Month: May 2009

Poetry Friday: Tossing and Turning

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May 27, 2009

7:50 pm

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Poetry Friday


Tossing and Turning

by John Updike

The spirit has infinite facets, but the body

confiningly few sides.

There is the left,

the right, the back, the belly, and tempting

in-betweens, northeasts and northwests,

that tip the heart and soon pinch circulation

in one or another arm.

Yet we turn each time

with fresh hope, believing that sleep

will visit us here, descending like an angel

down the angle our flesh’s sextant sets,

tilted toward that unreachable star

hung in the night between our eyebrows, whence

dreams and good luck flow.

Uncross

your ankles. Unclench your philosophy.

This bed was invented by others; know we go

to sleep less to rest than to participate

in the twists of another world.

This churning is our journey.

It ends,

can only end, around a corner

we do not know

we are turning.

Poetry Friday a little early, but I’m going to be out and about for the next week, so I thought I’d get it in.

I’m in the midst of a bouts with insomnia, and I love the phrase, “Uncross your ankles. Unclench your philosophy.” I hope I can manage to remember it even when I can sleep.

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

Hello: I'm Still Alive

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May 24, 2009

6:58 pm

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These may just be the UGLIEST shoes I’ve ever worn.

But, in that kind of Buster Brown, so-ugly-they’re-cute kind of way. But leaning heavily toward the ugly, here. Comfy, but ugly.

Never mind. They’re good shoes for pacing while my brain works. I’m sitting at my table, cooking up a little giftie to give away with my copies of MARE’S WAR. I got my TATTOOS from SILKSINGER by the fabulously talented Laini Taylor, and it gave me an idea to do a little nifty thing of my own. Of course, historical fiction isn’t fantasy, so no on the fairy tattoos. But… I am trying to design my own bookplate. Not nearly as cool as tattoos, no. But close…? Maybe?

I may have the chance to go to Bulgaria this summer! It’s for Tech Boy’s job, so I’ll just be tagging along, but I’ve already gotten to go to Estonia for that reason, and so, I’m looking forward once again to being the only African American person for thousands of miles. Trust me, sometimes that’s very entertaining. (And other times, it’s just weird.) Tune in for pictures of the bookplates in progress…

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

Hello: I’m Still Alive

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May 24, 2009

6:58 pm

8 Comments on Hello: I’m Still Alive

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These may just be the UGLIEST shoes I’ve ever worn.

But, in that kind of Buster Brown, so-ugly-they’re-cute kind of way. But leaning heavily toward the ugly, here. Comfy, but ugly.

Never mind. They’re good shoes for pacing while my brain works. I’m sitting at my table, cooking up a little giftie to give away with my copies of MARE’S WAR. I got my TATTOOS from SILKSINGER by the fabulously talented Laini Taylor, and it gave me an idea to do a little nifty thing of my own. Of course, historical fiction isn’t fantasy, so no on the fairy tattoos. But… I am trying to design my own bookplate. Not nearly as cool as tattoos, no. But close…? Maybe?

I may have the chance to go to Bulgaria this summer! It’s for Tech Boy’s job, so I’ll just be tagging along, but I’ve already gotten to go to Estonia for that reason, and so, I’m looking forward once again to being the only African American person for thousands of miles. Trust me, sometimes that’s very entertaining. (And other times, it’s just weird.) Tune in for pictures of the bookplates in progress…

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

My Precioussss!

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May 19, 2009

1:06 pm

6 Comments on My Precioussss!

Happenings


Finally, finally, finally the Royal Mail saw fit to bring me my books! Actually, they still haven’t; my editor sent me a slew more through DHL. But one way or another, my books have arrived — all twenty five of them, which kind of makes me chuckle. My editor got tired of me asking her to send them hither and yon last time, so I have a feeling it’s all on me! And so! Zetta, dearling, your book is in the mail… I’ll be working on some thoughts on how else to give away the rest!

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

Happy in my Nerdiness

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May 19, 2009

1:02 pm

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My predilection toward geekdom and nerdiness has once again paid off. I troll through a LOT of SFF/speculative fiction ezines, which are a gold mine of the funny, irreverent, and strange. I love good novels, too, but I like the short form for speculative fiction, because it’s just so classic — it’s how all the greats got their start, writing for Amazing Stories and the like. Anywho, look who I found today? YA diva Cecil Castellucci. Check out this short story for adults from Strange Horizons.

One of the things I admire most deeply about Castellucci is that she is who she’s gonna be. She writes graphic novels. Short stories. Novels. None of them are quite what other people are writing, and she’s hogtied to any particular style or genre. I so very much want to be the same — write all different kinds of novels, and not have people complain that something is out of character or whatever. I want to keep on surprising others — and myself.

A classically surprising person right now? Is Shannon Hale. People thought she had a “type” of story, and they were cool with that. Bayern books? Check. Fairytale retellings? Check. Middle grade tall tales? Check. We’re cool, right? Some people were a lot less cool with Austenland which I thought was fun. The Housewife and the Actor? Has those same people even more confused. God forbid that the woman changed directions, struck out for new inspiration, and came up with the …*gasp!* unexpected! Her readers may not survive their shock.

Go Cecil. Go Shannon. Here’s to being unchained and transcendent.

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

Black Panther book, InsideOut, and Blog Blast

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May 18, 2009

11:10 am

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Happenings

“The social change that happened was the result of courage on the part of everyday people, the result of terror being set aside in favor of a thirst for justice, the result of literal blood in the streets. Millions of people overcame fear and oppression and stood up. Isn’t that a legacy to be proud of? As much or more so than the words of one exceptionally eloquent leader?”

Though ALL of the Summer Blog Blast Tour interviews this week are noteworthy, the one that caught my opinion today was the interview with Kekla Magoon at the School Library Journal blog, Fuse#8. Betsy does an excellent interview with the author of The Rock and the River, which is a YA fiction novel about the Black Panthers. People — have you read any YA fiction on the Black Panthers at ALL!? Me, neither. There’s a book for the list.

More goodness is going out into the world with in the form of theGuys Lit Wire Book Fair for Boys project to provide books for guys in the L.A. County juvenile system. In partnership with InsideOut, we are building a library where there once was none — !

Yes. Let the words give you goosebumps. Visit the Powell’s wish list page, type in guyslitwire_at_gmail.com (with a real at sign, of course) and see what you want to share. The Book Fair runs all this week.

The other stops on the Summer Blog Blast Tour, Monday:

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

Odds & Ends Blowin' in the Wind

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May 14, 2009

7:59 pm

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Random Notes and Errata

Graphic novels are attracting a rapidly expanding fan base. Above all, authors like Tomine are interested in using the genre simply to tell a good story. “The best compliment someone could give me about Shortcomings is that they simply enjoyed reading it,” said Tomine.

Wait, what? My U.S. embassy (for the UK) newsletter is highlighting Adrian Tomine and graphic novels!? WWhat a difference an administration – a reading administration – makes. First Sherri L. Smith, and now this. Wow. Check it out.

The pictured sticker is attached to the bus shelter in front of the University — or, it was last week, someone by now may have peeled it. I laughed and laughed out loud when I saw it. The real cause of my delight is not the outright argument someone made in a broad black marker, but the fact that they used the apostrophe correctly. YES, English teachers. There is a God.

I am WAITING with baited breath for the hardbound copies of MARE’S WAR, which sadly were missent and we’re trying to track them down with the post office. Meanwhile, this week’s mail brought my SCBWI application, and I saw the name Sherman Alexie in the line-up, and had to go lie down. Oh, my. Cute, funny, an excellent writer, and did I mention cute? I pity the man – he’s going to be mobbed. …by desperate women. Not me, of course. I might have to actually come out of hibernation and go to a conference… just for the free books, of course. And whatever whacked out costume pool party theme there is at SCBWI this year…I’ll have to see if anyone else is going.

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

Odds & Ends Blowin’ in the Wind

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May 14, 2009

7:59 pm

4 Comments on Odds & Ends Blowin’ in the Wind

Random Notes and Errata

Graphic novels are attracting a rapidly expanding fan base. Above all, authors like Tomine are interested in using the genre simply to tell a good story. “The best compliment someone could give me about Shortcomings is that they simply enjoyed reading it,” said Tomine.

Wait, what? My U.S. embassy (for the UK) newsletter is highlighting Adrian Tomine and graphic novels!? WWhat a difference an administration – a reading administration – makes. First Sherri L. Smith, and now this. Wow. Check it out.

The pictured sticker is attached to the bus shelter in front of the University — or, it was last week, someone by now may have peeled it. I laughed and laughed out loud when I saw it. The real cause of my delight is not the outright argument someone made in a broad black marker, but the fact that they used the apostrophe correctly. YES, English teachers. There is a God.

I am WAITING with baited breath for the hardbound copies of MARE’S WAR, which sadly were missent and we’re trying to track them down with the post office. Meanwhile, this week’s mail brought my SCBWI application, and I saw the name Sherman Alexie in the line-up, and had to go lie down. Oh, my. Cute, funny, an excellent writer, and did I mention cute? I pity the man – he’s going to be mobbed. …by desperate women. Not me, of course. I might have to actually come out of hibernation and go to a conference… just for the free books, of course. And whatever whacked out costume pool party theme there is at SCBWI this year…I’ll have to see if anyone else is going.

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.

GUYS LIT WIRE: InsideOut

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May 13, 2009

1:41 pm

1 Comment on GUYS LIT WIRE: InsideOut

Happenings

There are currently about 50,000 incarcerated juveniles in the U.S. (About another 200,000 juveniles are incarcerated as adults.) In LA County (in 2007) there approximately 2,700 juveniles incarcerated. They are held in three jails: Central Juvenile Hall, Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. About 300 of those kids (between the age of 12 and 18) are enrolled in voluntary classes through the InsideOut Writers Program. InsideOut is the GLW partner in the Book Fair for Boys.

We said we wanted to do something for teen guys and reading. We’re trying to put our money where our mouths are. Please, read all about Book Fair for Boys.. Thank you.

All content (unless otherwise attributed) is © Copyright Tanita S. Davis and may not be reproduced in any form.