Dispatch from the Hinterlands.
I'll lead off with the good news. Sonya Taaffe's (sovay) "The Depth Oracle," which I'm proud to say originally appeared in Sirenia Digest #8, has been chosen for Best New Romantic Fantasy. Also, my own story, "Pony," originally published in Sirenia Digest #2, has been selected for Horror: The Best of the Year. So, in its first full year of publication, Sirenia Digest has scored two "year's best" selections. I was just on the phone with Herr Platypus (who wisely stayed behind in Atlanta), and sheheit says that's a damned good reason to subscribe today. A sage beast, Herr Platypus.
Meanwhile, I find myself somewhat stranded here in Alabama as the entire state is wracked by severe thunderstorms and the likelihood of tornadoes. We hope to conclude our business here tomorrow afternoon and be home sometime tomorrow evening. These unanticipated storms, which Spooky quite reasonably does not wish to drive in, have us housebound today. Ah, well. We will read Mitch Cullin. I find myself wishing I'd brought more books along.
Regarding my comments yesterday about Alabamians (and Georgians, for that matter), I can say only that I come by these opinions honestly and by hard-won experience. Though I was not born in Alabama, I have spent almost my entire life here, a total of more than twenty-five years. These are not comments borne of casual or distant or second-hand contact. And while one might fairly say that Alabama is not "all bad" (as you'll note I did yesterday; remember the turtles), I would say that it's Bad Enough. Bad enough that, having at last found a place (a tiny oasis) I can live without any of the constant and free-floating hostility towards queers and transfolk (and many other things that I hold dear) that I endured for so many years here in Birmingham, I have no wish to again subject myself to this place if I can avoid it. Here in Alabama, there are places and people that I love, but unfortunately they exist in a climate of culturally sanctioned intolerance and xenophobia. Which means they must, for the most part, exist apart from me. And if it is true, as some claim, that Alabama is a case of a few bad apples spoiling the whole barrel, than I can only say, from my perspective, if this is the case, the barrel isn't working hard enough.
Last night, we watched Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu's Babel on the iBook. I was impressed. It's a powerful, important film, and I'm glad it's received the recognition it deserves.
Okay. Back to twiddling my thumbs...
Meanwhile, I find myself somewhat stranded here in Alabama as the entire state is wracked by severe thunderstorms and the likelihood of tornadoes. We hope to conclude our business here tomorrow afternoon and be home sometime tomorrow evening. These unanticipated storms, which Spooky quite reasonably does not wish to drive in, have us housebound today. Ah, well. We will read Mitch Cullin. I find myself wishing I'd brought more books along.
Regarding my comments yesterday about Alabamians (and Georgians, for that matter), I can say only that I come by these opinions honestly and by hard-won experience. Though I was not born in Alabama, I have spent almost my entire life here, a total of more than twenty-five years. These are not comments borne of casual or distant or second-hand contact. And while one might fairly say that Alabama is not "all bad" (as you'll note I did yesterday; remember the turtles), I would say that it's Bad Enough. Bad enough that, having at last found a place (a tiny oasis) I can live without any of the constant and free-floating hostility towards queers and transfolk (and many other things that I hold dear) that I endured for so many years here in Birmingham, I have no wish to again subject myself to this place if I can avoid it. Here in Alabama, there are places and people that I love, but unfortunately they exist in a climate of culturally sanctioned intolerance and xenophobia. Which means they must, for the most part, exist apart from me. And if it is true, as some claim, that Alabama is a case of a few bad apples spoiling the whole barrel, than I can only say, from my perspective, if this is the case, the barrel isn't working hard enough.
Last night, we watched Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu's Babel on the iBook. I was impressed. It's a powerful, important film, and I'm glad it's received the recognition it deserves.
Okay. Back to twiddling my thumbs...