Barfodder News, Updates, and what I've been up to.

I know, I know. I'm behind on the blog.

Cemetery Dance is sending the galleys this week, and Daniele Serra has done a beautiful Frontis Piece for the book. Have a looksie:



I'm still plugging away at Elements with Linda Addison, Marge Simon, and Charlee Jacob - which is proving to be a very dark journey (in a good way) for all of us.

Lets see...Last month and this month I did some traveling. Spent my little sister's birthday in Texas with the family, and then it was off to Waterwookie's wedding reception in Maryland. Which was kind of like a highschool reunion, along with several characters that I used to be in rock bands with before I moved to California in 1995. We all sat around with acoustic guitars (it took an hour to get them all in tune), and sang old butt rock songs. Unfortunately the only songs we all knew both the lyrics and the guitar parts for turned out to be either Skid Row or Pink Floyd...which was amusing in itself. It was a lot of fun, and it was great to see the old gang.

We stayed at my Auntie's house in Manassas, Virginia--which was beautiful and relaxing. We brought her and my Grandmama some fresh St. George cheese from the Matos Family Farm, and left a bottle of Longboard Syrah with a few Gisperts for my Uncle to enjoy, who was in St. Louis on a Harley road trip. Unfortunately the Muppet's grandmother of 98 passed away on that trip, so we had to cut it short and return home. She lived a very full life, I'm told, and passed away on her birthday.

A few weeks ago I mentioned the reading for Rudos and Rubes Publishing, which was a lot of fun. I read from their edition of The Guilt of the Templars, hoisted a few beers, and generally had a good time. John Shirley turned up, who I have not seen in ages, and it turns out he'll be giving a reading this Thursday night at the Edinburgh Castle, so I'm planning on heading to that as well.

My former editorial assistant from Spiderwords, Baine, is in town from Boston this week - we Bigfooted last night and then hung out at home, catching up over taco salads and champagne before he tripped the light fantastic over in the Castro.

Tonight we celebrate Michelle's birthday in Oakland (who also used to be my assistant back when she was a poor college student and I could afford her); tomorrow we celebrate Muppet Man's birthday in San Francisco.

I have finally given consent to get rid of my Liberace Meets Cleopatra style coffee table, which has lost its glass top and a leg in the war. I have always said I would one day get it fixed, but truthfully, I will never make the time... I put it up on Craigslist for someone who might want to refurbish it, but so far, I've had a lot of flakes make appointments to come and look at the table, that none of them kept. If you live nearby or have secretly lusted after (ok, ok--those of you who have loved it have never done so secretly) it for some time, drop me a line.

The new Liberace Meets Cleopatra coffee table will be this one, in case anyone thought I was toning down my taste in décor. I might even have a Happy New Gaudy Coffee Table party, come to think of it...once it's finally delivered.

Oh, and thanks to a coworker and former Macromedian, I finally got my new copy of the Adobe Creative Suite (yay!), which means the old Raingraves.com website will be getting an overhaul, and the revival of Spiderwords can begin...as soon as I get a new (used) laptop. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!

Labels: barfodder, family, friends, writing

posted by Rain at 9:47 AM

Reading Tomorrow Night, 6/14 at Edinburgh Castle with Johnny Strike (CRIME) and Michael Lucas

I will be reading for Rudos and Rubes Publishing tomorrow night, 6/14, at the Edinburgh Castle on Geary in San Francisco with Johnny Strike (of CRIME fame), and Michael Lucas. While this will not be my own work, it *will* be from the Rudos and Rubes release of The Guilt of the Templars. Depravity, debauchery, sodomy, and the Pope. What more could you ask for? Michael will be reading from his own work, and Johnny will be doing a fantastic performance piece complete with ye olde timey sound effects and guitar accompaniment.

Come on out and join us this Saturday night – get a pint, some fish and chips, and enjoy the show!

Labels: readings, san francisco, writing

posted by Rain at 1:24 PM

Today I played with an Alligator in the Sewer. Since we are aiming for 30-40 pages each, this may cut down my section a bit, but in an appropriately deviant way.

Marge shared with Charlee, Linda, and me a bit of flash fiction for her section, which is fantastic. Gritty. Dirty. Dark.

I've added a 500 word story as well, and we're waiting on the feedback from the other gals.

While I can't say I've ever had a difficult collaboration--not ever--this one seems to be flowing very easily.

S'posed to be very hot in the city this week...and the urge to play hookie to surf on Thursday in 100 degree heat is definately strong, but I'm traveling to Virginia at the end of the month for Waterwookie's wedding reception (they are getting married at Yellowstone Park this month but having the reception in Maryland), and can't spare the PTO.

I saw Sephera Giron's wedding pictures, and they are absolutely beautiful. I sure wish I could have been there. :)

Labels: elements, poetry, writing

posted by Rain at 3:24 PM

B-day, WHC, New Book, Horrorworld, Finis, and Dry Creek Notes.

Happy Birthday Amacker

It’s Amacker’s birthday week…and we are celebrating tonight under the Master Chef ’s creations. Happy Birthday, Amacker!

Belated WHC Thank-Yous

I apologize for not doing this sooner, but I’ve been under the weather and on deadlines since I got back from WHC. To all the folks I met along the way at WHC – thank you. To the organizers – excellent job! To the HWA – Best. Stokers. Ever. Special thank-you to Del Howison who came through on TGE copies (which happen to be out of print and impossible to get), and to those of you who bought them—thank you as well. Thanks to everyone who came to my readings, and to everyone who came, enjoyed, and participated in the Gross Out Contest. I’ve gotten a lot of emails great emails from folks on this one, and had a blast planning it.

The New Book-o-Meter

What happens when four Stoker Award winning poets get together in email? A book, that’s what. This new book-o-meter is for a yet-to-be-titled collaboration by Linda Addison, Marge Simon, Charlee Jacob, and myself. My goal is about 40 pages of Poetry, which is why the meter reads 10,000 words.



HorrorWorld Interview

Have a look at Steve Wedel's interview with me over at Horrorworld. Go for the interview; stay for the rest!

Finished Stuff

I finished the Introduction for Mark McLaughlin and Mike McCarty's new book, Attack of the Two-Headed Poetry Monster. It's off to the publisher now.

Notes from the Weekend in Healdsburg with Muppet Man, Lily_Dove, and Mot.

Five things you need to know about the Dry Creek growing region:

1). Make an appointment at Michel-Schlumberger for their wine and cheese pairing. Seriously. You will not be sorry. My two favorite things taken away from that is that they make a desert wine that tastes exactly like mead – which is something I can’t ever have because I can’t digest honey. I have only ever had mead once – specially home-made mead, and at the time my ignorance of the honey as an ingredient was my total and utter intestinal downfall within the hour of drinking it. M-S's Semillion Silk Purse is not going to do that, however. Ever. Muwahahahaha! You can only get it at the winery, however. But Sophie's Cellars has it for $27...

The second thing is they paired the cheese with the appellation of the wines served – and there is this little known farm that a Portuguese family owns and operates that makes St. George cheese. The family’s name is Matos, and their farm is in Santa Rosa.

This cheese goes with anything, I swear, and is the most amazing cheese… We got directions to the farm to buy some, but didn’t get around to it with all the other running we did. It’s worth the drive to Santa Rosa, I’m telling you. Cowgirl Creamery sells the Matos St. George for $15.50/lb, and the Cheese Shop on Polk and Pacific sells it for a whopping $23/lb. I picked up a cut-to-order wedge yesterday but am still smarting from the price. You can get it straight from the farm for about $5.99/lb. (who ever knew cheese was such a mark-up…and local cheese at that). Tip – if they wrap it for you in paper, rewrap it in plastic wrap. The cheese does go hard fast in the paper. You’ll want to keep it moist.

2) Mounts. MOUNTS MOUNTS MOUNTS! This is also a family owned and operated vineyard, and has been for 40 years. They typically only taste by appointment only, but we got a hot tip that their tasting room was open (ok, ok…we saw the sign out on the side of the road, and the nice lady at Michel-Schlumberger told us if the sign was out…run, do not walk…to Mounts). Being a family farm…it looks like a family farm. You drive through dirt and gravel, find yourself at a little farm house with a big red farm barn, and a tiny four year old girl peeps around the corner at you, just as you walk around to the back of the barn…where her beautiful (and very pregnant) mother greets you with a smile and a glass. You notice the four year old climbing amongst the barrels a bit, but this is no distraction compared to the amazing flavors of their Syrahs and Zins. Oh. My. God. We bought a case. Make no mistake, this is a family farm experience, not your hoidy-toidy Napa/Somona we’re-so-rich-we-can-buy-your-soul type of tasting room. It’s part of the charm, too.

3) Ferrari-Carano has a tulip hotline for when all the tulips in their amazing gardens are in bloom. Truthfully, this was the only reason we were stopping at the (somewhat Disney Theme Parkish) large volume winery…but they also had this new tasting room tucked away from the usual tourists (at $5, most people prefer to stay upstairs), with gold flecked granite topped tables and bar, and these giant curly obsidian glass chandeliers that just were amazing to look at.

They reminded me of a cluster of myriad vampires disguised as bats, clawing and cloying to one another like some entangled body-art, hanging in disguise. Anyway…the wines were nothing of note down there (a $15 tasting fee), except…one. Oh glorious Baccus, you have hidden a treasure there in there Elderado Noir Muscat. Its black. A Black Muscat! And oh…so….goooooooooooooooooood! (insert homer drooling sounds here). Not the best price point, but I bought a bottle.

4) I forced everyone to go (kitsch-factor understood) to Longboard Vinyards, because as a surf geek, I really, really had a hard time not being out in the waves when we left at 10am on Saturday morning, with the clear blue skies, warm weather, no offshore winds, and minus tides going off around the Bay Area. They have a lot of restored old 60’s and 70’s longboards hanging, along with a few shortboards, and play some good surf movies on the plasma screen while you taste. The owner is a surfer, of course…and while not the cheapest wine, it’s good young wine, so you can sit on it for a while and it will turn into great wine. We picked up some of their Syrah and one bottle of their 2005 Merlot which we tasted there (and is excellent to drink now), but they only had three bottles left of. The tasting room is very small, but it wasn’t crowded. Probably because any surfer would have been out in the waves…(cringe).

5). Simi whites. And that’s all I have to say about it, though some of you wine-o’s would say their reds are even better. Oh! And they have this chardonnay/olive oil marinade stuff for $5.99 (or at least they did – we bought the last two bottles of it). Another thing you can only get at the winery.

Well, that's all for now, folks.

Labels: interviews, poetry, wine, writing

posted by Rain at 11:17 AM

Pay the Writer. Pay the Musician. Damn-it.

Snarfed this vid from Yvonne Navarro's blog:



And for the Musicians...my favorite quotable Dick Dale:



This is why I don't work for free. This is why I am my own boss. This is why I am successful at what I do.

Anyone aspiring to write or to play music should pay close attention to what Harlan and Dick have to say. Words to live by.

Labels: music, writing

posted by Rain at 11:31 AM

Interview in the Daily Herald

A bunch of us were interviewed in the Daily Herald's article by Cody Clark, which appeared last friday.

Take a look.

Signing off now...for my Salt Lake City adventure.

Labels: interviews, poetry, writing

posted by Rain at 9:23 AM

My WHC Schedule – Readings, Panels, Gross Out, and the Stoker Awards

This will be a busy convention! I’ve been interviewed twice in the past week; once by the Daily Herald and the second by Horror World. I’ll post links to those interviews when they actually go live. In the mean time, here is where I will be at WHC 2008 next week in Salt Lake City:

Thursday
8:00pm – Poetry Reading (with various other poets including myself)

Friday
4:30pm – Fiction Reading ("Wild Card" from the forth coming IN LAYMON'S TERMS)
7:00pm – Panel: The Fine Art of the Gross-Out
8:00pm – Mass Autograph Signing (I will have copies of The Gossamer Eye and Excitable Boys on hand, plus post cards with the cover art from BARFODDER)
10:30pm – Annual Gross-Out Contest (Hostess)

Saturday
7:30pm – Stokers Banquet
9:00pm – Stoker Awards (co-presenting poetry)

Here is an announcement from WHC and HWA concerning the live broadcast of the Bram Stoker Awards for 2007, of which, I will be co-presenting the poetry award with Sarah Langan.

(begin quote):
The Horror Writers Association (HWA), World Horror Convention, and
iSCIFI.tv announce that the 2007 Bram Stoker Awards ceremony will be
broadcast live on the Internet on Saturday, March 29, 2008.

This is the first time that the Stokers have been broadcast as they
happen.

The awards ceremony is being held at the 2008 World Horror Convention
in Salt Lake City. Following a banquet, the awards ceremony will
begin at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. eastern time).

To watch the awards, please click to http://www.iscifi.tv/live/ where
the podcast will be displayed in the center of your screen.

The Master of Ceremonies this year is Jeff Strand, and a series of
esteemed horror authors will present the Stokers in the categories of:

-Novel
-First Novel
-Long Fiction
-Short Fiction
-Collection
-Anthology
-Nonfiction
-Poetry

As well, several non-Stoker awards will be presented:

-The 2008 Grandmaster Award (presented by the World Horror
Society)
-The co-winners of the HWA Lifetime Achievement Award
-The Richard Laymon Award (HWA President’s Award)

This is the 21st annual Stoker ceremony. The HWA is pleased to be
working with the World Horror Conference and iSCIFI.tv to broadcast
the event.

To view the live video, you will need to have Flash installed for
your web browser and your Internet speed needs to be at least 300
kbps (downstream / download). If your stream is slower, you may have
pausing in the video, or the audio will be out of sync. iSCIFI.tv
will be offering audio only and still images that are captured during
the podcast. Please visit the live stream page at http://
www.iscifi.tv/live for further information, troubleshooting, and
links to the audio and/or image captures.

(end quote)

For a full list of programming head over to the WHC2008 Website.

Labels: poetry, whc, writing

posted by Rain at 2:54 PM

The Four Horsemen and the Garden Gnome

Shit gets weird.

You ever have one of those days that started off awry, like…immediately when you opened your eyes, but somehow before you made it out of bed the space and time continuum shifts and for reasons unbeknownst to you, stuff just starts…going right. I mean, you don’t expect it because the minute you opened your eyes they were puffy maybe, from allergies, and the sunlight through the window was too bright and causing one of those sharp eyeball pains and you didn’t do the dishes last night so you know they are sitting there in the sink, waiting, waiting, waiting for you to walk in and groan at them.

But before you got out of bed, something got weird on the bad stuff and just, flip-flopped it into good stuff. Kinda like swapping bodies in that old movie, FREAKY FRIDAY, and it’s not Friday, in fact. It’s only Tuesday.

Because maybe staying in bed that extra 30 minutes was the right thing to do, and all you needed in order to make your karma better – but see, that’s wrong because – usually when you are late to work they notice and it’s a bad thing.

(They didn’t notice).

And your agent emails you back, like, immediately. And you only sent him that email at the close of business yesterday, and it’s an eastern time zone and you’re on pacific.

You’ve got to plop something in the mail now, and it’s probably going to make you a lot of money. Maybe even before it’s all the way done.

And by gods, they’ve changed the coffee in the kitchen at the office and it’s not that over-boiled bitter crap anymore…no…it’s a brand spanking new hot brew machine that makes individual servings that are excruciatingly bad for the environment and it’s an evil little machine and you know it but goddamn that Rain Forest Nut coffee is so f’ing good that you go in for a second kill on the Black Magic Dark Roast and OH MY GOD the heavens are opening up even as we’re pumping the methane into the ozone layer and shining, laughing, singing on your head.

Two job offers pop up in your inbox, and heck, they aren’t bad ones.

Someone rearranged their schedule and the schedules of others just to accommodate YOURS.

A bill for an offsite meeting came in and jesusmaryandjoseph it’s about a thousand dollars less than it should be and your boss is just SO F’ING HAPPY WITH IT he’s not even thinking about the trickle down that’s about to happen because of the words “Budget Cuts” passed down the day or two before, canceling his business trip to Newark, where no one wants to ever go anyway because they’d rather fly into JFK.

And your boyfriend loves you so much it hurts good and you didn’t stub your toe on that file cabinet that you normally stub it on when you wear flip flops and even though it was a bad hair day, everyone compliments you on it…just because.

Egads. I think I’m HAPPY.

What is this world coming to?

It’s got to be that coffee machine. It’s signified the coming apocalypse, and the Four Horsemen are Rain Forest Nut, Black Magic Dark Roast, French Vanilla, and Breakfast Roast Decaf.

The Decaf looks especially dangerous, and should be watched closely for signs of the utmost importance.

I mean, how can you call a single use machine the “Green Mountain,” fully branded with single serving coffees in plastic and foil containers that CANNOT BE RECYCLED because of a double filter layer that has to be in there because it keeps the coffee fresh? I mean, the machine—it pokes this vampyric little hole in the top of the little plastic cup thing through the foil lid sporting one of the Four Horsemen mentioned above, and it gurgles a bit when you push the glowing blue button (I always knew the button for the end of the world would be glowing on and off like that, as if to say…push me!) and in about 5 to 10 seconds you have a perfectly fresh, perfectly lovely cup of coffee…AT WORK!

Now that I think about it…the machine does look a little like a Dalek. If Daleks were black. And shorter. And the fact that all those little plastic containers won’t recycle and are holding compostable stuff, that’s like, trapped inside, as if each little cup were screaming (quietly)…Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!

Maybe I shouldn’t have made that comment about elves the other day. It’s always the comments about elves that mess you up. No wait—that’s garden gnomes. Creepy little buggers. Like tiny, scary clowns guarding seed and sapling alike; all the beautiful things; all the worlds roses are guarded by garden gnomes.

It’s the gnomes, I tell you. They’re after us all. That’s why they’re always smiling…plotting…waiting. One day, they’ll crack off a piece of that ceramic hat, and they’ll cut you while you sleep. They already know where you live. It’s only a matter of time.

What I don’t get is the plastic pink flamingos. What do they get out of the deal?

Labels: writing

posted by Rain at 12:04 PM

Daniele Serra has done an amazing job on the cover art for BARFODDER. Don't you agree? I'm so glad Cemetery Dance let me choose the artist.

Labels: barfodder, books, poetry, writing

posted by Rain at 1:26 PM

The Imminent Selling of my Soul

Busy. Overly.

The bullet points:

--Giants game and company picnic was Wednesday. LAME, Giants. LAME LAME LAME! And of course, Barry wasn’t in the line-up. (it was the Padres…this should have been easy!).

--Much fun hanging with the gal-pals from the office after the game. It made up for it...though I did actually get some sun burn (yeah, I know - I brown over easy, but this was around the neck).

--Meetings. Lots of them. Too many of them to get work done.

--Ordered and Processed Dad's b-day gift. The caption on the card reads: "Happy Birthday to a man who has everything but more meat." On recommendation from Charmless (originally for Father's Day), I ordered stuff from here: Gary West.

Today I mailed off my package of samples to the potential new Agent...

Quick Sheet of Blurbs + 1 Sheet Bio
DEADLAND – Book 1 of 3+ (graphic novel, unscripted - dialogue/narr. Bubbles only)
MY 10,000 PERFUMES – 12k of novel in progress (mainstream, tango, dance)
DANNY – 11 pages of sample script
GARDEN OF ANGELS – beats only; 2 versions of treatment on request (one collaborative with Sephera Giron who sexed it up a bit).
GIRL – poetry book in progress; autobiographical. 1/3 of the completed book.
MASK OF THE DRAGONFLY – sci-fi/fantasy/horror – 30k words novel in progress.

Also included: Copy of THE GOSSAMER EYE (2002) and BARFODDER (Cemetery Dance 2008ish, I'm guessing).

First – a shout out to Wyatt on the WIP list. Thank you for your input on short notice! Also, thanks to all the fans that emailed all those blurbs from book jackets and etc...

Keep your fingers crossed. Now that it's sent I suddenly feel utterly unworthy of the opportunity at hand, and completely thinking everything in that package SUCKS. *bang head on desk; lather, rinse, repeat.*

T'nite...slumber party with MixerGal & Donnamite to celebrate the imminent selling of my soul (and getting off my ass to start bothering to send things out again).

Saturday: Work on pirate story. Full moon; good for stories. Good for mischief.

Sunday - a much talked about but highly unlikely surfing expedition with the new board (the Jazz Fest is Sunday, the Surfistas are complaining.)

Monday - Cry when check to my lawyer clears.

Labels: day job, Giants, writing

posted by Rain at 2:38 PM

On Birthdays, Pirates, and Bond Cars

First of all, Happy Birthday to my lil' sis, Lindsey Rae! May dad make you breakfast and keep you in cordials (unless of course he's traveling, in which case hit up Unc).

I’m reliving a childhood happy place today by eating some red delicious apples and peanut butter, which seems to be a good thing, as I'm slightly hung over from the cigar bar adventure last night.

I took two pages of a story I'm working on to the bar and gave the guys a look. The general consensus was that its good - mmmm...piratey goodness. I'm popping my pirate cherry, since I've never written about them before. Monsieur Bullet will like this one a lot, methinks. Yarrrrr!

After a few martinis and cigars, Muppet Man took me to Tiramisu for dinner. Since the owner is a friend of ours, we relied on his discretion in regards to food and wine. Please to be noting: Handsome, smiling Italian men who own several restaurants will just keep bringing you food until you beg them to stop. After 5 courses, we begged. It stopped. But man, it was good!

Since Libitina is in Austin, she's asked me to ensure Muppet Man has a happy weekend none-the-less, so I proposed a trip to Napa, since the last time we all went it was a blast. "I think the Aston Martin is in the paddock this weekend," he said. Those are magic words, Aston Martin. The name's Bond. Rain Bond. How come Jim Henson never created a Muppet Bond? Nevermind... I promise to take pictures.

Lots of script editing was done yesterday for the day job, and most of that is out of the way. It’s swelteringly hot at the office. For some reason, they don’t air condition us down in the creative sector.

Portable fan. Portable fan. Portable FAN. Just need a PORTABLE FAN!

Labels: family, food, friends, writing

posted by Rain at 11:22 AM

WIP readers needed and a Strong Aversion to Pink

Two things:

1) *gulp* I need WIP readers. That's Works In Progress readers, to those of you who don't know...but would like to. I have 2 weeks to pound out two projects (possibly three). If you'd like to be on the distribution list for the work as it becomes written, your feedback will be invaluable. Ordinarily I don't do WIP lists - I finish something and then send it to 3 people I know and respect the opinions of, but this deadline calls for something more tangible, and WIP readers will keep me honest. email me if you want to be part of this list, and I will send you an invitation to join the (private) yahoo group.

2) Can someone please tell me why board shapers that make Wahine boards make them so gawdawfulfugly?

Exhibit A - the Walden. This one is probably the worst I've seen.
Exhibit B - Another Walden.

Exhibit C - The over use of PINK is astounding, though this Surf Betty is a bit better looking than the two above.

Of course the most important thing is how she rides - but...

Seriously, guys. Loose the pink and those grandma flowers. I'd take an old yellowed beater with questionable looking epoxy patch bubbles before I'd hop on that first one - even though it is a Walden. Of course, buying a board is expensive, so it's not like I'd turn it down if it was free...(please don't give me a free one). But it's one thing to be laughed out of the ocean because you suck at surfing...it's another thing entirely to be laughed out of the waves because your board looks like your mother's dress as it was in 1985, and your neighbor's kids Easter basket.

You'd have to be really secure with your inner vagina to ride that board. (My inner vagina is a Great White Shark, I'm pretty sure.)

For those of you who are reading this that play a musical instrument, just imagine what you'd look like with a guitar slung across your groin sporting that pinky-flowery paint job, and you'll be cringing just the same. I'm pretty sure is probably contemplating ways to get me back for that image, right about now. Should I further add to envision what the boogie would look like in neon floral? Tee hee.

Labels: surfing, writing

posted by Rain at 1:44 PM

Hunting down my old blurbs; Please to be helping

I need help re-compiling my past blurbs.

If you have at one time given me a blurb, or can provide me with a copy of the text of a blurb from some publication you have of mine, or by some fleeting chance you are a publisher or editor that happens to be a glorious pack rat with files, that I once sent a submission to that actually included these blurbs on a one-sheet I used to send out… I would be forever in your debt if you could scan that sheet in and email it to me. Of course that last one is about as far fetched as floating a muppet on a moon-lake, but still…I have to ask.

Blurbs I have tracked down in files:

Poppy Z. Brite
Charlee Jacob
Garret Peck
The Editors at Zoetrope All-Story

Blurbs from people past that I need the text of:

Richard Laymon (there are two or three of these floating around)
Neil Gaiman
Jack Ketchum
Barry Hoffman
John Shirley
David N. Wilson (silly as it is since we’ve written together for years, yep, he blurbed me).
Mark McLaughlin (from my early days too – it was from The Urbanite Magazine spread)
Doug Winter (actually not so much a blurb, but excerpted from an article he wrote on EXCITABLE BOYS where he mentions my story, “Good Care.”)

…and I know there are more but these are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head right now.

I promise not to loose this file again once re-compiled. No, really! I promise!

Labels: writing

posted by Rain at 1:39 PM

Update on Rights Grab: Agents Angry - Simon & Schuster Reacts

(originally forwarded by the Author's Guild)

A quick update on Simon & Schuster's rights grab: S&S has fallen back some, now saying they'll negotiate regarding the reversion of rights clause "on a book-by-book basis." They also accuse us of an "overreaction." Their official statement follows.

Agents are angered by Simon & Schuster's gambit, according to this piece in Publishers Weekly.

Here are links to other stories that have run:

1. AP (via Herald Tribune)
2. New York Times
3. Publishers Weekly (the other PW story on S&S)

We'll keep you posted on further developments. Have a good weekend.

Feel free to forward and post this message in its entirety. The Authors Guild (www.authorsguild.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest organization of published book authors.



*************************************************************
Simon & Schuster's official reaction, from Adam Rothberg, VP for Corporate Communications:

We are surprised at the overreaction of the Authors Guild to Simon & Schuster’s contract. We believe that our contract appropriately addresses the improved technology, increased availability, and higher quality of print on demand books, and reflects the fact that print on demand titles may now be readily purchased by consumers at both online and brick and mortar stores. We are embracing print on demand technology as an unprecedented opportunity for authors and publishers to keep their books alive and available and selling in the marketplace in a way that may not have been previously possible for many authors, and are confident in the long term it that will be a benefit for all concerned. We would also like the author and agent community to know that, when necessary, we have always had good faith negotiations on the subject of reversions, and will continue to on a book-by-book basis.
*************************************************************

Labels: writing

posted by Rain at 9:40 AM

Simon & Schuster Rights Grab

(originally sent by the Author's Guild)

Simon & Schuster has changed its standard contract language in an attempt to retain exclusive control of books even after they have gone out of print. Until now, Simon & Schuster, like all other major trade publishers, has followed the traditional practice in which rights to a work revert to the author if the book falls out of print or if its sales are low.

The publisher is signaling that it will no longer include minimum sales requirements for a work to be considered in print. Simon & Schuster is apparently seeking nothing less than an exclusive grant of rights in perpetuity. Effectively, the publisher would co-own your copyright.

The new contract would allow Simon & Schuster to consider a book in print, and under its exclusive control, so long as it’s available in any form, including through its own in-house database -- even if no copies are available to be ordered by traditional bookstores.

Other major trade publishers are not seeking a similar perpetual grant of rights.

We urge you to consider your options carefully:

1. Remember that if you sign a contract with Simon & Schuster that includes this clause, they’ll say you’re wed to them. Your book will live and die with this particular conglomerate.

2. Ask your agent to explore other options. Other publishers are not seeking an irrevocable grant of rights.

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Labels: writing

posted by Rain at 8:48 AM

Scripts, Punk Rock, Robots, and Colibri

Couple o’ things.

1) Screenwriting (I know, I know…I said I’d never do it).
2) Punk Rock
3) Maker Faire
4) Colibri

Before I begin - a big happy birthday to Chardonnay. Viva Las Wankas Peligrosas! Li li li li li li li liiiiiiiii!

1) One day at the cigar bar…(isn’t that how it always starts?) Chocolate Buddha (his choice of name, not my doing) and I were discussing the art of film and writing for film. He got my usual tirade of how I’m anti-screenwriting, and hate the business almost as much as the snake oil type people running the business, and how I hate the format itself. I find it constricting for a writer. We hashed out some good old fashioned writer-talk (read = drunk talk) about projects we’re currently working on, and at one point it seemed like a good idea to go with the epiphany that, yeah, I’ve had lots of opportunities in film I’ve turned down, and yeah, I do suppose that’s a lot of money, but no, I really don’t care and yeah, sure, if you want to try and develop a script for some of the trunk treatments, I’ll send you some.

We both forgot about it (somewhat) in the morning. I got an email or two from Chocolate Buddha requesting reading material...and time went on. Ran into him again, and we rehashed the discussion, and again I was convinced that this could work. The next day I sent him two things - beats for GARDEN OF ANGELS, because I couldn't find the treatment...and 11 pages of script for DANNY, which is sort of a messed up deep ended GREEN MILE sort of pants-grabber.

These were the responses:

I just had the opportunity to read what you've done so far with "Danny" and I am impressed. Outstanding work. I really like Danny's poem. You definitely have a gift. I have so many thoughts about your work. Too many to put in an e-mail. We should definitely speak soon.

And

Decided to also read your beats for GARDEN OF ANGELS today. I can visualize how sinister the Lead Child should look. This is another good idea, but will take a lot of work to fully develop into a script. Can't wait to see you again to discuss.

Now, Chocolate Buddha can write scripts. No doubt about it. But the interesting part came when we connected (again) at the Cigar Bar...he said:

"What do you need me for? I wouldn't change a word of DANNY. It's perfect the way it is. If I can't get into it in the first 10 pages, it's never going to fly. Not only am I into it after 11, I'm hooked. I can't wait to see what happens. It's brilliant."

I was staring blankly at this point, just blinking.

"But it's just a first draft. I haven't even edited it...and I--" He cut me off. "WHY AREN'T YOU DOING THIS FULL TIME?" he shouts.
"Er...cuz I don't like it?" I said. He scowls.
"Well...you just have to!" He proclaims.
"I don't have to do anything." I say defiantly.

But I'm starting to think about it. If anything, I have promised to finish the first act of DANNY and give him another look. During this discussion, Muppet Man pipes up, "Who's going to look over the contract when it comes in?" in typical lawyerly fashion. "That's where you come in," I said. He grins. "I'll do it pro-bono, even."

Its good to know good people. And good lawyers.

Meanwhile I'm going to try and dig up the original treatment I did for GoA. actually took a stab at firming up the original into more of a different story - so perhaps he'll get them both.

2) Punk Rock Bassist bartends at the Bigfoot. Last night he mentioned somewhat of a Mab reunion (for those of you who aren't old school punk - the Mabuhay Gardens, now the Velvet Lounge, was once THE place to see punk in the early 80's) at the Great American Music Hall on June 8th - which might conflict with Judge Clooney and the Bull Semen Boys coming into town for their annual Sideways trip...otherwise, I am going to try and get a ticket. In which case, I may have to see the Slims show on the 7th (the day Judge Clooney flies in). Now, one might reca