May 2024
Spring Cleaning
I'm going to use this month to check out the website, deal with dead links and anachronisms and even typos. In particular, the unofficial biography probably needs a little explanation/amplification. It is, somewhat by design, out of date and frankly misleading. Except for the hair part. The thing is, it has come to my attention that people who don't know me sometimes read this website, and they don't realize that the biography is a bit of a joke. Heck, the whole website is a bit of a joke. By design, although not in its design.
If you've sent an e-mail in the past month and failed to get a reply, there are four possible explanations:
- It was mistaken for spam. I'm pretty reckless when it comes to killing e-mails, so the more specific the subject header, the better.
- It was rude and/or unsigned. Life's too short.
- I forgot.
- I started to write a reply, but found myself here, or here, and got distracted.
Oh, and don't overlook a fifth possibility, one beyond my control: I never saw it. This Internet thing isn't exactly perfect.Given that I've freed up at least five, ten minutes of your time by stinting on the monthly update and cutting back on the blog, let me recommend some good books. First up, there's Melinda Henneberger (referenced elsewhere on the blog, in a link that's way out of date) with If They Only Listened To Us. I had the privilege of reading this book in manuscript and it brings to life some fascinating, nuanced voices that aren't being heard amid the screeching on all those television shows allegedly devoted to political coverage. I also really enjoyed Declan Hughes' The Color of Blood, Lionel Shriver's The Post-Birthday World and Chelsea Cain's Confessions of a Teenage Sleuth.
But if you buy only one book this month, please make it Elaine Viets' Murder With Reservations. Elaine, a good friend, suffered a stroke last month and while her recovery is going well, there's no way she can tour for her new book. So her friends are doing what they can. Details here.
Meanwhile, I do have a list of folks to whom I owe books. I'll do my best to get them out this month and will continue my literary matchmaking service. (I'd offer up the Shriver, but a) It's a book well-suited
to re-reading, and b) it has a big red wine spill on it.) However, bear in mind, that mass mailing is just one entry on a to-do list that includes: buy light bulbs, do something about horribly degraded laptop battery, plant rooftop herb garden, fix gutter, call electrician, call plumber, call mechanic, call mother, dry-cleaning, write novel, etc.
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