Endowed Chair Presentation, Capsule Reviews

You know, when you are really sick, everything else you've had before and cranked about makes you feel like a hypochondriac. The doctors are having me do laryngitis the old fashioned way--I have a prescription for ZPack, the cannon of antibiotics, but I'm not to use it unless my temperature spikes. Which it has not. So we struggle valiantly onward, sniffling, speaking squeakily, and occasionally giving ourself a buzz with codeine impregnated cough syrup.

Generally, I am a very charismatic and energetic presenter. The Minnie Mouse voice that laryngitis has left me with means that I will have to rely on other virtues to talk about the book. There will be a lot of whispering and pointing today. It is what it is. Classes will also be cut to the bare bones. What questions do you have? Here are some skeletal instructions. Live long and prosper.

I am itching to get back to my manuscript, and have some hopes of doing that tonight. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Some quick other things that I should mention before I try to stumble through some work:

I read Michael Jasper's The Wannoshay Cycle. It's very, very good. I am not an SF reader by nature, but MAN, that was something. The premise: The Wannoshay crash land on earth. Humans and Wannoshay negotiate each other. The execution: a psychological ensemble piece with engaging aliens and humans. I'll be looking for more of Michael's books. He writes with a delicate touch, but a sturdy follow through.

I've just begun Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith, which is a gentle juxtaposition of Celtic myth and Scottish short story.

On Monday, I took a look at Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible. Stalin ultimately exiled Eisenstein for part 2, which I have yet to see, but part 1 is laced throughout with propaganda and dramatic posing.

A less patrician offering? Okay. Last night, The Man (TM) and I watched Caprica. It was fine. Teenage Zoey is spooky, but I'm not sure about the Tauran Mafia overtones. Overall, I was satisfied.

Right. Wish me luck. I'm off to make some hot tea, check a couple of stray papers, and basically piddle about until 2ish.

Catherine

Originally published at Writer Tamago. You can comment here or there.

Endowed Chair Recap

Dr. Squeaky managed to wing her way through two and a half hours of academic schmoozing about Hulk Hercules, although, quite frankly, my voice is fried now. Here's a typical conversation.

Visitor: Tell me what you did for your project.
Dr. Squeaky: I was approached by Cats Curious Press to write a series of children's books about mythological gods in modern times.
Visitor: (Begins to grin). That sounds like fun.
Dr. Squeaky: It was! The only parameters I was given was that it should be a middle grade/YA book, and the title had to be Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler.
Visitor: (Broad grin) That's wonderful!
Dr. Squeaky: It was! I even went to Chicago to interview wrestlers.

It was fun. I talked about writing a MG fantasy in my cartoony voice, and it all worked. There's some talk about a Kirkwood book signing, and lots of enthusiasm about getting the books for kids and grandkids. All in all, a very successful session. With rotating truffles. And citrusy shrimps.

***

While waiting for the gig, I completed around a page of Death by Drowning, which seems to be coming out like Athena, mostly fully formed from my head. Now, I'm spending the rest of my night coughing and relaxing, feeling good about the whole author thing.

See you tomorrow. I predict more pantomime teaching and a return to Decorah.

Catherine

Originally published at Writer Tamago. You can comment here or there.