Monday Hangovers - Gwenda Bond

Big news of the day — Liz Burns is now blogging over at SLJ. I assume you're all reading her A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy already, but if not this is a great time to start. I pick up lots and lots of YA based on Liz's astonishingly numerous and well-crafted reviews.
JoSelle Vanderhooft did a great profile of the marvelous Subterranean Press in last week's issue of PW. A snippet: "This is just one example of Subterranean's impressive versatility. Its publications run the gamut from novels and short story collections to novellas, chapbooks, and even picture books, like Patrick Rothfuss and Nate Taylor's The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed, a spooky illustrated story in the tradition of Edward Gorey that the press has labeled "not a book for children." The press also supports a quarterly online magazine of free fiction, which was begun to introduce Subterranean to new readers. Since the magazine moved from paper to the Web, Schafer says that sales at the press have soared."
At the HuffPo, Rebecca Serle talks with the fabulous Kathi Appelt about American fantasy: "You know a lot of my students want to write fantasy and they tend to fall back on the traditional terms–castle, fairy, etc. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with that but it does take us out of America. What I'm interested in is the notion of how you create fantasy using an American ethos." I've heard Kathi talk about this before and wholeheartedly agree that more is needed. (And can't wait to order that lecture she mentions from VCFA.)
Nalo Hopkinson has a great list of problems she sees often in beginner manuscripts.
D arcy Pattison gives examples of twelve ways to open a novel.
I honestly can't believe there exist crazytalkers out there who question Shirley Jackson's status as one of America's great novelists, but Laura Miller confirms that there are and delivers an excellent takedown.
I'm a little in love with this news story. There's a shortage happening in the human bone industry, which is especially problematic for artists who like working with them: "Our skulls are running very low," says Villemarette. The few that he has in stock are expensive, running in the neighborhood of $1,400 to $1,600. Most of those are designated "Research Quality," meaning they can only be sold to doctors or academic institutions. On the other hand, "we have lots of fibula. . . . And ribs? We have a lifetime supply of ribs."
The Awl takes on Liz Phair's Funstyle, in a more thoughtful way than I've seen elsewhere. I'm still too frightened to listen.
A delightful profile of the ever-delightful Penn and Teller.
John Crowley on whether finding an FDR dime signals communication from the dead.
How have I never heard of Ellen Page's Ghost Cat? Thanks to Charlie Jane for the heads up.
A.M. Dellamonica on technology and urban fantasy, as part of Tor.com's urban fantasy/paranormal romance monthlong extravaganza (which has been full of good posts).
Also over at Tor, Jo Walton recommends one of my favorite novels Of All Time by one of my favorite novelists Of All Time–Sean Stewart's Perfect Circle. Always worth a mention, in case some of you haven't read it. (My favorites are actually Mockingbird and Galveston, but all Sean's novels are well worth your time and attention.)

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