"Squeaky swings and tall grass, the longest shadows ever cast."

[greygirlbeast]

Though I slept eight hours or so, I feel like I didn't sleep at all.

And there's so much sun Outside. If I didn't mind a little chill–and I don't–I could spend the day swimming at Moonstone Beach. Same for yesterday. It was "supposed" to rain yesterday and again today. And the rain keeps running away from us. I think I'm going to write a paper titled "Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and New England Weather."

Yesterday, the CEM for The Drowning Girl: A Memoir was sent to my publisher from the Jamestown post office out on Conanicut Island. It should be in Manhattan by Wednesday. For the most part, it's now out of my hands.

We spent the afternoon, at West Cove, mostly beach combing. The water was very calm, only a few scattered clouds in the sky. When we arrived, there was a great deal of plastic litter (mostly old Clorox bottles–often used for floats on lobster pots–and soft drink and water bottles) along the shoreline. Spooky and I hauled a great deal of it up above the surf line, and then later someone else came along and gathered up still more. Lots of things wash up in West Cove. Sadly, a lot of it is refuse. It's hard to enjoy being at West Cove after such a futile task.

But we found some good beach glass. I only found one nice bird bone, which was unusual. There were kayaks, canoes, sailing ships, and other boats. We took a lot of photos, and I'll post some of them tomorrow. Just not up to the chore of Photoshop and ftp today.

Back in Providence, we dropped by the p.o. There was a box of antique porcelain doll heads Inzell, Germany for Spooky, and comp copies of the Lovecraft Annual (No. 5) were waiting for me. This issue reprints the Guest of Honor speech I gave at the HPLFF in Portland, Oregon last October. Oh, and there was also a resin cast of a raven skull for Spooky. Such is our mail.

There was pizza from Fellini's for dinner. As days off go, I've had worse. We did get more of The Sundial read, and finished Season Two of Mad Men.

---

Seems like I had more thoughts on The Stand, things I forgot to say yesterday, but now I've mostly forgotten them all again. I know I was going to mention how poorly paced the book is. Having read it again, I'm more amazed than ever that King released an "extended" version. The original is already too long. He could easy have cut out half the stuff in the Boulder Freezone, and it would have only helped. The novel all but grinds to a halt in the middle.

This is what a blog entry looks like when I really can't seem to muster the resolve to write a blog entry.

Anyway. I'll be over here, talking to myself.

Weary of the World,
Aunt Beast

Comments

[trvolk.livejournal.com]

Stephen King lost me when I started having to blow the cocaine from between the lines of Pet Sematary. When I finished that my first thought was how could he tell such a good story so badly. Although I have read almost everything he wrote since, few books stood out, just glimpses.

The youthful utopian fantasy of The Stand fades quickly as one learns more about the ways of the world as an adult.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

the lines of Pet Sematary.

I have always believed this to be his best novel. Which is why I'll never again read it.

[trvolk.livejournal.com]

The middle third of Pet Sematary bothers me most, because the action repeats as in parts 1 and 3 with only a hint of ambiguity in the ending. King's characters ring true in their thoughts and actions, but the cookie-cutter plotting singularly undoes the knit. An unplotted second act filled with introspection and wondering "what if", along with escalating tension in the marriage (and a good subplot?), would have been more satisfying. With little adjustment, the beginning and ending stand on their own.

Ever repeated a word to yourself until it loses meaning? Try it with "plot". It's almost onomatopoeia.

Did you see George Clooney's "The American"? As Ebert says in his review, "The entire drama of this film rests on two words...". This is what I like about your stories; one bit of drama is fodder for examining consequences rather than an excuse for special FX.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Did you see George Clooney's "The American"? As Ebert says in his review, "The entire drama of this film rests on two words...".

I didn't. But I did like the film.