Saturday, December 22, 2007

A WORD AFTER A WORD AFTER A WORD


A word after a word after a word is power. --Margaret Atwood

As a writer, I'm grateful for the reminder of how dependent we are on our storytellers out on strike during this dismal holiday season, even as I miss them terribly. When I heard the corporate fobbing swag-bellied puttocks intended to flood the airwaves with even more "reality TV shows" (as if any of those situations or losers represent reality), I took an oath to find other ways to fill my time until the strike is over.

This oath is not particularly new. I've never seen a single episode of Survivor, Wife Swap, Big Brother, or the other crapola. I did watch part of an Amazing Race because some blog had mentioned there was a gay couple on it, but I lost interest rapidly and changed the channel. My one exception to the genre is Extreme House Makeover, because they actually help real people in dire trouble in a way that prolongs lives, creates exponentially more opportunities, and rewards poor/nonwhite/nontraditional families as if they deserved as much respect and faith as Ozzie and Harriet. And yeah, it's all about product placement and hype, I know, but I've followed up on those families, they actually benefit long-term. It's more than just a Sears circle-jerk.

Read More...

SKENE -- CHAPTER TWELVE


This is draft one of my sci-fi novel Skene. To read earlier chapters, go to LABELS in the right-hand column on this page, scroll down to the Skene tags and click on the one you want to read. Skene is set on a human-habitable planet in the Alhena star system at least 500 years in the future. There's a considerable amount of appendix material and diagrams also available here as needed:
Map of Riesig (the main island)
Map of The Manage on Riesig
Skene Glossary (Skenish to English)
Skene Cast of Characters
Skene Culture, Calendar, Clothing, and Islands
Map of All Skene
Map of The Lofthall on Riesig

CHAPTER TWELVE

Later, after a bath and getting dressed, Yoj had gone into her new study and was trying again to take it in when the emmas came home. Qen called out "Yoj! Yoj! Oh, there you are." She set down a basket of small green pears and dark red cherries and said "We stopped by the furniture place and, oh, Yoj, do they have just the desk for you. But it's -- well, I'm not going to tell you, you just have to come see."

Yoj snagged a couple of cherries from the basket and, eating one, said "All right. Let's get Bux."

Veida and Qen put away the perishables while Yerush showed off the new clear glass globes for the light fixtures. Then the three of them accompanied Bux and Yoj to a large shop off the main street that was crowded with every kind of furniture to be found on Skene. The shopkeeper saw them come in the front door and walked toward them.

"This is our child Bux and her partner Yoj" said Qen. "Yoj is the one who needs a desk."

In the back corner, under a stack of metal kitchen chairs and small lamps, was a dark gleaming expanse of wood. The emmas cleared it off to reveal a desk with a built-in array of small shelves and cubbyholes. It had four drawers on either side of a kneehole, and it was the most beautiful piece of furniture Yoj had ever seen. To be frank, she'd never seen a wooden desk.

Read More...

Friday, December 21, 2007

BROAD CAST: SOLSTICE 2007


Now we are in winter.

Tomorrow a group of us are gathering for the ritual practiced over millenia by our nature- and freedom-loving ancestors. We'll build a gigantic bonfire to remind ourselves that habeus corpus will return, and to hasten her arrival, we've constructed a giant elephant from faux wicker crap on sale at Garden Ridge which we will stuff with neocons and toss onto the blaze while singing "Hairy-legged lesbians sing / glory to our cunning ling!" You're welcome to join us. Bring your own jello salad.

(Postcard for Pine Street Art Works, copyright 2007 Liza Cowan.)

Speaking of Jell-o: Liza Cowan has at last begun her own blog, See Saw, concerning art and retail (as only Liza the Dyke Mother can do it). An auspicious sign of the year to come.

Read More...

SKENE: CHAPTER ELEVEN


This is draft one of my sci-fi novel Skene. To read earlier chapters, go to LABELS in the right-hand column on this page, scroll down to the Skene tags and click on the one you want to read. Skene is set on a human-habitable planet in the Alhena star system at least 500 years in the future. There's a considerable amount of appendix material and diagrams also available here as needed:
Map of Riesig (the main island)
Map of The Manage on Riesig
Skene Glossary (Skenish to English)
Skene Cast of Characters
Skene Culture, Calendar, Clothing, and Islands
Map of All Skene
Map of The Lofthall on Riesig

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The next afternoon, right before dinner, Jua the timmer came to their door. Bux let her in and they climbed into the loft over the living room together to take measurements. Jua stomped around a bit, testing the rafters and inspecting the joints, while Bux came back down and made tea and honey toast for her.

When she sat down at the table with the Manage, Jua said "The wood's still sound, but I'd like to redo some of the hangers."

"Okay" said Yerush, though she wasn't sure what that meant. "We're having an addition put on, do you need to do that all together or can we begin with the loft and new bed?"

"Up to you" said Jua. "I can do the bed right away, have a couple of days this week."

Bux looked at Halling and Yoj, then said "Let's go on with that, then. The usual three-person size, whatever wood you recommend."

"Are you bartering or paying?" asked Jua. "Trading in your old bed?"

"No, we're keeping that in the room downstairs" said Bux. "Here's a list of what we have to barter. We can pay for any difference. And we haven't used our wood allotment this year. " She passed a sheet of paper and their allotment book over to Jua.

Jua read them slowly, then pulled out a notebook and made some figures in it as she chewed toast. Finally she said "Our eldest is pregnant, will need a comadrona in two months. Veida comes highly recommended, we'd want her in any event. And strawberries, now, it's rare we see those in our market. Say a pint a week for the season, and birthing the new baby, plus two eks for a bed of pine and the work on the loft?"

"How about that for oak instead of pine, and you redo the ladder as well?" countered Veida.

When Jua looked hesitant, Yoj added "And we'll of course feed you all your meals while you're here. And your family, if they bring them along."

"This is really good bread" said Jua, with a grin. "The family doesn't like to go to jobs with me, but yes to feeding me and maybe a loaf or two to take home?"

"Deal" said Bux, and they shook hands.

Read More...

Thursday, December 20, 2007

SKENE: CHAPTER TEN


This is draft one of my sci-fi novel Skene. To read earlier chapters, go to LABELS in the right-hand column on this page, scroll down to the Skene tags and click on the one you want to read. Skene is set on a human-habitable planet in the Alhena star system at least 500 years in the future.

In this chapter, characters Danaan and Rark get introduced, and this is my chance to thank Shadocat for ALL her support and encouragement. The character Rark is based on her.

There's a considerable amount of appendix material and diagrams also available here as needed:
Map of Isola Fling
Map of All Skene
Skene Glossary (Skenish to English)
Skene Cast of Characters
Skene Culture, Calendar, Clothing, and Islands
Map of Riesig (the main island)
Map of The Manage on Riesig
Map of The Lofthall on Riesig

CHAPTER TEN

On Moja, Yoj received a letter from the Ethicist's office informing her that a crew would be going to Isola Fling to clear it out by the end of the week; if she wanted any of her belongings remaining there, she needed to get them within the next few days. She had just walked home with Halling after work when she read it. She sat down heavily at the table and looked bleak.

"I don't know if I can handle going back there" she said colorlessly.

"Bux will go with you, you know that -- and me if I don't have to work" Halling said.

Yoj met her eyes. "I'm not sure I'm ready to show Bux -- my past" she said. "And she's behind on Sheng Zhang tasks, anyhow, because of all her wandmaler and other work lately. Maybe I should just let it all go, I can't remember what I'd want from there, anyhow."

"Nonsense" said Veida. "If you can't remember, then you must go look. I'll go with you. We'll get the earliest ferry we can tomorrow, we should get there by noon and be able to leave before it gets dark. You can trust me with your past, can't you?"

Yoj looked at her, still not smiling, and said "I guess I could."

"Forget about ferries" said Halling. "I'll sign up to do the school run tomorrow, which will happen even if it's raining. Meet me at the schoolyard by 8:00. Then I can use that big sinner to drop you off at Isola, it'll take just a few minutes. I'll come get you around 2:00, and if there's furniture to haul, that sinner can handle it. I'll drop you off at the schoolyard and do the afternoon bus run from there."

"All right" said Yoj, still in dread.

"I'm going to run back to the Lofthall and change my schedule now" said Halling, grabbing her guibba.

"You're tired -- " began Yoj.

"Yeah, but I get to sleep in tomorrow, don't worry" said Halling, heading out the door.

Read More...