section is:

7/7/7/7
7/7
7
seven
7
7/7
7/7/7/7


Then I read aloud to myself all of "Random Notes Before a Fatal Crash," and I made a great deal more line edits than I'd have expected would be necessary.

Today will be spent pulling together Sirenia Digest #64, in hopes that I can get it out to subscribers this evening. I have Vince's illustration, which I'm very pleased with.

---

A preview of the photos taken by kylecassidy on Saturday. This is undoubtedly the best photograph anyone's taken of me since...2003, I think. The creature behind me is Kronosaurus queenslandicus, a gigantic short-necked plesiosaur from Australia.


Dr. Caitlín R. Kiernan, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology & Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology*

Photograph Copyright © 2011 by Kyle Cassidy

---

The evening was spent with roast turkey, recreational Vicodin use, and more Californication re-watching, and then, late (or early), because I couldn't sleep, Rift on Spooky's laptop. I played my Eth warrior, Indus. I think I got to bed about 4:00 ayem. There were elaborate, apocalyptic nightmares I thankfully can't now recall. I think the only time I actually sleep restfully these days is when I doze off in the car or take very short naps directly after work. Oh, also last night, lots of listening to the new Radiohead, The King of Limbs, which is, as expected, brilliant. Thanks, Steven.

Now, time to edit and format, and also write a prolegomenon.

Probably the Last Martian,
Aunt Beast

* A little wishful thinking never hurt anyone.

Comments

[ceewayne.livejournal.com]

You look kind.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Now...that's interesting.

I would say I am not unkind (which sounds sort of arrogant...or suspicious...or something).

[ceewayne.livejournal.com]

The way that you, for lack of a better term, set limits on interaction with us. You let us know what you consider proper interaction. You are not mean or nasty or unfair in doing this. To me that is an act of kindness because it prevents hurt feelings on both sides.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[scarletboi.livejournal.com]

That picture is wonderful.

The northeast agrees with you. We seriously need to get up there to visit. We miss both of you.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

The northeast agrees with you.

Wait. It does?

We seriously need to get up there to visit. We miss both of you.

Likewise.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

I think the actual title of that section is...

Since I don't want to spam the comments by reposting the 7s. But anyway: am I right to be seeing the AbracadabrA here?

Also, is it wrong to see something faintly predatory in that smile? Maybe just mischievous.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

But anyway: am I right to be seeing the AbracadabrA here?

Nothing you see here is wrong.

Also, is it wrong to see something faintly predatory in that smile?

I was surrounded by prehistoric carnivores...

[lois2037.livejournal.com]

Well, everybodys' already said what a lovely photo that is, but it really is! And how cool to have that amazing skull behind you! It's impossible to crop photos like that -- too much goodness would have to be left out.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

It's impossible to crop photos like that -- too much goodness would have to be left out.

[niamh-sage.livejournal.com]

I already said it over on Fusebox, but I'll say it again: this is a marvellous photo. My jaw actually dropped when I saw it. You look fantastic and I LOVE the background, it's flipping perfect.

I'll stop frothing now.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

My jaw actually dropped when I saw it. You look fantastic and I LOVE the background, it's flipping perfect.

Thank you. But what's Fusebox?

[niamh-sage.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I was on autopilot - Fusebox is what I call Facebook and I forget that not everyone knows that!

[veghead.livejournal.com]

Beautiful photo -- excited to see the rest. =-)

[mlb194.livejournal.com]

I always remember getting shouted at by my teacher at school for writing 'The End' on a story I had written in class. I cannot remember her reasoning, I was only eight at the time, but just her anger. Twenty seven years on I feel somewhat validated!

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Twenty seven years on I feel somewhat validated!

Imp has quite a lot to say about the whole silly concept of THE END (and chapters and beginnings, for that matter).

[missmonsta.livejournal.com]

Joining the stack of other commenters to say - great photo!
And great to see you with a little piece of my home (well, a large fossilised piece of home)... You can take the girl out of Australia but you can't take the (love of) Australia out of the girl :)

[akaten.livejournal.com]

Great composition on that photo, and I love your expression-- sort of the "I'm listening to yet ANOTHER wet-behind-the-ears undergraduate blather her way through the oral examination? Goddess deliver me" look, but with warmth and humor. I quite like it.