"And grind my soft, cold bones below..."

[greygirlbeast]

I only just got the news of Joanna Russ' death.

I think we're taking the day off, even though today isn't as warm as yesterday, by about ten degrees. So, this entry will be a swift recounting of yesterday. Or at least I mean for it to be that.

Yesterday, I wrote 1,709 words on "The Carnival is Dead and Gone," but it wants to be a short story, not a vignette, so I'm, at best, only two thirds of the way through it. I find it one of my especially disturbing pieces, for various reasons. Also, I exchanged many emails yesterday with kylecassidy regarding the book trailer for The Drowning Girl: A Memoir, though conversation also strayed to the Matawan Creek shark attacks of 1916 and Providence's HPL landmarks.

My story "Tidal Forces," which appears in Johnathan Strahan's forthcoming collection, Eclipse 4, has been singled out for the "Good Story Award" over at Locus.com. Thank you, Lois Tilton. (This is not an actual award award, but it made me smile, nonetheless).

If everything stays on track, Sirenia Digest #65 will go out to subscribers on Wednesday. It will include "The Carnival is Dead and Gone," the best replies to the most recent Question @ Hand, and a profile of German surrealist Michael Hutter, featuring examples of his marvelous artwork.

Last night, we watched what was almost a rather serviceable thriller, Jonas Åkerlund's Horsemen (2009). Unfortunately, there's an utterly implausible upbeat ending that blows the whole thing, causing it to veer into after-school special territory at the very last. I strongly suspect the studio forced that ending on the director, but haven't been able to confirm the suspicion. Ziyi Zhang was, by far, the best thing anywhere in the film. Anyway, I also did a little rp, and Spooky and I began reading the novel that will be May's selection for Aunt Beast's Book of the Month Club (TBA).

That, kittens, was yesterday.

Spooky has begun a new round of eBay auctions, so please have a look.

Comments

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

It's a shame about Russ; I read quite a few of her short stories, but never The Female Man. Are you a fan?

Ooh, Hutter looks interesting! Is there a collaboration in the pipeline?

Looking forward to the next recommendation. How great is that final line - "I am haunted by humans"?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Are you a fan?

Yerp.

Is there a collaboration in the pipeline?

I'd love to, but that hasn't been proposed.

How great is that final line - "I am haunted by humans"?

Grand.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

You saw Horsemen! I think it was basically you, Spooky, me and the wall, on that one. And yes, I agree--Ziyi Zhang deserved an entire movie to herself, though I also liked "Death" a fair deal. And I was left wanting to see the Horsemen's planning sessions (probably done at that old-fashioned diner Pale Rider kept trying to get his Dad to go to) so badly, I almost went back to fanfic. Almost.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

You saw Horsemen! I think it was basically you, Spooky, me and the wall, on that one.

If it played in the theater, I missed it.

And yes, I agree--Ziyi Zhang deserved an entire movie to herself,

She had this marvelous, remorseless, sensual Hannibal Lector thing going on.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

Book trailer questions: How much of the behind-the-scenes work will you be able to talk about? Any idea how many people will be involved making this happen?

I'll certainly be interested in how this experience contrasts with the attempt on The Red Tree; that could lead to intriguing journal entries.

Definitely looking forward to the book at the end of this. ("The book at the end of this monster" just occurred to me, but I hope this isn't a monstrous job!)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

How much of the behind-the-scenes work will you be able to talk about?

Lots. In time. Might even be fun to have Brian edit together a behind-the-scenes making of thing.

Any idea how many people will be involved making this happen?

Minimum:

Kyle: Photographer, etc.
Brian: Videograper
Me: Stuff
Spooky: Stuff and driving
And the three actresses/models who play Eva, Imp, and Abalyn.

That's seven, but I'm betting there will be a few more.

I'll certainly be interested in how this experience contrasts with the attempt on The Red Tree; that could lead to intriguing journal entries.

The BIG difference is, I have people who know what they're doing.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

The BIG difference is, I have people who know what they're doing.

And who'll be able to make it fun. I want there to be laughter and in-jokes for you and the team.

[kylecassidy.livejournal.com]

laughter and in-jokes not a problem.

there will also be a couple of production assistants / location managers involved, but we'll try to keep most of it small. and it will be fun. it always is. ;-)

[opalblack.livejournal.com]

I might have landed head of makep on my vampire film. Nothing set in stone yet, and 'm not even sure I want it, I just want to do creature FX. It's an indie project and the writer has fairly obviously never worked in the industry or been to film school, and he has no idea how to make a movie.

Fortunately I do

He listens to me, which has already resulted in a greatly diminished fail percentage, so I'm happy to work on it, though I don't think he yet realises there's a difference between makeup and effects.

[poesillchild.livejournal.com]

The test says my accent is northeastern which I've been told is correct; I was born in NYC, Yonkers to be exact, and lived there until I was six. Then we moved to South Florida - the haven of New Yorkers that wanted to get away.

Yep, Horsemen had the potential to be better, but it had that ending. Dennis Quaid used to show emotion of some sort in his roles; now he's a zombie. Those Quaid boys sure are messed up.