p.s. Hey. I'll just add to my squib above that Jack Skelley is kind of a legendary writer to a bunch of my writer peers and me, and getting to read new work from him marks a super rare occasion, so being able to host this piece is a real treat for me. Oh, I want to alert you to a writing contest over at HTMLGIANT if you don't already know about it. Go here to see what the deal is. It's the usual Tuesday cleaning day = exile situation over here, and I'll be moving quickly as a consequence and as usual. ** Kier, No, but unless something weird happens, the plan is to finally see 'FMF' tonight. Can ... not ... wait. Thanks about the runway shebang. Not bad for an ignoramus like me, right? Of course, in truth, Yury gets most of the credit. Hope that money came through. 'Flesh World' is needed. ** Misanthrope, Weir wants to be a fashion designer/mogul? He basically designs his skating outfits? Uh, hm. Well, that incriminating evidence aside, it might just work. Yeah, I would say that as professions go, fashion is one the least prone to homophobia for the very obvious reasons. Well, I didn't know about the new Pacific Blush until you told me, so consolations or something. Nice thoughts to Syph, and I agree that you've either got to have an in-born drive or very good luck. ** David Ehrenstein, Wow, so I can add chic to my resume? Cool. Thanks, David. That dance piece you linked to does seem very interesting. I sent the link to Gisele. So one more thanks. ** Tonyoneill, Hey, Tony. Yeah, nice Barrett stuff and pix, right? Did you read the Sly Stone interview? I thought that was pretty cool too. I'll bet I can get 'Just Kids' here sans problem, so I'll pick it up. I know of that Mapplethorpe documentary, but I don't think I've ever actually seen it. Another one for the list. Thanks, man. Are you gearing up for the Currie book release? Will you be doing press and readings and stuff? Any progress on your ideas for the new novel? ** Joseph, Hey, man! Yeah, I mean, maybe the MFA program is a good idea, right? It'll press you to write and give you even more reason, audience, and deadlines, no? Those are solid reasons to go for it. You know, fuck, I just realized after seeing your reminder about the Ashbery conference that I leave for the LA the same day it starts, which is such a piss off. I'll see if I can get an early peek at anything something. Man, that sucks. Things are fine with me, lots of writing, and that's the ticket, as they say. Really, really glad you liked the Kristof, man. Spread the word. It's a way too under known a great thing. ** Bernard Welt, Barcelona, nice. Never been there, know nothing tips-wise, but, gosh, it has to be rich with possibilities. ** Sypha, Hey. Well, hm, you seem really entrenched in your current position and opinion re: publishing options, and I can't imagine my counter-arguments and encouragement to see the possibilities out there in a more accurate and a less roundly negative light will have any more impact than Alan's and Tosh's and Misa's ideas did, so I'll save that for a time when you might be less determined to feel defeated. The only thing I'll suggest for whatever it's worth is that, if you ever feel like challenging your assumptions, you put HTMLGIANT on your radar and visit it daily or frequently because one thing that site is great for is providing info on indie presses, magazines and lit. sites looking for submissions, new authors worth reading, and for helping fiction writers realize that there are in fact opportunities galore and reasons to at least consider feeling optimistic. I'm glad the therapy has restarted. It seems like a good move no matter what, and that theologian idea is pretty interesting. Who care about the money making aspect, really? That shouldn't be a serious in the decision, I don't think. ** Oscar B, Yeah, I'll sort out the venues and times re: the movie, and let's talk and make plans in a bit. No, actually, that Cabinet of Curiosities is a different place. Looks cool. We should hit it and the one I mentioned. ** Tosh, Another thumb or rather two up for the Patti Smith book, cool. It does seem like a must. You know Jack Skelley's writings, yes? I'm guessing you're something of a fan. Good thoughts about publishing, man. ** Alan, Yeah, those flood postcards really made me tingle. I think you know the layout of Paris pretty well, and so you probably know how weird it felt to even see Blvd. Haussmann flooded. That's quite a ways from the Seine, so it really was a major flood. Crazy to imagine. Yeah, the postcards were intense, great. Thanks about the teeth brushing warning. Yeah, I know, and I guess I try to watch my step by using a really soft brush, and only do a thorough top-to bottom brushing upon waking and heading to bed. ** Steevee, I'll keep my eye on the schedule of the Cinematheque 'cos that would be the most likely place those films would screen here. Thanks for that. Very interesting to read your reaction to 'Shutter Island'. Most of what I've read takes kind of the opposite tack that the first portion is aesthetically fun but the ending fucks up the pleasure one has gotten. Hm, now I really want to see it. I'm very intrigued. Thanks, man. ** Trees, Yeah, the goth thing is really coming back over here at least. Or the high fashion edgy types are all over it, it seems, which is more than fine with me, of course. 'Pacific Heights', wow, yeah, I saw it ages ago. Okay, memory is memory, but I remember thinking it was pretty meh. Oh, you'll be at City Lights? Great. I think we're going to try to organize a little dinner or something for the blog gang and pals, so you should come! I'll let you know. Wow, Teengirlfantasy do seem/sound pretty cool. I clicked over to their official website and was totally charmed by its retro flashback design thing, and the only track I've listened to so far -- 'Dontcha Want Me Back' -- is a serious keeper. When's the album out? I'll get it. Thanks, Mr. T. ** Killer Luka, I know, sex marching in a straight line, right? I didn't even notice the open toed shoes, but I'm kind of famous for never noticing anyone's shoes unless they're pink or something, which is particularly strange since I do notice people's socks. ** Pisycaca, I'm so sorry, Montse. I was there with my mom, and, yeah. But she was told everything. I don't know what the right way is about that, if there is a right way. I'd want to know so I could put my things in order and try to finish something I was working on if I was in the middle of a project. But that's just me, and, ugh, I don't know. I'm just so sorry that it's as serious as was feared. If you want to talk or anything, or if sharing the experience with someone who's been there would help at all, I can call you if you can give me a number to call. Seriously, I'm here for you in whatever way I can be. Tremendous love to you and Xet. ** Chris (British), Don McLean, yikes! You okay, ha ha? ** Paul Curran, Oh, cool, I think that natural history museum must be the one I went to, yes? The one near where I was staying on my last London visit? It was nice. And I'm glad your mom off to Sydney, and here's hoping for the very best. I kind of know what you mean about writing in relationship to being published, and I think I agree. I self-published my first three little poetry books way back when, and that definitely helped me eventually find real publishers, but that's poetry, I guess. ** _Black_Acrylic, Yeah, to touch would be nice. I'm unlucky or lucky or something that I have my clothes allergy because that keeps high fashion in the realm of fantasy. If I even laid my hand on one of those outfits yesterday for more than fifteen seconds, I'd start flushing and get tingly and weak in the knees, and not in a nice way. ** Stan_cz, The absinthe site looked pretty good, yeah. I'm going to give it a look too. Yeah, I'm coming to LA in mid-March for a bit. ** JW Veldhoen, Hey, Jack! Hm, that felt kind of strange. You and the name Jack are a curious combo, kind of interesting. Jack is a dude name to me for some reason. Kennedy, Nicholson, ... your body. But then there's Jack in Beanstalk too. ** David, Would that Cheever bio be a good for someone like me who's barely read Cheever and didn't quite get what the big deal was? I mean both as entertainment and as maybe a way into his work? ** Chris, Hey. Welcome back to everywhere familiar. Learn to play guitar? Hunh?! The way you fall off a bicycle is part of your genius, man. Perish the conventional thought. Not sure if I've been to Astoria, Oregon. Is it in the eastern part of the state? I know that area some, and that area is a knock out. ** Blendin, Dark Mickey Spillane sounds pretty tasty. When's the novel going to come out? Blog party is going to rule. Maybe I should a Facebook events page invitation thing for it. Hm.... ** Justin, I know, fashion comes to DC's. Kind of weird, but it feels good. I'm learning. Oh, I don't think you need to worry about getting on Yury's nerves. I always thought of going to school as the best way to buy yourself time to do exactly what you want to do without having to get a full time job and consequently not have that time. But I quit university after one year, so Stewart might have a point there. ** Creative Massacre, Yeah, I guess just do the meds thing and try to enjoy yourself until the 1st, and then hopefully that'll be the last test you need in order to figure it out. Ugh. Five hours in the Atlanta airport, hm. Not my favorite airport in the world. Maybe you should stay in the inside area where they have stores and fast food and stuff to kill time with. I like Atlanta. I've been there a bunch of times. It reminds me of LA in a weird way. But I haven't spent time there in years, so I don't know of any things to see. But, I don't know, it felt kind of pleasant to be there, I remember. That streak vs. career thing makes me think that's going to be the excuse for Undertaker to lose, but I don't know. That clip of him catching on fire is totally crazy! It's weird to see him run and look freaked out like that. I'm looking forward to seeing pix of the bakery class project, you bet, and of Atlanta too, if you feel like it. I'll go check out Black Nazarene when I get back from exile. Thanks, pal. ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Being blind would suck. When people ask that hypothetical question of whether you'd choose being blind or deaf, I choose deaf in a split second. Yeah, the event where they ski, stop, shoot, ski, stop, shoot is the event that seems to take the most Olympics coverage time over here in France anyway, which is too bad because it's as about as boring to watch as the Olympics get. Sad about Craven doing another Scream trilogy. Yeah, that's just sad. Liked your trip into nature story. I think that bird had the hots for you, man. My Monday, quickly ... Uh, right, I got a bad headache. It started during the p.s., but I was feel too gentlemanly to say so. Then it got worse, and nothing I swallowed seemed to help much, so I figured it was either an atmospheric pressure or allergy thing, and I just lived with it, hoping sleep would drive it away, and it has so far, fingers crossed. So I didn't do much. I wrote for as long as it would let me. I maintained my cool during a nice coffee with Oscar. I smoked a little less often than usual. Yury is all into Amon Tobin at the moment, and he was playing that loudly on his iTunes for part of the day, and it either suited my headache or I liked it, I'm not sure. Olympics: ice skating couples. The guy in the American couple had good hair, and it was blond, and he was kind of good looking too, so I rooted for them, and I think they might have won, I'm not sure. Yeah, basically the day was a bust due to head pain, so I'll leave it there, sorry, and try harder today. Tuesday? ** Don w, Hey, Don! What's up? Nice to see you, man. Yeah, a lot of books and stuff coming out, both mine and LHotB things. It's good, right? What about you? How's life and writing, man? ** L@rstonovich, We get a pretty good amount of curling coverage over here in France, which is good. I don't know what NBC's problem is. Curling is to the Winter Olympics what synchronized swimming is to the Summer games: there just can't be enough. Ooh, nice about the fruition of Cartohphile! Do I even need to say that if you can slip me some stuff about the press and the books at whatever time seems appropriate, I would love to do a post to help celebrate and draw as much attention to the books and press as my little blog can? Seriously. ** Slatted Light, Oh, sure, a postponement is totally fine, man. I had a nasty headache yesterday, so I know full well of what you speak. Just FB me or whatever, and we can reschedule for any upcoming day you like, basically. Feel a ton better, man. ** Postitbreakup, Yeah, the mini-Day was great. I did love 'My Fake Baby', and, let's see, all of it, and I also really liked that page of weird tweets, whatever it was called. Thanks about the Best American Poetry thing. Yeah, weird and cool. Oh, I don't think the poem is a secret, and it's kind of funny because, well, I guess it's kind of a poem now that I think about it, although it was in my short fiction book: 'Ugly Man', the title story/poem. That's the one they want. Odd. ** Pascal, Thanks a lot, man. Oh, 'Mina Harker', excellent! Yeah, it's a twister, no? ** Bollo, Right, exactly, about being able to have shows in the church. It just seems like such an exciting context. And aren't churches supposed to have great acoustics? So performances, music, ... lots of possibilities. Here's really hoping it happens and hoping you feel a lot better too. ** Okay, the forces of exile are moments away from my door, so I'll scoot. Enjoy the Skelley/ Jones thing, and, yeah, until tomorrow, bye.