The Middle of the Dark

Here's a link to a good Matt Cheney post about the ubquitous fantasy map. It includes a link to a interesting essay by one of my favorite writers, M. John Harrison (Viricornium), in which he dismisses the idea of maps altogether. Time and place should be slippery things; it doesn't need to be any more concrete than 'A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" and the more you map out your world, its history, the more limits you put on it. The more room your world and its characters has to move in a reader's imagination, the better. Went to the pub with Ben tonight. Had a lot of fun with pushy waitresses. We talked about toys (no way!) old and absent girlfriends, and writing. He thinks maybe he can get my computer fixed for me -- dare I dream?

My story "Black Eyed Moon" is now appearing in the pages of Fantasy Magazine #3, and you can get your copy here . I don't have mine yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. I'm especially proud of this story. When people ask me what kind of fiction I write, I never know what to say, but now I think of just showing them this story (a fiction business card?) and letting it speak for me. As for my computer woes, second verse, same as the first. Won't be changing any time soon. I'm about as poor as a boy can be, and now I thank my friend and mentor Dr. Daniel Dahlquist, who long ago promised me a vibrant career as a starving artist. Monetarily challenged as I am, it makes it hard to do the things I want or need to (glasses, the zine -- somewhat helped by the amazing talents of Amy Doherty, thank you, thank you -- leaving the Loo) but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Excellent, excellent post about Joss Whedon and the exercise of feminism in his

The story is now up at Reflection's Edge . Give it a read and feel free to let me know what you think. I wrote it almost exactly a year ago, as I was starting my diet. Before I got a bike, I went for walks in the cemetary nearby, and I guess this is what writers think about while burning off the pounds in and around some headstones.

The computer blahs continue. They will for some time yet to come. I feel like I've been plunged back into the dark ages, say, 10 years ago, when internet access was something they kept like a secret at the library, and you got knocked off every five minutes, after it took five minutes for page to load. Sigh. I didn't get into this NYC writing program I (desperately) wanted to. Waterloo couldn't be any less inviting right now. But, I did sell a short story the other day. My story "Judy & Norman" will appear in Reflection's Edge in the near future. It's about a girl named Judy and the father figure in her life who happens to be a zombie. My story "Paper Man" (in issue #3 of Shimmer Magazine) got a very nice review at Tangent Online. There's so much I want to comment on and so little time. My friend Mandy is out in Portland; good luck and all the best to her. Lucky Portland. Go see "Superman Returns", it's everyth