I confess this footage of my daughter stumps me. I can’t for the life of me remember what on earth she was listening to on the headphones which made her into a human metronome (well, kind of.) Chances are it was either “Hey Soul Sister” by Train, or, um, “Hampsterdance” by that noted songsmith, Hampton the Hampster. It’s strange – …
Oh, the Irony. Sorry, iRony.
Strange that with all the talk in the meedja about how the iPad is going to revolutionize publishing, most people missed possibly its most important contribution. Now I want one. Actually two. This is from the excellent and always illuminating website, Variations On Normal.
Isn’t She Lovely?
All right, enough with the book stuff, at least for a while. Here is something quite wonderful in my little pop v. jazz series – pianist Aaron Goldberg tearing up Stevie Wonder’s classic hit. The tune comes from Goldberg’s superb new CD, Home. (It’s unfortunate that this CD has the same title as the wonderful live duo recording by Bruce …
Full Steam Ahead
I’m back in the saddle again. Following delivery of Amy’s notes and edits on the manuscript last weekend, we then exchanged some long emails addressing various matters arising. That was followed by two long telephone conversations towards the end of last week. Result: we have agreed what needs to be changed in the book. Amy’s suggestions were inspired. Some of …
Moving Your Lips When You Read
Anyone who’s seen me in the last week or so might have noticed that I appear to have a frog lodged permanently in my throat. I am rather croaky and prone to small coughing fits. Just for once it’s not allergies. I’ve been reading my book. Out loud. All of it. Daft as it sounds, I now do this with …
Wii 0, Life 1
Oh, Wii console, how you have traduced us! Not sure if it’s a terribly American thing to do, but on the 4th of July, the George family went bowling. This was largely at the request of Hallam, who has rediscovered Wii Sports and was curious to see what it was like to bowl for real. Like so many things in …
Wow.
This arrived via Fed Ex on Saturday morning: That, dear readers, is my manuscript, with Amy Einhorn’s editorial notes all over it. On the top is a nine page letter addressing both structural edits and line edits. I’m a very lucky boy. It probably goes without saying that Amy’s comments and suggestions are all extremely astute, and will (if I …
New Frontiers for Novelists?
Interesting story about iPhone apps for authors in the Guardian. Publishers are developing iPhone apps as companions for specific novels, using the technology as way to supplement the words on the page and generally providing an “enriching” experience for the reader by supplying additional material, background information, and the like. I wrote a while ago about my ultimately unsatisfying experience with …
One More Reason to Love/Visit Get Lost Bookshop…
First of all – full disclosure and all that – Amy Stephenson, the owner of Get Lost Bookshop on 9th Street in Columbia, is a friend of mine. She would have to be. Against my advice, she bought my second novel, Before Your Very Eyes, from the UK amazon site. Then, even more recklessly, she actually read it. Amy tells me …
Who Would Be a Fan?
England are out of the World Cup. In one of the most atrocious displays of defensive ineptitude that I can remember, they were torn apart by a young, vibrant German team. Yes, there was a disallowed goal in the first half, but I doubt the result would have been any different had it been allowed to stand. England were …