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Below are the 7 most recent journal entries recorded in
KV Taylor - SpecFic and Nonsense's InsaneJournal:
| Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 | |
| 5:28 pm | Something Bloody and Something Bizarre I’ve been reading lots, as I keep saying, but it’s not been anything relevant to the supposed topic of this blog. It’s all Henry James and James Joyce — and we can argue all day about whether The Turn of the Screw is a ghost story or not, but you won’t convince me it is. Scary as hell, yes. But not because of ghosts. My friends bought me this book called Bloody Irish by Bob Curran, which claims to be a book of Irish vampire stories. It was my birthday, and they’d just come back from Ireland. They figured, “Hey, Katey’s from a giant crazy Irish-American family. She likes vampires! Let’s do it.” Good choice, as it turns out. I don’t know how accurate the stories are, in terms of being local folklore– the only Irish stories I had growing up was that book of fairy tales by Sinead de Valera, and there were definitely no vampires there. But there are four little tales in this one, and they’re framed as classic ghost stories, very nicely laid out. I didn’t quite get into it until about the middle of the first one, but I think that was mostly my expectations– I had no idea what the book was meant to be. Once I realized they were folk tales/ghost stories, I liked all four of them very much. Not the usual brutal bloodsucker fare, something more subtle and scary, with vampires appropriately monstrous. I particularly liked the last one, Miss O’Hare, told as a man remembering a childhood experience with an old family of vampires in his small town. Then I tore out the transmission by switching gears to read Vacation by Jeremy C. Shipp. I got this because I’m subscribed to his Bizarro Bytes (they’ve all been great, but the Halloween Special was particularly cool– he sent out 4 stories, 2 new!), and there was a buy this, get that offer. He has a new novel out as of last week, Cursed, so I thought, “Hell, I’d better read the first one to see if I want to buy the second.” Long story short, I do. Short story long, it’s called bizarro for a reason. Vacation reads, like Shipp’s shorter works, like a dream from which you can’t wake up. Sometimes a nightmare, but the line is blurry when you’re asleep, and it’s just as blurry when you’re reading this. I think the most important point is that it’s not just a string of strange occurrences in an alternate world that’s all too easy to imagine as our own, but it also has a lot of very important things to say. My own bias toward those things probably helped me like this book, but even if you disagree with the underlying metaphor, it’s worth a read. The only real weak spot is that there are places where it starts to read like a list of aphorisms knocking society, but the characters and plot are so interesting it’s hard to care. In particular, the writing kept me going through those (very short) patches. It’s sort of like Joyce (for the voice– the train of the MC’s thought and how the natural cadence of it is reflected throughout the work) meets Orwell (dystopian something-something– can’t say much more without spoilers) meets a Manic Street Preachers song. If the first goal of a novel is to be, as James said, amusing, this one manages. But it’s also more than that, which is a real accomplishment. The bizarre is a cover for reality, kind of like our dreams. But it’s also very real and brutal and kind and honest. I mean, it’s true: You can live your whole life on Vacation. Most people do.
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| Monday, November 2nd, 2009 | |
| 5:35 pm | “All that self-reflection is unhealthy.” That’s a Dexter quote, from season 2, if you were wondering. In the spirit of Nanowrimo, I thought I’d do something a little bit personal, about the crazy shit people (as in Katey) do in their quest to be writers.* Last month Nathan Bransford had a post asking “when is writing unhealthy?” The comment that inspired the post was about how some for some people writing is like an addiction and they’ll pursue it to the detriment of their mental well-being, and even at the expense of their family. That’s an extreme example– I’m sure it’s happened but I personally haven’t seen it. That said, I’m pretty sure plenty of people thought me crazy for my own weird path. So I have this college degree, right. I was pretty close to a graduate degree, actually, but that’s another story altogether; the short version is that academia, at least in the humanities, is my own personal version of hell. There are things you can do even with an art history degree, believe it or not. I didn’t do them, though; I got a job as a cashier at a corporate cafe with a huge company (Limited Brands– the Victoria’s Secret discount alone made it the best job ever), selling coffee/lunch. It made me get out of the house and talk to people, which is something I like, but generally neglect. The people were awesome. But the best thing was that my hours were 11am-7pm, ensuring that I could stay up at night, during my best writing hours, and work on my book non-stop. Let me just stop right here to assure you that I was f#%king awful back then.
People would ask me at work once they got to know me– especially the suits– “What the hell are you doing here?” This irritated me for more than one reason, the largest being the snobbery inherent in the question. But to their credit, when I liked them enough to be honest and told them I liked the job because it let me work on my writing, people always found it believable. They seemed to get that even if it was stupid in their estimation, nothing about that choice was the least bit extraordinary. And it’s not– people do it all the time. Could’ve been unhealthy though, I guess. It wasn’t only because I didn’t have anyone else to worry about. I wasn’t married back then (actually, my husband was one of the suits– we met because he drank insane amounts of coffee there while on a consulting project there). I wanted to be good more than anything else. I just needed health benefits and enough money to buy mac and cheese and pay the rent. But you’re expected to get moving on a career path right about then, and I never did. Sort of a cardinal sin. My point is, to quote the great Nigel Tufnel, it’s such a fine line between clever and stupid. (Or brave and stupid, focused and stupid, etc.) I’ve crossed it more than once, unhealthily– but we all have. Like I say, nothing extraordinary about it. And I like Nanowrimo because it’s about temporarily giving yourself permission– in a safe way– to be the kind of crazy necessary to just do what you always wanted to do. That’s something I can definitely get behind. So okay, there’s the personal post, since I’ve never really done one before. Seemed like a good time. Anyhow, I’m sure you guys are unhealthy in your own ways, so feel free to share! *If you can’t see the link, I speak of the madness involved in actually agreeing to such a task as writing a book in one month, let alone just how the process itself aggravates your madness. Good thing madness only makes us better at what we do! —————- |
| Saturday, October 31st, 2009 | |
| 1:18 pm | Happy Halloween! Also, Prizes Hey y’all. Here’s wishing awesomeness on all your Halloween plans! We’re going, of all places, to Mt. Vernon– which is George Washington’s house/mass of farms, about ten minutes away. We’re a whole family of nerds, that’s right. So the contest was amazing. If you haven’t looked at all the answers yet (and you like morally ambiguous/awful characters as much as I), please do, because there are some great ones there. Actually they’re all great ones. You guys are pretty twisted. Right, sorry, without further ado, here are the names Mom picked out of the box this morning! If you’re here, drop me a line at kate@kvtaylor.com with the necessary info. Aaron Polson wins a copy of Grants Pass. Let me know if you want me to, er, deface it, and where I should send it! This is not a judgment of your pick, because that would’ve been impossible– totally random draw, like I say. What a table full of lovely, despicable characters we’ll have. (And I definitely filled out my wish list thanks to them.) Thanks so much for playing! For the curious, the character likely responsible for this quirk of mine is Dorian Gray, who I love for being so god awful– and it’s my favorite book. I didn’t give him as an example because I thought him a likely suspect, but there were just so many excellent ones from which to pick. Still, I doubt he’d like to be left out, so there it is! —————- |
| Friday, October 30th, 2009 | |
| 7:13 am | The Clock Less than 24 hours before the invitations stop going out. Oh no! The most awful guest list of the year– how could you live with the mortification of not being on it? Okay, so very easily, I know. But come on, it’ll be fun! What I mean to say is that the contest closes at 11pm EST tomorrow, October 30. I have my parents in for the weekend, and I’m gonna get my mom to draw the names. Mom Magic. That’s right. It just got that much cooler up in this party. And two more days for those of you forging bravely into NaNoWriMo, which is very exciting. Even though I’m not going with you, I’ll be here cheering on the sidelines, waving my arms. I’d do a cheer or two, but at my age it’s undignified. (Seriously, does anyone else think it’s really, really weird that professional football teams have cheerleaders? I mean, I get it; they’re hot and all. I appreciate the hotness fully, believe me. But be honest: it’s creepy. And that’s saying a lot, coming from me. Hey, I think I just got a story idea…) Here’s to inspiration in your brain and cramp-free fingers all month long! |
| Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 | |
| 6:17 pm | It’s About That Time Harvest Hill, if I’m interpreting things correctly, should be here on schedule for Halloween. Woo hoo! In that spirit, you can read John Palisano’s excellent The Outlaws of Hill County. Also, please enjoy his horror-comic trailer for this lovely little collection:
How’s that for fun times? More news when the book becomes available for order, but all I can say right now is, yay! And in other news, if you’ve not hit it up yet, please do go to the next post down on this here interweb page and enter the contest. Pretty (and/or Manly) Notebooks! Grants Pass! A couple of days before it’s over, but man that guest list is awesome beyond my wildest hopes already. You guys rock (in a sort of disturbing way, which as we all know is the best). —————- |
| Friday, October 23rd, 2009 | |
| 7:39 pm | I’m Going to a Party and I’m Taking… ETA 30 OCT, 11PM: This contest is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone who entered! I said I was going to have a contest, which I’ve never done before. Originally I was just going to ask for book recs, because I need one or two more to round out my in-progress holiday haul list. But that’s too easy, isn’t it? No, no, it needs to be something more entertaining than that, and something that’ll tell me why I need this book so badly. Here’s the idea*: I’m having a Halloween party. You’re all invited, but you have to bring a guest– a fictional character from one of your favorite books. There’s no limitation on genre, place of origin (yours or theirs), or whether or not I’ve read the book before, but there is one catch. They have to be awful. Not necessarily a villain, but just awful human beings in some way: evil, smarmy, cruel, spiteful, careless, miserable, self-centered, vicious, murderous, emo beyond belief, or just flat out jerk-faced. You really ought to hate them, and you know it, but you love them. Not in spite of being awful, but for being awful.** Any writer who can create those types of characters, I’ll surely love; any book that features them, I’ll adore. So who are you bringing, and why? Anyone who helps to fill the guest list (and my book haul) with a beautifully awful character gets entered into a totally random drawing for prizes! 1. The first name drawn gets a copy of Grants Pass from Morrigan Books. It’s a first print run, so it has a bookplate inside with lots of awesome signatures–collectors item! Hell, I’ll even deface it for you too, if you really want. 2. The next two names drawn — I’ll buy you your choice of mini journal from Colette Paperie. They’re hand-printed Moleskine journals, so you too can be a privileged little artiste! (Thanks for that link, Nat. Ha!) And of course, if the person drawn first already has GP (leave me a note to let me know if you do when you enter, sil vous plait), they get a journal, and the book goes to the next name drawn. And don’t worry if I’ve already read the book from which your character of awful choice comes– I still want to know who you love in spite of yourself. What can I say– moral ambiguity does it for me. So who are you bringing to this unpleasant little soiree of mine? Post an answer on this thread before 11pm on October 30, and I’ll announce the winners on Halloween night! Not enough contest for you? Try Barry’s! *The idea comes from this post– of all things, a Border’s True Romance blog post, which I found thanks to the badass Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. —————- |
| 3:07 am | Trilogy! Actually I feel like that was the name of a club back when I lived in Cleveland. Trilogy. Or was that Columbus? Anyhow, yesterday in my mailbox I had lots of goodies. The first was the long awaited third in Meghan Brunner’s Pendragon Trilogy. Yay! That’s not Pendragon as in Uther– well it kind of is, actually, but Pendragon Renaissance Faire in Minnesota. I think I discussed before how these books show a kind of mastery of the whole indie, do-it-yourself ideal and how The Gods of Writing intended it to be used– knowing your niche, finding it, and then spreading the appeal well outside of it. Totally not qualified to give any kind of review of this last one, since I was kind of involved in editing it up, but– well, crazy fae, not-so-imaginary friends, road rennies, past lives, girl love, and many other things that sparkle (but not in a vampire in the sunlight way. Oh dear god, no). Shiny books by people I know! Yay! See– looks so pretty on my shelf:
So does Travelin’ Cthulhu. Lookin’ good, buddy. But man, nothing like a complete set to satisfy my weird ass categorizing urges, really. (At least until she starts the next ones, set at Desert Sun Faire. Then I’m screwed again.) And as a kind of side note, if you’re into SCA or Fest stuff, Megh’s site is also a great resource for crafters, pictures, performers, faire/events listings and the like. Maybe you could find something in your area. I mean, I know my year feels incomplete without at least one joust. I also got copies of Grants Pass for my family– plus one mysterious extra. I smell a Halloween contest cooking… (If you already bought GP, no worries. There are other tricks– or treats, yeah treats!– to be had.) —————- |
