Goodbye, Russ

Sad news today that Russell Hoban has died. The author of Riddley Walker and so many other wonderful books has left this world without me ever having the chance to say how much I loved his books and how much I learned from them and from him. He taught me to trust being "friends with your head" and believing an audience would find you. If you are unlucky enough to be unfamiliar with him, drop by the Head of Orpheus and find out more. My thoughts go out to his family and to my fellow Krakenites.

I am that astonishment from which you write in those brief moments when you can write.
      —The Head of Orpheus in Russell Hoban's The Medusa Frequency

Obsession: Guest Post at Trestle

I'm up on my publisher's blog today with a piece on obsession. Yeah, you wouldn't imagine it, eh? Me? Obsessed? Nah. Here's the first part of it. Read the rest over at Trestle and feel free to share.

K.A. Laity- "Obsession"- Guest Post, author of "Drunk on The Moon-It's A Curse"

Obsession

I seem to have two speeds: obsessed and don't care. The greater part of the world falls into "don't care": politics, fashion, television, sports -- I just don't care. For that matter, add cooking and cleaning and talking to people who don't amuse me. Obsessions: writing, Peter Cook, The Fall, writing, myth, magic, folklore, writing, travel, theatre, film, writing and classic British comedy. And writing. I completely understand P. G. Wodehouse's comment, "I never want to see anyone, and I never want to go anywhere or do anything. I just want to write."

My ex once accused me of having hypergraphia. It's a clinical disease where people obsessively write anywhere, anytime, on anything they've got in front of them. Most people who suffer from the little-studied disease write nonsense: it's the action of writing that comforts their manic sprees, not content. I have a head bursting with stories that want to be written and I spend a lot of time in front of my black Mac going tappity-tappity. I also go out to the pub with friends and go see plays and walk along Galway Bay and think nothing at all but what a wonderful world this is. But writing is what I do. Writing is how I see the world. When something terrible happens to me, I struggle through it by finding the right words to describe it in my head. ..


Read the rest over at Trestle Press and if you haven't checked out It's a Curse, well criminy! It's only 99¢ -- it's not going to break the bank! Hee hee, and this is the beginning of my birthday week, so don't forget about my birthday wish. I appreciate your help.

How Kipper Spends his Day

Yes, he's staring at the radiator because that's where evil lives, apparently. It's disconcerting. Yes, I know it makes odd sounds when the heat comes on, but why does he sit *right* behind my chair and stare at the very same spot always. Is it because all of the other radiators throughout this place are putting out heat, but that spot -- and only that one spot -- radiates evil?

Yes, this must be so.

Or maybe writing about Memoirs of a Master Forger and all its demons is making me see things too... or hear them.

Happy Birthday

Unna ja Nuuk

Coming to Real Art Ways in Hartford, Connecticut on August 16th & 17th at 1.30pm: the Finnish film Unna ja Nuuk, which I simply have to see! Not only for the Finnish angle, but it overlaps with so much that I am writing now that I can hardly believe it. It's been making the rounds of various festivals since its release. Here's the description from the RAW eNews:

One day, 11 year old Unna feels a stab of pain in her chest - she senses that her beloved Grandpa is in danger. Unna calls her grandfather, who has had a case of illness, and saves his life. At the hospital Unna's grandfather reveals that Unna has shaman blood in her veins and that the gift to heal has been passed on to her. Unna is the only person Grandpa can turn to for help. Grandpa tells Unna where to find the shaman's book and magic drum. When it's beaten three times, the drum will move its owner to another time and place, and so begins Unna's adventure in the Finnish Stone Age.

Found in the Supermarket

I was reminded by Marko playing the Clash's "Lost in the Supermarket" (you're listening to WECS right now, aren't you?) that I discovered this morning that the Price Chopper over on Central has -- in addition to a large Indian section, yum! -- a small section dedicated to British foods, so I have somewhere to get Hob Nobs (although, as usual only Milk Chocolate and not Plain -- when will they learn?!) so I don't have to go without all of my London delights.

"Good morning, it's the news, and all of it is good..."

How will the aerie be ready for a party tomorrow? It's a mystery. As is the process by which Ray Davies got to be 64 this past week -- oh well, let's hear him sing the best song of all time about London.

Loopy Tuesday

While still reeling from the news that Russell T's getting an OBE (wasn't Saturday's Davies-penned episode a lot of fun?), which I discovered as I was over at the Forbidden Planet blog reading my pal Pádraig's interview with the ever-wonderful Alan Moore, I share with you news of Wrong Trousers Day! Mmmmmm -- cheese, Gromit!

Thursday Already?

My, how time flies!

Tuesday night went well -- we had a nice chat over an early dinner at the Pearl, then rushed over to the library amid a sudden downpour and an amazing rainbow (okay, the picture to the left is *not* the rainbow from that day, but one of myriad lovely images from Missouri Skies). There was a small crowd, but we were out-numbered which is good enough. Jan, Pam, Kelly (who needs a webpage!) and I had a good time chatting about Tolkien, the books and the films, and more importantly (for me anyway), about his sources, cool stuff like Njal's Saga and Beowulf. Yes, I did manage to declaim some Old English verses (you're not surprised are you?).

Tonight, of course, I'm excited to be going to see Jonathan Miller at Skidmore (thanks again, Crispinus, for the tip off). An original member of Beyond the Fringe, polymath, raconteur and director (including perhaps my favorite film version of Alice in Wonderland -- and no, not just because it has Peter Cook), Miller will no doubt be a lively and illuminating speaker.

I can't decide whether to have any interest in Forbidden Kingdom -- on the one hand, Jet Li and Jackie Chan! and a lot of nods to great wǔxiá films like The Bride with White Hair, but -- it's also got some bland American twenty-something actor, clearly for Hollywood reasoning ("Ya gotta have an Amurrican in it! That's what audiences want to see!"). Bleh.

Wombat Day!

Per Wombania: 'In the Autumn of 2005, the Grand Wombat Council, under the wise leadership of President Wombat, realized that the world needed a special day to commemorate the wonderful wombat. October 22nd was chosen, and the very first Wombat Day was observed on October 22, 2005. Wombat Day is alternatively known as "Hug a Wombie Day" and "Wombats of the World Unite Day."'

Busy

Apologies for the low content levels of late: my time has been taken up with a lot of writing that, with luck, will be back to normal levels by next week. Deadlines to meet always make for extra stress. At least these are pieces that have a home already; things have been more than a tad frustrating on the fiction front with rejections aplenty. Of course, there are always news stories that add insult to injury, too. Ah well, the life of the writer: if you can do anything else, you should.

I Can Stop Anytime I Want To...

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