Wednesday, December 25, 2002
Christmas morning. But, for the time being, I shall spare you all any further humbuggery.
No work yesterday. I'm waiting to hear what Bill Schafer thinks of the The Five of Cups introduction (actually, I'm calling it a "preface," as it really does consist more of prefatory remarks than any formal introduction to the novel). I finished it on Monday afternoon and e-mailed it out to Bill and others. Poppy and Thryn and Jenny all liked it. That's a start. But I felt there was so much left unsaid, considering the stacks of letters and files and drafts of the manuscript, considering the ten years I was trying to compress into a fairly brief essay. I suspect, no matter how many times I rewrite, it will always seem, to me, to come up short of the truth. And I keep thinking, this is most likely the only edition of this novel that will be printed (at least in my lifetime) and I'd better be sure and say it all, everything I want to say, because I won't get another chance. But then, not everything that can be said is worth saying. It's a lesson that more authors would do well to learn.
Yesterday, no work. I got up at 8 AM and watched the Farscape marathon until 3 PM, when I went out to do my last minute Christmas shopping and get some groceries. I considered going to see The Gangs of New York, but the latest showing at a nearby theater was at 6:10 and I'd wanted to go later. So, instead, I came home and spent most of the evening on the phone with my Rhode Islander, who, I might add, will be here in only three days' time. That's enough to keep my spirits fairly high.
The phone's ringing. Annoying. I need to shut off the ringer in my office, or at least turn the volume down some.
It's Jim (a friend) on the phone. He and Jenny are planning dinner tomorrow night. My life is filled with J's and K's; even my C's are hard.
The wind is wild today (there was sun for a moment), and was wilder last night. A truly blustery night. But the bluster is better than the torrential rain yesterday and night before last. We had some flooding here in Atlanta. Here in Atlanta. I like the sound of that.
|
|
