Running full slam...

This October is a little... busy.


Support Our 'Zines Day was 1-Oct-09. If you didn't know, do stop by your favorite and show your appreciation!

The SOZD progress report, by its creator, Damien G. Walter. Charles Tan lists a few more 'zines. I recommend Cheryl Morgan's post, with her link to Amanda Palmer, for anyone who thinks highly of the starving artiste motif.

The first World SF round table.

This weekend I'll be at ConClave. We'll be doing the writing workshop. Hope to see you there. :>

PSA: Chocolate at IGMS.

J.F. Lewis has a story in IGMS, issue 14 ("FWoC"). His first book _Staked_ came out March 2008 from Pocket Books; the sequel _ReVamped_ came out March 2009.

I love these books. I can't wait for more. They are violent and the language is not for everyone. :< I'm not everyone. If I was a vampire, I'd probably be a lot like Eric.

At least, I hope I'd be. I'm tired of whiny vampires too.

Besides, _Staked_ starts with one of the best openings ever.

Whatever's take. :>

Detroit and TIME

TIME Magazine bought a house in Detroit. Because they care, say I.

=smile= Sports Illustrated said because Detroit is at heart a sports town.

I know that to many people who don't live in Michigan, Detroit stands for Michigan. I love my state. I remember coming back on Greyhound once, and seeing Detroit got me all choked up. That meant I was really home, seeing the Ambassador Bridge, the Fox Theater, the Ren Cen... knowing the parts you couldn't see from the road, like Belle Isle and Trappers Alley. Things I cannot describe easily here, even. As much a part of my life as Oakland University is.

Detroit's my city too. Right now I live a few miles from the edge of city limits.

So this hasn't anything to do with my usual links about writing and publishing, or cons -- but there's journalists here.

We're all in this together. ("You, me, her and him," as Sondheim says.) Libraries, cities, states... people.

Losing libraries.

Moonrat posted about Philadelphia's libraries and publishing. I began from her link because she talks about the importance of libraries to readers and to publishers.

Max told me about a local library's problems. The Troy Public Library or 20 police officers??

So I found that Michigan's libraries got cut also. Here is MeL's save library funding.

Please look around at your libraries. See if they're in trouble. Ask if there's anything you can do, or your kids, or your family, or your friends: Volunteer. Donations. Spreading the word.

We need our libraries, all of us. Don't let them die.

Lies, plot, & publishing 'zines.

Jeremiah Tolbert has the 5 Lies Writers Believe About Editors. Not only is it marvelous, and funny, it makes perfect sense. Even to me -- and I'm not an acquisitions editor, I don't read slush, nor do I handle line/content editing.

And Patrick said something excellent about plot, involving, ah, contrivances... which I found hilarious.

The first two came from Moonrat, earlier this month. :>

ETA: Whither Goest Thou, Print Short Fiction? About running a 'zine, e-rights, etc. Do note that some of the links inside the comments are broken and revert to the main article instead.

My second anniversary.

I have another book job in. :>

The Clave workshop will prepare critiques in a few weeks. Soon, Shimmer #11 will go to the printers.

I consider September my anniversary month because this is when I began working for Locus and had just become staff for Shimmer.

Happy second anniversary to me!

New book for weekend.

This makes me happy. It's a writer I'm not familiar with.

EV and Shimmer are gearing up for our next issues, but in varying stages of production. Normally I don't bring up the production of any 'zines in my queue. Two are monthly, two are not, and the latter pair often arrive in proofreading around the same time.

And the SPWW (Sanctuary Press Writing Workshop) will run at ConClave 34.

Life is good. Busy.