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Twigs snapping, that's what it sounded like when she got up, straightened her legs and her red knees, still tingling from their compression against newspaper on the floor, clicked in gratitude for the gaunt burden lifted from them. The newspaper was a cushion against the bald carpet. 'Amen' she said and yawned. Cold air hit her pink gums and she kissed her rosary three times; for the father, the son and the holy ghost. It was an equable division of kisses placating all elements of the trinity. This was very necessary in her mind. 'You never know which one of them is checking in with you' she used to say as her husband, Herbert, would watch her, tying shoes onto his feet and smoking with a cigarette hanging from his lips. He would sit on his side of the bed, oblivious to ash fluttering on the duvet and the carpet. 'Can't you wait til you get out?' she used to say before telling him to quieten down and kissing the rosary one more time to compensate for Herbert's transgression from the faith. She would smile at him, reluctantly, looking at his spectacles, thick like jam jars, and the blue eyes behind them filled with love. 'Don't say a word' she would say, wanting him to speak, so she could scold him with words that landed like soft kisses. That was ten years ago, before her yellow teeth were replaced by sparkling white ones she now kept in a glass of water by her bed. They were good days.
Annie was 86, skin and bone, and wrapped in a devotional fervour intruded upon by her damned, unforgiving, arthritic knees. But still, knees weren't meant to bend forever. She had come to accept that now. 'Ten minutes is plenty before sunrise and coffee'. She recalled saying that to Herbert as if she was a naughty girl. He would just laugh, his eyes scrunching shut behind his spectacles, his shoulders heaving up and down. She remembered him laughing. What a laugh he had, loud and garrulous through an open mouth smelling of ale. You could see back to his tonsils and all his teeth. 'He could have painted them for all I knew.' Annie used to say that a lot. She didn't say it so much as time passed. 'You there, love?' was the refrain that supplanted it. She said that again as she reached for her glasses. They lay next to a worn leather clad bible on the floor. She sucked her bottom lip, annoyed at having to bend again to retrieve them. 'Think Annie' she said and slapped her forehead with her open hands, frustrated at her forgetfulness and tired of her frustration. You could have heard the thud from thirty yards.
Squinting in the naked light of the iron lamp by her bed, she put on her glasses and stood still to catch a fleeting memory, surprised and disappointed at the room's emptiness. 'You there, love?' she said. There was no reply. A plume of smoke appeared in the corner of her left eye and she made herself discount it as the grey mist of a cataract.
It was dark outside. Annie knew that because it was winter and 6 am. Her yellow curtains were drawn and moved ever so slightly at the rush of the wind against the pane and through the old frame. Annie didn't notice that. She noticed the cold as she breathed it in. But she didn't put the heating on. Only when the curtains were open and there was a hot Nescafe in her hand would she light the small gas fire in her room. She pulled apart the yellow fabric and looked upon the silent street through a lace net curtain that was once white and elegant. It was now greying with damp and dust that gathered in the folds of the loop though which it was strung and nailed to the wall. Before her was a front garden overgrown with nettles and sheltered from the street by a brick wall three feet high. She looked for the blue Morris Minor. They had bought it in 1973. They had sold it in 1978. It was not the first car they had bought. It was not even the last. But somehow its contours had etched themselves into her soul as indicative of good days; when the children had crawled around her like love sick puppies, aching to be near her. It was a strange mercy that shielded her from the truth: by 1974 her brood were already in college or University, or in the case of young Mark, in a borstal for affray.
Outside, all she could see was a Ford transit van parked with all its tyres on the pavement. There were no people. If there were, they were masked by darkness. 'You could have said you were leaving early' she thought and felt a wave of annoyance pass through her. It disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. He never did like to wake her when he was on earlies. She understood that, but God did she hate to be treated like a wallflower.
She turned back into the room, sighed and walked past an old arm chair that was in urgent need of reupholstering. A spring in the seat was protruding an inch. You couldn't see it though thanks to the pillow that covered it. Upon it was draped a black suit and a blue tie. Beneath the chair were Herbert's smart shoes, his only shoes, for the others had long since been chucked when Annie wasn't looking. All her children had agreed that it was kinder that way. Sometimes, in the night she would wake and brave the cold air to go to the bathroom. Her sleepy gaze would fall on the clothes and shoes. She would call out, 'it's late. You shouldn't sit there all night.' Having made her point, she would go back to sleep, reassured by the seated presence. There was no need to wait for a reply. It was not, she reasoned, as if Herbert was a great talker. Later that morning, in the bright winter sun, men would come to the house to clear it of rubbish and take away all remnants of Herbert and Annie. They would remark on the dust glinting on the black suit and its faded colour as they ripped off the curtains. Both the suit and the curtains were stuffed it into a black bin liner. They fell on an open tobacco tin. The few strings of tobacco it contained smelled of nothing but the stagnant odour that melded the room's scent with Annie's. Hers was the scent of talcum powder and nicotine.
'So much to do' she said as if she recalled some vague itinerary of tasks extending no further than getting washed and ready for the day. She shuffled her feet across the bald carpet and into her slippers by the door. They were pink but somehow failed to convey the femininity they were meant to. They were just functional items on her feet. 'Well at least he's put his slippers away' she told herself, as she did every morning before leaving the room and shaking her head.
As she walked along the dark hallway, the soles of her pink slippers patted against a clear plastic sheeting that had been laid down over ten years ago to protect the carpet beneath it. After the fourth pat she stumbled against something hard on the floor. The surprise of it made her lose her balance and she swayed into the tired wallpaper and then stopped to gather her thoughts. 'What is the matter with you?' she said and returned to her bedroom to retrieve the torch that lay by the door. 'That's better' she told herself as a beam of soft light fell across the hallway and the suitcase within it. It was sat facing her like a guard dog. She looked at the case and wondered at its presence within the hallway's hushed gloom. The kids must have left it she thought, unable to recollect how the case had got there. She continued past it and the staircase she had not ascended in several months.
On she shuffled to the small kitchen of lavender paint peeling off plasterboard and impaled with nails holding up pans. When did she have time to use those things now? She wondered. 'So much to do' she said.
In the kitchen was a white gas cooker streaked brown with old grease. From the small table by its side she picked up a yellow box of matches and proceeded to light a gas ring to boil water for her Nescafe. 'I'm too old for one those love' she had said when her daughter, Sarah, had tried to convert her to the use of an electric kettle. 'You do things your way. I'm happy as I am' she had said, pursing her lips and sucking them in against her iridescently white teeth. No one argued with her. 'Of course Mother' was all Sarah had said, amused at the Blitz spirit.
Just as the first bubble was rising through the pan of water the phone rang. Annie walked back into the hallway and lifted the handset off the wall. 'Herbert' she said.
'It's Sarah' said a voice used to gliding over references to her father.
'Oh I see. I haven't heard from you for a while' said Annie, bristling a little.
'I packed with you yesterday Mother. The suitcase and everything is ready to go. I'm dropping William at work at 9 and I'll be with by with you for 9.30.We're so excited you are coming to live with us' Sarah added whilst bending down to pick a stray sock off the floor and throw it at William, her husband. William was sat in an arm chair watching television. He threw the sock back at her and scrunched his face in mock annoyance. Sarah smiled, harassed and ready to say something to him, something witty she had just thought of. She opened her mouth, and then she took cognisance of her mother's comment, 'I can't leave your father here.'
'Oh, Mother' she sighed and the flying sock was already a memory. She could have said more but it was a cliché to repeat that 'dad is in heaven and has been for a decade.' Besides, all it did was open old wounds that never failed to startle with their implacable severity. 'Mother, I will see you at 9.30. Don't forget to eat some toast now. You know how you get giddy when you don't eat. I've left some marmite in the fridge for you. You like marmite.'
Annie heard the line go quiet and replaced the handset as gently as if she was placing a flower on a grave. She noted the mottled discoloration and baggy skin on the back of her hand as it lingered on the dial, understanding the finality of the communication if, or when, she turned away. She was like a statue for a timeless minute with only the faint quiver of her hand giving a clue to her condition. Yes, she was still alive. 'Oh Annie,' she said as she touched her eyes with her thin fingers and turned around to face where she had come from. The kitchen door was open. The cooker's flame was humming in her ears. What tune was that, that incessant long whine? Straining her ears, she surmised that the hum was an old record that must be playing somewhere, that the worn stylus must have snagged on a groove, and that the record player was upstairs. She stepped back to face the stairs, concerned only to locate a record player that hadn't played in a decade. 'Herbert' she called and recalled he was gone. Annoyance filled her at the prospect of scaling the fourteen stairs and the plastic lamination over dirty grey carpet. Some of the steel tacks that Herbert had used to fix it down (there were four per stair) had long disappeared or lay detached from carpet and stairs, their grey sheen infiltrated by a rusty brown encouraged by the seeping damp of the old house. 'Oh Annie,' she said again, but this time with determination. Her damned knees would respond to her will.
Grabbing the bare pine banister she pulled herself as if she was drawing in a rope and ascended the stairs one painful step at a time, waiting for both feet to meet before urging them on again. Her chest rose also with ever deeper breaths and at some point between the first and eighth step she scaled her feet met and she stood to attention, wondering and flushed with embarrassment at her suspended animation. It must have been at least a year since she had last gone upstairs. There was no need anymore. Like some Lego puzzle her bedroom had been dismantled and recreated downstairs. The doctor had insisted on it as a condition of her autonomy but his utterance had fallen, imperceptibly as a feather on grass, on Annie's ears. They were already attuned to Columbo while her daughter patted her skinny, sad looking shoulders. 'Of course doctor' Annie had mumbled, finally, just to get them out of the room, her room, her house, her precious beautiful house that she had picked with Herbert. And leave they did. 'I will die here as I lived' she had muttered, her eyes not flickering as Columbo faded into adverts.
Annie waited on a step until her chest steadied itself, surrounded by paisley wallpaper and holding the banister with her thin hands. 'Herbert' she said and heaved herself upwards once more until, finally, there were no stairs left to climb. Breathing in, she looked around and felt like a stranger entering a forbidden place. She touched a wall with the back of her left hand as if she was grazing a baby's cheek and walked towards a door, berating herself for forgetting her torch. Batteries cost less than electricity form a meter: she believed that with all her soul and not even Herbert had ever convinced her otherwise. It was only a question of time therefore that the old torch from a rusted tool box resurfaced once he had gone.
When she entered the doorway she stood still, leaning against the wooden frame, watching the first morning light entering the empty room. This was where she and Herbert had once slept. It was a shell now. The life had been sucked out of it. In its dusty centre, resting on a brown carpet, was a record player. It was old junk now. But she recalled how she would play it and dance with Herbert, slowly, around the double bed and a wardrobe in which they stuffed their clothes. 'By God, could Crosby sing' she thought to herself. Herbert had always wanted to put someone else on but she never let him. His hands were too big—builder's hands he had—and she worried that he would scratch the vinyl. She remembered it like it was yesterday. Closing her eyes, she danced in her head, very slowly. A tear came down her left cheek, like a first raindrop down a window, and she raised her hands as if she was telling someone to stop. 'Oh Herbert' she said, turning round, away from the memory.
She shuffled her feet towards the stairs again, grabbed the pine banister, and descended the first step. It was then that her headed jolted upwards. It sounded to her like a long scream. The fire alarm in the kitchen had been ringing for over ten minutes but she only heard it then, when her reverie had broken and she had descended a step. Annie rushed her left foot forward, anxious to move, not knowing whether she wanted to move towards or away from the long scream, and lost her grip on the loose carpet.
An inaudible gasp left her lips as she fell, head first, to the ground, shooting like a human torpedo along the fourteen steps. She left behind her a button that had torn from her shirt. It had snagged on a nail. She ended with her head resting on the downstairs floor, wedged against a skirting board that had cracked with the impact. Her feet rested on the steps, separated from her pink slippers. 'Herbert' she whispered.
'Come, my pet' said a voice in her head. She smiled and she closed her glazed eyes on the world for the last time.
BIO: Balvinder is a lawyer working in London. In his spare time (usually around midnight) he enjoys writing poetry and short stories. He has also recently completed his first novel.


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Castle of Celles-Vêves
This castle began life as the property of Pépin de Herstal in the 8th century, then changed hands a number of times.After Pépin de Herstal, it became the fortress of the Sires... Find out more...
Simenon: Liège is in all his novels
Georges Simenon is considered to be a great writer of the 20th century. Liège, his hometown, appears in most of the father of Maigret's novels.
Georges Simenon was officially born on 12 February 1903, on Rue Léopold in Liège, at number 24. We say officially because legend has it that he was actually born on 13 February at 0:10am, but his superstitious mother declared the birth as the day before. Georges Simenon was, therefore, born just a stone's throw from Place Saint-Lambert.
Already, at the tender age of 12, during his time as a pupil at Saint-Servais college on rue Saint-Gilles, George Simenon knew that he wanted to write novels. He went on to start his writing career as a journalist at the Gazette de Liège where he wrote columns. Simenon is a verbose author who has written 193 novels, 158 novellas and several autobiographies. He also wrote numerous works using 27 different pseudonyms.
Right next to Place Saint-Lambert, behind the City Hall (la Violette) there is a statue of Simenon. Sitting on a bench and smoking a pipe, he invites passers by to sit with him a moment. A little further along the guided walk and you arrive at Place du Marché, where Arnold Maigret's name lies on the First World War memorial. Even though Parisian police superintendent Maigret (1931), is the Liège writer's most famous character and his novels take place all over the world, the references to his hometown are omnipresent in Simenon's works. As for superintendent Maigret, he bears some striking resemblances to the the author: he is a pipe smoker, a great food lover and enjoys the atmosphere of cafes...
If you cross over the Meuse river on the Pont des Arches bridge, you will find yourself in front of Saint-Pholien church in Outremeuse. Without doubt one of Georges Simenon's most famous works, "The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien" (also published as Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets) is inspired by a true story from 1922 written about in La Gazette de Liège. "Maigret at the Gai-Moulin" and "Three Crimes" are also works with a distinct Liège character.
The " Free Republic of Outremeuse" is the neighbourhood of Liège in which Simenon's presence is the most prevelant. Starting with Place du Congrès and its bust of the famous author and Rue Georges Simenon, next to Place de l'Yser where you will find the Youth hostel that is named after him. It was here that, every other Sunday, a young Georges would watch his father taking part in Civil Guard exercises. During his military service, militiaman Georges dind't venture very far: he was based in the barracks on Boulevard de la Constitution. For his metings among artists he would go to "La Caque", on Impasse de la Houpe, not far from the banks of the Meuse and the Quai des Tanneurs.
As you follow the quays you arrive at Quai de Gaulle, which was called Quai des Pêcheurs in Simenon's day and was were he would moor his yacht the "Ostrogoth". It was on board this yacht that Simenon was said to have written his first Maigret novel. You can leave Outremeuse by crossing the foot bridge at the end of the Quai de Gaule. It is a footbridge that Simenon crossed many times, as the people of Liège still do today. From here you arrive at the Saint-Denis Collegiate church where the Simenon family attended a "chic" 10:30am Mass.
Read also...
Liège City Pass 48h = unmissable visits in Liège for €16pp

subset: commoncrawl


text: Video News: United States Soyuz spacecraft takes off for International Space Station ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) The Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft launched early Thursday (May 29) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft is carrying three new engineers to the International Space Station. The new Expedition 40 flight engineers are NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, cosmonaut and Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Alexander Gerst. © DailyMotion - Wednesday, May 28, 2014


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Disability Action Plan
The Department of Premier and Cabinet is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible and inclusive environment for all people with a disability who come into contact with the department, whether as employees, stakeholders or members of the public more generally.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet Disability Action Plan 2014 (DAP) facilitates the equitable participation of and high quality outcomes for people with a disability by ensuring that our policies, programs and services are accessible and responsive to their needs.
DPC aims to encourage a culture of diversity and inclusion by:
- valuing our people equally and appreciating the unique ideas, capabilities and experiences that a diverse population can offer DPC
- achieving an organisation-wide awareness of practices that discriminate against people with a disability and seeing a tangible change in behaviours and attitudes
- fostering an inclusive culture where difference is welcome and respected
- promoting equal opportunity of access to DPC employment, programs and facilities.
We will monitor our progress against the plan and further develop ongoing commitment from all areas of the department to create a supportive and inclusive environment for all Victorians.
View the
- Disability Action Plan 2014 (PDF 401.86 KB)
- Disability Action Plan 2014 (Word 484.54 KB)
Last updated on Tuesday, 19 September 2017


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(Line attempt 2) We got hit again by hurricane hannah again. It's proboly going to hit later on to. While I'm in school tomorrow. Everyone in town is a bit scared, good thing is, i may not have school tomorrow becasue of the floods xD Anyway.
Flash Draw Created Sep 07, 2008 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2008 Aka7892.
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:D muhahahhahahahahahaha! unless you have these 5 hearts...ok, i'l give them to u.
ohhhh so cute i just adore it's expression.
:) love the hair color and eyes :) 5/5
really nice draw 5\5
he just a bit paintion no panic lol
cool pic ^^ 5z
Wow, that is BEAUTIFUL! 5/5 totally!
love it!!! 200/200 yeah i grade in 200 lvls...lol
Nice one ^^ 5/5
vert nice :) keep drawing and you will always keep getting better :)


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Belgian artist Guy Peellaert, most famous for his album cover illustrations of David Bowie's Diamond Dogs and The Rolling Stones' It's Only Rock 'n' Roll and his ground breaking art book Rock Dreams, died this past Monday of kidney cancer in Paris. He was 74.
Born in Brussels in 1934 into an aristocratic family, Peellaert broke with his family as a teenager, first by entering the military, then by choosing an art career over his father's demands to pursue a career in medicine. Peellaert first major success was the comic strip, Les Aventures de Jodelle, published in 1966 in the French magazine Hara-Kiri. The central character, Jodelle, was modeled after Ye-Ye singer Sylvie Vartan. Peellart's second comic strip, Pravda, again modeled the heroine after a French singer, the iconic Françoise Hardy. In the 1970's Peellaert went on to design movie posters for such films as Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver; Wim Wenders's Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire and Robert Altman's Short Cuts.
But Peellaert is best known for his rock album covers -- especially his controversial Diamond Dogs design from 1974. The gate-fold cover features Bowie as a half-man, half-dog grotesque. Peellaert painted in a photo-realistic style and the controversy stems from how well he flaunted the hybrid genitalia. I guess that was something of a no-no in the early 1970's. A few copies of the original cover inexplicably survived, today they fetch upwards of a few thousand dollars each. The initial RCA release had the genitalia airbrushed out, but the recent reissue on Rykodisc/EMI revives the original artwork.


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April 24th, 2013 05:55 PM #21Madison, 14-year-old name nerd! My style is all over the place, my favorites change all the time.
Boys: David, Eric, Finlay, George, James, Jude, Lee, Michael, Paul, Richard, Rory.
Girls: Emmanuelle, Frederica, Jayne, Juliet, Lauren, Mary, Molly, Nora, Raffaela, Stella.


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Around two thousand pieces of animation art and ephemera will be sold at auction in June.
The post Animation Art Auction Wars: Bonhams, Heritage, Van Eaton Holding Back-to-Back-to-Back Auctions appeared first on Cartoon Brew.Add a Comment
Around two thousand pieces of animation art and ephemera will be sold at auction in June.
The post Animation Art Auction Wars: Bonhams, Heritage, Van Eaton Holding Back-to-Back-to-Back Auctions appeared first on Cartoon Brew.Add a Comment
An auction of artwork from "Coraline," "ParaNorman," and "The Boxtrolls" reached over $1 million in sales.Add a Comment
Tomorrow morning, July 31st, auction house Profiles in History will be holding a massive auction of animation art with over 900 lots. Among the pieces available is an original model sheet of Br'er Rabbit from Disney's rarely seen Song of the South (1946). It is estimated to sell for between $8,000-$12,000. Click on the image above for a closer view.
If you want to bid in the auction, visit the Profiles in History website. Below are a few other quirky items I enjoyed seeing in the catalog.
Promo artwork from Ralph Bakshi's Hey Good Lookin' (1982)
Publicity cel from Tex Avery's last project, the Hanna-Barbera series The Kwicky Koala Show (1980)
Production background by Pete Alvarado from the Warner Bros. short So Much for So Little (1949)
Fan card signed by Max Fleischer (ca. 1930s)
Production cel and background from Officer Duck (1939)
A model sheet from King Leonardo and His Short SubjectsAdd a Comment
The upcoming Profiles in History animation art auction, that will take place on December 18-19, includes numerous Eyvind Earle concept paintings that you may have not seen before.Add a Comment
For the first time in its history, Laika will auction puppets, models and props from its stop motion films "Coraline," "ParaNorman," and "The Boxtrolls."Add a Comment
If there had been an art book for Henry Selick's "Coraline," this is some of the art that would have been in it.Add a Comment
Since the only authenticated photograph of Billy the Kid was recently auctioned off for $2.3 million, Tonto Fielding has decided to put a family relic on the block also, in hopes making some quick cash. My great-great-great grandfather, Silas Fielding sketched the last known image of HRH Wilhelm Lustgarden of the Castell-Rudenhausen ducal house, on a cocktail napkin before the duke disappeared on a hunting trip deep into indian territory. Rumor has it that he went native. One of Crazy Horses' braves, at the Fetterman Massacre, was reported to be wearing a monocle.
I'm starting the bidding at one million.
STATUS: I've had many rounds of civilized tea this morning.
What's playing on the XM or iPod right now? BEDS ARE BURNING by Midnight Oil
The worst thing you an do when traveling abroad is to succumb to the desire to go to sleep right away on arrival.
The trick to acclimating is to suck it up, stay awake, and try not to hit the pillow until about 7:30 or 8 pm. Then go to sleep and you are, more or less, on schedule for the rest of the trip.
Easier said than done really.
So I rang up Kelley Armstrong who had been on our same flight down. I figured she was valiantly doing the same thing and we could combine forces by going out to dinner.
Can't say I was the liveliest conversationalist but I think she'll forgive me. We talked about giving workshops. I'm doing the Agent Reads The Slush Pile workshop tomorrow. As you blog readers know, I always start with a big disclaimer. That 99.9% of what I see during the workshop will not be ready for an agent to see.
Never stops folks though. I think deep down in writers' hearts, they are hoping to be discovered.
Kelley mentioned the same happens to her when she gives writing workshops. She always begins with her disclaimer that she can't get any of her writer students published. They are hopeful all the same.
She also mentioned that beginning writers will often suppress their natural voices as they become so focused on the mechanics of writing. In short, one's voice can be critique workshopped out of them if the writer has a quirky style etc. Often times her job is to allow new writers permission to discover their voice again. (Now it's not to say you ignore craft mechanics, any good writer is going to figure out how to manage both.)
But since I don't ever teach writing per se, I thought that was pretty interesting and something new writers need to be aware of.
That is something I worry about a bit. Do I focus so intently on getting everything write in the mechanics that I lose my own voice? I don't have an answer to that yet.
I work odd hours so I can definitely relate to the 'jet lag' feeling and yes pushing through it is sage advice. For me, the hardest part of traveling is finding time to write. It feels odd doing it on the plane with a pair of eyes hanging over your shoulder. Then the late night dinners cramp the hotel time as well, so alas when does one blog, edit, or write. As for finding the balance with voice and mechanics, yep, I would again agree. I wish there was a magic button I could press at the end of a chapter that took care of all my grammatical short comings. As with your previous advice, the trick I've found is to 'suck it up' and push through the editing process.
Sounds like an awesome conference that I wish I could attend. I met Kelley Armstrong at a book signing and she's the nicest.
I'm at the conference but missed out on getting into this workshop, places filled up quickly! Sounds like its going to be very insightful. Though I imagine some of the feedback will be hard for people to hear. Good luck!
Yeah, I've seen the voice be critiqued out. I recall recently noticing in an online writers' site how several new writers diligently followed every piece of advice from their critiquers, and the revisions got progressively more boring. The 'spark' of the writers' individuality vanished, and at the same time, they were praised by each person who saw their fix completed.
I was once told to stop using a particular sentence construction because, while grammatical, it seemed "consciously affected". I scrubbed the offending construction from that piece. I noticed it in other pieces, removed it, and halted myself each time I started writing it. Then, I caught myself typing it in emails and found it in documents I had written for work years ago. At that point I decided that it was not "consciously affected" but in fact just the way I write. Not using it was taking a whole lot more conscious effort than just letting my voice out.
It's hard to know when to stick to your individual quirks and when to conform -- I wonder if writers need to go through a conforming stage in order to find what elements most rankle them, and then let those bits out again as their voice.
How timely. I often feel constrained in my efforts to write "properly" that I'm not staying true to my voice. I'm a little nervous to let the characters be who I instinctively believe they should be. Writing well is a real art and craft that must be honed.
I believe my husband would welcome a momentary suppression of my natural voice. Great advice.
Great post! I worry a lot about the mechanics of my writing mainly because I DON'T have a background in English--unlike just about every other writer I've met! I know the importance of good grammar, but I've also run into what I call "grammar snobs" that favor mechanics over all else. Maybe I'm way off here, but I don't see a problem with taking mechanical liberties from time to time--especially if doing so enhances the story.
I've seen writer's get their voiced washed out. It's usually because they don't know how to evaluate the advice they are being given so they do everything that everyone is telling them.
Nine times out of ten, a writer needs to evaluate the advice, figure the heart of the problem themselves (if there really is one) , and solve it their own way.
IMO, it's also worth it to spend several months following other people's critique process (especially online), before posting something of one's own. That way the poster gets a good feel for the personalities and which ones they regularly agree/disagree with.
This is also a confidence issue involved.
I think this is SO true and not just of manuscripts. As someone who has participated in an on-line writers community for years and watched people post their query letters for comment, I've seen queries made bland by committee. Since voice is, imo, a deal-breaker I think writers have to be very careful not to lose theirs in an avalance of well-intentioned suggestions. In fact I actually blogged about this myself:
Interesting blog. When I do critiques with my online buddies, I provide the disclaimer that anything I mention is meant to help but that if it doesn't jive with their voice, they should toss it. Writers have their own voices...and I suppose the best thing is do as mentioned near the end of your blog...find the balance between voice and mechanics.
And yes, we new writers are slightly hopeful of discovery...hopeful of being that .01%.
It's true, and it doesn't even have to happen in a workshop. My writing was fine grammatically before, but when I really started paying attention to the "rules of writing", it got pretty dry and boring for a while. It didn't have the same voice or obvious passion behind it because I was trying to adhere too strictly to guidelines. It takes a while to figure out how to balance voice with craft.
This happened to me - the "rules" passed from one writer to another, doing their best to cure what wasn't sick. Once I began trusting in my voice like my gut told me to, I began to have success.
Having one's voice critiqued out of you happened to me in a crit group I anonymously attended a year back. The others in the group read the first pages of a book my agent sold to a major house, and found it to be full of fail.
Every line that was not Strunk and White perfect got the chop and one even asked me "Who's your target market?"
So true about the staying up to adjust. In another life I was an international flight attendant for United...I lived in a perpetual state of jet lag.
As to voice, critiques, mechanics...I think very seasoned writers eventually get to the place where they can feel what feedback is either
1.dead on
2.somewhat helpful in a modified form
3.coming from someone who just doesn't get it
I think it's a matter of having enough confidence and insight into what you are doing to not just get blown away by every strong winded opinion.
And, for the record, I'm not there yet.
Yes, on the voice getting critiqued out of you - I wouldn't stop using critique groups, but I've learned I don't have to take every comment into account - only if what is said resonates with me or shows that what's in my head isn't making it onto the page.
As for hoping to be discovered in workshops, well, yes, there's that secret hope that beats in everyone's heart, but realistically, I've always done workshops for professional feedback - finding out what I'm doing that isn't hitting the mark. That's priceless. (But I've also learned not to do too many workshops as well. They can become a false victory, a substitute for real achievement in writing, if that makes sense.)
I learning to express your unique voice takes a lot of hard work, self-discipline and dedication to getting better at the craft of writing. I think slogging through a lot of good and bad critiques is all part of the process. It helped me learn to purposely choose every word and know why I used it. Voice developed from that after a lot more hard work.
Thanks for sharing.
Watching this happen--regularly--to queries under critique is one of the most aggravating parts of using a writing forum. I have been known to run counter to popular opinion, and urge the writer to keep the voice at the expense of so-called perfection. I have also said--repeatedly--that a writer needs to be able to evaluate the critics and their advice as well.
Lehcarjt, I agree with you 100%. It IS a confidence issue, along with a mix of desperation/inexperience. But so help me, it drives me crazy to see it happen.
Added to which, writers are invariably more critical of each other than anyone else, which may stem somewhat from insecurity (thus an excessive attachment to the "rule book.")
I've seen this happen a lot. I've seen crit groups get so focused on "rules" (like, literally, telling people to never use "was" in description) and technical "perfection" that they just sucked the life out of the stories. I've read so many that I can say don't have errors but have no spark. It's sad.
I USED to feel constrained by the mechanics of writing until I realised that I have the freedom to do whatever I want. I now view spelling, punctuation and grammar as an art form and not an exact science - it's so much more fun ;0)
I think this is something that does happen, with alarming frequency. I have taught creative writing, and participated in many many workshops, and I think the problem stems from the something in the structure of the workshop itself. My experience is that students/participants sometimes get too focused on "NOT having anything bad said about my story",which makes sense in a way, given the context. So risks aren't taken, voices aren't explored. Part of it is that often there are people with several different levels of experience in the same workshop, part if it is that, a lot of the time, the participants are set up as "the teacher". I do think a lot is gained from having your work critiqued, but I sometimes wonder if the traditional workshop setting is the way to do it. Too often you're told what's WRONG before people figure out what it IS. But I don't know of a better way, at least at first, at least in some circumstances. But I don't think mechanics get in the way of your voice. Without the mechanics, we can't understand enough of the writing to *hear* the voice. It's not the mechanics, I think. I think The Traditional Workshop needs a revolutionary model
Kristen, your workshop was fantastic and you did not seem jetlagged at all. We all appreciated your honest and direct comments on our work. Even those whose work did not get read out raved about the worshop. So from all of us down under, thankyou.
What Peta said! Also, re the wanting to be discovered thing, I'm sure there was an element of that, or at least of hoping to hear that 'mine is the one she won't stop reading!' But I think most people who submitted their pages probably felt as I did that, tough though it would be to hear, they Needed To Know. If you feel your work is ready, or nearly ready, and it isn't you need to know, so you can fix it. For me, many of the things you highlighted I understood and hope I don't do, but there were some that were a little startling. It was a case of 'Really? That's a deal breaker? I would have let that go. Man, back to the red pen for me!'
I know it must be a bit confronting for you too, to do these workshops, because you are such a nice person and don't want to upset anyone, but we really, really appreciate the insight. It's invaluable. Thank you.
STATUS: This week was defined but what wasn't on fire with gasoline explosions. Seriously, I was coming to work each day with the thought: "Can just one thing not be an issue today? Just one."
What's playing on the XM or iPod right now? WE GET TO FEEL IT ALL by Indigo Girls
But I can also define this week by some really cool things.
1. Got a revised cover for an author who had a hideous cover just last week. New cover is awesome! I'm so pleased and relieved.
2. My colleague Sara held a big big auction for a middle grade boy fantasy novel that went in a major deal (THE PECULIAR by Stefan Bachmann). Squee.
And the best thing ever? Today my author's editor had her baby and get this, she named the baby boy after a character in my author's novel for whom she is the editor.
Okay, nothing beats that. That is just "Yes Way" cool.
And because it's Friday, how can I not share with you www.awkwardfamilypetphotos.com? I read the article in PW, had to check it out. Huge Beverage alert. The below photo was hands down my favorite. Oi!
Hearing that a MG novel ended up a major deal makes me very, very happy. Congrats to Sara and her author!
Awesome week! Love the photo!! :-)
Stefan Bachmann seems super nice, and I love the name of his book and his blog (Scathing Jellyfish--that is a cool blog title). Congratulations to everyone involved!
THE PECULIAR sounds awesome. So excited that it's middle grade. Congrats to Sara!
I need some help. I've just written a book for the first time and am soon going to re-read it, make some edits, and put it in manuscript form. My problem is that I don't know what to do after that. I've read that I need to get an offer from the publisher before I can get an agent but I've also read that without an agent a publisher won't accept my book (I've also read up on getting reputable and competent agents and from what I've seen, you seem to fit both categories).
So do I finish my manuscript and then send a query to a publisher, or to an agent?
Nothing says "I'm a country girl" like a cammo pinafore, and the baby ducks "that I'mma gonna shoot wif dis here gun soon's mah daddeh teaches me how ta shoot 'er!"
Love the photo.
The gun, the smile, the innocence, the ducklings!
Where did you get that adorable photo of yound Sarah Palin? ;)
Terri Windling is facing health and financial problems right now, and so a bunch of folks have banded together to create a giant auction of stuffs to raise money for her. If her name is unfamiliar to you, check out her Wikipedia page for a quick summary.
|photo by Beth Gwinn
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To all intents and purposes I never belonged where I began. Not as a full-time adult, I mean. I learned more than I can remember about too many things to count while growing up. I've used that learning numerous times as well. I enjoyed the wave-like movement of all that education and wish that I could recall it all clearly.
But, I never really fit that mold. I was the one who loved classical music and opera. Somehow, I was the one who introduced me to it. I was the one who taught myself about ballet and other dance forms and watched it whenever I could. I also read Shakespeare and Tennyson in upper elementary and middle school when others my age were devouring Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I never heard of those books until I was an adult.
I didn't see anything by C.S. Lewis until in my late 30's. All I had was adult reading material, and I learned to suck it in like a vacuum.
My family listened to early Country music much of the time that I didn't tolerate very well. None of them could tolerate my preferences either. We accommodated the differences.
We attended great auctions back then. They were better and cheaper than going to the Drive-In theatre. Dad didn't have to spend more than a few bucks for a hot dog and drink for each of us, and we could spend an entire evening watching people go frantic with bidding paddles and someone else's junk. Learning how the operation worked was an education in itself. I especially learned to watch the auctioneers.
We all loved going to them.
Yet, when I was in eighth grade, my dad went to an auction without the rest of us. He returned with many things, plus a box specifically for me.
Inside it were books. The box was filled with books. The pièce de résistance nearly floored me. Nestled among the novels by Faulkner and Updike and English books, to the side of those volumes on history, was a complete set of Shakespeare bound in moss green fabric and gilt lettering (pub. England, 1863), including his sonnets and other poetry.
I knew I'd died and ascended to Heaven without realizing it. That's when I saw the tiny tomes. Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman, Thoreau, etc. (pub. NY 1909 approx.,) each bound in exquisite jacquard fabric, small enough to fit inside a pocket, huddled behind Shakespeare like so many children behind their mother's apron.
That one act of consideration on Dad's part sealed my fate. I was a classicist and would never truly fit into my birth family completely. I would always love them and honor them, but never be one of them. I'd been set free with that box of books and the knowledge that my father had unwittingly given me the ticket on the train to a literary career somewhere in my future.
Looking back on that moment, I can relax now. I understand that the family that I love don't have to understand why I do what I do, or even how I do it. It's enough to know that they acknowledge that that's who I am and that they accept the fact that I can't be
Many of you have heard about and seen Bill Watterson's painting of Petey Otterloop (scroll down if you haven't). What many have overlooked is that numerous cartoonists, both from comic strips and comic books, have created original artwork to benefit Team Cul de Sac.
A benefit book (seen above) will be published by Andrews McMeel in June, and the art is currently being auctioned by Heritage Auctions, with final bidding Sunday, June 10 in Dallas. All 148 lots can be viewed online, and if you register, you can bid on the artwork.
This is an incredible auction! Not only is it for a great cause, but you'll find original artwork here from many artists! Yes, Bill Watterson is known for being a recluse, never showing his paintings to anyone, but many other comic strip creators rarely attend comics conventions or do sketches. I've selected some of the more interesting pieces and posted them below, but please visit the Heritage Auctions website and place a bid! If you can't afford the original artwork, click on the book link above and order a copy of the hardcover. There's a Google Preview available, which shows the artwork in color, along with the a foreword from Richard Thompson, and a profile reprinted from the Washington Post.
Go read the comic strip for free! It's as good as Calvin & Hobbes, but different. Or, if you like your comics the old fashioned way, buy the books!
Also if you are near Arlington, VA on June 10, there will be a 'Team Cul de Sac' book launch. Here's more info: http://www.curls-studio.com/curls/?p=1603
Well, you've probably heard about the recent record breaking sale of Todd McFarlane's Spider-Man cover, which sold for $657,250.00 . Now, that's interesting, in and of itself, as that cover was published in January 1990, and isn't considered as iconic as some of his other Spider-Man or Hulk covers. (His Spider-Man #1 cover recently sold for $358,500.00 at the same auction.)
But here's where it gets really interesting… from the auction description:
Todd McFarlane The Amazing Spider-Man #328 Cover Original Art (Marvel, 1990). Spidey demonstrates his awesome new powers on the Hulk, in this earth-trembling cover illustration by Todd McFarlane. Brimming with the raw energy that sky-rocketed McFarlane to the top of the industry, this cover illustration includes its original logo and masthead paste-up copy. The art has an image area of 10″ x 15″ and, aside from some light glue staining, it is in Excellent condition. Signed by the artist at the bottom. From the Shamus Modern Masterworks Collection.
According to the press release announcing the record sale:
"The auction is on track to break $9 million and become the single highest grossing comic and comic art auction in history," said [Todd] Hignite [Vice President of Heritage Auctions]. "We're thrilled with the results and especially thrilled for Martin Shamus, who had the foresight and good taste to acquire these pieces more than two decades ago."
Martin Shamus operated [operates? No business name is mentioned.] a comics shop on Long Island, New York, and is the father of Gareb and Steven Shamus.
But… how many pieces has he recently placed for auction, and how much was realized? Thankfully, a quick search on the phrase "From the Shamus Modern Masterworks Collection" lists 109 references on the Heritage Auction website.
What's the story? That some fanboys are 1%ers?
I can only hope that this spills over into actual "art comics" and the most innovative among us get a good payday for being flavor of the moment.
CF's pages are worth way more than they are selling for.
Crumb's work blazed this trail 20 years ago, let us hope it continues.
The Hernandez Brothers are getting some good auction sales, but who knows who gets the money.
There are different ways to value objects. Collectible auctions (and yes, almost all art falls under "collectible", whether it's renaissance masters or New Yorker cartoonists) provide some justification, that the original art from a comic book is valued both for the artistic and historic merit.
Part of this post is the sheer desire of some of those objects… what would you bid on if you won the lottery? Or you can view it as a museum exhibition.
The thing that bothered me about this is the total ignorance of the Heritage guys relative to an auction in June for a piece of Tintin cover art. It fetched 1.3 million euros when sold by Artcurial in Paris. It was the cover to the Tintin in America album from the early 1930's.
When last we left Cerebus creator Dave Sim, he was contemplating a grim existence as his declining productivity and shrinking market place left him few recourses to make a living. Fortunately for all, he was saved from a life of dining on Fancy Feast by a Kickstarter campaign, the arrival of cover work from IDW and an agreement to publish a print version of the digital High Society, whatever that is. And now, as he discusses in a post at A MOMENT OF CEREBUS, he's found a new way to make money: selling artwork.
Is this guy always so dramatic? So basically, to make a living, he's doing work-for-hire and selling his art. Wasn't that always an option? Why'd he have to basically threaten to shuffle off and die in the dark to do it? People do it all the time.
" you can't ignore the only 6,000 page graphic novel forever, I don't think but it has been ignored for twenty years and there's no sign of it being paid attention to."
Eh. I tried the first CEREBUS phone book and was underwhelmed. A lot of folks talk about how great it gets later on, but…
1. Why should I invest time in something like that when there's so much great stuff out there which doesn't require me to wade through the merely okay?
2. Much of the praise of CEREBUS is that it becomes so artistically/creatively interesting and not that it's a really outstanding piece of entertainment.
Dave Sim seems like a great example in comics that everyone needs and editor and that doing high quality work isn't enough in and of itself. You have to do stuff people actually want to read.
@MBunge Cerebus is one of the few comics that successfully self published -for 300 issues no less. An amazing feat unequalled by anybody. It's a testament to both it's artistic and "stuff people actually want to read" (as you put it lol) appeal.
"Cerebus is one of the few comics that successfully self published -for 300 issues no less."
Where's the money? I mean, maybe Dave Sim lived life like a rap star with a posse and gold chains and "makin' it rain" at the strip club every Friday night, but that's not the impression I got. The impression I get is that Sim spend a long time publishing a comic that relatively few people read and which isn't proving to be a perennial best seller in the trade market.
Well, actually he was quite a "rapstar/rockstar" back in the day when he was younger:) Cerebus was one the closest things to rock in the comic book industry back then. Considering how many years ago since the last new Cerebus material -and that he and Gerhard have been basically living off that…i don't know too many examples in the comicbook industry you'll find that even compares. On the contrary it's an industry that has a reputation for treating it's artists abysmally.
"Considering how many years ago since the last new Cerebus material -and that he and Gerhard have been basically living off that"
I'd appreciate it if anyone can correct me, but my impression is that the last few years of producing Cerebus were like the Bataan Death March. The book wasn't selling. They weren't making any money off it. They were just bound and determined to see the thing through.
Most self-publishers would have killed for the the numbers they were getting even towards the end lol Sure all art, indie movies, books, music etc could stop being alternative and go mainstream and make even more money.
"Is this guy always so dramatic?"
Obviously you are not very familiar with Dave Sim.
"Most self-publishers would have killed for the the numbers they were getting even towards the end lol"
1. Do you know what those numbers were?
2. The homeless guy who has to cover himself with newspapers while he sleeps envies the homeless guy who has a refrigerator box to live in. That doesn't mean the guy living in the cardboard box really has it that good.
You can be as arty and indy as you want. I certainly salute Sim for doing it the way he wanted it done. But we should all understand there can be and often is a big downside to that sort of thing.
Is Cerebus worth reading/entertaining? I'd place "High Society," "Church & State," & "Jaka's Story" alongside the best comics of the 1980s.
There's a huge downside to integrity period -for sure. But considering that Dave lives in one of the nicest neighborhoods there is in what is probably a million dollar home all paid for….he's hardly homeless.
@MBunge: Don't even bother "wading through," then. The second, third, and fourth Cerebus phonebooks ("High Society," "Church & State I," "Church & State II") are some of the finest comics I've ever read (yes, as pure entertainment, not merely as political statement or creative curiosity), and you won't be lost by skipping the Conan pastiche that the book started out as.
@MBunge: "Do you know what those numbers were?"
Plucking a random issue from the Comichron archives, #287 (just over a year before the end) sold 6805 copies through Diamond, which would usually put it around position 200-250 on the sales chart. That's at a level better than most lower tier Image/Dark Horse/IDW/Dynamite/etc. books.
As many have above have said, High Society, Church and State and Jaka's Story are all high water marks in comics, both from an artistic and entertainment standpoint. Essential reading for any fan of the art. We're talking something like issues 26-136 or so.
Things started getting a bit wonky with Melmoth. The artistry was still there, but it got a bit dry.
Picked up nicely again with the next plotline, Flight, which began to unveil much of the backstory Sim had been teasing us with for 150 issues. That plotline (along with Women, Reads and Minds) took us through issue 200 whereupon the "plot" portion of Cerebus was basically done.
Sadly around issue 186 Sim went on an anti female rant, declaring women to be "voids" consuming the substance of the masculine or something like that., that caused him to sever ties with many of his allies in the industry, most notably Jeff "Bone" Smith. Smith and his wife appears in that very issue, thinly disguised. This was around the time that Sim had a religious conversion.
The last 100 issues are gorgeous to look at, but difficult to read. Things hit a low-point in Latter Days when Cerebus spends 20 issues or so reading the Torah with his acolytes the Stooges while ranting about Woody Allen (I kid you not.)
I really wonder how Cerebus would have ended if Sim had written the ending when he was in his 20′s. The Sim who wrote High Society was not the same Sim who wrote Latter Days.
Y'know, for someone who's gone on and about the dangers of the feminization of males in modern society, Sim is just a huge drama queen.
STATUS: Today I analyzed specifically how I spend my time (mainly because I believe I'm not quite getting enough done during the day). I realized that this morning alone, I spent over 2 hours simply answering emails, handling questions, issues, etc. It might have been closer to three. I wonder if I should start in on my first task in the early morning and then wait until noon to start in on the emails. It will still take me 2 hours but maybe I'll feel like I accomplished more if I reverse the order.
What's playing on the iPod right now? BELIEVE by Cher
Today I promised to tackle character elements but I'm actually going to grapple with that tomorrow. I also have a task for you readers. In the next day or so, I want you to read some of your favorite back-cover copy from already published books in a variety of genres. Recently published preferred. I think it would be fun to analyze them together. So, if the copy is available online (such as at Amazon or B&N.com), provide the link and I'll go give them a look and choose some examples for possible discussion on the blog.
Here's why I've pre-empted today's entry. You readers need to get ready. Why? Because Brenda Novak is just about to open her yearly auction for Diabetes research. There are some amazing items to bid on—including a "respond in 24 hours" read and critique of sample pages by yours truly.
Ack. It's probably going to kill me to meet that deadline but I am determined because it's all about raising lots of dollars for this charity event.
Bids begin May 1, 2008 (only a day and a half away) so bookmark the page and mark you calendars.
Just to give you a sampling of some of the great items that are available.
A weekend getaway with Susan Wiggs
An Amazon Kindle (squeak!) plus $100.00 gift certificate
If you are interested in agent evaluation stuff, here are just a few agents who have contributed read & critiques that you could bid on.
Lois Winston
Donald Maass
Robin Rue
Meredith Bernstein
Susannah Taylor
Elaine Spencer
Annelise Robey
Elaine English
Ethan Ellenberg
Steven Axelrod
Eileen Cope
Paige Wheeler
Rachel Vater
And the list goes on…
There is even a breakfast with Deidre Knight. I haven't even mentioned the editor evaluations that are available.
I, myself, might go after the "Day of Bridge with a World Class Player." I'm a bridge fanatic but alas, not a master level player. Not even close actually. I might be too scared to actually play with this person in a tournament but I wouldn't mind spending a couple hours in a tutorial!
So get ready…
Thank you for participating, and thanks to Ms. Novak for putting it together. I've had Type I for 29 (!) years. While great strides have been made, there's still a lot of research to do, and every dollar counts.
Hi Kristin,
I had a supervisor in shrink school who always used to say that if you want to take a half-day off, best to do it in the morning, since if you planned it for the afternoon, it would never happen. I wonder if that's applicable to the email situation, too.
It's gratifying to see so many getting involved in such a good cause.
I love bridge. I don't have anyone around to play it with (my husband does but we need two more). So next con we're both at, let's set up a bridge game. Surely there are more out there who play? I'm no master either. In fact I haven't been able to play in awhile. I could play for hours on end with no unhappiness.
I have to say that since I turned off my email notification and stopped checking my email first thing and started checking it at 11am and 4 pm ONLY, my days have been significantly more productive. It means I can focus on the important things first and not get distracted by the little things. Also, I've discovered that by not responding immediately, people send me less email. I've actually watched problems resolve themselves in my inbox without having to step in at all. I highly recommend it.
Brenda's auction is a wonderful event. I actually donated books and a handmade tote.
I participated in Brenda's auction last year and won two fabulous critiques (I'm not an overachiever - I had hoped to win just one!). This year, Brenda sent me a beautiful blue banner to put on the front page of my website - every bit of advertisement helps. :)
Regarding your email situation...I've taken a lot of management courses over the years and many instructors encourage folks to NOT read emails first thing in the morning. They tend to change your priorities for the day.
BTW, I had a great time at the Spring Fling conference last weekend. My only disappointment is that I missed a couple of opportunities to say hello to you. I'll elbow my way in next time. :)
Take care, Tracey
Hi Kristin--
Thanks so much for supporting my auction. I'm thrilled to know such generous people.
And I was interested in your e-mail first/work first dilemma. I'm having the same problem. By the time I finish all my e-mail stuff, half my day is gone and I feel SO behind. I need to do the writing first. I always tell people to do the toughest thing first, then the rest of the day is all downhill. But do I take my own advice? No! LOL
Wow, that auction is big-time! So many generous people I can't wait to see how this goes...
Tithe by Holly Black is one my very favorite books ever and you can find its back cover online at Amazon if you just hit the "Search Inside" feature. Tithe is a YA Urban Fantasy that was published in '04. Does that count as recent?
Here's the (very long) link:
Also, to mix things up the back cover copy for Jude Deveraux's "Velvet Song" is up on Amazon too. It's a historical romance (not recent but they still write back copies like this far as I can tell).
Here's the (other really long) link for Velvet Song:
and (last but not least) my final suggestion for back cover copy from "The Pilgrim of Hate" published in the 80s.
Well, I picked back covers I just didn't do so hot at the "recent" part. They're still using these same back covers, though, so they must still be selling books, right?
Well, I hope this was a little helpful.
Back cover homework:
If small press is okay:
http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Edge-S-L-Connors/dp/0977222497/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209694653&sr=8-24 somewhat interesting
or, one that misses the boat somehow, doesn't do justice to the book: http://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Silence-Nadene-R-Carter/dp/0977222470/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209695033&sr=8-21
This site is recommended in case of the auction. http://auction.arekashite.com/
The Waterstones auction happened. The J.K. Rowling Harry Potter un-prequel card went for a bit less than the $10 million that some newspapers were predicting (about $9,951,000 less), but I don't think the auction was really being run to raise money as much as to raise awareness -- of the charities and PEN and of (most importantly) the existence of the upcoming all-profits-to-charity-and-PEN 5 pound-a-pop postcard book, and I think it did that and did it well...
Read the stories at http://www.waterstoneswys.com/
(You can pre-order the postcard book here -- limit of 2 per person.)
And the answer to my puzzled wondering of how on earth did Ms Rowling squeeze a reported 800 words onto that card? I was pushing to write a legible short story in about 300 words... was revealed. She turned it over. Fair enough. (Richard Ford also cheated and used two cards.)
There's a full report over at The Guardian:
As I said, you can read all the stories at http://www.waterstoneswys.com/. I've not read them all yet, but my favourite of the ones I've read so far was the Tom Stoppard "Idiomatic Farm" one. I was interested in the Atwood one when I read that,
Margaret Atwood appeared at the ceremony via videolink from Paris, wielding her celebrated LongPen - which reproduces handwriting remotely via sophisticated electronics - to handwrite her card "live". Her story, which she said she had struggled to condense into a form barely more capacious than a simple joke, provides a fresh spin on the Canute story, working in both domestic and ecological politics.Which it may well do, but I found it more or less unreadable and cannot tell if this is because of her handwriting or the way the LongPen reproduces it.
I'm at Clarion. Which is in San Diego, about ten miles from where Comic-con will be. I don't have any plans to be at Comic-con, my plate is pretty full here. I also won't be blogging -- I want to give teaching my full attention. I haven't done this before.
But Charles Brownstein from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund asked me to get the word out on a couple of things:
1) Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab have done a limited edition of their amazing "Snow, Glass, Apples" scent. It smells like green apples and like sex and vampires, all at the same time. It's coming out with a limited edition illustrated chapbook of the story, with art by Julie Dillon. There are going to be a few signed ones, and some unsigned. The donation for the unsigned ones will be $50. As they say:
The long-awaited Snow, Glass, Apples perfume will be making its debut at San Diego Comic Con! The SGA package includes Neil Gaiman's short story in chapbook format, beautifully illustrated by Julie Dillon, and a 5ml bottle of perfume inspired by the tale. This set is a limited run of 1000. 250 will be sold by CBLDF at Comic Con 2008, and the remainder will go on sale July 30, 2008 on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab web site and will be available as long as supplies last. All proceeds from this project go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!
In our Saturday night auction, we have a number of tremendous items. The coolest is Ryan Graff's Endless Reflections, offered here to commemorate Sandman's 20th. Serious bidders should come by the CBLDF booth (1831) to learn more about this book, which is probably the rarest of all Sandman items. We also have some other cool items including:
1) Dave Sim, Neil Gaiman, "Lithograph 1: Neil Gaiman," signed by Sim, collage retouch by Gaiman (prints/original art)
2) Neil Gaiman, The Dangerous Alphabet #260/400 (prints)
3) Neil Gaiman, Murder Mysteries HC, #122/250 (book arts)
4) Neil Gaiman, The Sky At Night broadsheet #1/5 (prints)
5) Neil Gaiman, Stardust Movie Premiere ticket, signed (ephemera)
6) Cerebus #147, featuring Neil Gaiman's 24 Hour Comic, signed with sketch by Sim (comics)
The full list is terrific, and has some other great pieces, including work by Jack Kirby, Jeff Smith, Matt Wagner, and many more. Full list is here: http://www.cbldf.org/pr/archives/000365.shtml
The auction is Saturday at 7:00 in Room 2 of the convention center
STATUS: Manic Monday. I should be playing the Bangles.
What's playing on the iPod right now? RESPECT by Aretha Franklin
Ever wondered about "the Call" or how it all works? My author Kristina Riggle shares the moment she heard her book was going to sell and she has given me permission to share the story.
I'd dreamed of The Call, as I suppose all aspiring writers do. I programmed into my mobile phone the office and cell phone numbers of my agent (the very talented Kristin Nelson), and gave those numbers their very own ringtone. I was sure that's how the call would come. I'd be out and about somewhere, and I'd hear that special ring, and I'd know right then my dream had come true.
As with every step on my publishing path, reality had little to do with my fantasy. In this case, however, it was even better.
"The Call" turned out to be a series of calls and e-mails. First, there was the innocuous subject line in my e-mail from Kristin inquiring about my next project. No big deal, right? Then I opened the e-mail. She was asking so she could prepare for a potential two-book deal, because the book was already being passed around for "second reads" at one publishing house. This was six days after the book went on submission.
The next "Call" was Kristin telling me…
Have I got you hooked? Then click on the link for The Debutante Ball blog to hear the rest of the story.
Stories like that give me chills every time I read them. Thanks for sharing!
*laughs* You know what's funny? The "call" I first assumed was the "congrats, you have a literary agent" one.
Ohh, a success story! Love those! It's what we all dream for!
Yes, you had me hooked. *grumble* Talk about a tease!
I had a chance to meet Kristina when I was on tour in Michigan. She is kind and gracious and I've loved what she's done so far on the Deb Ball. I can't wait to read the book!
Great story!
Can you tell us what type of questions the editors would have asked Kristina?
Kristina helped me edit my short story for Literary Mama--I'm so happy to hear she's doing well. Congrats, Kristina!
That made me tear up. I have the same dream. Someday I'll get that call. And maybe I'll be feeding my baby when it happens.
I also laughed while reading this, because my dishwasher just broke. And we're too broke to fix it.
Kristina Riggle here...
Thanks Kristin for posting this!
Keep coming all week to the Ball, Pub Rants readers, for more great stories. "The dream" can come true so many different ways. And I hope you hang on and keep reading at the Deb Ball all through our collective launch year, too. It's a fun way to watch the process unfold.
I could have posted about Kristin's call. For that one, I saw the "Sorry I missed you" e-mail first before I looked at my phone, and when I read that she wanted to represent me, I was shaking so badly I dropped my son's candy cane that I was trying to unwrap for him. It broke into a hundred pieces and he cried. He got over it, though.
Oh, Kristina, that's hilarious!
Kristin, thanks for mentioning the Debs here!
For your readers who can't get enough, here's a link to "the call" stories from past years' Debs, as well.
Definitely a heartwarming story. I think "the call" stories are the best stories I read. My favorite still has to be Stephen King's, in his "On Writing" book.
I love The Call stories! :)
Oh that's great! I kept asking my agent, "Can I turn cartwheels yet?" as we went through revisions and conversations before he made an offer to me. When he did? I took a photo of my cell phone with his number on it - and the date. "The call." I don't even think selling my book will feel as good as that day. May I know soon!
May every reader here get "the call" soon.
STATUS: Getting ready to head out the office door. I do plan to do reading tonight from home.
What's playing on the iPod right now? LUSH LIFE by Natalie Cole
It's that time of year again! Time for the Annual Online Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research by the indomitable force of nature and wonderful author, Brenda Novak.
And I'm here to highlight that Nelson Literary Agency really stepped up to the plate this year and is offering a WHOLE page of items to be auctioned off.
Just to whet your appetite, I'm giving away breakfast with me at RWA and a writing critique with a 24-hour turnaround time. I will spend several hours on this critique—editing it just like I would a client's manuscript.
Sara is offering a query-free submission.
NYT Bestselling author Jamie Ford is answering 10 Questions.
Sherry Thomas, query writer extraordinaire, is offering to help you whip your query into shape.
Mari Mancusi and Courtney Milan are offering opening chapters critiques.
Hank Ryan has her own page of good stuff!
And that's just a brief glimpse of what is available. You might want to check it out.
But back to my London list as promised. I'm skimming through my notes and typing up what I see.
Looking for upmarket commercial fiction—not too literary
Crime fiction
Exotic and/or generational saga
Boy meets Girl with a literary voice
Commercial historical fiction
Finland Children's
Literary fic as the market is strong
Science fiction is working
Chick lit
Historical romance
Historical fiction
Romantic comedy with lit voice
Jackie Collins type novel
Literary vampires—like the Abraham Lincoln Vampire hunter or literary zombies
Books good for reading groups
Commercial women's fiction
Mystery that is slightly cozy but has a dark edge
Urban fantasy
Paranormal romance
Horror (must be sophisticated)
Big historical fiction
Literary thriller
That's all else she wrote.
I fear there's something Pavlovian in my conditioning as a writer. The words "query-free submission" appear on the screen, and I begin to drool. :-)
I've got to check out the auction, sounds great! Kudos to everyone at the agency for supporting such a great cause. And the list is encouraging, thanks for posting it!
In what these countries are looking for...are they really so specific? For example, I don't see an ounce of science fiction or fantasy, yet the number of those readers hasn't diminished. I guess what I'm saying is, are the publishers determining the market or are the readers?
I'd love to know which UK agencies and publishers are looking for Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance - from what I've seen, most don't touch it!
As a nurse and a diabetic, I thank all involved - those donating items for auction and those who bid. You're wonderful people to support research for this cause.
So many great things to bid on - I'm going to be POOR after this auction ends! But so great to see everyone coming together for such a great cause.
I'm not sure what to do with the info from UK . . . "book good for reading group." Is this a general statement for all agents/publishers in UK, or is this a specific agent/publisher's request? If the latter, can you give contact info?
"The Hong Kong Connection" is a legal thriller about a gutsy female attorney who takes on high ranking International officials. It's a taut, rollercoaster of a ride from New York to Palm Beach to Washington D.C. to Hong Kong. The plot is expertly woven, the characters persuasive, and the dialogue snappy and spot on.
Truly? Am I the only one who laughed at literary zombies?
Awesome to see historical fiction on all those lists :)
Anon: Then you're not a big fan of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", then? (http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,7847/title,Pride-and-Prejudice-and-Zombies/)
PS the CAPTCHA words are getting more fanciful: "scromen" today. That's definitely one for 'The Meaning of Liff" (as I am sure it is a village in the remote Derbyshire hills).
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a great example of a literary zombie book! :)
And I'd like to READ romantic comedy with a lit voice! Any comparisons?
I may have your literary thriller.
STATUS: Finishing up a client manuscript tonight.
What's playing on the iPod right now? ME AND BOBBY MCGEE by Janis Joplin
Truly a scintillating topic. Kind of like watching golf. Earlier this week, one of my agent friends was conducting an auction so of course that got the whole discussion going about what we preferred—round robin or best bids auctions?
Funny enough, it's not an either/or question because what is preferred (or what is conducted) always depends on the situation that is unfolding around any given project.
Now what I can say to you for sure is that most editors hate best bid auctions.
Why? Because there is only one round of bidding. That's it. And if your bid doesn't come in the ballpark of what other houses are bidding, then you're knocked out of the running early. I can see why that would be frustrating for editors if they are really keen on a book.
So why do them? It's a great way to shorten up an auction when the agent has already done a lot of talking to the various editors interested in the work. In other words, a lot of the pre-auction elements are already clear (like the level of excitement, the anticipated advance, what the agent's expectation is). Then the best bid auction is to simply see all offers at once and then allow the author to choose the best house (and not necessarily a winner based on something like advance alone). Saves a lot of time and energy. Best bids can also work effectively if there is uncertainty on how many houses might participate in the auction. Everyone who attends is supposedly putting best offer forward. Can save a lot of headache if a publisher doesn't show up to the auction.
Most auctions are probably round robins. This is an auction with subsequent rounds of bidding by multiple publishers until either a clear winner is declared or all houses hit their bid ceiling and only one publisher is still willing to go forward. Round robins work most effectively when there are numerous houses bidding. Not as great a structure if the auction is small—like with only 2 houses bidding. Still, it can be done.
Not to mention round robin auctions can last for days (which is exhausting for everyone involved as nothing else can really be accomplished if an auction is going on). Also, if an author has a clear choice for the editor he/she wants to work with, round robin might knock out the favored house too early in the process. That wouldn't be good.
Interestingly enough, I have done round robin auctions that then evolved into a final round best bid. Basically when the auction had gone on and on, I let all the editors know that I'm only going to entertain one more round of bids so make it your best and final offer. I think my Grandmother would call that **** or get off the pot bid.
For the most part, I like to negotiate elements of an offer even within an auction and that's hard to do in a best bid situation so I don't tend to favor that auction approach. I think a better idea is what I call a two-round best bids. Each house involved in the auction knows it will get 2 rounds of bidding. The first round is for everyone to feel out the field (and it also allows me to say where I think their offer might be lacking). The second round is for everyone to truly get serious about the next offer as this will be the final round of the auction. It feels more effective to me.
And here I'm just touching on the tip of the iceberg but all these different strategies is what we agents talk about when we talk auctions.
Are you still awake? Didn't think so but if you want to see a group of agents get lively, this is a good topic.
Very informative, as always, Kristin. What would also be interesting to know is how often you end up in an auction situation. Does this occur for only a few of the authors/titles that you pick up? Or does it happen rather more often?
Very informative. I must admit, up until now, I've been inclined to wonder if these auctions took place on ebay.
The fact that you included your grandmother's quote, "**** or get off the pot" in this post is great example of why I love this blog so :) My granny used to say the same thing. I also love the song choice. Bobby McGee has one of my favorite lyrics ever. Love the part where she says, "I was feeling near as faded as my jeans." A few years ago, I was at a record store with some friends and we found a copy of Pearl for $2 (!). We brought it back, turned it on, and listened to Janis and a summer storm for the rest of the afternoon. It is one of my most favorite summer memories. Thanks for getting the song stuck in my head!
I'm still awake. I love learning this kind of stuff about the publishing industry. It makes me feel smart! Hopefully, if I ever have a chance to enter the world as a writer, I'll feel much more comfortable about all the different procedures because I'll already know what's going on. Thanks!
Kind of like watching golf.
One of my all-time favorite songs! This topic is new to me. Thanks. I learned a lot.
Thanks for this insight. Very interesting.
I'm still awake, too. Great, informative post!
Great - I have wondered about this recently. This clarifies and enhances the very brief outline in the recent glossary by Nathan Bransford.
And yes, I enjoy golf.
I think we're all awake and imagining ourselves in this situation!
Did you see Cheryl Klein's recent take on the subject of auctions? Interesting that you two tackled the same topic within steps of each other. Then Michael Bourret chimes in, making it VERY interesting!
Great topic! I've always been curious as to how this works. Thanks Kristin!
I work as a public purchasing agent in my day job. The process you describe is a little similar to some of the bidding processes we go through. In a request for proposals, any firm can bid on the project. An evaluation team goes through and then "short-lists" the top three or four. Short-listing might save you some time on the second go-through, Kristin. Why bother with the houses that aren't even in the same ballpark?
Great post! I loved it! It's not something I've read over and over and over again, and it makes sense.
I feel cool now that I know some new agent/editor terms. :)
That was really interesting. Oh, and my husband uses that expression all the time...but he's only 30!
I like this, too. And I second Ena's comment about Cheryl and Michael's back-and-forth about auctions and setting a specific timeline for when you'll even accept bids. The latest post is here: http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2009/08/in-response-to-in-response-to-my.html
OK and actually, I meant to add that I'd be interested to hear your take!
Damn, you give us 30 seconds of Janis Joplin, that's not enough time for her to down 3 shots of Southern Comfort!
Entire song please... pretty please!
Haste yee back ;-)
Me and Bobby McGee is her best song ever...seriously! What a great way to start the day.
Of course we're still awake! :) This is the kind of stuff we aspiring authors fantasize about.
Thank you for this post! After yesterday's interweb discussion of the "modest proposal" I wanted to know how auctions really work. It's like you read my mind. Great info!
I love the concept of auctions. What author WOULDN'T want his or her book being scrambled for by multiple houses? Ever since I read Marian Keyes' "The Other Side of the Story" which features some outrageous bidding, I've been fascinated -- and fantasizing!
Thanks for the post. At this point, enough interest to have an auction would be fabulous.
This is something you certainly don't read a lot about. I'd love to hear more about them. Thanks Kristin!
Because I'm new to Imeem, I still haven't figured out why sometimes I can grab a whole song to embed and other times, your stuck with just 30 seconds.
Anyone know how that works in Imeem and how I can tell by looking at the selection online how long it will be?
I'm listening to my ipod but grabbing the song to actually do the link.
Of course we're still awake. What can be more interesting than auctions?
Imeem doesn't always have licenses to stream off of their website, or so I read. So sometimes you get 30 seconds, sometimes you get longer depending on the particular song.
STATUS: I got one major contract off my desk and on to somebody else's at the publishing house. Always a great feeling.
What's playing on the XM or iPod right now? SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN by U2
Yesterday I was explaining that agents don't often have time to give detailed feedback because that would entail a critique of the manuscript and doing so is time-consuming.
Well, I should have clarified. Once a year, I always take the time to do exactly that for one lucky auction winner.
I read the 30 pages twice. First read to familiarize myself with the submission and the second read to actually write in-depth critique feedback in track changes of the Word doc. Just like I do for my clients when I read before submitting their material.
So if you want in on that action, it's time to head over to Brenda Novak's yearly auction to raise money for diabetes research. My critique page is here. Since I have a good friend plus a brother–in-law with diabetes, this auction is close to my heart.
Happy bidding!
And don't forget to check out some other great items like a read/critique from Sara Megibow, lunch with Jamie Ford, and if you are a Nathan Bransford fan, he's offering a critique with a follow up consultation.
This is a fabulous idea! Unfortunately I'm a little low on funds, so I can't bid. But I'm so glad you guys are doing this. I hope you raise a lot of money.
This is so cool. Any chance you post the crit online if the writer agrees?
Times like this I wish I had money. Darn student loans, interfering with my ability to spend hundreds of dollars on an awesome critique. ;)
Bummer...certainly wish my novel was edited to the point where it would be worth bidding...
D'OH! I just bought a condo. No discretionary income right now. :'(
Thanks for doing this, Kristin! I've had type 1 diabetes for 25 years and would love to see a cure during my lifetime.
Thanks for the heads up! That's very generous of you.
Would love to take advantage of an opportunity like this. My manuscript is ready to go but I am having difficulty fitting it into a neat and tidy genre package! That is to say, if I were to describe it how I feel I should describe it, it would be A ROMANTIC FANTASY ADVENTURE. So you see my dilemma. If I peg it wrong, I may get passed based on the genre I have chosen. I am reluctant to simply call it a ROMANCE or FANTASY ROMANCE or ROMANTIC FANTASY...well you see what I mean. I would love someone to speak to this issue. Can I call it a ROMANTIC FANTASY ADVENTURE without risking an auto pass?
This is an awesome opportunity for someone with some bucks. Unfortunately being unemployed for over a year, that won't be me. Still, I'm bookmarking for next year.
At least while I'm not working, I have lots of time to write!
Love Pub Rants!
Status: Doing Client reading.
What's Playing on the XM or iPod right now? IS THIS LOVE by Bob Marley
1) What happens if you can't sell a book to a publisher?
If we have exhausted all possibilities, I'll put aside and concentrate on the author's next work. If the next sells, that always allows us to revisit the prior novel. Sometimes the decision is made to let the past be the past and simply move forward.
2) How do you know if a writer's idea is a good one?
Not a clue really. All I know is what I like and what really resonates with me. I've had the good fortune of having what I like generally match up with what editors like and are willing to buy. Just like every other agent in the world, I'm not 100% right all the time. Sometimes I love a book and can't sell it.
3) If Hollywood has bought the film rights, does the author get a share in the profit?
The sad news is that in general, the author does not get a share in the profit. Although all film deals will have the standard "5% of 100% of net," most Hollywood films will never show a profit because of how studios manipulate the accounting. It's worse than the mafia. So agents often build in a lot of ways for the author to make money on the film deal that aren't tied to "profit" so loosely defined. The option price, the purchase price, bestseller bonuses, box office bonuses etc. These are payments that are not contingent on the film making money.
However, some authors do get a share in the profit. That is not a percentage based on net but a percentage based on a cashbreak point on gross.
A very different thing. Also, it is possible to put merchandizing in a separate pool with a separate percentage. Good money to potentially be made there as well.
4) Can you publish your book yourself or do you have to have a publisher?
Of course you can publish a book yourself! That's not the right question though. Anyone can self publish; the question is distribution and how to get folks to read what you self publish.
5) How do you decide if the cover art is good?
I have to say that cover art is not my strength as an agent. I have no background in art and not much of a creative vision. However, I do know what I like and what I don't like. If I don't like it and neither does the author, I fight like crazy to get it changed.
6) Do publishers show animation for cover concepts?
No. But wouldn't that be cool?
7) What happens if more than one publisher wants the book?
Then you have an auction my friend! As an author, it's always the best place to be. However, I do think that writers have a misconception that all auctions equal big money. That is not necessarily true. You can have modest auctions that are in low five figures.
What a great source of information. Thanks :-)
I'm amused by the fact that all your readers want to know the answers to the same questions little kids asked.
Heck, I was one of them.
I never realized that movie rights were so stacked against the writer. That's just sad - "worse than the mafia." Wow.
Wow, the movie rights being the way they are really surprised me. Great questions and answers.
I was surprised by the movie rights answer. Thanks for this.
But doesn't the author get something when their book is optioned?
Great answers. I had no idea how the movie deals work. Not surprised you know. Thanks.
I'm going to copy Natalie. I had no clue how author profits on movies worked.
Loved the questions; loved the answers. Thanks for sharing this!
I wish I could say I was surprised by the answer on movie rights. I know enough about that industry to not want to try to sell any of my screenplays.
In The Atlantic, PublicAffairs Books founder Peter Osnos wrote an essay about working as a young nonfiction editor 1984–shedding light on how advances used to work.
The article spotlighted bestselling Random House authors Dr. Seuss and James Michener: "Neither author took advances. Their revenues were so large and steady that they had a permanent drawing account and relied on the publisher and their financial advisers to see that the money was properly invested."
When former-vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro auctioned her manuscript, it sold for $1 million; prior to auction, Osnos was told to offer $50,000. One year later, Osnos paid $1 million to publish politician Tip O'Neill's memoir Man of the House. Now politicians and celebrities enjoy much larger advances. (via Jose Alfonso Furtado)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.Add a Comment
As you've probably heard elsewhere, Heritage Auction recently sold a piece of original comics artwork for $448,125.00 . That piece of paper? The iconic image from issue #3 of Batman: The Dark Knight, showing Batman and the new Robin swinging over Gotham.
Congratulations on whomever won this amazing piece! Here it is in color.
Of course, there were many other items for sale at the auction, including some nice Miller/Janson pages from Daredevil, and two other pages from The Dark Knight Returns. (Death of the Joker, $41,825.00; Batman in Disguise, $13,145.00).
So, what was the #2 item sold at the auction? Oh, just a painting of some ducks in the wild. Carl Barks' oil painting of Donald and his nephews on vacation (CB Oil 37) sold for $179,250.00 . Inspired by Walt Disney's Vacation Parade #1, this large format painting was produced in 1972. There were 24 other Barks items in the auction, with seven pieces in the top 24 items sold. There were actual art pages from the comics (rare, given that Disney retained ownership of most of the artwork). The best deal, of which I bid, was the Celestial Arts "Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" hardcover, which included a lithograph. It sold, to someone else, for the bargain price of $388.38 . Scroll down to see a rare Carl Barks Mickey Mouse!
#3 on the hit parade was a curiosity, but WOW! what a find! Someone paid $131,450.00 for two bound volumes of the first twenty-four issues of Action Comics. Heritage Auctions hypothesizes that the issues were bound in the 1960s, given the penciled prices (!!) on the covers, and the fact that the individual issues would have been worth more in later decades. HA values the entire set at "Overstreet 2010 VG 4.0 value for group = $231,758." So the winning bidder got a bargain! The consignor set a challenge of collecting Action Comics #1-200, and having accomplished his goal, sold the entire collection at this auction. There was even a coverless copy of Action #1 which sold for $33,460.00!
The most affordable item? A copy of A Fighting Man of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs – Western Penn Copy (Canaveral Press, 1962), which sold for $21.00 .
I'll let Beat readers peruse the auction results at their leisure, but I'll include some of the more interesting items below. Click on the pictures to go to the catalog. HA requires a free registration to view the final prices, but you can browse without it. F


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Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens' finances are in such bad shape that he has filed papers in three different child support cases to have his payments lowered, according to court documents obtained by the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com.
TMZ initially reported earlier this month that a California judge issued a bench warrant for Owens' arrest after he missed a court date with a woman to whom he is seeking to reduce child-support payments.
Now, Owens, claiming that he has no current income, has filed to have child support payments to two other women reduced, and, according to his representative's comments to TMZ, plans to file for a modification of support for another.
The four women have four children with Owens ranging in age from 4 to 11.
According to TMZ, in each of the cases in which Owens has requested a reduction in child support payments, he says in his declaration, "My current monthly income is zero ($0)."
In the papers, Owens also claims to pay $62,366 per month for various properties and says his home in Georgia is in foreclosure. He says all but two of his homes are for sale.
A representative for Owens told TMZ, "He has tried to keep paying all of these mothers what they were used to year after year, basically putting himself into a financial crisis. He has always paid his child support payments and loves his kids."
The representative says each modification case is ongoing.


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Year 2010 is really the year of Tablet PC. Lots of well known manufacturers released their own tablet PCs, as well as those who seldom heard such as Hannspree. According to the news, Hannspree is going to roll out their own version of Full HD 1080p Android tablet too.
The tablet is said to get a premium specification, such as the 1GHz Tegra 2 SoC (System-on-Chip), 16GB of internal flash storage (expandable via MicroSD card), 10.1-inch Multi-touch screen, WiFi, Accelerometer, Bluetooth 2.1, and Flash 10.1 support. You can also find out there are two extremely important ports equipped in the Hannspree Android tablet – with is the Mini USB and Mini HDMI ports.
On battery performance, Hannspree has been equipped with 3500mAh rechargeable battery that is said to be able to play 1080p movies continuously for 8 hours at least.
Hannspree Android Froyo Tablet is expected to ship for £399, but no idea when is the shipping date.
[via MobileWhack]


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- Contains Soy
- Contains Milk Ingredients
Brown Rice Flour, Sesame Seeds, Potato Starch, Quinoa Seeds, Safflower Oil, Flax Seeds, Roasted Garlic Seasoning (Sea Salt, Whey, Cultured Nonfat Milk*, Garlic Powder, Dehydrated Garlic, Natural Flavor, Cultured Whey, Torula Yeast, Natural Butter Flavor [Whit Cream, Annato, Turmeric]), Amaranth Seeds, Tamari Soy Sauce Powder (Tamari Soy Sauce [Soybeans, Salt], Maltodextrin [Corn], Salt).
*Adds A Trivial Amount Of Cholesterol.
Crunchmaster Gluten-Free Multiseed Crackers, Roasted Garlic
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Comet PanSTARRS (yes another picture)
Rutgerbus wrote:
Thank you starrman1969.
I see in this forum some picture of the moon + comet together in one shot. Was hoping to achief the same, but, here in The Netherlands the comet was way next to the cresending moon and could not be captured in one shot (was using 300mm on FF)
Maybe a stupid question, but is the conjunction very different than the one on the other side of the atlantic?????-- hide signature --
Photographic Moments
Not a stupid question.
Yes. It was very different on this side of the pond.
The Moon moves across the entire sky in a bit over 27 days, so its apparent motion compared to the stars (and even the comet) is very rapid. On average, it moves 13.2 degrees in a day .... that is 26 apparent lunar diameters. In the approximate 5 hours between your shot and mine, it moved 2.7 degrees or about 5 lunar diameters.
A wider angle lens would have helped, but it would still lack the proximity we saw here in the US. On the other hand, I wish I had brought my 70-300 mm lens with me. A little more reach would have made for a better picture,
Incidentally, neither your shot nor mine appears to have a correct time stamp.
Bob in Baltimore
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https://tl-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/images/logoTagline.svg 0 0 Suzy S. https://tl-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/images/logoTagline.svg Suzy S.2012-09-24 07:00:532015-05-14 23:09:39DIY: How to Make a Guitar Pick
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DIY: How to Make a Guitar Pick
Tired of losing your guitar picks all the time? Why not add to your collection, and learn how to make a guitar pick out of everyday materials? It's easier than you might think! Check out this great tutorial from Hard-Guitar.com below, and start getting creative!
– Suzy S., TakeLessons staff member and blogger
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Nas gets involved in hip hop at Harvard
September 18, 2013 • Comments
Nas may not relate to Harvard students - after all, he dropped out of public school and learned more lessons on the streets than in the classroom. However, as The Hiphop Archive returns to Harvard, a new fellowship has been established in the rapper's name to honor his poetic lyrics and role in the "knowledge is power" mindset.
"Your teachers are your community, your parents, your school, but hip-hop is the voice of real people," Nas said, as quoted by The Boston Globe. "I think about Du Bois and poets like Langston Hughes - I would never in a kazillion years think I could even stand next to those guys. But I'm working toward it."
Though Harvard may be a surprising place for such a program, The Boston Globe noted that The Source, one of the first publications to recognize rap as art, was created by Harvard students in the 1980s. With the Nas fellowship in place, the archive is more likely to last into the future. Meanwhile, other schools may be wondering why they don't have a similar program.
What do you think: would you ace a hip hop exam?
September 18, 2013 • Comments


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SHANGHAI -- Canada came up empty in the pool on Saturday, while Ryan Cochrane hopes to add another medal at the World Aquatic Championships.
The Victoria native earned himself a spot in the men's 1,500-metre freestyle final following Saturday's preliminaries, finishing fifth to stay in contention for a second medal. Earlier this week he won the silver in the 800-metre freestyle.
"I'm happy to get in the final and I think it'll be that much better hearing the crowd and being in the excitement of a final," said Cochrane. "It was a lot more painful than I expected but it is day seven in the morning."
Meanwhile, Canada was disqualified in the women's 4X100 medley relay final when breaststroker Jillian Tyler of Calgary did a double fly kick off the wall on the turn. You are only allowed one kick.
The Canadian team, which included Sinead Russell of Oakville, Ont., Katerine Savard of Quebec City and Julia Wilkinson of Stratford, Ont., had finished the race in sixth place.
"We are disappointed because we really wanted that top-six finish," said Pierre Lafontaine, Swimming Canada's CEO and head coach. "We had finished ahead of Britain, one of our big rivals, for the first time in many years in the event. The good news is the prelim time still stands in the world rankings as the seventh best in the world this year."
Canadians in action in Sunday's preliminaries are Andrew Ford of Guelph, Ont., in the men's 400-metre IM, Stephanie Horner of Beaconsfield, Que., and Alexandra Komarnycky of Victoria in the women's 400-metre IM and Canada is in the second of three heats in the men's 4X100 medley relay.