greygirlbeast: (white)
Caitlín R. Kiernan ([personal profile] greygirlbeast) wrote2011-10-24 01:21 pm

"I takes an ocean not to break company."

So, yeah. Yesterday evening, after the blog entry, I was alerted to the fact that Two Worlds and In Between and I were being spoken of reverently in the pages of The New York Times. To whit:

There’s also no shortfall of ghosts, revenants and otherness in Ms. Kiernan’s Two Worlds and In Between. What’s most satisfying, though, in this retrospective — more than 200,000 words covering 1993 to 2004 — is watching Ms. Kiernan progress from competence and promise to become one of our essential writers of dark fiction...Ms. Kiernan is a cartographer of lost worlds..."

(byline, Dana Jennings)

Follow this link to read the full review.

Yeah, it brightened my mood a tiny bit. I think this is the first time I've ever been mentioned in The New York Times. Sure, the whole world can see my name and my prose every day just by going online. But today, from Manhattan to Tokyo, from Munich to Bombay, people will read my name and prose in print. And, especially in this day and age, that makes me smile. Sure, tomorrow, those same papers will be used to wrap fish and line bird cages. But today...damn. I want to buy copies, cut out the review, and make sure it's read by every one of those assholes who swore I'd "never amount to anything." Alas, many of them are mercifully dead now. As my life unfurls and winds down, I understand it's not enough to outlive your detractors. You also have to do something worthwhile during that whole outliving them thing. Anyway, yes, I am allowed to slip out from beneath the black cowl, feel some vague sense of accomplishment, and gloat for a few hours. I'll duck back into the shadows afterwards, don't worry. Truthfully, it didn't feel real until this morning. Spooky's gone out to find copies of the paper (page C4). Seeing it printed with ink on actual paper will make it feel much more real, I'm sure.

The morale of our story? Simple: If you manage not to die long enough, someone will notice. Maybe.

And if you're looking to bring me down today, over this or anything else, take a number. The line starts over there. Don't call me, I'll call you.

Oh, and having reviewed Apple's return policies, I'm fairly certain the iPad will be returned. I just don't need the thing as badly as I need many other things. And I do need what it could take away. I might change my mind. The jelly-bean shiny may carry the day. Nobody's perfect. We'll see. I'm encountering this phenomenon referred to as "buyer's remorse."

Great new episode of Fringe last night ("Subject 9").

Ah, Spooky's back. Must go see. But first this comment [livejournal.com profile] opalblack made to last night's entry:

Do you know there are actually people out there who envy us that tearing, bottomless darkness? Mostly nooage middle-class-white types who run around campfires waving dead things on sticks and calling it shamanism. I would like to slap them. For a lot of things, really.

Oh, I know those people...and antidotes.

Look upon me! I'll show you the life of the mind! I'll show you the life of the mind! — Charlie Meadows, Barton Fink

Surprised,
Aunt beast

[identity profile] nineweaving.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Gorgeous review! And well-deserved.

Nine

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)

Thank you.

[identity profile] vulpine137.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Congrats on the review. Enjoy the ego boost, and don't let anyone take it away from you.

[identity profile] martianmooncrab.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Ms. Kiernan is a cartographer of lost worlds..."

.. that would look lovely on a business card...
sovay: (Cho Hakkai: intelligence)

[personal profile] sovay 2011-10-24 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
a cartographer of lost worlds

Mazel tov.

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)

and don't let anyone take it away from you.

That's how arms are lost.
Edited 2011-10-24 17:40 (UTC)

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:41 pm (UTC)(link)

.. that would look lovely on a business card...

Actually...

"Onion" began as an image in my head, a business card that read:

FOUND - LOST WORLDS

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)

If I new the correct Yiddish response, I would respond correctly in Yiddish. "Thank you" will have to do.

[identity profile] opalblack.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I wasn't a fan of the iPhone til I got one, and now I honestly think I would be lost without it. I'm not sold on the iPad though, quite aside from the ridiculous name. I'm not sure where it would fit in to my life.

Today's wit comes from The Artist Formerly Known As My Spicy Concubine, and is as follows:

Why is it that people think that only queers can like queer shows? My straight friends love queer shows cause "there's no drama quite like queen drama" and shock HORROR THEY'RE STRAIGHT.

"Oh you like Queer As Folk? Are you gay?"
"You like watching gardening shows, are you a cactus?"


Congratulations on the NYT mention. That's some prestigious props, and wholly deserved.

[identity profile] ashlyme.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Thumbs up, Aunt B. May those papers line sideshow cages.

*those people*

Dickheads. Emo shamen. Yes, they need a slapping. Give 'em all the shadows they want, they won't be any deeper.

[identity profile] pwtucker.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Sincere congratulations. An excellent review.

[identity profile] opalblack.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
May those papers line sideshow cages.

Indeed.

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)

I wasn't a fan of the iPhone til I got one, and now I honestly think I would be lost without it.

See this is what terrifies me. Mind parasites work this way.

I'm not sure where it would fit in to my life.

It's basically a smaller, portable version of my iMac, or a larger, slightly less portable version of your iPhone. Near as I can tell (and I'm researching), all these machines to the same shit.

Why is it that people think that only queers can like queer shows?

Unless the shows are about lesbians, then straight men are all over them. Well, as long as their the lipstick lesbian sort.

"Oh you like Queer As Folk? Are you gay?"
"You like watching gardening shows, are you a cactus?"


Nice.

Congratulations on the NYT mention.

Thank you.

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)

May those papers line sideshow cages.

That would be marvelous.

Emo shamen.

Emo Shamen: International Hipster Douchebag of Mystery!

No...really. I think "Emo Shamen" is a reality show waiting to happen.

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)

Thank you.

[identity profile] martianmooncrab.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
now I have this image in my brain of you, and Spooky, on the beach of the Inner Lost World, pointing at the prehistoric wildlife and going "woowoo, (filling in if the animal was different than expected or right on track)" and then ducking when it tried to eat you.

[identity profile] sillylilly-bird.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Congratulations on a well-deserved splendid review!

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)

If you manage not to die long enough, someone will notice.

[identity profile] readingthedark.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
So fucking cool. (right now, going to P.O. to mail you discs)

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)

(right now, going to P.O. to mail you discs)

Thank you. I'm hoping this is unnecessary, and you will be reimbursed.

[identity profile] readingthedark.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, arms also seem to get lost when the U.S. military looks for them--but that's a different kind of war.
witchchild: (Urn woman)

[personal profile] witchchild 2011-10-24 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Well done!

[identity profile] greygirlbeast.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)

True, and true.

[identity profile] ashlyme.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, that made me laugh, and I needed that today. Thank you!

[identity profile] opalblack.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
See this is what terrifies me. Mind parasites work this way.


That's why we all have mobile phones/computers/internet in the first place.

I haven't had the same degree of dependence develop for the ereader. It's possible my lifelong addiction to the printed page is something of an inoculation.

Unless the shows are about lesbians, then straight men are all over them.

Doesn't it just make you want to puke?

The cactus line made me laugh, though.

Page 1 of 3