Sad, sad news today — the death of a friend. I found out via my LiveJournal friendslist, between two posts about the amusing things people had done over the weekend. I’ve written before about juxtaposition and context online, and how I don’t think there’s anything to be done about the often massive shifts in subject matter and tone as you move from post to post.
But it made me think about something else that happens when bad news hits you online: the way denial manifests. I found myself hoping that the post about the death was just wrong, so I started searching for anything that would refute it. Instead, of course, I found confirmation, and the first few of what I’m sure will be many tributes.
I didn’t get to spend much time with him. I’m glad I got the time I did. My condolences to his family and all of his many friends.
Nothing else to say.
I will be around, with minicomics and some Rules and Empresses, sharing space with Erika Moen and Kip Manley. Come say hey and buy things from them! (And me.)
Personal to gordonzola and anarqueso (and, I suppose, anyone else who is cheese-interested) Today I ate two shockingly great cheeses: Anomalous, from Vermont, and Isle of Mull (from, as you might guess, the Isle of Mull). Apparently it is rare for Anomalous to make it this far west.
What have you tried recently that was better than you expected?
All the readers were fabulous. Subjects and features in brief: dogs, cute and dogs, annoying; things to do in Portland when you’re a smart kid (in puppet show form); rollercoasters, iPods, trivia regarding rollercoasters and iPods; elementary school antiwar protest organizing; street art.
Rhythm, who did the street art zine, also brought stencils he’d made, and spray paint and paper, so we could make our own. (Outside.) He demonstrated first, and various folks, including his mom, asked process questions. Best moment:
Mom: So, can we just do this on the sidewalk?
Rhythm: Sure!
Mom: That was the wrong answer!
Here’s the one I did. The photo didn’t come out fabulously, but it looks great in real life. Gold with a black overlay.
Read More!
All the readers will be at the Zine Symposium this weekend, so go buy their zines!
(Will I be there? Still debating. I don’t have a table, but I might see if I can hijack part of a friend’s…ganatronic, if I go, I’ll find you and we can do a trade.)
Come on over to Reading Frenzy tonight to hear the Zine Camp ‘07 graduates!
I love Nicole Georges’ illustration above.
And perhaps I will bring some of the new minicomics…
Those of you who were curious about the “Comics Are Not Literature” discussion at Comic-con, check out Zack Smith’s report over at Newsarama. Thanks, Zack, for writing it up!
- I’ve jumped onto the Scrivener bandwagon. So far I am intrigued but feel sort of dumb about how best to exploit all its fascinating capabilities. Any of y’all who are using and liking it, please tell me your favorite things.
- I finished Can You Forgive Her? and am now looking forward to filling my life with more Trollope. Why I am liking him so much, in brief: the precision and sensitivity with which he describes both characters and landscapes. Here’s a passage that really struck me, from Chapter 31:
It was a delicious afternoon for a winter’s walk. The air was clear and cold, but not actually frosty. The ground beneath their feet was dry, and the sky, though not bright, had that appearance of enduring weather which gives no foreboding of rain. There is a special winter’s light, which is very clear though devoid of all brilliancy — through which every object strikes upon the eye with well-marked lines, and under which almost all forms of nature seem graceful to the sight if not actually beautiful. But there is a certain melancholy which ever accompanies it. It is the light of the afternoon, and gives token of the speedy coming of the early twilight. It tells of the shortness of the day, and contains even in its clearness a promise of the gloom of night. It is absolute light, but it seems to contain the darkness which is to follow it.
The idea of slowing down enough to give the reader a landscape like that is intriguing.
Speaking of slowing down: I won’t be, any time soon. I have two more trips coming up in the next few weeks. I’m excited about them, but Snag is not.
Despite Snag’s strategy, his sitting on the suitcase will not prevent me from packing it again.
A short story, illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Why Battle Hall Davies won’t be attending any high school reunions. Takes place between the prose novels Empress of the World and The Rules for Hearts.
Ordering info for the print version coming soon.