In the spirit of getting out of the habit of updates once every two weeks, here are a few things on my scene from the past week…

1. First, the important stuff: IRON MAN. Easily the best comic book movie since the first Spider-Man movie, despite the inclusion of Yet Another Gratuitous Underdeveloped Romantic Almost-Subplot. Go see it.

2. We stopped by the old haunt of Robert Henri on the way to Barnes & Noble tonight. Being able to say things like “oh, we were just passing by Henri’s old house on the way to B&N” is one of the reasons why I love New York. Henri was a dude.

3. Still recovering from The Readers Studio. I did more blogging of the event over on my new site, BuildYourMetaphysicalBusiness.com. Sir James said it best - the post-event letdown is settling in. But there are some great posts about the event (here’s Mary’s) and I took lots of pictures and there’s an Aeclectic gathering in the city tomorrow, so that’ll take the edge off.

Forgive me if I sound like a hater, but I gotta say, events like The Readers Studio and World Fantasy go a long way to remind me how, well, ridiculous comics conventions can be. I love comics people dearly, but sometimes we can really forget that we’re all a bunch of nerds. ANYWAYS!

Yes, that was the second mention of my brand new site, BuildYourMetaphysicalBusiness.com (affectionately known as “the side hustle”). I’m too tuckered to put together a proper announcement now. Next week. For now a whoo hoo! will suffice.

4. Been using my Bohemian Gothic deck more or less exclusively since I got back. I just love how Karen and Alex packed the narrative into these cards. It takes a hell of a lot to get me to ditch my Rider-Waite for readings, not just writing exercises, pondering and yeah, maybe a little pontificating. But man, I love this deck!

What I really need to do is put one big post together on Magic Realist Press for Endicott. They’ve put out 5 Tarot decks in something like the past 6 years, and each and every one has been of outstanding quality and interest to mythic arts folks.

5. Also picked up, on Shawn’s recommendation, The Tarot of the Thousand And One Nights, featuring the work of Léon Carré. These are rare pieces from the Golden Age of Illustration that went with an old Sir Richard Burton edition of the work. Elizabeth Hazel has a great article on the deck in this year’s Tarot Reader and I believe she says she couldn’t track down a copy of the original 14 volumes in any library, anywhere. Maybe my husband, armchair Burton scholar extraordinnaire, can shed some light here?

6. Also! Barth Anderson sent me a copy of his new book, THE MAGICIAN AND THE FOOL. Huzzah! Yes, it’s a Tarot thriller. Not many people I can think of can pull off one of those without it straining the credulity a little. I can’t wait to dig in. (What am I still sitting here in front of my computer for?)

Last thing: those in the know know that us ladies of fantasy are not only gorgeous, most of us also like to rawk the dazzling handmade jewelry. The Interstitial Arts Foundation certainly knows this, and so to celebrate the year anniversary of the publication of Interfictions, they’re holding a jewelry benefit auction. All pieces are inspired by stories from Interfictions and are donated by volunteers… like yours truly! I’m still working on mine but it should be done by weekend’s end. I’ll post pics.

Ah, I’m getting a little verklempt…

My friend Anton regaled me for a year with tales of writing this bad boy… and now it’s out!

Today, in fact. Fans of paranormal investigation stories, start your wiggling!

In other Anton news, a little birdie told me that he’ll be signing at B&N over on 6th Avenue & 8th Street (you know, that one over by the West 4th Street station), tonight at 7:30.

Congrats, dude. I wish you nothing but every smashing success (you know, as long as the smashing’s metaphorical).

Who is the artist? Anyone know? (edited: yes! Wendalyn knows! Artist is Ken Wong; see it in its full glory here!)

The book sounds great, too:

“According to 15-year-old Magdalena’s mother, the world is strange, beautiful, and watery-full of secrets and discoveries known only to mother and daughter. But when her mother dies suspiciously, it becomes an arid world of anxiety, sexual confusion, and desperate loneliness, where an imaginary family of bickering fish torment her. Magda’s only outlet is the beautiful but destructive fires she starts in the marshes near her house. As her father and aunt try to pull her into a mundane world of school, schedules, and stepmothers, the voices of the fish in her head tempt her toward insanity. Magda must plot a course between her mother’s fatal madness and her father’s soul-destroying normalcy.

The Shape of Water is a darkly lyrical and surprising tapestry of mundane and imaginative worlds. Magda untangles family secrets, struggles to cope with profound loss, and finally discovers a stable place in the world-without compromising herself.”

Flux has got some really compelling stuff in their lineup, I’ve gotta say.

The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen will be released in April.

Latest WT assignment had me spending altogether waaay too much time on YouTube. I desperately want to blame this incessant time-wasting on Stephen; alas, deep in my easily distracted soul, I know my hindbrain must take the fall. Fruits of my so-called labors include a guy who has lots of clips from one of Tori’s shows on the Dew Drop Inn tour, and a rekindled romance with Bjork. There is a lot of Bjork on YouTube.

(Speaking of WT, head on over to the blog for details on a fun new contest.)

One of my new favorite blogs is that of YA author Kristopher Reisz. Kris is funny, charming as hell and has stories to burn. I haven not yet read his novels, mostly because I seem to have a hard time finding the first one in B&N (and my online shopping has dwindled to nil, pretty much).

Anyways. His latest, UNLEASHED, was, uh, unleashed on Tuesday. Huzzah!

Over at Stephanie Meyer’s website are press releases aplenty about the movie version of TWILIGHT, the first novel in her acclaimed (and wildly popular) YA vampire romance trilogy. Most recent additions include cast pictures of the Cullen Clan (oo la la!). Scrolling down further we have the pix and announcement of Kristen Stewart as Bella, and Meyer’s comments:

For every actress that has been suggested as Bella in the past few years, there are always a slew of critics that cry, “But she doesn’t look like Bella!” (Which can often be translated thusly: “She doesn’t look like ME!”) To this I would like to say: “Of course she doesn’t!” Bella is a fictional character, and she looks different to everyone. As is the same with every actor who will be cast in the next few months, no one is going to match up with your mental picture exactly—or mine.

Interesting.

I read TWILIGHT when it came out a few years ago. I didn’t fall in love with it, but then again, my tombstone may eventually read: “Just not into vampires”. I did notice some storytelling stuff in it, as I often do, as I’m usually on high alert when I read.

Many of these have to do with the portrayal of Bella. And I maintain: one reason behind the insane popularity of this book is how effortlessly we readers glide into that role ourselves. I remember thinking and feeling that the whole thing had been deliberately set up to turn us into Bella as we read. There are lots of parts to this, but here’s one: there is no, or perhaps barely any, physical description of Bella in the book.

(Once I noticed it, I remember flipping back through the pages and checking. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. I also remember wanting to buy Meyer a drink for really nailing that.)

So, any of us could be on the receiving end of the attention and that delicious vampiric sexual tension. And who in the lion’s share of the audience for TWILIGHT wouldn’t want to be?

(I realize this may be a “well duh“. But as I don’t read tons of writer blogs and most of the folks in my day-to-day sphere are comics people, most of my writerly observations and education come from my reading and talking to comics artists. And I remember it really stuck out in TWILIGHT.)

I still think it’s very clever and effective.

… and their keepers, if you happen to be in the city on February 12, mark your calendars. I hear tell that one Ms. Libba Bray will be at the Union Square Barnes & Noble at 7 pm, wrapping up the The Sweet Far Thing World Domination Tour 2008.

I also hear there will be singing. Not sure if she’ll be bringing the boogie; nonetheless, I will most likely be there raising the roof from wherever I’m sitting/standing.

You know, as is my way.

ALSO! Sweet Lord In Heaven, it’s the Spiderwick Chronicles premiere photos!

I try not to pass along stuff found on well-read blogs because there’s, well, obviously a good chance that you’ll have read it before (and the content goes round and round and round!), but this makes the cut:

David Byrne’s Survival Strategies For Emerging Artists

Of course, webcomics being the new zombies being the new pirates being the new monkeys, this kind of thing has been oft-discussed in other places. But the article adds to the discussion and is worth a read and a ponder.

Personally, I know it’s personal (read: rocking my world) when my favorite artists start leaving out the middle man. Both Tori and Kristin have begun to do this.

My conclusion: God Bless the Internet.

(By way of Jeffrey @ 52 Projects!)

The Winter 08 ish of Goblin Fruit is simply amazing!

I read a lot, and always have (no surprise there) but lately I’ve been trying hard to make even more time for it. I’ve had writers tell me they read at least 2 hours every day. It’s the most delightful job requirement I can think of.

Found at Powell’s:

A 1st edition. Very very happy. Midori’s “Alison Gross” is in this one - I’ve wanted to read it for a while.

I can’t believe we’ve been here for a week already.

Everyone having a fabulous holiday weekend so far? I hope so. I am. We kicked off the festivities withNicholas, who graciously invited us to his place for Thanksgiving dinner. Six kids and the best stuffing I’ve ever had in my life. No disrespect to my mom (who is awesome), but this was amazing stuffing. And there was tons of it. 15 of us or something and collectively we didn’t even make a dent in this ginormous dish of stuffing. I forgot to take some home, however. This is probably for the best.

My last post on the Amazon Kindle sparked some fun conversation over on my LJ. I’ve calmed down. Not sure what I was thinking, talking about carrying books around like they’re badges of honor. I will admit the appeal and practicality of Kindling in airports, for example. Dan makes an excellent point. And of course Leland had to needle me with the squillion dollar question: “What if it gets kids to read more?” You got me there, chief.

So I amend my crankypants stance. But I will never “curl up” with a Kindle. I may perhaps read a Kindle on a crowded bus or on an airplane. I will never “curl up” in an airport. I’m still cranky. And confidential to Amazon: pay the damn bloggers for the content they provide (and you CHARGE FOR) on your damn device.

There is no excuse for that shit. None. End of.

I had a horrific thought, and it was this: there’s going to come a day when kids aren’t taught how to write by hand. Like, penmanship. Because “they won’t need it any more.” Think it’ll never happen? Yeah, that’s what they said about electronic paper.

We were at the launch party for Dan’s book last week and I got no less than five — five! — comments on this pair of fingerless mitts I wore. Nice, but they’re sloppy as sloppy (the mitts, not the comments), so I’m taking a break from the Christmas knitting (have I mentioned I’ve been Christmas knitting since September? go, me) to make a leaner, meaner pair. They’re lean and mean and purple, but jury’s still out on whether or not I should have went with the mohair-infused Lamb’s Pride Worsted. Mohair all over the place.

I also made another beret. What is up with the berets? I’ve made something like 7 berets. I don’t even wear berets. It’s official: they make me look ridiculous. And yet, I keep making them. The synapses in my head, I’m tellin’ ya.

Last knitting thing: I’m keeping my discretionary income on a tight leash these days, but once I got a gander at the just-released Anticraft book, I could NOT put it back on the shelf. It totally blew the hinges off my expectations. I love their site (though, with all respect, I find the voice of cynicism a little loud and overbearing at times), so I knew it was going to be great. But I want to make just about everything in here, including… the embossing project. Embossing. Are we kidding? And yet there I was, going through the instructions for logistical clues.

Wow, this post is getting long.

We were going to go see Beowulf but got sucked into movies here instead. Never read it? Midori’s got great crib notes over at Endicott.