In case you haven't actually seen the geek chart.

Fave photo of the con.

October has arrived

It's been a rough year. I caught myself reveling in the cold weather and fog we've had the last couple of days, knowing that it's the season changing, and wanting to move forward. Looking forward to winter, snowboarding, family gatherings. I've been keeping myself busy, looking forward to World Fantasy in Austin, one of the places I always wanted to go to with the band since the music scene supposed to be great there. But we never made it.

Photos are from Mzmelia's & my cablecar adventure in the city.

Reading: THE FACTS OF LIFE, by Graham Joyce
DREAMS OF ENCHANTMENT, by Graham Joyce
THE KEEPER, by Sarah Langan

I flew through DREAMS OF ENCHANTMENT. Really couldn't put it down till it was finished, then I dug out the other ones by Graham I hadn't gotten to. THE FACTS OF LIFE had the same feel, similar characterizations, but different time and place. Both could be called fantasy, or could be read as straight fiction, but the feeling is definitely fantasy for me; that sense that things are always slightly tweaked. I am always impressed at his ability to draw the reader into the families he writes about. An excellent writer, all around. Starting TWOC tonight.

THE KEEPER I read a month ago or so. I hadn't heard much about, and was surprised to enjoy it, having never heard of Langan. Nothing wowee zang-bob new about it, but fun, in that dark way horror can be fun.

Wow

I got a Hugo. Wow, again. What a crazy thing. It's for the magazine, but I am sure not going to knock it. It's sitting there on my dining room sideboard in all its chrome-and-navy blue glory. My first time up onstage with such a big crowd in a long time, and I was really nervous.
The convention was fun, but weirdly frenetic. I spent a hilarious evening with Paolo Bacigalupi and Blake Charlton, discussing the various implications of furries and plushies and steatophygia until the wee hours of the morn. The rest of the nights seemed to pass in a blur -- thank you everyone who contributed to my intoxication -- but I met some new folks and got to see some of my favorites.
We had the whole staff there, which was a kick, and a luxury. Mzmelia and Kar did a fabulous job selling subscriptions and the new anthologies, and we may have covered our expenses and then some. Had some good discussions on the future of the field, what science fiction is becoming, what will happen to fantasy when the boom busts (if it does), how horror fits into it all. As always, I wish I could have spent more time, had more one-on-one conversations, etc. I walk away with one phrase recurring in my head: Brook no bullshit. There's a lot of posturing at these things that I find unnecessary. H.E.'s grabbing Connie onstage was reprehensible, and out of respect for her, I drop it there.
All in all, I think it was a success and am trying to figure out how to get to Japan next year.
Photos to follow.
xoLiza
Reading: CELL by Stephen King
UNLUNDUN by China Mieville

more yet

Went with best friends to mountains and played on rope swing at lake. Saw snakes. Miss old times terribly.

JCS

I'm watching Jesus Christ Superstar. What an experience. This came out in 1973, and my older sister used to listen to the soundtrack album over and over again. She and I would act out the parts, me way too young to understand any of it. I actually have the album, and no turntable to play it on. See my eyes, I can hardly see.

I'm going to Writer's of the Future, in San Diego, I think. First solo mission.

OK, I'm back on the blog track. It's good to be back. This is a picture of me and my mum; I can't describe to you how sharp, no clever, wait maybe... no I can't describe her right. She rocks.

Been avoiding you

Okay, not really you. But I haven't been able to find the time to figure out a profession-appropriate version of my life to relate.

Jonathan Strahan's anthologies fell into our communal lap. So we're publishing them under Locus Press. They're great, and it's a very cool experience. Our friends at various publishers, as well as independents Nightshade and Tachyon, and Eileen Gunn and John Berry, have been giving us their most sage advice. John Picacio is letting us use a couple of images for nothing close to what he's worth these days, and it's just cos he's such a fucking nice guy. Tim Pratt has put to good use his InDesign and graphic design skills, which we don't get to take advantage of as much as we should. They will stand on the work of the authors and editor alone, but we're doing our best to present them as they deserve to be presented. And, of course, it's way to much to be putting on one plate, but my eyes are always bigger than my stomach.

On to the Nebula weekend. I love Arizona, I have to say. Heat agrees with me. Not so much the humidity, but heat I can do. Met Harlan Ellison. Hung out with Connie and finally had a real conversation with her daughter Cordelia, an opportunity I will not let slip by again.

Then there was World Horror. Meals at Tommy's Joint with 10+ people. Conversations with Chris Roberson. I was really tired the whole time, though. Becoming more and more fond of Jeremy and Jason of Nightshade. Did not get to spend enough time with John and Tracy. Next time.

That's all I've got for now. My life is too much with me to describe. But there is hope still. And work is good.

Dusk / rain

Just got John Picacio's artbook COVER STORY and it looks fabulous. He did a really nice job with it. Rush out and get one right away.

Got home around 7pm after dropping off my coworker, and the sun was still up. Gotta love daylight savings. Took my new mp3 player, freshly loaded with CDs I haven't listened to in years, and took the girls for a walk in the rain. It's a beautiful time: dusk, when it's raining. No one is out. The world's mine alone.

Of course half the neighborhood thinks I'm nuts now cos I was singing along with the music. The upside of not having listened to most of my CDs lately is getting to rediscover a bunch of music that has already been screened. By my past self.

Listening: 20 Minute Loop

April showers

Wow, the rain is just thumpin' down today. It's been going pretty solidly for a couple weeks now. My plants are happy, but I wish our backyard was put together already so we could use this free watering to establish the garden. Soon. If it ever stops pouring.
The dogs are getting fat and lazy.

Went to a reading by Robert Silverberg and Kim Stanley Robinson with Z'boss and Mzmelia in San Francisco the other night. Talked to Jeremy from Nightshade about typesetting books. Had tapas. All good. Bob's piece was from 1971, with a slightly hypnotic psychedelic rhythm to it which came across really well in the reading.

The wake for my friend Jess was a really sad but special experience. I think it was everything she would have hoped for: friends coming together and drinking, eating, and dancing in her honor. Brought everyone a little closer again.

Of tea and candles I have no fear.
But your glance, without love
to temper its edge,
is a terrible thing.

Gone now

Today was a day of getting things done, taking care of the piles of untended correspondence and bills, taking the girls to get their shots, getting my license renewed, etc.

Then I got a call. My friend Jess, who has been ill with terminal cancer, passed away today. I've been friends with her and Marvin for what seems like forever. She was a kind, generous, and gentle sort, never demanding your attention but always worth it. I keep seeing flashes of her, at an afternoon party, at my bridal shower, at her wedding, laughing and smiling, or listening intently to someone talk. She was one of the good ones, and even though everyone knew it was coming, it still is a shock and feels outrageously unfair that she should be gone.

And then I received an email that Jane Yolen's husband David also passed away today. I have been checking in on her journal once in a while, and knew that his health was deteriorating. My sympathies to her and her family. From Jane's journal, a Millay quote...

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave,
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

So if you see this today, have a toast (or a kind thought) for Jess and David. The world is a lesser place without them.

Crazy crazy

I recently emailed a friend, saying that things had been crazy here. I meant crazy busy, but pretty much that same day, everything broke loose. Someone scooped my checking account number and passed $3,200 in checks in two days, essentially wiping me out and then some. And being in Ft. Lauderdale for ICFA didn't help. ICFA was great though. Met some new folks, always fun, and got to spend some time with Peter Straub, Gary Wolfe, Ellen Datlow, and Jim Kelly, among others. Came back to deadline though, and now I'm seriously exhausted.

On the good side, Locus is up for a Hugo, officially announced today, and my name is on the ballot along with Kirsten and Charles. Totally unexpected, but pretty exciting. Maybe the hypertension is worth it after all.

... Come home, toss and turn till the fifth watch.
Two swallows in the rafters hear the long sigh
-Li Shang-yin

Fridays

Today was kind of crazy. Picking and balancing photos of Octavia Butler, trying to get the last appreciations in (Harlan wrote some 2,200 words), tracking down unpaid invoices, and somehow never got to write a word. It's so glamorous, ain't it?

Speaking of glamour, saw the jet-setting Scott Westerfeld for an afternoon this week. He's a truly pleasant person, unfortunately Justine was wracked with wicked flu and couldn't join us. Someday we'll play that game of poker though. I'm onto MAGIC LESSONS by her, a delightful romp, as Mz. Carolyn would say.

So I'm getting some last bits o' work done, waiting for the hub (who's out drinking with buds and will return at some undetermined time) and having some mescal to cool the stress. Wishing someone would call and say "hey let's go do something crazy" but doubt it will happen. My going-out-all-the-time days have come and gone, and though I'm still rarin' to go and shake the world up, it's hard to find a good cohort these days.

Oop, must go save Roomba, who has been bested by the underneath of our living room chair. Yay for robotic vacuum cleaners, tho.
Toodles.

Been a while

Been avoiding ye ole blog. All seems like so much blah blah blah right now.

Read:
MAGIC OR MADNESS, by Justine Larbalestier
HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON, by Naomi Novik

Reading:
ACCELERANDO, by Charles Stross (no excuse, just didn't get to it before now)
20th CENTURY GHOSTS, by Joe HIll

Listened to:
BLACK HOUSE, by Stephen King & Peter Straub
various podcasts by Cory Doctorow and Jim Kelly, worth downloading for sure
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, by Jane Austen
BURN, by Jim Kelly

Octavia Butler dying shook me up. She just wasn't that old. And though she hadn't written that much recently, she was one of my favorite writers when I was in my twenties. It's hard, and sad, to imagine that there won't be any more of her stories.

Never let your heart open with the spring flowers: One inch of love is an inch of ashes.
-Li Shang-yin

Today

Today was a strange day -- I spun out in tiny circles at work, trying to get anything done, chipping away at several projects, but in the end feeling like I did nothing.
One standout moment, I spoke on the phone with Lloyd Alexander to see if he would be interested in contributing a piece to our YA issue in May. He was absolutely lovely, but he turned me down. He just celebrated his 82nd birthday, and he sounds great, but is laid up with a broken leg. I'm usually pretty blase about calling people, I'm all right on the phone in general. But honestly, he was the first genre writer I really read, and still holds a very special place for me. I mean, shit, I'm an editor at Locus, I'm happy, and I never would have come to where I am right now if not for THE BOOK OF THREE. So today on the whole was really pretty good.
Had a good weekend, sailed a race on Sunday, two seconds and a fourth, not too bad considerng it's been so long since I raced a boat last. It's was blowing like stink, too. Really squirrelly winds, all over the place. But I had a great time.
And I'm going to ICFA in March. Which is pretty cool, since I certainly didn't expect it. I do wish my usual con buddies went to ICFA, but I'm sure I'll have fun.
Made myself a steak dinner, nobody but me at home. Photos of Ole v. Roomba to come. Still waiting for promised book.

Snow

Got away for the weekend with the hub and friends. Sledding on Saturday, snowboarding on Sunday, casino on Sunday night. I won $75 (1,500 nickels, mind you) on a nickel slot. Wahoo! Didn't last very long but it was exciting when it happened. Click on the mountain shot; hub took it.

Triple-shelving woes

I dream of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves...
If only I was a carpenter.

Of course then I might not need the bookshelves. Damn.

Had a hard week, deadline, yada yada...
MHK cheered me up though.
One of my faves: ..If ever I am in a car crash and awake to find a doctor looking down at me gravely, that's exactly the kind of bad news I want to hear...

John Picacio will be Artist Guest of Honour at WHC 2007 in Toronto, very cool.

As we roll back around to our February Year in Review issue, I once again find myself dismayed by how many of the stories and books I have not had time to read. I made a good go at trying to read three books a week for a while there, the key being to put a novella or other short work on the list. But somehow my momentum fell away, and the pile of books grows ever larger. There's only so much time between 6pm and sleep to spend reading. I haven't quite gotten to the point where I simply won't feel bad about not finishing a book. But boy is that coming.

And, dammit, I'm still reading RIVER OF GODS. It's a good book. I just can't put in the time to finish it. Argh.

Eureka

Ole's experiments continue. He's been putting the flower bulbs I was supposed to plant last month in the dog dish. I think he's on to something. Doesn't make an interesting photo though, so here's some others... Xochi & Sasha playing in the front yard.
I am the warmth, the honey-scent
That throats with spice each lily-bud

And in color...

Still can't get some photos to post. With most of them working, I'm more bemused than annoyed. Can't figure out what variable allows some, but not others. Anyone have a suggestion?

Around the neighborhood

inspired by Evil Rooster.