Happy New Year, beloved readers; may yours be filled with whatever you desire.
I only have a few straggling hangovers today because bloglines, she is down, down, down in the burning ring of fire. That’s probably to the good of my getting things done today. And once I finish up this next thing, I should have time to do some reviews of things I’ve been reading lately and fun stuff like that.
- Tom Cruise makes it into the dictionary — The Historical Dictionary of American Slang, anyway — with "jump the couch." Why do I suddenly feel a need to watch Ball of Fire? (Via #1HS.)
- More news so sad I keep forgetting to post it: Infinite Matrix follows Sci Fiction into that good night.
- Girl Genius comics! (Discovered via Jed.)
- Philip Pullman’s site has a wonderful section where he answers questions About the Writing, that’s full of gems like this: No, I was ignored. When anyone took any notice it was to point out what a twit I was, and laugh at me. This was the best possible preparation for the life of a novelist. If you have grown-ups fussing over you and encouraging you and taking an interest, you begin to think you’re important, and furthermore that you need and deserve their attention. After a while you become incapable of working without someone else motivating you. You’re much better off supplying your own energy, and writing in spite of the fact that no-one’s interested, and even learning to put up with other people’s contempt and ridicule. What do they know, anyway?
- Speaking of which, Justine’s kicked off a fabulous discussion of the 101 humiliations of being a writer. Go join.