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Monday, November 9th, 2009
dabroots
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12:59a
Invisible Scarlet O'Neil
 (click image to enlarge)
My bedtime reading tonight is Pete Hamill's 1994, A Drinking Life: A Memoir, opening with his Brooklyn childhood in the late 1930's and continuing through his middle years as a New York City journalist. I'm not that far along, so I'm up only to 1946, when Hamill was only nine, and had taken a job delivering The Brooklyn Eagle to homes in his Park Slope neighborhood. He writes about coming home on the first day to an empty apartment--his laid-off father was out drinking and his mother was working at a hospital as a nurse's aide--and sits down and begins looking at the comics. One strip that caught his eye was Invisible Scarlet O'Neil, who sounds pretty keen. I was so interested in finding out more that I slipped out of bed, slipped into sweats, and turned on my aging PC. And then I found Scarlet. Here's the first strip that ever appeared.
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(comment on this) Sunday, November 8th, 2009
dabroots
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10:00p
good dick = good movie
Yes, I've been watching a lot of movies, lately. Good Dick is one recommended by Netflix after their database wizards analyzed my rental patterns and decided I might like it. And I do. It's about a youngish woman living in an unnamed American city (LATER: Make that Los Angeles.) who has a habit of visiting a neighborhood video store and renting numerous erotic films, day after day. A youngish male clerk working there is intrigued by her, and finds his way into her life. Both are sexually and emotionally stunted, but they do manage some degree of a relationship with each other. It stars Scottish filmmaker Marianna Palka and Jason Ritter (son of John). It's also directed by Palka. Recommended.
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zoe_basp
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10:52a
Radom Deep Thoughts:
May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being.
Apache Blessing
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(comment on this) Saturday, November 7th, 2009
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(comment on this) Friday, November 6th, 2009
dabroots
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9:24p
Theodosia, Missouri
I'm watching Million Dollar Baby for the first time.
Hilary Swank's character of a boxer girl is from Theodosia, Missouri, which seems to be a real place.
LATER: This movie was good, but not great. I found it overly sentimental and the the lead characters to be overly desexualized. I also found the portrayal of the boxer girl's family from rural Missouri to be way too stereotyped as ignorant hillbillies.
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dabroots
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8:43p
whiskers
 Joe is such a great-looking kid.
Fantastic whiskers.
And he holds down papers on my grading table.
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officialgaiman
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10:37p
Final Reminder for Bookshops
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/11/final-reminder-for-bookshops.html posted by Neil
A quick reminder (as I was just asked) that today is the day that the bookshop Graveyard Book party reports have to be in to Harper Collins. By 9 pm PST.
http://files.harpercollins.com/Mktg/HarperChildrens/PDF/GraveyardContest_rules.pdf are the rules and info for those who lost them.
Hi Mr. Gaiman,
I was disappointed today to read you won't be part of the judging for The Graveyard Book contests. My not-wealthy, middle-of-nowhere bookstore just sent in its entry, and something we're concerned about is the fairness of judging.
For example, independent bookstores like Powell's (I'm sure you know) easily have enough money and are in a convenient enough location to ask you to come at one time or another. Against stores like that, who were able to put more money into their parties, we stand little chance.
I don't think that it's a lost cause for us; we were very creative. I'm just nervous to know you won't be judging. Can you tell me whether you think the judges will take things like size and location of bookstores into account? It would make me sleep a little easier until the results are announced.
Tusen takk,
Allison
Well, per the rules, the judging is based on:
(i) Overall creativity of the Party, as demonstrated by the invitations, signage, decorations, activities, entertainment, and refreshments.
(ii) Customer attendance and response (i.e., enthusiasm, costumes, participation).
(iii) Ability to capture and represent the spirit of The Graveyard Book.
...specifically to reward creativity, and not the ability to outspend other shops. (That was also why the party had to actually be at the bookshop, and not at another location.)
I asked my editor, Elise Howard, and she said,
Gosh, yes. Here's what we think is happening. We are looking at all the entries. On Monday, we'll send you the best 11, from which you will choose the Grand Prize Winner. The rest will get the first-prize package. So the short answer is that you ARE helping to choose.
The longer answer is that we will be very fair and will consider creativity, which includes work done with available resources, along with pure execution. (Don't you think? We haven't done anything yet; still waiting for more entries to come in.)
...which means that
a) I was wrong and will be the ultimate judge, from the shortlist. (Damn.)
and
b) everyone's on a level playing field.
Does that help reassure you?
PS -- Widgett's Graveyard Book Dessert competition winners have been announced over at http://www.needcoffee.com/2009/11/06/graveyard-book-dessert-challenge-winners/.
This one had NOTHING to do with me at all. But lor' the winning desserts look tasty...
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