In addition to reading my own manuscript of House of Rough Diamonds, I’ve switched over to some lighter works or re-reads that won’t distract me from my editorial duties.
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
Dabare Snake Launcher by Joelle Presby. ARC. A near-future novel about the complexities of building a space elevator. Set in Cameroon, where the author lived for many years, and full of lovely detail about the local cultures, clashes between traditional and modern, and differing expectations. Very much enjoyed.
In Progress:
Monster Punk Horizon by H.P. Holo. Just starting.
Frog Kisser by Garth Nix. Audiobook. A re-read, because I felt like something less serious but still with heart. A quest story featuring a cranky princess, a frog, a very large newt, a transformed otter, and a Royal Dog.
Also:
American Archeology the current issue. This is not the same magazine as the last couple of weeks. Also, the new issue of Vogue.
Just over a week ago, a friend of mine hit the sort of anniversary that no one should face: one year in the hospital, most of that time in ICU. That friend is MaryAnn Harris. You may know her as MaryAnn, the wife of author Charles de Lint.
MaryAnn was hit by a rare tickborne virus called Powassan. It’s so rare, there are no treatment protocols. In MaryAnn’s case, it’s meant spending months in what was probably a coma. It’s meant being so physically incapacitated that her being able to move a toe is a major triumph. She’s awake now, can talk a bit, still can’t really move or eat on her own or…
I’m going to stop detailing here, because MaryAnn is a woman who, for all her vibrant personality and occasional silliness, is also a woman of quiet dignity and intense strength.
So, why am I brining this up? Two reasons. First, there’s a certain amount of misinformation circulating and I’m one of those people who want the facts to be straight.
Second, a whole year is a long time, and there’s a lot more time to come before MaryAnn can be considered “well.” She and Charles need help. Wait! Sure, financial is welcome, but there are other ways you can help.
Charles has long been the main wage earner in their household. For the last year, he’s been spending as much time as he can with MaryAnn. The rest of the time, he’s handling all the things MaryAnn did for them, because she was the one who made it possible for Charles to focus on writing.
And, as I writer, I can tell you… If you’re lucky, writing can be an escape. However, having a writer’s brain means that it’s harder to escape worrying. The same mechanism that turns “What If” into wonderful stories, also stirs up “What if she…” Fill in the blank.
So, Charles hasn’t had a new book out since MaryAnn became sick. Any writer can tell you what this does to the income stream. Since MaryAnn was his first reader, but also (for his indie pub works) did a lot of the proofing, formatting, and cover design, he’s also not likely to have another book out soon.
And that’s a pity, because Juniper Wiles and the Ghost Girls, the sequel to April 2021’s Juniper Wiles is terrific. I’ve read it, and I can assure you this is so.
So, when we say “help” here, we’re not saying, “need help to live an artist life,” we mean, to keep on going, so hopefully there will someday be a couple living together again, making stories and music, and all those great things.
Anyhow, there is now a gofundme. If the link doesn’t work, look for Harris-deLint Recovery Fund. Charles now has a Patreon as well. (I’m going to keep links to a minimum, because some social media sites don’t like them.)
Can’t manage either of these? Charles and MaryAnn would be the first to understand. If you can handle postage, you can send a card to MaryAnn at MaryAnn Harris c/o Charles de Lint PO Box 9480 Station T Ottawa, ON, Canada K1G 3V2.
Can’t manage any of these? Do you need to buy a gift for a friend or family member? Consider buying one of Charles’s books or downloading some of his music. Can’t manage that? Can you leave a review of one of his many books?
You can get more details about MaryAnn’s illness from the gofundme page, so at the very least, I’ve pointed you to the facts. I’ll stop here, and thank you so much for listening.
You may have noticed I seem to be reading less. That’s not really true. As I noted below, I don’t always mention if my reading is scattered, and right now it is. I’ve also printed a copy of my own manuscript, House of Rough Diamonds, and some of my reading time is going to that.
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Audiobook. I’d forgotten how many plotlines there were to resolve, but Vinge is hitting all the beats with elegant timing.
In Progress:
Dabare Snake Launcher by Joelle Presby. ARC. A near-future novel about the complexities of building a space elevator. Set in Cameroon, where the author lived for many years, and full of lovely detail about the local cultures, clashes between traditional and modern, and differing expectations. Very much enjoying.
Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien. Audiobook. A car trip, again, so a few more hours to listen!
I had to share this picture of a hawk visiting the bird bath right outside my office window. No, we don’t live in the country, but open spaces less than half a mile from us do bring in the wildlife.
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
The Life and Times of Chaucer by John Gardner. The author of Grendel (which blew me away when I first read it at sixteen) turns his fluid and graceful writing style to examining the man who wrote The Canterbury Tales and other influential words. I definitely enjoyed.
In Progress:
Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Audiobook. I might even finish this one tonight. I’d forgotten how many plotlines there were to resolve, but Vinge is hitting all the beats with elegant timing.
TheDabare Snake Launcher by Joelle Presby. ARC. A near-future novel about the complexities of building a space elevator. Set in Cameroon, where the author lived for many years, and full of lovely detail about the local cultures, clashes between traditional and modern, and differing expectations
Also:
Archeology the current issue. The cover article had little new, for me, but then I’ve done a lot of research into that time period in Egypt. I still enjoyed the synthesis.
My reading time was serious impinged upon this week by Bubonicon, then all manner of unexpected distractions. So “almost done” is the best I can do.
If you’re wondering where the book is in this lovely portrait of our shy girl, Mei-Ling, she’s sitting on it. It turned out to be a great way to get her to sit still!
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
Sorry. Nothing.
In Progress:
Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Audiobook. It’s good, but I’m not making much progress at about 20 minutes a night.
The Life and Times of Chaucer by John Gardner. The author of Grendel, which blew me away when I first read it at sixteen, turns his fluid and graceful writing style to examining the man who wrote The Canterbury Tales and other influential words. On the final chapter.
Also:
Vogue’s latest. Also, American Archeology’s latest. Fashion magazine and anthropology combine to make a great view of human values. Almost done with both.
During several long drives this year, Jim and I decided to re-listen to The Lord of the Rings. The version we have is read by Rob Inglis, produced by Recorded Books. We’ve listened to it before, and enjoy it very much. This last drive to Dallas and back, was also across Middle Earth.
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. Audiobook. We started The Return of the King, and left off with Pippin seeing Faramir brought in seriously wounded. Definitely need time to finish, and no road trips planned.
In Progress:
Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Audiobook. Maybe halfway. Had to stop on this one while we were away, so still around halfway. Things are definitely getting serious.
The Life and Times of Chaucer by John Gardner. The author of Grendel, which blew me away when I first read it at sixteen, turns his fluid and graceful writing style to examining the man who wrote The Canterbury Tales and other influential words. This one is long and dense, but fascinating. Expect to see it on my list for a while.
Also:
Vogue’s latest. Also, American Archeology’s latest. Fashion magazine and anthropology combine to make a great view of human values.
A reminder that I’m doing a book even tomorrow (Saturday, August 20) at the flagship store of Half Price Books in Dallas, Texas.
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves. Non-fiction. Overall liked this book, best when the author stayed closer to his specialization in geology.
In Progress:
Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Audiobook. Maybe halfway. Getting to the point where I’m nervously “watching” a bunch of misinformation lead basically good people toward disaster.
The Life and Times of Chaucer by John Gardner. The author of Grendel, which blew me away when I first read it at sixteen, turns his fluid and graceful writing style to examining the man who wrote The Canterbury Tales and other influential words. This one is long and dense, but fascinating. Expect to see it on my list for a while.
Also:
A re-listen of an excellent audiobook version of The Two Towers.
Here and there, I’ve been fitting in time to read, but mostly I’ve been writing or thinking about writing or dealing with a lot of demanding real-life stuff. How about you?
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater. Audiobook. Book two in her “Dreamer Trilogy.” The first is Call Down the Hawk. A lot of whining in this one, and several attacks of the stupids.
Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout. Nero out of his accustomed haunts always amuses me.
In Progress:
A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves. Non-fiction. Jim liked it, so I’m giving it a try. On the final couple of chapters. The author seems to think he’s invented “what if” which is a little wearing. However, I learned some cool things, especially about oceans, so I overall have liked this book.
Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Audiobook. I have read this at least twice, but the rich complexity of plot and characters is grabbing my attention all over again.
Also:
A copy of American Archeology I’d somehow overlooked.
Another crazy week, so I didn’t manage to finish much.
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
Nothing!!! Well, several magazines.
In Progress:
A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves. Non-fiction. Jim liked it, so I’m giving it a try. We’ve gone from the formation of planets all the way to river systems.
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater. Audiobook. Book two in her “Dreamer Trilogy.” The first is Call Down the Hawk. A lot of whining in this one.
Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout. Nero out of his accustomed haunts always amuses me.
Also:
I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but that’s okay.
I’m really not sure where the last week has gone. Wait… There were two different sets of visitors from out of town, and a lot of catching up from the trip. And other Stuff of the necessary, but not writerly, kind.
For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines. The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in. And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.
Completed:
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. Audiobook. Fourth of her “Raven Cycle.” I’ve read the whole series, but this one only once, so a re-listen seemed a good thing. For those of you who enjoy audiobooks, the reader does an excellent job with this series.
The Wizard’s Way by H.P. and Jacob Holo. If you like lots of action, people with secrets (especially about wizardry), and a fast-moving story, this is for you. I quite liked the reason why pugs learn to fence.
In Progress:
A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves. Non-fiction. Jim liked it, so I’m giving it a try. Just started.
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater. Audiobook. Book two in her “Dreamer Trilogy.” The first is Call Down the Hawk. Just started. You can read this without reading the four volumes of the Raven Cycle, but it definitely helps to have read those first.
Also:
Almost done with Smithsonian. Also, with the most recent Vogue.
Jane Lindskold: Wednesday Wanderings 