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Thursday Hangovers

Hangovers / By Gwenda / December 1, 2005

Real posts again someday soon,as soon as I put this book to rest.
Borders recently announced their Original Voices picks for the year. The YA category in particular has a couple of titles I highly recommend: Andrew Auseon’s Funny Little Monkey and John Green’s Looking for Alaska. (Via GalleyCat.)
Go download the new version of Firefox.
Jimmy Beck boils the bad sex nominees down to their essences (magically rendering them even funnier in the process). "Yo. Watch where you point that thing." Kills.
Susan Orlean is the first writer up in Powell’s new project to have authors guest blog for a week. (Via Pinky’s Paperhaus.) Pinky points out that Orlean’s first post is, charmingly, about every writer’s favorite sin procrastination.
The Lannan Foundation awarded writer Gilbert Sorrentino its Lifetime Achievement Award yesterday. The fabulous Coffee House Press has brought out several of his recent books.
The end of year issue of BoldType is out and looks full of good stuff.

VeronicaMarsTalk

25 Comments / TV Goodness / By Gwenda / November 30, 2005

Tonight’s the one with the big alternate ending afterward at AOL AND the Willow v. Cordelia scene. Here’s the cap:

"My Mother, The Fiend." Veronica stumbles on her mother’s permanent record at school and learns that she might not have known her mother at all. Alyson Hannigan, Tina Majorino and Lisa Thornhill guest star.

And Maureen Ryan at the Chicago Tribune’s Watcher blog has a lengthy post raving about the ep and VM in general. Watch!

Updated to add two things:

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Wednesday Hangovers

3 Comments / Hangovers / By Gwenda / November 30, 2005

MetaxuCafe is a new litblogging network created by Bud Parr of Chekhov’s Mistress. Looks like a neat resource for keeping up with the lit world and all the fabulous new litblogs created every other day. Plus, it has a lovely design.
Cecil Castellucci and Jen Sincero will perform their show Spinster at the Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn on Tuesday, December 6. See details here.
Le Cineclub with Lauren and Emma on Walk the Line, which they give three peonies. (I’m still thinking about the movie, which I enjoyed a GREAT deal, and I think one of the things I like most about it is how Southern a version of the Johnny and June story it is — it seems to me a sort of cleaned up, "oh, we were so wild back then" version of a much messier story in just the sort of way that the family history of your wild child great aunt or uncle gets tidied and embellished at the same time in Southern families. No matter how fucked up anyone or any situation was, it’s always redeemable as anecdote with a spit shine and a happy ending. And, of course, everyone looks fabulous and the music, well, that goes without saying.)
Maud Newton on the Jefferson Market Branch Library’s history. She also posts a short piece about not writing Southern by Robb Forman Dew (whose The Truth of the Matter is very close to the top of the TBR and was recommended highly by a friend with impeccable taste).
Tod Goldberg requests your best of lists, best of whatever you want.
Mea culpa: I’m shamefully behind on email. Really, it’s hard to even apologize with a straight face at this point. It’s not personal, it’s being personally overwhelmed with Stuff to Do. I’ll get to your message soon. Promise.

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Is It April First?

Science Project / By Gwenda / November 28, 2005

Some people need different kinds of directions:

The church tried to persuade station KRQE not to air its report last week about the aerial signposts marking a Scientology compound that includes a huge vault "built into a mountainside," the station said on its Web site. The tunnel was constructed to protect the works of L. Ron Hubbard, the late science-fiction writer who founded the church in the 1950s.

The archiving project, which the church has acknowledged, includes engraving Hubbard’s writings on stainless steel tablets and encasing them in titanium capsules. It is overseen by a Scientology corporation called the Church of Spiritual Technology. Based in Los Angeles, the corporation dispatched an official named Jane McNairn and an attorney to visit the TV station in an effort to squelch the story, KRQE news director Michelle Donaldson said.

Oh, it gets better. Read the whole thing.

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“All robots are pretty cool”

2 Comments / Uncategorized / By Gwenda / November 28, 2005

Over at Strange Horizons, I interview writer-director Greg Pak and review his wonderful movie Robot Stories alongside the new book collecting its screenplay and several other short and feature-length scripts.

Here’s my favorite answer from the interview, which will hopefully seem intriguingly mysterious out of context:

GP: I still regret never buying a Battlestar Galactica Cylon Bubble Machine.

And there’s lots of other goodness as always. Check it out.

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Monday Hangovers

Hangovers / By Gwenda / November 28, 2005

Margaret Cannon at the Globe and Mail names the best mysteries of the year according to her and includes the utterly wonderful The Girl in the Glass by Jeff Ford and The Power of Three by Laura Lippman which has been in my TBR stack for ages now.
Writers name their faves of the year in the Guardian. (Via Colleen.)
Didi calls attention to a discussion about the Hugos and fantasy.
The buyer for the hometown bookseller gets quoted in the USA Today article about growth in SF and F book sales (with the emphasis on the F) that’s making the rounds. (Via the Mumpsimus.)
Jennifer Crusie on writing a synopsis. (Via Patrick.)
Pinky’s Paperhaus takes on the Goldberg Brothers.

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Kneel Before Zod.

7 Comments / Real Life / By Gwenda / November 27, 2005

Thngs I Learned Over Thanksgiving 2006

Superman II really is the best, primarily because of General Zod and his minions (especially the scowly one). In fact, I’d go so far as to say that almost every movie would be improved by Terence Stamp as Zod fiercing up the joint.
Never play Trivial Pursuit against a science fiction writer when death is on the line.
George the Dog would really like to live in a party house. He prefers it. He’s been wandering around all day looking for people to entertain him.
Thai food kicks turkey and dressing’s ass, but I actually knew this already. However, I will raise things one AMAZING curried catfish.
Related to four: It’s best to stay out of the professionals‘ way. Don’t mess with the notecards.
The Johnny and June movie is actually really good. You should see it.
Manly men can completely fix a leaky faucet. (And I’ve already adjusted to turning the cold tap the opposite direction too.)
Alan can outsleep me! (Though in his favor, he did have that whole 14 hour drive thing.)
Hiking is not about speed.

I find myself stalled at nine, but that’s just because I’m very, very sleepy. And anyway, we’d already established that the best thing about Thanksgiving is to be surrounded by a bunch of fantastic people. Check.

Hope yours was great too.

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Sixth Grade Reading Level

Books / By Gwenda / November 27, 2005

Oh my. On a lark, I set up the DVR to grab the Quill Awards, figuring hilarity would ensue if nothing else. (It was being broadcast during the afternoon on Sunday, obviously a posh time slot.)

Best I can tell, the only good books are the ones written by celebrities. Also, celebrities haven’t read any books since high school (Matthew "Old Man and the Sea" Modine, Catherine "To Kill a Mockingbird" Crier*). Elmo was there. And Kim Cattrall’s and Candace Bushnell’s boobs. CLASSY.

I might try to watch more; I might not.

*I didn’t say they were A list celebrities.

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VeronicaMarsTalk

4 Comments / TV Goodness / By Gwenda / November 24, 2005

I don’t have time to track down the capsule, but discuss: very good episode. Next week looks Duncan-y. When does the winter hiatus start?

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GilmoreGossipCircle

3 Comments / TV Goodness / By Gwenda / November 22, 2005

And tonight:

He’s Slippin’ ‘Em Bread … Dig? After a long absence, Christopher (David Sutcliffe) reappears in Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory’s (Alexis Bledel) lives with an offer to make up for lost time. Luke (Scott Patterson) struggles with what the new person in his life will mean to him and his relationship with Lorelai. Lorelai and Rory enjoy their first Thanskgiving at the Dragonfly Inn, during which Rory receives surprising news about Logan (Matt Czuchry). Meanwhile, as the band prepares for an important showcase performance, Lane (Keiko Agena) has to deal with Zach’s (Todd Lowe) jealousy over a song Brian (John Cabrera) wrote about her. Singer/songwriter Carole King guest stars as Sophie, the owner of Stars Hollow’s music shop. Melissa McCarthy, Yanic Truesdale and Liza Weil also star. The episode was written by Daniel Palladino and directed by Kenny Ortega.

Later, crocodiles.

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