Archive for the ‘Writing/Publishing’ Category
The escape of exnzpat, Part 26
Magus Young, Magus Old The couch, the couch, the couch, my God… thank God for it. The Magus sunk back in its softness but found little comfort in her collapse, for she felt monumentally sick to her stomach. The confusion between the worlds she thought she would walk with the golem and the Eidolon […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 25
The Hive Mound of the Chora Lester’s Eidolon looked at the golem and said, “Down!” She pulled him into a crouching position in the deep snow, though why she did it she did not know. The boy stared at her and whistled softly. “What?” Lester asked annoyed, for she felt the boy’s attention hotly […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 24
Travelers in the String World Taking control of the Eidolon’s body, the Magus climbed from the bed and, ignoring the golem, stepped into the snow. It was cold. Treacherously cold, and she immediately insulated the Eidolon’s feet from danger and warmed her body. “Snow? How could it be snowing?” the Magus thought, looking through the […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 23
The Precipice I know much about my cell, too much, in fact. In my more lucid moments there, I explored every inch of it, looking for ways and things I might use to kill myself with and, just because I live now, it does not mean to say I found nothing.
Orwell on writing, sincerity and simplicity
Wonderful advice — especially in election season, when dealing with politicians and partisan nut jobs. – P Update: thinking about this reminded me of this just fabulous cartoon:
The escape of exnzpat, Part 22
The Bride of Endor Mia left the old nurse to her magazine and finished her rounds. There were nine children on the floor with five rooms empty. It would be an easy, quiet night she decided, and perfect for her purpose. Of all the children but Lester F were recovering from chemotherapy. Two were to […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 21
Expectations, Providence, and Enquiry Our route to the bridge was a circuitous one. Lilith led the way, but not before resting for a few hours until her metamorphosis was complete. Her ungainly, awkward shape, she said, would get in the way and hinder our passage. So, we sat quietly together in a small, green glade […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 20
The other side of the mountain After a few hours, I realized we were walking downhill. The ice fog, steaming up from the snow about us, gave me the impression we were walking inside a tunnel and, dissipating now, lifted that dark heaviness one feels when in tunnels. A new stillness came over me. […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 19
Lailoken’s Daughter Magus Mighty, Magus Bright First Magus I see tonight I wish I may, I wish I might Devour the Body of Christ tonight And through Him, in Me The world shall kneel on bended knee. Mia had woken that day with the image of the bull in her mind. It was […]
Stephen Fry on language pedants
Prompted by some discussion about Chris Finlayson’s style guide. See: Finlayson embarks on jargon jihad . Thanks to @philiplyth for reminding me of this most excellent Stephen Fry clip. Obviously, as an editor and publisher, I’m all for the use of ‘house’ stylesheets & style guides — mainly for consistency, and also, I admit, in pursuit […]
‘radically attenuating his own posterity’
Christopher Hitchens, writing about visiting his Polish ancestors’ land Breslau/Wrocław … One must beware of the temptation to invest everything with significance in retrospect, yet it chills the soul a bit to learn that from this great city-centre of humane science and medicine, which produced the good doctor Alois Alzheimer as well as the physicist […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 18
The Second Bait of the Innocent How Mia got out of the rental, she did not know, but when her senses returned to her, she found herself driving very fast along a busy highway. She didn’t remember how she got there. And it did not matter. She was driving recklessly, weaving in and out of […]
Priceless!
via Antony Johnston who says he would subscribe. Here’s the source Quantum Pirate. – P
Bowie ‘Lost is Love’ remix
A few days ago Russell Brown pointed me to this ten minute remix of one the good songs from David Bowie’s excellent The Next Day album (Jay and I discussed the album here somewhere.) I’ve had it on my phone since then, listening when I’ve been out working up a sweat … it’s very, very […]
The escape of exnzpat, Part 17
The First Bait of the Innocent Wormwood looked much the same as I had left it before I had slept. I was wearing only my shirt and pants. My socks and shoes were still drying on a rock beside the fire. Becky had my jacket. Sometime during our sleep, it had become hers. Gently, I […]