Archives
Posted by Justine at 0:11, September 30th, 2006 under Fans & readers, Reading, Viewing |
Posted by Justine at 9:21, September 29th, 2006 under Basketball, Bloggery, Magic or Madness trilogy, Praising, Reading, Sport, Whingeing, Words & Language |
Maureen Johnson is being funny again---this time
about her prom.
I did not have a prom. In Sydney ((I can't speak for the whole of Australia---for all I know there may be some small town somewhere that does have proms. Or where school dances are a huge deal. I've already discovered that not everyone says "grouse". Poor blighters.)) they're called school dances (or at least they were in my day) and they are nothing like the big deal they seem to be here in the US of A. And, no, I didn't have a school dance either on account of going to a tiny hippy school with only about two hundred students. (We didn't "date" either. Not in the ...
Posted by Justine at 9:37, September 28th, 2006 under Bloggery, Praising, State of the World |
Us
Asif! authors have been chatting more than a little about the whole books-being-banned situation and we don't always agree. Some of us do think there are books that are inappropriate for kids. For instance, I would not be totally wild about a ten-year-old reading the Marquis de Sade.
On the other hand, when I was ten I picked up Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer (I blame my parents!) and promptly put it back down 'cause it was not only gross, it was really really really boring. I read it again in my late teens and had the exact same response. I imagine the ten-year-old me would have had the same response to the Marquis. As a kid, much like ...
Posted by Justine at 1:36, September 28th, 2006 under Book challenges, New York City/USA, Ranting, Reading, State of the World |
My intensive google research has revealed that there is no biography of Fredi Washington. I demand that one of you get off your arse and write one immediately! (Or use your better research skills to find me one.)
Who is Fredi Washington, you ask? Why, let me tell you:
Fredi Washington was a light-skinned black actor and dancer. She largely starred in movies for the Jim Crow circuit and often with her skin darkened. She was such a compelling screen presence that the Hollywood bigwigs in the thirties offered to make her a big star if she'd pass as white. She told 'em all where to go. Yay, Fredi! (I also ...
Posted by Justine at 0:07, September 27th, 2006 under 1930s NYC novel, Research, State of the World, Viewing |
This is not a question I get asked very much. Not directly, anyway, but every single time I post about sport someone writes and asks me when I'm going to post about interesting topics again. That's right, the biggest complaint I get from you, dear readers, is that I talk about sport too much. (( It's particularly weird as I've hardly blogged sport at all this year. Very little mention of cricket, the World Cup, or the Tour de France; pretty much nothing about the Liberty's unhappy WNBA season, and hardly any mention of all the various Australian triumphs this year. I've been busy, okay?))
Now I ain't never gonna stop writing about sport, no matter how many of you are ...
Posted by Justine at 0:03, September 26th, 2006 under Basketball, Cricket, Fans & readers, Sport, Tour de France |
Delia Sherman's latest book, Changeling, is a middle grade fantasy that doesn't resemble anything else I've ever read. ((Except her earlier short stories set in the same world.)) It has many recogniseable elements: fairies, changelings, mermaids, dragons, New York City, but they've never been brought together like this before.
Sherman's New York City is unlike any NYC I've read about. ((I would love to see the complete list of magical New Yorks. I bet it's really really long. A truly complete version would have to list Dawn Powell's New York as well as Eloise's.)) She's transformed it into "New York City Between"---a wonderland populated by fairy folk and characters from well-known children's stories like Eloise---and ...
Posted by Justine at 13:24, September 25th, 2006 under New York City/USA, Praising, Reading, Young Adult literature |
I just realised that coffee, chocolate, gin, tonic water and licorice are the only foods or drinks I cannot imbibe without having to spit 'em out. There are no savoury foods I hate. I'm down with much that revolts other folks: anchovies, sweet breads, liver, blood sausage. All of them are mucho yummo. I loves me some offal! Hell, I love all food that wobbles! ((Unless it's been contaminated by the aforementioned five dread substances.))
I think of myself as an unafraid eater who'll find something to eat no matter what situation I'm thrown into. I only get into trouble at dessert which is no big deal.
But there's got to be people out there who truly will eat everything. ((And ...
Posted by Justine at 20:19, September 24th, 2006 under Food |
We won! For the first time ever we won the world championships of women's basketball!!
Penny Taylor was awesome! As was Kristy Harrower and Lauren Jackson!
(Picture purloined from abc.net.au)
I am so very very very very very happy!
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!
Posted by Justine at 14:44, September 23rd, 2006 under Basketball, Sport |
It's banned books week, people. Check out the following links and then go out and adopt a banned book. Bring it home, love it, read it, blog about it. Encourage others to love the many banned books.
Here are banned books links courtesy of the lovely
E. Lockhart:
Most Challenged Books of the 21st Century (2000-2005)
The fabulous asif site. I'm a proud member of Asif!
Badges (buttons) and other images you can use.
The Freedom to Read foundation.
THE BOOKSENSE TOP TEN BANNED BOOKS
1. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee
2. GEOGRAPHY CLUB, by
Brent Hartinger
3. THE GIVER, by Lois Lowry
4. THE STORY OF LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, by Helen ...
Posted by Justine at 11:27, September 23rd, 2006 under Bloggery, Book challenges, State of the World, Young Adult literature |
I, Justine Larbalestier, do solemnly swear never to
comment on an
Amazon customer review. If I ever succumb to said stupid temptation you have my permission to force-feed me a mixture of the five vilest substances known to humanity: coffee, chocolate, licorice, tonic water and gin. ((Apparently there are some weirdos who find the concoction above inviting. Those benighted souls must substitute five things they despise. I'll have no cheating!))
I invite all published writers to join me in this vow.
Posted by Justine at 17:29, September 22nd, 2006 under Bloggery, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 23:59, September 21st, 2006 under Excuses, Liar, State of the World, Words & Language, Writing life, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 18:39, September 20th, 2006 under Listening, Magic or Madness trilogy, Scott's books, Vainglory |
Am I the only person in the US who knows what these are? Every time I buy them at a farmers' market I become the husk cherries go-to girl, explaining to folks how you eat them, when they're in season, and what they taste like. If there's a husk cherries grower's association I want my spruiker's fee.
They are in season here in the US right now. If they've got them at your local farmers' market get 'em! They are delicious eaten on on their own or thrown into a salad.
Here's what they look like.
You just tear the papery husk away and inside is what looks like a teeny tiny tomato. (They're prolly related, but like I could ...
Posted by Justine at 16:56, September 20th, 2006 under Food |
For some reason the question of writers' good looks (or lack thereof) comes up
over and
over again. Far more often, for instance, than the question of whether a writer's class or connections are assets. How come?
While a writer's good looks might be used for marketing, it has very little to do with which books get published. I know lots of drop-dead gorgeous folks whose novels have been rejected all over the shop. And lots of plain ones who are published. ((Of course "ugly" and "beautiful" are not exactly universally agreed upon. My idea of who's good looking and who's not may differ from yours more than somewhat. I will never get the appeal of Leonardo diCaprio or ...
Posted by Justine at 0:03, September 20th, 2006 under Publishing business, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 1:56, September 19th, 2006 under Frippery, Praising, Writing life |
I spent Saturday over at in Brooklyn at the inaugural
Book Festival hanging out with my fave Young Adult writer types. We read, we argued, we gossiped and all was good with the world.
The turn out was amazing and while the running wasn't always as smooth as it could have been---some authors had last minute changes to their schedules they were not informed of---it was more than acceptable for a first-time event. All the on-the-ground volunteers were charming and did their jobs excellently well.
Here are my suggestions for improvements:
Bigger tents. Or more indoor venues. The Youth Pavillion and the Children's Pavillion were way too small and were originally set up so the audience baked in the sun. There was ...
Posted by Justine at 17:34, September 18th, 2006 under Cons & Other Gatherings |
Posted by Justine at 16:05, September 17th, 2006 under Reading, Words & Language, Writing process |
Posted by Justine at 1:34, September 15th, 2006 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Publishing business |
Because
Margo Lanagan is one of the best writers I know, and is wonderful in every way, and has written two of the best short story collections ever published (White Time and Black Juice)---I should probably follow her rules of writing to the letter.
But, see, she has this list of banned words and every one of those words sings to me:
accretion
amidst
amongst
atop*
corruscating
crepuscular*
effulgence
enervating
iridescent*
jasmine
maelstrom
obsidian* (Margo says, "only okay when used to describe arrowheads".)
pellucid*
roiling* (Margo says, "must be used with care".)
silken*
ululate*
whilst
There are heaps more but I can't remember the rest. Help me out, Margo? Margo's Clarion students?
Update: *Are Margo Lanagan additions to the list.
Ever since I heard of the existence of Margo's banned words list it has become my goal in life ...
Posted by Justine at 0:31, September 14th, 2006 under Frippery, Ironical (This is Writ), Magic or Madness trilogy, Words & Language, Writing process |
Posted by Justine at 6:28, September 13th, 2006 under Frippery, Magic or Madness trilogy, Scott's books, Titles & names, Writing life, Writing process |
Posted by Justine at 18:03, September 11th, 2006 under Bloggery, Praising, Ranting |
Posted by Justine at 19:29, September 10th, 2006 under Admin, Bloggery, New York City/USA, Praising, Sydney/Australia |
Posted by Justine at 10:40, September 9th, 2006 under Bloggery, Magic or Madness trilogy, Reading, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 10:27, September 8th, 2006 under Praising, Publishing business, Ranting, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 17:09, September 6th, 2006 under Best of Blog, Bloggery, Frippery, Unicorns, Writing process |
I got my very
first fan art by the lovely Kate of
Refrigerate Kate. Here are her sketches of Jay-Tee:
Isn't that fabulous? (Though for the record Jay-Tee doesn't smoke.)
There are also sketches of Tom on her site. I'm dead chuffed! I have fan art! Really good fan art! Thank you, Kate.
I've also neglected to mention what
novel I decided to write next. On account of it was
youse lot's overwhelming favourite (and me having already written 25 thou words of it) I will now be turning my attention to finishing the
Great Australian feminist monkey-knife fighting Elvis mangosteen cricket fairy young adult novel.
Anyone who'd like a sneak preview---I'll be reading the first ...
Posted by Justine at 0:26, September 5th, 2006 under Cons & Other Gatherings, Fan art, Fans & readers, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Magic or Madness trilogy, New York City/USA, Praising, Vainglory, Viewing |
I'm a big believer in community. I'm convinced that it's very very very difficult to produce good art without some kind of a community behind you. I can date the turnaround in my own writing to my first showing it to other writers. Their critiques hurt like hell, but my writing got better in ways it never would have otherwise.
The communities of writers and other publishing folks I'm involved with share a wealth of information with each other. We tell each other about which editors we enjoy working with and why, which houses have the best publicity/sales/marketing departments. Who got paid what by which house. When third person is a better fit than first. What the differences are between writing ...
Posted by Justine at 15:24, September 3rd, 2006 under Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction, Bloggery, Cons & Other Gatherings, Excuses, State of the World, Writing life |
There's a very popular book ((Do not try to guess the name of the book. I will not tell you. The point of this post is not to trash a fellow writer.)) out there that's badly written and has a dumb plot and a central character without a particle of gumption. Almost eveyone I know has read it and they either adore it or
feel the same way I feel about it.
I admit that the people who love this book have kind of been driving me crazy. How could they think it's well-written when it's riddled with cliches and purple prose? How could they relate to the most passive protag of all time? How could they reread this godawful ...
Posted by Justine at 12:49, September 2nd, 2006 under Praising, Ranting, Reading |
