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Monday, December 8, 2008
It was a beautiful, 45 degree day in Portland. Rain falling straight down, not slantwise. Clouds high enough to feel as if the sky left a little breathing room. Occasional sun.
We made the trek to the International Raceway to watch the grand prix of cyclocross. My god, what fun. I have cyclocross envy.
That's a picture of the series winner, Tim Johnson, after the event. It was taken by Tim Gasperak, who, along with racer Barb Howe, was staying in our guest bedroom Good pics, great race. Love it!
Next year. I swear. Next year.
Check out Barb's website at www.barbrides.com
Check out Tim Gasperak's pics at www.gasperak.com
Bonus picture of Barb, taken by Tim
Last Days to Printer
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I sent Last Days to the printer today. Actually, I FTP'd Last Days to the printer. It's my first book with Underland Press, and it feels like game time.
It feels like a lot of things, actually. It feels like I'm responsible for this brand new thing in the world. It feels like I'm in the audience at a fashion show. It feels like I'm at a party, trying to convince everybody I know to try the world's best cheese dip.
It's an awesome book. It's the book that made me want to start Underland. It is weird, and a little gruesome, but never without a purpose. The writing is wonderful--spare and precise.
I'll be posting the sample chapters, along with the cover image, tomorrow, when I get back to my work computer.
Go little book, go.
Last Days Limited Edition
Thursday, December 18, 2008
I've been getting a steady stream of emails from people interested in the limited edition of Last Days. Yes, indeed, we will have one. We're getting ready to finalize the jacket design, as I type this. I'm not ready to pin down everything in the package yet, but at this point, we're looking at:
A black case bound copy of the book, with a foil stamp on the case.
A handprinted jacket, produced by a local letterpress artisan printer Inge Bruggeman from Textura Printing.
Brian Evenson himself will hand write a few unique lines from the text of the book directly on the jacket.
A loose case exterior, foil stamped.
The binding will be hand done by Scott Goldader in Seattle.
Here's a rough design of the jacket (very rough).
We're only printing 100 of these--lettering the first 27 and numbering the rest--and we're selling them for $100 a peice. If you'd like one, write to me at victoria at underlandpress dot com. First come first serve.
Snow WeekMonday, December 22, 2008
More snow in Portland than anytime in the past 20 years. That's what they're saying on the news. The city is quiet only in the way of Northwest cities under a storm--few plows, no salting allowed. The city shuts down.
Luckily, I have enough food and hot chocolate to get me by. And I have had Jeff VanderMeer's incredible novel FINCH to read. He sent the book to me last week--this week has been spent happily reading and editing. I can say, honestly, that this is one of the best books I've read recently. It's a full book, a big book. My respect for Jeff is at an all time high. I can't wait to get Finch out into the world, and I'm honored that it's found a home with Underland.
Read Jeff's cool blog entry about what the writing does to the writer here.
The big outing today was to Zupans (closest market). Going was great--everybody on the street in boots, some with sleds, all with smiles--but coming back was icy and cold and wet. The other thing about Northwest storms: they turn to rain in a heartbeat.
For a moment, I could imagine how these kinds of faces come to be:
Last Residency, Here I Come
Monday, December 29, 2008
I'm leaving tomorrow for North Carolina, by way of South Carolina, where I'll be spending New Year's. The snow week really got me off my game. I had my laptop with me, but not all of my work files, and now, today, the first day I'm back at my office office, I'm scrambling to finish what needs to be done. This includes:
1) Last minute printer issues
2) Sending payment to my designer
3) Arranging a poster for Brian Evenson's reading
4) Working with the translator on Chaos
5) Sending some questions to our distributor
6) Updating the homepage, and brainstorming for a redesign
7) And, finally, meeting with my web guy to put the merchant side of the site into action.
That, on top of the grad school stuff. I'll be teaching a class (which is almost but not yet finished), and sitting on two thesis committees. Oh, and I have to pack.
Not complaining, though. I'm best when I'm busy.
New Year's ResolutionsMonday, December 29, 2008
Yesterday, in the email I sent to the wovel readers, I offered a box of chocolates to the first five people to write in with their New Year's resolutions. The following is one of the lists I received, from a source that will remain anonymous.
1 Read more wovels
2 Finish translating O Amor ÉFodido
3 Carry on smoking
4 Find an instrument I don't play yet and learn it
5 Eat more chocolate
Yep! Huzza!
Web Site AnalyticsMonday, December 29, 2008
Thought I'd let you guys know the good news. The Underland site had 17,000 page views last month. That's excellent. We're on our way.
More ResolutionsMonday, December 29, 2008
More chocolates, out the door...
1. Promptly answer e-mails.
2. Read, read, read and ask questions I can answer. (Those unanswerable ones give me a headache.)
3. Don't let creatures grow in the frig. That last revolution was a close one.
4. Bite the cat back. That'll show her.
5. Stop taking resolutions so seriously.
And this...
1. eat less bad food
2. read more books
3. spend more alone time with wife
4. spend more fun times with kids (all 4)
5. Be nice to at least one stranger a day