I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and wish your relative a good recovery. Thanks for the self-care advice; it's just what I need right now. Here's hoping we'll all be in a completely different emotional state in a few days.
Oh my goodness, Tom, I’m so sorry to hear this news. As always, I love your unique perspective— it’s true, I completely underestimate the pelican as a predator because it’s so goofy & also because I resent having to try to draw the damn animal so many times as a Louisiana kid. Listen, kids who grow up in states with animals on their flags shouldn’t have to try to draw them. That aside, they are amazing birds & thanks for allowing me to reflect on them today.
Very sorry to hear about the passing of your friend and the physical rehab of your relative. A good bike ride in a hard gear seems like it'd be helpful, though I hope your chain is mendable or if it needs to be replaced it was already nearing that time. I raced road bikes, stopped riding years ago but know how healing it can feel.
One morning on a birding trip I saw hundreds of pelicans, an opportunity to get close--they were unbothered. "If you’re feeling the burden of anxious dread, spend some time outside, or with friends, or both." Excellent advice, particularly at this moment where substantive positive news is overshadowed by headlines about the buffoonish antics of a hateful bozo. Thank you for linking to Rock & Hawk, and glad you enjoyed the latest.
I’m so sorry about your friend, Tom. That’s hard, and in a hard time.
20-some years ago my spouse and I lived in Sydney, Australia. Sometimes we took a bus to a beach where pelicans hung out and stole your french fries. It’s something else seeing food go into that bucket, though they probably shouldn’t be eating french fries. I’m not arguing with a pelican, though. They’re huge.
I read a bit of that, and find it depressing that he completed a novel and thinks it is unworthy because "it is a tough sell in the adult market." A book from the POV of a mountain lion was recently published in the "adult market" ... We've bought into allowing the money people to decide what's good and what isn't. Same with movies; Matt Damon of all people says they can't make good small movies anymore because the DVD market is gone, and they need to make $100 million to break even. I've been reading older books, watching older movies. I haven't written fiction in years and I don't think I will again. I no longer enjoy it.
yeah, I find it sad when people are still trapped in thinking they have to satisfy “the market.” That was true even when I was doing my MFA 20 years ago. Though it’s always, I think, been an accepted reality in the dominant culture that the money people know what’s good and what’s not. They never did, but that didn’t change their power. Jane Austen paid to publish her own novels, and the publisher hung onto her first one for years, until she’d already published several others. That must have been maddening.
I do enjoy reading your fiction, though. If it ever starts to feel enjoyable again, you know you’ve got readers out there who love your stories. But as I was just texting to a friend who’s relatively new to writing, we can’t force it.
I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and wish your relative a good recovery. Thanks for the self-care advice; it's just what I need right now. Here's hoping we'll all be in a completely different emotional state in a few days.
Oh my goodness, Tom, I’m so sorry to hear this news. As always, I love your unique perspective— it’s true, I completely underestimate the pelican as a predator because it’s so goofy & also because I resent having to try to draw the damn animal so many times as a Louisiana kid. Listen, kids who grow up in states with animals on their flags shouldn’t have to try to draw them. That aside, they are amazing birds & thanks for allowing me to reflect on them today.
Keeping you in my thoughts.
Very sorry to hear about the passing of your friend and the physical rehab of your relative. A good bike ride in a hard gear seems like it'd be helpful, though I hope your chain is mendable or if it needs to be replaced it was already nearing that time. I raced road bikes, stopped riding years ago but know how healing it can feel.
One morning on a birding trip I saw hundreds of pelicans, an opportunity to get close--they were unbothered. "If you’re feeling the burden of anxious dread, spend some time outside, or with friends, or both." Excellent advice, particularly at this moment where substantive positive news is overshadowed by headlines about the buffoonish antics of a hateful bozo. Thank you for linking to Rock & Hawk, and glad you enjoyed the latest.
I was about to drop some Ogden Nash...or so I thought! 😲
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2020/06/20/pelican/
Great quote, though!
I’m so sorry about your friend, Tom. That’s hard, and in a hard time.
20-some years ago my spouse and I lived in Sydney, Australia. Sometimes we took a bus to a beach where pelicans hung out and stole your french fries. It’s something else seeing food go into that bucket, though they probably shouldn’t be eating french fries. I’m not arguing with a pelican, though. They’re huge.
I was going to email this to you, an interview with a novelist that’s a tiny bit bummer (writing good stories is hard!) but more just plain pleasant because it’s down to earth and lacks ego and his wife is someone I’d like to meet: https://www.vulture.com/article/how-to-be-a-science-fiction-and-fantasy-author.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Take good care of yours, and also yourself.
I read a bit of that, and find it depressing that he completed a novel and thinks it is unworthy because "it is a tough sell in the adult market." A book from the POV of a mountain lion was recently published in the "adult market" ... We've bought into allowing the money people to decide what's good and what isn't. Same with movies; Matt Damon of all people says they can't make good small movies anymore because the DVD market is gone, and they need to make $100 million to break even. I've been reading older books, watching older movies. I haven't written fiction in years and I don't think I will again. I no longer enjoy it.
yeah, I find it sad when people are still trapped in thinking they have to satisfy “the market.” That was true even when I was doing my MFA 20 years ago. Though it’s always, I think, been an accepted reality in the dominant culture that the money people know what’s good and what’s not. They never did, but that didn’t change their power. Jane Austen paid to publish her own novels, and the publisher hung onto her first one for years, until she’d already published several others. That must have been maddening.
I do enjoy reading your fiction, though. If it ever starts to feel enjoyable again, you know you’ve got readers out there who love your stories. But as I was just texting to a friend who’s relatively new to writing, we can’t force it.