Women's Month Interviews: Chick Drummer

Next up the lovely and talented, Chick Drummer, a woman of many talents.

How do we know each other?
Grad Hell ... oops, sorry. I mean, school.

How would you describe yourself?
Teacher. Drummer. Writer.

In what part of the world are you located?
Chicago, IL. You bet, I'm happy. But I would also consider being happy other places too.

Where can we find you on the web?
www.chickdrummer.wordpress.com

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
I taught myself to whistle when I was 12.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
I'm a quiet Asian girl.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
A couple of things (not necessarily in the order of importance):
1. Finishing a doctorate. It took 10 years, but I did it.
2. Learning to play the drums when I was 37 years-old.
3. Staying married for 6 1/2 years.
4. Learning to meditate.
5. Finding my passion and purpose(s) in life.
6. Knowing that there is more to accomplish.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
1. Be a better musician and not just a better drummer, which I think also makes me a better person.
2. Travel more
3. Finish the 2 books I have in my head but have not worked on yet
4. Continue to practice meditation and yoga on a daily basis
5. Learn tai chi
6. Achieve near-fluency in another language
7. Hear the Dalai Lama speak (check: getting tickets on Friday)
8. Stay married happily (this is a big one)
9. Meet more interesting people (not a huge challenge given my interests)
10. Sing a whole song of my own on our next CD.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
A four-way tie:
1. "You're an awesome English teacher."
2. "I like what you're doing on the drums."
3. "There's something about you..."
4. "Could you fill out this Women's History Month Interview with Fabulous Women I Know?"

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
Be quiet and thank the universe.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Meditation. Yoga. Those are simple, misleading answers, I know. But it is both simple and very very hard. By meditation I mean this: sitting down, becoming still, accepting what is, forgiving myself and others, and then and only then decide if there's anything I should "do". I usually get stuck at step #2.

What makes you laugh?
My cats and my rabbit and my husband. Usually all three of them doing something together at the same time.

What makes you cry?
Anyone in suffering. Anyone in joy.

What do you love?
Define "love." If we mean "attachment" then nothing. If we mean "pleasure" then: spa visits, massages, gigs when audiences listen to the band and enjoy the music, a day off from school, bike riding through the city.

What do you loathe?
I try not to, but I'm human. I'm not a big fan of violence, real or fictional.

What's sexy?
Men who respect women; women who respect themselves.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
I've recieved lots of good advice, but I can't remember any one singular pithy or wise statement. I have had meditation teachers who have said: "Don't wrestle with your karma." Or: "if you're gonna fail, flame out." Or: "don't resist." The "best advice" has been what worked for me in the moment, rather than what works for me in every situation during the whole length of my life. Sometimes I get good advice at the wrong time so it is lost on me. Ten years later I might realize that "bad" advice was "good" advice.

How should people be spending their money?
Tough one. I don't know. People should spend their money they way the see fit. Although in various spiritual traditions I would not advocate spending money on weapons or drugs, but even then there are good reasons. So, I abdicate from answering this question --- is that the right word: abdicate? Makes me think of the Duke of Windsor.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
I have to be frank: most of my "inspiration" has come from men. I have had great male mentors in music and in academia and I am grateful to all of them.

But there are women who I admire and who told me stories about their determination that have remained with me.

1. Oprah Winfrey, despite her occasional lapses and contradictions I admire her poverty-to-world domination story.

2. Toni Morrison, because she tells a story about when she decided to write novels. She was working full-time, teaching part-time, and raising 2 children when one day she became overwhelmed with all the things she had to do. So she took out a yellow legal pad and wrote down a list of everything she had to do. It was a long long list. Then she went back through the list and crossed out everything but two things: 1) mother my children 2) write novels. I admire her discipline and her decisiveness at that moment to say: these are the only things that matter.

3. Kate Laity (and I'm not brown-nosing) because when I asked her how she wrote her a novel and finished her dissertation while she was teaching full-time she said: "I would come home from teaching at ten o'clock at night and I would go to the computer and write, even if the only word I wrote was 'the'."

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Bank some, give more away. A million dollars is not a lot of money, you know, I would still have to teach and gig. Now if you had said "ten million dollars" I might have said something else.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are indeed fabulous!
So are you. Thanks for putting this together.

BitchBuzz: What I Learned from Twitter

Yes, my next piece for BitchBuzz is up, all about the wackiness of Twitter. Tomorrow I'll get around to offering a recap of my jam-packed week, but for now this will have to do.

Women's Month Interviews: Elizabeth Massie

It's the fabulously fun Beth Massie, who can also keep you up all night with her stories!
How do we know each other?
The wild and wacky horror biz!

How would you describe yourself?
I’m not much for crowds or big, noisy parties. I prefer small groups of friends, hikes, camping, hanging out. I’m very spiritual but with no identifiable religion. I am passionate about human rights. It takes a lot to rattle me – I’m not going to be the one behind you honking the horn or the one in line bitching about the wait.

In what part of the world are you located?
Rural, western Virginia - I love it here. My family has lived in this area since 1746.

Where can we find you on the web?
My author’s website is www.elizabethmassie.com; I’m also on Facebook.

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
I hate most horror movies. As someone who writes a great deal in the horror genre, you’d think I’d love most of them but I don’t. Too many are crass, crude, flat, and empty.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
Those who read my horror fiction but haven’t met me seem to think I’m supposed to be some sort of edgy, spooky, depressed chick. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While a realist, I’m also an optimist who believes things can change. One reason I write in the horror genre is to explore the human condition. I am highly sensitive to the suffering of others. For this reason, I’m actively involved with Amnesty International and have been for twenty-four years.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Not sure, really. I just keep plodding along.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
I want to keep writing, and I want to create fiction that troubles, inspires, and moves people.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
From my adult kids – “You’re the best Mom ever.” From my significant other – “You the best honey ever.” From a reader – “You novel made me cry.”

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
I keep it simple. Go out to Starbucks for a chai or to dinner with Cortney.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Listen to peaceful music, pray, read.

What makes you laugh?
My significant other, Cortney Skinner, makes me laugh every day. He is the funniest guy around. So does my sister, Barbara Spilman Lawson, a professional storyteller and favorite local actress. I also love well-done political humor and the show 30 Rock.

What makes you cry?
People hurting.

What do you love?
God, Cort, people, nature, the music of Jim Brickman, David Lanz, Secret Garden. A day at the beach. A night in the mountains.

What do you loathe?
Cruelty, selfishness, arrogance.

What's sexy?
Kindness, compassion, and intelligence. And men in Revolutionary War/Colonial period clothing. OMG don’t get me started!

What's the best advice you were ever given?
Don’t be afraid.

How should people be spending their money?
Well, on my newest books, of course! At the moment that would be my ghost novel Homeplace and the upcoming The Tudors: Thy Kingdom Come and Images of America: Waynesboro. And then there is my Skeeryvilletown line of cool stuff at Café Press. And on the more humanitarian side, I really wish people would be more willing to share what they have with those who would truly benefit. Donate to Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity, Women for Women, Human Rights Campaign, or other wonderful organizations. If everyone donated a little, if every stepped forward with a bit of active compassion, can you imagine what could be accomplished?

Which woman/women have inspired you?
My mom, a watercolorist. Jane Addams. My sister, Barb. Eleanor Roosevelt. My daughter, Erin.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
I would buy a nice Victorian house here in the Shenandoah Valley with a bit of land – room enough for Cort to have a third floor studio and to put all his strange collectible stuff (much of which is currently in storage). I’d put some aside for later. And I’d donate a large check to Amnesty International, Women for Women, and Habitat for Humanity. I’d also give money anonymously to those who seem in need.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are indeed wonderful!

Women's Month Interviews: Donna Barr

Donna Barr is the fabulously inspirational creator of the Desert Peach and oodles of fine comics. She gave me and Elena our very first and fabulous pull quote for Jane Quiet. She doesn't remember this, but she was also very friendly and kind at SPX years ago.

How do we know each other?
Facebook? If we've met before FB, it's in this mad comics world, with all those people wimmelnd around like lost souls on the San Diego Comicon floor. I'm thinking – Moderntales?

How would you describe yourself?
My friends once finally pegged me as a Gay Man Trapped In A Woman's Body. Dan doesn't care – the logistics still work. I'm all my characters in all my books, with all their foibles and freakouts, their talents, advantages and distorted viewpoints. For those of you who know my books, I consider myself a cross between Udo Schmidt and Leutnant Wingzig. I wish I looked like Rosen.

In what part of the world are you located?
Clallam Bay, WA (see www.sekiu.com) I'm a Chinese Year Dragon In The Rain. We're NEVER satisfied. So “happy” isn't something I shoot for. I just need to recognize the reasons for my own attitude and get over it. Or get back to work.

Where can we find you on the web?
Here's a few:

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Barr

website: www.donnabarr.com (with new upgrade soon!) Look for The Little Store.

Print-on-demand books (and downloads – free until 14 March 2009!).

Amazon (just search my name and/or books).

Blog: http://www.donnabarr.blogspot.com

Political Blog: http://www.wolffood.wordpress.com

Livejournal: dbarr

Twitter: Donna_Barr

Facebook: The Donna Barr who's hooked up with the comics industry.

T-shirts: http://www.cafepress.com/stinz

http://www.cafepress.com/catgod

http://www.zazzle.com/thedesertpeach

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
Just because I'm being patient doesn't mean somebody isn't about to get their face peeled off.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
Pushing me.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Got my work recognized by a university special collection when I turned 50.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
Chugging along to hook authors directly to readers, and making anybody else who wants to bottleneck that connection crash into a wall. I back-doored Indiebound. Ask me how.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
Howard Chaykin ran up to me at SDCC: “I love you – you have a bad attitude!” I have no CLUE what he meant by that....

(Actually, I've received SO MANY kindnesses from so many people, I'm just going to stick to the funny one. Huge humbled thanks to everybody else, readers and colleagues alike. And to the American Nazi Party, which un-officially declared me the Anti-Christ. I'm... so..... proud... [wipes eye].)

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
We go down to the Clallam Bay Inn for their super fish-and-chips and have a couple Mac-and-Jacks.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Go to the beach. It's one minute's walk away. Watch the eagles. Go fishing if I want some fried fish (I don't catch-and-release – that's just tormenting animals for the fun of it).

What makes you laugh?
LOLcats. Incongruity. Very perceptive political comments. The ridiculous.

What makes you cry?
Anything pitiful or helpless that hurts or dies.

What do you love?
Dan, my cats and the trees that give me air.

What do you loathe?
The arrogant, greedy, piratical, human race that hasn't realized it's a virulent disease, and that it only has ONE host to kill off before it dies itself. Well, at least then it would be gone and the rest of the life web could start to recover. They cut down my 100-foot cedar tree for money and I'm never forgiving the Swamp Christian attitude behind that. Although I get great comfort from the idea that if their God was mad about an apple, what's he going to do to them for clearcuts? Swamp Christians hate my gay friends, too. I hope their trinity – the two demons and the demi-god they believe in – GETS them.

What's sexy?
Brendan Fraser in Mummy 1. Big, powerful, soft-voiced, sweet underneath, and – hey – can you GET better than boots, breeches and a Sam Browne-belted tunic? Who's with me among Patrick O'Brian readers, saying it should have been him as Jack and Alan Rickman as Stephen in “Master and Commander?” The movie they can never make now! (Groan).

What's the best advice you were ever given?
It wasn't to me – it was about me, when my mom and the teachers were wondering why I wasn't like the rest of the girls (wasn't interested in boys, didn't play with other kids, sat and drew and wrote all the time). A 5th-grade teacher, Mrs. Mills, said, “Leave Donna alone. She marches to her own drummer.” Bless her memory.

How should people be spending their money?
Whoa! Go see My Little Store at www.donnabarr.com or the new version (coming soon!) and all the links above.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Mrs. Mills (see above). At least she gave me the excuse.. Um... mostly I'm self-actuating. I never had heroes, I don't have them now. Grown-ups need to be their OWN heroes. Responsible for their own actions, and such. Not expecting somebody else to lead the way. Anybody who stays out of my way is fine by me.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Put it in a money-market fund and get a slightly newer used truck. I already have a beach, a wood-stove and two bathrooms. And eagles in my back yard.

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION: Johnny Depp in Dead Like Me. I know some of the extras up here, in Neah Bay. [Donna added this idea -- you know I'm a sucker for anything with Johnny Depp!]

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are fabulous!
SO ARE YOU!!!

Women's Month Interviews: Karen Green

She's a librarian! She's a comics scholar! She's medievalist! Not surprisingly, Karen also has exquisite taste in many things -- like film.

How do we know each other?
Via Facebook, through your husband Gene

How would you describe yourself?
I'm endlessly curious about the world, and tenacious in my attempts to learn more.  I could say more, but that's the basic: everything else is commentary.

In what part of the world are you located?
Manhattan, and I can't conceive of living anywhere else.

Where can we find you on the web?
Yikes.  I'm almost everywhere.
Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Columbia, Comic Adventures in Academia, Delicious, LinkedIn, LibraryThing.

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
I don't know if they ought to know this, but people think I'm a happy-go-lucky, confident, gregarious person--and under ideal circumstances, I am--but I'm actually very shy and racked with insecurity.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
That I am happy-go-lucky, confident, and gregarious.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Having gone from being a bartender to an Ivy-League librarian in 9 years.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
To avoid ever being forced into management.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
I tend to forget compliments after they're given.  They make me uncomfortable.  But the weirdest compliment I ever got was when I was 16 years old.  I was on the subway with my friend Sharon, and some random guy got up to leave the train, then turned around, dashed over to me, said "You've got the greatest lips I've ever seen," and then ran out without looking back.  We were speechless.  Sharon made fun of me for that one for a long time.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
By calling my friend James.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Watching old movies.

What makes you laugh?
Life.

What makes you cry?
Life.

What do you love?
Sleeping late.

What do you loathe?
Hypocrisy.

What's sexy?
A combination of fun and curiosity.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
Sometimes it's better to do the right thing than to be right.

How should people be spending their money?
DonorsChoose.org

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Emma Peel.  Penelope Johnson (a professor of medieval history and NYU).  Michelle Obama.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Pay off my student loans.  Put aside some money for my mom's senior community rent.  Buy supplies, books, whatever's needed, for the elementary school near our dig in Egypt, where my friend Gaber's wife works.  Take my nephew Mikah to Egypt with me.  Take both my nephews to visit my friends in Italy and the Netherlands.  Travel around India.  Fund a mess o' projects at DonorsChoose.org.  Then just take it day by day.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are indeed fabulous!
Back atcha!

Women's Month Interviews: Mildred Perkins

She's the Demon Den Mom and Mater Lachrymarum, fearless leader of the Horror in Film and Literature list that I've been part of since 1994. She's also one of my most trusted beta-readers (but she wouldn't let me put up a picture of her, so we have the lovely Barbara Steele instead for reasons Mildred knows...).

How do we know each other?
Long-time e-acquaintances who met on the Horror in Film and Literature E-mail Discussion List and became closer friends in off-list correspondence and f2f vacation visits.

How would you describe yourself?
I am someone who is always surprised at how much other people like me. I am split very evenly on the Myers-Briggs test, and am both an extrovert and introvert, and I like a lot of variety in my life as well as well worn routine. So I suppose you could say I'm like Indiana weather: if you don't like what's here now stick around 10 minutes and it will change. One day you'll see me at work being super efficient and incredibly multitasking in a busy office, the next day I'll be at a sporting event or museum, and the day after that lounging at home watching a movie -- and I couldn't tell you which is my favorite activity.

In what part of the world are you located?
South Central Indiana, and I really like it here.

Where can we find you on the web?
Only one blog, and very little new content.

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
That I'm not as nice as I seem, and only the love of a good woman has made me even partially civilized.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
They don't understand the immediate, physical danger they're in if I'm crying.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Sports: I've played at a national level in three entirely different sports. Education: I'm the most educated person in the history of my family. Love: Going on thirty years -- how often does one really find their life partner?

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
To finish a freakin writing project!

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
Gosh, there've been so many. Okay, here's a good one: A couple of years ago one of my faculty dragged her 14 year old son "into" my office and asked if I would hold onto him while she injected him with his epi pin. She told me later she never doubted I'd handle the situation well.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
I tell everyone who will listen, though a lot of them roll their eyes because they've just heard me tell someone else.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Drinking beer and watching one of my favorite movies.

What makes you laugh?
Humor that isn't mean or gross. Though that enormous butt crack we were exposed to last night was pretty doggone funny.

What makes you cry?
Anger. And proofs that things aren't as bad as I imagine, like seeing someone do something really nice for someone.

What do you love?
Beer. Routine. Vacations. Movies. Summer. Life.

What do you loathe?
People who do mean things, especially if they sneer and justify it.

What's sexy?
Feminine women, especially if they're wearing men's clothing. Okay, nearly all kinds of women are sexy, but that's my favorite.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
My dad told me once that young people don't appreciate older people, especially their parents, and that they were denying themselves valuable knowledge and friendship. So when I hit teenage years I didn't go through the typical, "Anyone who's not young is a moron." stage and I got to spend more time "with" my dad, who ended up dying kinda young.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Amelia Earhart when I was young. I read every book about her in the public library. Twice. About that time I was also hooked on Annie Oakley, who gave me about the same message they've given millions of girls over the decades. And my fourth grade teacher, whose name I'm now blanking on because that was more than forty years ago. She instilled a love of studying history that I'm still experiencing.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Pay off my debts, buy out my brother's part of the house and fix it up right, quit my job and see if I really could write if I didn't have to work for a living, sponsor some artistic endeavors.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are a wonderful woman and I'm grateful to have you as a friend!

Women's Month Interviews: Marja-Leena Rathje

Happy International Women's Day! Of course, I have an international interview to go with it.

How do we know each other?
I can't remember how we found each other through our blogs but for me it was our common Finnish connection that immediately attracted me. I loved reading about your trip to Finland and Astuvansalmi (a place that I'm dying to visit too) and how you so generously shared your wonderful photos of the rock art there. As you know, I'm very interested in the ancient art forms of our ancestors, particularly in the Finno-Ugric region. I fell in love with your writings inspired by the Finnish epic Kalevala and anything you write about Finns in your blog.

How would you describe yourself?
It is said to be part of the Finnish nature to find it hard to talk about oneself, especially to brag about oneself and one's accomplishments. Certainly I'm that way, which for an artist who has to "sell" herself, is not a good thing, heh. I'm a quiet introvert but can be very talkative with kindred spirits. I've been an artist since I remember, I even had my own artist's garrett in one house we lived in when I was a child. I think I've done well balancing family, home and my art practice, though sometimes the latter had to take a back seat.

In what part of the world are you located?
I was born in Finland, came to Canada as a child and lived in the cold parts until my husband and I were lucky to end up in the Vancouver area, BC, Canada. We've lived here for 35 years and deeply love the sea, the mountains and the huge trees (thanks to our generous rain). I blame my Nordic blood that I don't like hot climates! I sometimes long for Finland, especially during the fabulous white nights, so then it's time to go for a visit!

Where can we find you on the web?
On my blog: www.marja-leena-rathje.info and my latest work can be seen in the "gallery".

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
I have no secrets so people who know me well know everything, I think. I am an artist, a wife, a mother and grandmother, homemaker, gardener. I have a fairly even temper but can get mad sometimes but usually it's just my family that will see that side of me.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
That I can be stubborn and very determined to have my way when it's important to me. That's called 'sisu' in Finnish!

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
I'm very proud of bringing up three daughters who are wonderful, talented, creative, loving women. I'm proud of my work as an artist.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
Never stop making art. Become famous (I can dream, can't I?).

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
That I am a very good artist and mother.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
Tell my husband and family and closest friends, maybe go out for a celebratory dinner.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Some quiet time by myself, I seem to need that every day, or to go with my husband on a 'retreat' to our favourite spot on the westcoast of Vancouver Island.

What makes you laugh?
Good comedies, my granddaughters, time with our dearest friends.

What makes you cry?
Sad stories and movies, saying goodbye, I can even cry when I'm joyously happy!

What do you love?
My husband of 40 years, our family, our unique home that we built, this lovely part of the world, almost anything hand made, art, opera, architecture, archaeology, water, trees, gardens....

What do you loathe?
Rude, inconsiderate people. Noise.

What's sexy?
Naturalness, authenticity, intelligence, warmth and gentleness all in one.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
Follow your heart.

How should people be spending their money?
Buy art! Support the artists and craftspeople in your community.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
All the women in my life, especially my brave mother and mother-in-law who emigrated from their homelands, my daughters, my women artist friends.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Pay myself to continue my artmaking and have shows. Put a large portion away for retirement. Finish the work on our house. Help out our daughters. Buy art made by friends. A few treats like a trip somewhere.

Kiitos paljon for being part of this celebration: you are an amazing artist.
Thank you for inviting me to join this celebration, Kate. You are fabulous too! Hope to meet one day.
Me, too!

Women's Month Interviews: Faye

If you don't know Faye, shame on you!

How do we know each other?
Through NECON, through Wendy, through Kalamazoo Congress on Medieval Studies. . .

How would you describe yourself?
Happily and recently retired, starting "The Second Act," but never retiring!

In what part of the world are you located?
In Southeastern Connecticut, and yes I'm happy--but about to leave for a month's journey Southward.

Where can we find you on the web?
I have no website, but a google search finds me every time.

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
Not much--I'm pretty talkative about my past, and if I haven't talked about it up till now, I'm not about to start.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
They think I'm younger than I am. "Too young to be retired" -- a real compliment.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
I guess I'd better stand by what I said at the retirement ceremony: I'm most proud to have been mentor and adviser to DeCarol Davis and helped her to be selected as a Truman Scholar.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
Oh, so many! I want to perform more music in more places; to visit the places I've dreamed about for so long--Israel, Italy, Vienna, Bruges, Iceland.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
When someone at the Truman Library for the Scholarship ceremony asked if DeCarol was my daughter.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
Call up or email friends.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Umm....who copes?

What makes you laugh?
Just about everything--I'm an easy laugher. Jokes, puns, the Three Stooges, A Midsummer Night's Dream, watching little kids...

What makes you cry?
I'm an easy crier, too. Beth's death in Little Women; Cordelia's death in King Lear; "Forth Eorlingas"--the charge of the Rohirrim in Jackson's film; compliments; songs like "The Last Leviathan." The entire film "La Vie en Rose."

What do you love?
Warm days. A certain kind of afternoon light. Reading. Seeing great movies in theaters. Most traditional music (with some exceptions). Ragtime piano; Bessie Smith; Billie Holiday; Edith Piaf.

What do you loathe?
Snow. Meat. Most electronically-amplified and distorted music, whether it's billed as "Modern jazz," "Serious" or "rock."

What's sexy?
A dangerous stranger; Aragorn AND Viggo Mortensen. Clint Eastwood.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
To succeed in your job, don't be lazy, work three times harder than anyone else and volunteer for everything.

How should people be spending their money?
I have no idea.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Bessie Smith; Billie Holiday; Edith Piaf; Golda Meir; Henrietta Szold; Hannah Senesh; my mother.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Thank you very much and return it. I have all the money I need right now, and I can't be bothered wondering which worthy cause to give all that extra cash to--it's not enough to change the world, and if divided up among all my favorite charities, it really wouldn't make much of a difference.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you show elne micel!

Women's Month Interviews: Stephanie Johnson

Here she is, the Queen of Everything!

How do we know each other?
Through mutual friends at first, then more so through our own friendship.

How would you describe yourself?
Loyal, fair-minded, gregarious, a bon vivant, creative, intelligent, good sense of humor. All these wonderful things are tempered with impetuousness and cynicism. Fabulous creative problem-solving abilities. I can read people very well from the very first meeting, which is one of my favorite weapons.

In what part of the world are you located?
I'm located in CT, and it's ok. I'd rather live in Montreal, Edinburgh or London.

Where can we find you on the web?
Facebook and Raven's Ecritoire

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
I bite my tongue far more than anyone would ever suspect....and as I don't always hold back, you may consider yourselves lucky that I do!

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
To underestimate me.  I think all women have to cope with that!

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Seeing my creative endeavors in public spaces, whether tacked up on a wall or on someone's clothing. Learning to fly a small plane. Remaining open-minded and open-hearted throughout my life thus far....

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
Finishing school, starting a creative career that actually may make some money, finding a new home.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
I think they're all the best.  I'm always flattered and amazed when I get one! Being invited to participate in this questionnaire a great compliment.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
By passing on the good feelings to others. Wallowing in how great I feel.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Cats, book, tea, friends, cooking. Not necessarily in that order!

What makes you laugh?
Almost everything! Mostly people -- they're so entertaining! But I don't laugh AT people -- I laugh because of them.

What makes you cry?
Injustice. Cruelty. Hate.

What do you love?
I love feeling that my spirit, mind and body are all together on the rare occasion that they are. My friends and family. Having free time to read. Traveling.

What do you loathe?
Insincerity. Bullies. Someone trying to pull a fast one on me. Anyone messing with my family or friends.

What's sexy?
It depends on my mood! And I'm too modest to go into detail...

What's the best advice you were ever given?
'Fake it 'til you make it!'

How should people be spending their money?
I think people should support animal & human rights. Excessive spending is odd to me, but then I've never had 15 million dollars to spend on books... Oh, and buy our t-shirts.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Many! All who have overcome struggles; who make their voices heard (creatively & otherwise); who do things they way they wanted to; who celebrate and uphold other women. (Some men have inspired me too, but since they've always gotten a free ride, I don't feel the need to acknowledge them.)

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Cry. Laugh. Throw a party. Travel.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are absolutely fabulous!
No, YOU'RE fabulous!

Friday's Forgotten Books: Shrieks at Midnight

Shrieks at Midnight: Macabre Poems, Eerie and Humorous
Selected by Sara and John E. Brewton
Drawings by Ellen Raskin

Here is my Rosetta Stone. Its garish orange cover depicts a ghoulishly grinning dinner party with a horse and skeleton at the feast. The feast? Human flesh. An angular woman with a tabby perched on her shoulder sends a bearded man through a meat grinder, while the rest of the guests wait impatiently, forks and knives at the ready.

When I discovered this book in my elementary school's library I was instantly captivated. The mixture of horror and humor in this collection spoke to a nascent hunger in me. No idea where it came from: I read a wide variety of things (at least until fourth grade when I was suddenly overtaken by a mania for reading books about horses in the vain hope that it would lead to my parents allowing me to have one in our half-acre back yard). I do recall leaning toward ghost stories, but the primary influences were Alice in Wonderland and the Mary Poppins series (probably the source in some way of my peculiar strain of Anglophilia that eventually led to my worship of Peter Cook).

For whatever reason, this little book became an obsession both for me and for my little brother. If one of us didn't have it checked out, the other did. In the era of helicopter parents and hand-wringing about the effects of popular media on children, it's hard to imagine parents encouraging this kind of reading. One of the first poems I memorized from this book was Dorothy Parker's "Résumé," that mordant commentary on the drawbacks of various methods of suicide.

Hardly something most parents would brag about, but it was my first introduction to a lot of classic poets, not only Parker, but Langston Hughes, Walter de la Mare, Donald Hall, and the inimitable Edward Lear (how had I lived without him before that?). I mainlined rhythm with the grotesque and rhyme with the macabre. Best of all, I learned the importance of comic timing.

Years later, my little brother found me an old discarded library copy of the book after I dredged up the memory of it in a blog post (which also sparked a similar memory of the book by an old friend). Somehow that Dewey sticker on the spine just warmed my heart. It's become the handbook for our Devil's Night Readings on campus. It's still gloriously enjoyable. If only all old friends stayed that reliable.

Thanks, Patti, for asking me to be part of the FB project.

Women's Month Interviews: Adrean Darce Brent

I've known Adrean for twenty-six years (which amazes me) while we've been criss-crossing this country and Western Europe (we met in L.A., Adrean has lived in Belgium and France). Most recently we got to see each other in San Francisco. Looking forward to the next time wherever it may be!

How do we know each other?
Graduate school, films, and Thursday nights of television, drinks, Trivial Pursuit, and laughter.

How would you describe yourself?
Intelligent, warm, passionate.

In what part of the world are you located?
Southern California. Happy in general, ecstatic in winter.

Where can we find you on the web?
Facebook

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
I strive to be creative and I'm a repressed extrovert.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
That my quietness/shyness equals stupidity/non-caring.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
That's still to be determined.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
To make a difference and to produce a creative piece of work.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
That my approach to traveling alone and being open to what's out there was inspiring.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
With a good meal and the appropriate beverage.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
If possible, remove/eliminate the source of the stress. Otherwise, find a quiet time to relax and reflect, allowing the mind to wander/free associate.

What makes you laugh?
Jane Austen novels, Woody Allen films, the intonation of the voice in the London underground warning "Mind the gap", and sometimes my own irreverent take on the world.

What makes you cry?
Leaving the city I love, children being hurt, not being around to see how it all ends.

What do you love?
Books, sound of the French language, film festivals, most things chocolate, my two favorite spots on the River Seine, making friends in every place I've lived.

What do you loathe?
Senseless deaths, rigidness of thought, intolerance.

What's sexy?
Openness and humor.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
"Only by attempting the absurd can we achieve the impossible". That's from a button I use to wear - amazingly I still have it.

How should people be spending their money?
Helping the planet stay alive.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Activists who willing risk everything to stand up for their beliefs.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Establish trust funds for my three nieces, endow a scholarship at my undergraduate university, travel to the five continents I've yet to visit, and settle permanently in Paris, France.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: I treasure you!

BitchBuzz: Touching my iPod Touch

Yes, I've got a new gig. My first piece is up over at BitchBuzz, the swanky on-line mag founded by Cate Sevilla. She put out a call for new writers on Twitter and accepted my piece about Ianto, my iPod Touch. I will have a piece due every Thursday. It's great to be a part of a swell bunch of women. I love the internet -- all this can happen so fast. Who's got the patience to wait for print any more? Not me!

Speaking of a swell bunch of women, this Women's Month Interview project has already succeeded beyond my expectations. I have loved the interviews -- and it sounds like you all do, too. I had an instinct that simply allowing my friends to speak would be amazing, but I had no idea how moving it would be. The only worry is will I have enough days in the month -- wonderful!

Women's Month Interview: Dana Fredsti

In the nineteenth century, postal delivery allowed people a great distance from one another to become friends through correspondence even though they never met. I'm grateful to the internet for making that possible instantaneously. While there are some folks I know only through the 'net, I usually make an effort to meet as many as possible in the 'real' world, too.

Dana Fredsti (aka Inara LaVey) is one of these friends. We've not met face to face, but we have discovered so many overlaps in character and taste that we suspect that we were separated at birth.

How do we know each other?
Fellow Ravenous Romance authors and fans of Lost Skeleton of Cadavera.

How would you describe yourself?
Strong-willed, with a marshmallow heart when it comes to felines and strays of any kind.

In what part of the world are you located?
I live in San Francisco, California, originally from Southern California and I would not want to live anywhere else.

Where can we find you on the web?
Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Ravenous Romance (as Inara LaVey).

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
When I get really angry, I see red and go into survival/berserker mode. I'm such an empathetic mushpot most of the time, it generally comes as a huge surprise. I would be a very good person to have around during the zombie apocalypse. ☺

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
Did I mention my temper? I think it's trying to push me too far, assuming because I genuinely do care about people and animals that I can be taken advantage of or bullied.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Lessee... Getting my murder mystery published after 15 years of rewrites and rejections; co-writing/co-producing Urban Rescuers, a documentary about TNR and feral cats; volunteering at EFBC/FCC (http://www.cathouse-fcc.org), and learning how to surf at age 40 even though I'm terrified of the water. Oh, and managing to make my Ravenous Romance and other writing deadlines while working full time.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
Being able to eventually quit my day job and write full time.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
Being told by my boyfriend that I make him want to be a better person.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
Good wine, good friends and bad movies!

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Walking on the beach, yoga, holding a few felines on my lap, and good wine, good friends and bad movies.

What makes you laugh?
Watching my cats play, really bad movies, and really good comedies. Spinal Tap just about killed me, I laughed so hard.

What makes you cry?
Nolstagia... lost dreams and the life I thought I'd be living, even though I'm happy with the life I'm living now. Thinking about all the homeless animals in the world and not being able to save them all. Certain music. If I'm hormonal, a sad moment on I DREAM OF JEANNIE can make me tear up. And yes, I know I just dated myself... ☺

What do you love?
My family, my friends, my cats, my ex, my boyfriend, writing, reading, music, zombie movies, and sword-fighting. That's just the short list.

What do you loathe?
Hypocrites, cruelty, anyone who hurts children or animals, any organization, be it political or religious, that tries to control people through fear and guilt.

What's sexy?
Sword-fighting is a good start. Sensuality...the ability to touch someone and really FEEL them, not just run your hands over their body like you're on auto-pilot. Shared laughter is sexy.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
It's actually a quote from STRICTLY BALLROOM: A life lived in fear is a life half lived. This motto literally changed my life and made me take a lot more risks to make my life into what I wanted it to be.

How should people be spending their money?
They should DEFINITELY donate to EFBC/FCC, which is part of a world-wide program to keep species of exotic felines from going extinct. And buy books! Whether they're mine or someone else's, keep books from going extinct!

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Any and every woman who pursues her dream with empathy, compassion and strength. Too many selfish, self-involved people in the world...

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Give a bundle to EFBC/FCC, donate to animal rescue organizations, make sure none of my family are in debt, and do some traveling! Oh, and I'd probably quit the day job. ☺

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are fabulous!
Thank you for inviting me! I throw the fabulous moniker right back at you!

Women's Month Interviews: Mandi Clegg

How do we know each other?
I met the wonderful and talented Kate through the Pagan networking organization we belong to, Hudson Valley Pagan Network, Inc.

How would you describe yourself?
I would say that I don't like to talk about myself, and attempt to be modest, but that is just silly; we all know I think highly of myself!!  Haha!  I think I am a rather easy person to read and get to know.  While I am very complicated and eclectic in my hobbies and activities, I am also open about it and will tell you anything.  I am fiercely loyal to those who I care about, blood and chosen relatives included.  I am a study in contradictions: while I am relatively laid back and easy going, I am also intense and the life of whatever activity is chosen.

In what part of the world are you located?
I am located in the gorgeous Northeast of the USA, specifically, Upstate NY, and I wouldn't have it any other way (though, Massachusetts calls to me often....)

Where can we find you on the web?
Facebook and MySpace

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
Not much, my friends (and some who get to know me and wish they weren't my friends) pretty much know everything about me.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
That I am "normal", by conventional standards.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Raising my daughter to have a conscience and to have empathy for the world.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
So many!!  Back to school for a degree in business, bring the sales of my company up to $400,000 a year or better, get married, have more children and that is only a few.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
That I will be extremely missed.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
Call EVERYONE and whoop it up!!

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Laughter, I try to do it each and every day to avoid intense stress.

What makes you laugh?
Anything...I am silly and immature and will laugh over the zaniest of things.

What makes you cry?
Again, I can cry very easily.  I cried because my daughter sang us 3 songs in the car the other night.

What do you love?
Music and art.  I love them and try to share them with everyone.  I think that they are very humanizing and can speak to each and every human being in way that language and the written word cannot.  While music may have lyrics, the rhythm and notes of a song can be felt by anyone, even someone who is deaf, the pulse can be felt.  Art is a medium that allows each person to take something different away from it: be it the brush strokes, color and hue or shapes represented, each piece will mean something to each person.

What do you loathe?
People who have children or pets for the sake of having them and not for the joy and love that they inherently bring to your life.  Our children and animals are here for themselves, and to share their life with us, not to be toted around like a handbag sharing a small piece of our lives.

What's sexy?
Sexy is confidence, knowing who you are and what you want out of life.  This doesn't have to actually mean "sex".  Being sexy, truly sexy, is being attractive and engaging to those around you.  I think humans are naturally drawn in by things that stimulate them and when you are confident in all areas of your life, you are sexy to those around you.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
Seek counseling.

How should people be spending their money?
Well, I'd like to see people spending money with my company, but most people don't need material handling products...hahaha!  Though, I've got the accordion door for you, if you need to cover up a closet or laundry room!  Seriously, I think people should spend money as sensibly as possible.  Does this mean I follow this advice...?  

Which woman/women have inspired you?
All of them.  Every woman I meet provides insight and knowledge into the collective of my thoughts.  To try and pick out just one is difficult.  

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
#1, thank the crap out of you!!  #2, Pay off the bills of my friends and family.  Put money aside for my daughter's future.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are amazing!

Women's Month Interviews: Cheryl

The one, the only: Cheryl!

How do we know each other?
If I remember correctly, George King IV introduced us many years back when you and Gene were grad students at UCONN.

How would you describe yourself?
Not boring! Haha! A smart, talented, and self-reliant person who knows how to take care of things…a person who is not afraid of a little adventure. Yes, I can be loud and opinionated, but that’s half the fun of being me…I don’t hold back when enjoying myself or living life as I see fit.

In what part of the world are you located?
New England.

Where can we find you on the web?
The New England Anomaly

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
I’m a self-made woman, who put herself through college (and graduated with honors). I am well-versed in many different subjects such as regional history, folklore, material culture, and pop culture. I am also a rock & roll fan (pre-‘95). I am very knowledgeable about current events and read everyday.

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
That I am “just” a secretary (it’s my day job while I finish my grad degree). Because I am animated and “loud” or because I wear flashy fashion, have tattoos, and I’m big busted (I don’t have any control over how big my tits are…they grew there!) then I must be stupid. You would not believe the amount of people who just write me off based on my personality or how I look. Screw them…I am proud to be loud!

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
I’m a self-made woman, who put herself through college (and graduated with honors). That I am living practically debt free (no credit cards here!). Also, overcoming some major socio-economic and personal hurtles to get where I am today.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
To make a name for myself.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
I am a vain creature…especially as I grow older. So I like when people say I don’t look my age…that I look much younger than I am (and act it, too).

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
I’m an extrovert, so I tell EVERYBODY!!!

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Screaming, yelling, swearing, crying…I feel much better when I let it all out. I am an emotional person. Then once it’s out of my system, I can get to work and get done what needs to be done. Unfortunately, other people don’t like my drama…but hey, it works for me.

What makes you laugh?
Clever jokes, word play, a witty reference, and some slapstick…also stuff that’s “blue,” naughty but not disgusting. Every once in a while, something crass will be said and done, and if I’m in the right mood, I will think it’s hilarious while most people will be offended. That’s my “biker chick” persona coming out.

What makes you cry?
Hormones…seriously. I cry at the drop of a hat for no reason. And it has been getting worse as menopause sets in.

What do you love?
Joey! He’s one of the best things that ever happened to me. I also love a sense of accomplishment, especially when doing something I enjoy. And cats. I love cats….one of my goals is to be a crazy cat lady.

What do you loathe?
Green beans. Screaming kids…especially babies (I REALLY don’t like babies.) Chauvinists, racists, and homophobes. Snooty yuppies. Organized religion…in fact, I have little use for religion in general.

What's sexy?
Hairy-chested men!!! Especially if they’re naked! Yeah!!! :-D Don’t show me some young guy with no hair on their bodies…they look like little boys, and I DON’T like little boys. I like mature men…REAL MEN! And real men have hair on their chest. Gimme…Hugh Jackman!!!

Hey, you asked! ;-)

What's the best advice you were ever given?
To be honest…I can’t recall any. I use advice as I go along, but usually follow the beat of my own drum.

How should people be spending their money?
People can spend their money anyway they want, but personally, I have a real problem with excessiveness. While there’s nothing wrong with a little indulgence, do people really need 30-plus room mansions or multiple private jets? Shouldn’t that much extra money be used for philanthropy or something?

Which woman/women have inspired you?
This is a hard question. When I look up to someone or am inspired by someone, it’s usually for something they do or did…not because of their gender. And most of the people who are my heroes are men, because they just happened to do something I am interested in or I think is cool. I never think in terms of gender until someone points it out. And it’s not because women can’t or don’t or won’t do what I like…it’s because what I like or am interested in, just happens to usually be done by a man first.

It was always that way when I was growing up. I would see or hear of something that’s cool and think, “I want to do that!” But then my mother or someone else (my mother was one of the worse perpetrators of this) would say, “You can’t do that, you’re a girl. Girls don’t do that.” My attitude was always, “Why can’t I? What does my gender have to do with it?” And then I would go and do it anyway. Of course, along the way, I would meet or hear about other WOMEN who were doing the same thing, which was cool and made me feel I wasn’t alone. But by then, since *I* was already doing it, why would I hero-worship some other woman? So, my final analysis is, I inspire myself the most.

Having said that, there are women I do admire:
Joan Jett and Wendy O. Williams. Two rock & roll women who did what they wanted and didn’t care what others thought. They ROCK!

Elena Steier. There are a lot of women cartoonists out there, but to actually meet a woman doing what I used to dream of as a kid and count her as a friend, has me a little awe-struck.

My Memèré (grandmother). She wasn’t the nicest person in the world and was too religious for my taste, but my self reliance comes from her. She is the one who taught me, “…to make do.” Use what is on hand, and fix and repair what you have. Don’t know how? Then learn. Swinging a hammer is not rocket science, neither is mending a shirt. All that I learned from Memèré…“You make do.” I know it is suddenly “trendy” to be frugal because the economy is tanking, but I was always like this! Ask my husband, he’ll tell you! He and I got through some hard times because of what Memèré taught me.


If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Practical stuff…buy a house, finish school, pay off bills, give a little to my favorite causes, take a trip or two to visit friends in a part of the country I haven’t been to, and sock the rest away for retirement. Of course, I would indulge a little (I love dresses!), but for the most part, I’m too practical to get ridiculous about how money is spent.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you rock!

Crazy Haste

The next interview will be up later today; naturally, I have all the interviews at home while I'm here on campus and running like mad today, because I plan to head down to Bard to hear Liz Hand read between my classes. I will be announcing a new writing gig later this week. I just got interviewed by the Schenectady Daily Gazette regarding Watchmen, which I suspect will NOT result in a quote because I can't seem to learn to talk in sound bytes (work on it, work on it). There's a new podcast interview with Moore by the folks at Disinformation. Gotta run --

UPDATE: Gaah -- too much snow. Didn't go to Bard, waah!

Women's Month Interviews: Wendy Goldberg

I've decided to use this month -- Women's History Month, of course -- to do a simple yet wonderful thing: celebrate the fabulous women I know. I hope this makes us all aware of the web of amazing women we have around us. Women don't tend to be good about tooting their own horns, but one thing I've learned from history is that small efforts by individuals can change the course of the world even when they don't intend to do so.



First up, the fabulous Wendy Goldberg, the nearest I come to having a sister of my own!

How do we know each other?
Bonding over grad school and medieval literature.

How would you describe yourself?
I would like people to see me as a confident, dedicated teacher as well as a human being striving to make the world a better place.

In what part of the world are you located?
New England. I'm ready for a change.

Where can we find you on the web?
Facebook and blogspot

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
For those who think I'm tough, I'm very much soft-hearted. And for those who think I'm optimistic, I am pessimistic (and vice versa).

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
Thinking that I'm not passionate about politics and world events. Also, that I'm not ambitious.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
yet to come...

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
I have many ambitions ahead of me. This is an uncertain time but I want to find a place where I am appreciated and where I can share my talents with others. I want to make a difference, although I don't really care if I get that recognition.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
That my students are lucky to have me.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
With friends and a drink or two.

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Getting a massage, going to religious services, and generally thinking about people who have it much worse than I do.

What makes you laugh?
Movies, books, and people who show the absurdity and the tragedy in life (like Douglas Adams and my many acerbic friends);

What makes you cry?
At both extremes, one sad and one sublime: Sacrifice done in the name of nothing and sacrifice given in the name of everything.

What do you love?
Many things. My family, my friends, and my cats. I love movies and books that pull me into a different world. I love having written something that I'm proud of. The song of the Mockingbird on a full-moon night. Wallace Stevens. Chocolate Mousse. That dinner I had in Paris many years ago. Walking through large spaces, empty of people. Barbara Stanwyck in The Lady Eve. The way the cat purrs at me when I'm sleeping. The sound of my mother's, my sister's, and my niece's laughter.

What do you loathe?
Unkindness in all its forms -- especially toward those who are less powerful.

What's sexy?
Confidence without arrogance.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
No one ever complains about a speech or a talk going too short.

How should people be spending their money?
At their local soup kitchen or any charity in one's community.

Which woman/women have inspired you?
My mother, for never compromising her morals and beliefs and for always believing in me. All of my female friends -- to whom I do not say this enough -- for their power and their passion.

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Make sure my family was secure and then spend a year sailing around the world.

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration and for going first: you are fabulous!
You are welcome!

Happy Birthday, Cheryl and Birdie!

Okay, Birdie's is actually the 29th, but there isn't one this year! Have a great time, gals, wherever you may go. May everything go your way today.

Get Your Zombie On!

The fabulous Elena Steier illustrates a wild zombie adventure written by Andrew Steier (hmmmm, wonder if they're related?).

Happy Birthday, George

And everywhere gnomes drinking their wine raise a glass to the gardener.

On Not Watching the Oscars

I thought of a lot of blah blah blah I could write, but the truth is actually quite simple. The Oscars have nothing to say to me because the mainstream Hollywood industry has nothing to say to me. I'm a woman over forty: where are my peers? Apart from Meryl Streep, whose consistently stellar abilities are taken for granted while people go into paroxysms of praise for male actors who take on any kind of variety in roles, older women have mostly been turning to television because film-makers are allergic to wrinkles on female bodies. In men, it's character -- of course (they're so distinguished). Hollywood prefers women skinny, young and stupid.

I'll vote with my feet.

Will it matter? Nah. They'll still get their coveted demographic of 18-25 males -- who will assume that that's what women are like (and presumably trust that all women go off on some kind of Logan's Run death trip after 30). Hey, there was a young man on one internet list I was on today arguing that women went into prostitution because they "liked sex". It's all about the 'pimps and 'hos', you know.

P.S. I tried to find an article on Older Women in Film I had read before at the Guardian and it came up blank. Fitting, eh?

Neglectful

Yes, blame me, mea culpa, etc. I have been overly neglectful of the blog this past week, but I think after nearly five years I've earned a little slack cutting. I hope!

I promise to do better this week as I countdown the hours to spring break (begins when I finish teaching Mar 4) and a number of deadlines (mostly Mar 1). Yes, I have been inordinately busy this month, but I'll be back to normal and ranting about various things, writing reviews, announcing publications (I hope) etc.

Short version: Dollhouse is a waste of time, Midnight Meat Train, disappointing (and Clive looks and sounds shockingly horrible). I did not watch the Oscars, so have nothing to say about them, though I do plan to say something about why that is -- but right now, I have to run.

Pleased

An overdue honour!

UPDATE: Some great photos of the event including a very nice one of the lovely Eleanor Bron. Thanks for the link, Sally!

Publication: Review of Deleuze and Horror

I have a new publication out that will interest many of you: a review of Deleuze and Horror by Anna Powell. It's in the latest edition of the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts (19.1), pages 119-122. Unfortunately, the "current issue" listed on their website is not the actual current one, so there's no preview of the rest of the contents. You will find essays on King, Tepper, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Lord of the Rings, as well as a wide selection of reviews. Editor Brian Attebery writes about his inability to overcome his dislike of horror in the introduction to this volume that features that genre. To each his own, though I bristle at the conservative view of horror as only telling "half the story" (he invokes the trilogy of Clute, Fry and Campbell to support that prejudice authoritatively). Some of us need happy endings -- and some of know the world is a dangerous and wonderful place.

Effortless

In slow increments of about 500 words at a time, my serial novel The Mangrove Legacy, has passed over the 70,000 word threshold. My, my. Break a task into tiny steps and it gets done (eventually, but fairly effortlessly).

Red Nose Net

Comic Relief is a big deal in Britain -- all sorts of people take part in Red Nose Day and the best comedians get together to put on silly skits and, best of all, it raises oodles of money for charity. Some Americans (like John Hodgman and Jonathan Coulton) are getting together to get the tradition rolling here. Check out Red Nose Net and become part of the fun! Donate, follow them on Twitter, join in and help.

Red Nose Day will run from noon Friday March 13 to noon Saturday March 14. Send news about your participation to web master @ red nose net dot com. Have fun -- do good! Comedy + charity: what could be better?

Happy Happy!

Happy Birthday, Elena! Happy Birthday, Gene Sr (a day late!)


And Happy Anniversary, Gene and Jane! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Waiting for Waiting for Godot

Just got tickets today for a version of Godot with some heavy hitters at The Roundabout Theatre's Studio 54:

Two-time Tony Award® winner Nathan Lane, Tony Award® winner Bill Irwin, Golden Globe® winner John Goodman and Tony Award® winner John Glover star in Samuel Beckett's cryptic and comical play, Waiting for Godot, directed by Tony Award® winner Anthony Page.

Should be fun! I love this play and that's quite a slate of actors to include. I recall one of my few great MLA memories being when I saw Irwin perform Stories and Texts for Nothing. Looking forward to this performance, for sure.

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This Way Up

Run over to the BBC site and see for yourself a very fun animated film, This Way Up. It follows the adventures of two morticians as they attempt to do their job. It puts the "fun" back in funeral!

Poking Around

The photo doesn't show it well enough, but there's the result of yesterday's attempt to do a very common thing: give a blood sample. It's been a normal part of life since I was a teenager. Phlebotomists vary greatly, but I've never had one as bad as this. Altogether, four needles of various sizes poked into my arm (the fourth by a different person over at Quest Labs, fortunately). The third one was the worst. She wasn't quite willing to give up immediately and poked around trying to find a vein.

I have big veins, very easy to see and feel. Yet she missed it. Three times. It's the poking around that gave me the swelling and the extra bruising. I had the heating pad on it yesterday, but maybe I'll put a cool pack on it to bring down the swelling.

The best phlebotomist I ever had was in Los Angeles. I can't remember his name because in my head he was always "Hatchet Man." He was nigh on painless every time, straight to the vein and done. But he had this horrific scar and dent in his forehead that looked like someone had buried a hatchet in his head. I was always too timid to ask about it, but it fascinated me. Maybe I should have asked, but it seemed rude. Whatever it was must have been terrible. Probably better I didn't ask.

UPDATE: less swelling, more bruising (fascinating, eh?)

Review: Born Standing Up

Jump on over to Up Against the Wall for my review of Steve Martin's Born Standing Up: you will find it interesting, I'm sure (or not, who can tell about these things?).

Reprint: Palakainen

My short story "Palakainen," from the forthcoming (very soon!) collection Unikirja, has been reprinted in the latest Mythic Passages. I LOVE the image Brenda put with it! Amazing and perfectly apt. This story is based on the murder ballad from The Kanteletar, so it's a touch gruesome -- be prepared.

How Can I Resist?

Just heard today about a special production of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens this summer. Irresistible, of course. If all goes well (still waiting to hear on the Northampton conference) I should be able to be there to see it (assuming I can get tickets, I suppose). Well, that's a lot of ifs, but I will clap my hands and see what happens.