July 2006

An early-morning rumination following a dream of a bookstore: What is the writerly muse, if not a collection of interests, curiosities, subconscious desires, obsessions, and memories that has become a individualized figure, an entity to be visualized and invoked at will? What does “I have lost my muse” mean but “I have no obsessions”?

The illustrator who designed “Olive, the Other Reindeer,” J.otto Seibold, has a new book out, “Alice in (pop-up) Wonderland.” And a Flash website, too. (Via Neatorama.)

Reading the Otherland series* by Tad Williams, I wandered across the legend of the Wulgaru: He chanted the most powerful incantations he knew, and tapped the figure with his woomera. The sun sank, dusk changed to dark and, daring the evil spirits of the night, Djarapa chanted and tapped without stopping on through the night

Testing…

Democracy. If we’re trying to make the world safe for democracy, wouldn’t it be better to infiltrate the black market than declare war? I kept thinking about it today: sneak cells of philanthropists, teachers, jounalists, and black marketeers into a country. That way, fundamentalists can scream about how godless the US is, but what everybody’s

TV. Okay, here’s the deal. Any show I’ve watched at least three full episodes of is bolded: 247th HeavenAdam-12Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAliasAngelArrested DevelopmentBattlestar Galactica [1 and 2]BaywatchBeverly Hills 90210BonanzaBoy Meets WorldBuffy the Vampire SlayerBug JuiceChappelle’s ShowCharlie’s AngelsCharmedCheersColumboCommander in ChiefCouplingCowboy BebopCSI: MiamiCSI: NYCurb Your EnthusiasmDanny PhantomDawson’s CreekDead Like MeDeadwoodDegrassi: The Next GenerationDesperate HousewivesDoctor Who (not lately)EntourageEREverwoodFamily GuyFarscapeFather

Ah… It’a slack-off, fried-chicken, read-a-novel, play-some-sudoku nite. Shhh….don’t spoil the illusion by saying the word “tomorrow” yet…

Rewards and Punishments. So, about a month ago, I had a good idea for a novel. At least, it was the kind of thing that I thought would be a good idea fora novel. So I wrote it. Finished it this afternoon. Don’t like the ending,* couple of big places that could stand some additional

Fawlty Towers. The hotel that inspired the British TV comedy is getting renovated. “The character of Basil Fawlty was inspired by a former manager at the hotel; he gave John Cleese and the Monty Python team a frosty welcome when they booked in 1971. The ferocious host berated them for not holding their knives and

The Art of Forgetting. Ever say a word over and over until it didn’t make sense anymore? I was doing just that today with a character name when I suddenly wondered what exactly happens to your brain when you do that. Do you unhook synapses or something? Do you make it so all references to