threeplusfire: (Default)
three ([personal profile] threeplusfire) wrote2009-01-02 03:38 pm

LJ Idol voting, cleaning, calendars, books, all things

Polls are open for this week's LJ Idol entries. As ever, your vote is deeply appreciated so I can keep playing. (My piece for Resolute) I'm in the second poll. The lowest two of each group will be cut this week.

My alarm clock now is Pumpkin. He can't seem to stand a closed door. While Mike is showering, he paws at the bathroom door loudly. Jasmine also came in with her piercing meow. I got up to shower and dress, resolved to get out of the house. I needed a new calendar, and ended up with two. Half Price is selling calendars for Austin's Emancipet, with ten of the twelve dollars going to the organization. It was impossible to resist.

I also spent some of my Christmas money on books. Recently there was an interesting article about the publishing industry and how it was struggling against random people on the internet selling their books for a dollar apiece and even the used bookstores were struggling. I've really started to think about where my money goes when I buy books.

In light of that, I have decided that for authors I love that I must buy new copies of their books so as to financially support their work. I will still buy used books, because my reading habits are voracious. But I will try to primarily do this for out of print/unavailable items.

I did pick up a copy of Elizabeth Hand's Winterlong in paperback at Half Price a few weeks ago. Recently I opened it and was stunned by the inscription on the title page, dated November 2nd, 1990.

For Bruce Sterling,
My oldest friend - I owe it all to you.
Best always,
Elizabeth Hand


How did Sterling's copy end up in my hands? What a mystery. It appears quite genuine. The ink is as faded as the paper.

The cats do not like the Roombas. Too bad. They must learn to love their robot friends as much as I do. The Roomba must eat pine needles. Our tree is still up and probably will stay until next week. I am so loathe to give it up.

[identity profile] rm.livejournal.com 2009-01-02 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)
How sad and weird. You should drop Bruce a note.

[identity profile] tsarina.livejournal.com 2009-01-02 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I really should. I just wonder how it got here - did he loan the book to someone who forgot where it came form and sold it? Did he accidentally leave it in the seat pocket on an airplane?

I just realized that he does actually live here in town.

Have you read anything by Elizabeth Hand? I think you would like her.
Edited 2009-01-02 23:12 (UTC)

[identity profile] rm.livejournal.com 2009-01-03 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
What was my old online name?

Reive.

Where is Reive from?

Hand's Aestival Tide.

So yes. I love Winterlong. Have you read before?

[identity profile] tsarina.livejournal.com 2009-01-03 03:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I haven't - I'm reading it now in case Sterling wants his book back.

Ahh, for some reason I had a crazy idea that Reive came from some Clive Barker short story. Clearly, my neurons are not properly lined up.

[identity profile] miep.livejournal.com 2009-01-03 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
that is seriously cool, re: the book. wow.

my cats do not like closed doors, either. this is why we have to sleep with the bedroom door open, although I have always hated sleeping with the door shut.

[identity profile] tsarina.livejournal.com 2009-01-03 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
I have never liked sleeping with the door open - but he makes such a piteous racket that I can't keep him out.

[identity profile] alainn-sorcha.livejournal.com 2009-01-03 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
Who are those people (and am I totally stupid for not knowing)?

[identity profile] tsarina.livejournal.com 2009-01-03 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Bruce sTerling is a writer, and and otherwise intellectual fellow. Elizabeth Hand is also a writer.

[identity profile] water-damage.livejournal.com 2009-01-04 07:49 am (UTC)(link)
he's apparently now living in italy.

"In his hometown of Austin, Texas, the author was known for throwing large South By Southwest parties up through 2005, and for participating in his block's annual Christmas lights display, to which Sterling added digital art."

[identity profile] water-damage.livejournal.com 2009-01-04 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
voted for ya

wow that's quite a find - a book with that transcription. i wonder if the wrong box of books went to the store

[identity profile] tsarina.livejournal.com 2009-01-04 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I emailed him, actually. He said it probably got swept into the wrong pile during a cleaning shuffle. I'm going to mail it back to him.

[identity profile] water-damage.livejournal.com 2009-01-04 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
you're such a good person. i bet he's glad you exist.