Saturday, August 26, 2006

Few novels

...make me laugh, fewer yet make me cry, but to my cat's dismay The Art of Salvage by Leona Theis managed both. It's a fine, fast-paced novel. And penetrating. I flew through the 343 pages in record time, but in doing so I failed to dog-ear pages. I'll go back and do that. There's a number of passages I want to return to.

I've been writing a lot over the past several weeks. I've got pages and pages of new work pinned up in front of me, the superheroes and black cats staring at me from between poems. I tacked my latest poem up beside the latest black cat card, a postcard I received from France just the other day. Given my poor grasp of French, I only recognize the words chat and noir. Worse yet, the cat is staring at me like I'm clueless.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like a great book! I can't wait to read it.

I greatly worried my own cat one time by laughing so hard I cried. She came rushing over and put her paw against my face.

The book was Kinky Friedman's Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you got the postcard! And I am, in fact, home and prepping for the defense which is on Wednesday. Argh. But then, I'll be done and will have time to get back to being a writer and maybe even get my own blog in these parts. I'm thinking about it quite seriously.

Also, got an acceptance of a piece for the Hagios anthology, so am feeling quite delighted with life in spite of the looming academic tribunal.

Rhett Soveran said...

OMG PJ-PANTOLONES! It just sounded good.

I really have nothing other to say, except I don't have a cat anymore because I moved away from her. But maybe I will get a new kitty after the honeymoon.

Tracy Hamon said...

Go Paula Jane! Good luck with the defense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And congrats on the publication. Great news.

Brenda Schmidt said...

Your cat put a paw against your face! How sweet. When I'm reading, my cat will head-butt me square in the face. I think she was a linebacker in another life. I should wear a helmet.

All the best Paula Jane! I can't be there, but I'll be thinking of you. I expect an email the moment you're done. Congratulations on the Hagios acceptance. Great news, indeed.

Rhett, a new kitty is in order. What is life without a cat? Heck, get two. Name them Honey and Moon.

Ariel Gordon said...

You mean you don't already wear a helmet?

(Please accept my good wishes as well, Paula Jane, even though we have not been introduced and you don't know me from Eve...)

Brenda Schmidt said...

Helmet!? That's my hair!

GM said...

Can a thick skull really be considered a helmet? I guess...

Brenda Schmidt said...

Hey!

Ariel Gordon said...

Heh.

Anonymous said...

Thank-you Brenda, you are most generous.

But I'm really here to send my good wishes to Paula Jane. It will be so good to be finished!

Anonymous said...

Thank you to everyone!! The defense went surprisingly well - an actual intellectual dialogue - and I've passed with only minor revisions, which means I can graduate this fall. I'm so pleased to be done, and I know everyone else is happy too!! You've all had to listen to me struggle with this far too long, and now ... time to celebrate and embrace the future! *hugs*

Brenda Schmidt said...

Yay! Congratulations, Paula Jane! Now for an appropriate gift... :) And I expect to see a blog by next Friday. No excuses.

Hey, Leona. I'm not generous at all. It's a really good novel. Bravo!

Ariel Gordon said...

You'd better listen to her, Paula Jane - she's merciless. Like as not the next time you see her she'd run at you, un-helmeted head down, and bowl you over.

Brenda Schmidt said...

Yah. And after that I'd make you polka with me.

Tracy Hamon said...

Congrats Paula Jane!

And Leona--that book sounds fab and I can't wait to get mine. (I will want it signed of course).

Ariel, whatever you do, don't polka with B. Walk away. Just walk away.