Archive for July, 2022
In the midst of preparations for getting the next BLACK INFINITY out, the call came from Editor Tom English that it was time to be thinking of submissions for a second issue of NIGHTMARE ABBEY (cf. May 21, et al.). So the first one I sent this time didn’t go, perhaps being too fantasy-like as opposed to quiet horror (a problem that may come up again now and then, my horror tending sometimes to be a bit noisy), so what to try again with? My choice this time was another reprint from the late 1990s, “The Calm,” a tale of the Taconic Mountains during the French and Indian War originally published in NEW MYTHOS LEGENDS (Marietta Publishing, 1999).
The thing is, there’s this village . . . but let’s not dwell too much on that yet. The important thing is that the word came back from Editor English yesterday afternoon: I really enjoyed this story. It’s creepy and has a great idea. I would like to include it in the second issue of NIGHTMARE ABBEY.
So it happens. A contract will be coming in the near future and, as things progress, they will be revealed here. While as for the village, if really, really curious about it, “The Calm” also appears in my first collection from back in 2001 from Dark Regions Press, STRANGE MISTRESSES: TALES OF WONDER AND ROMANCE, albeit unfortunately out of print (though occasional copies can still be found on Amazon*, et al.). Or, as noted, soon in the upcoming NIGHTMARE ABBEY 2.
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*As can, it turns out, a few copies of NEW MYTHOS LEGENDS, though as “collectibles” and a bit pricey. The listing also includes two reviews with this from the first, by Matthew T. Carpenter: The Calm – James Dorr – This is unusual for a mythos story in that it is set in colonial America. I think there are a few such stories in FRONTIER CTHULHU but otherwise is an unexplored era. Some British soldiers and colonial militiamen have an unpleasant encounter at the time of the French and Indian War (elsewhere known as the Seven Years War). I think this may actually have been my favorite story in the whole book. Mr. Dorr [also] wrote The Candle Room in HORRORS BEYOND. (In the spirit of full disclosure, however, Mr. Carpenter later discovers another tale to name as his true favorite — also that his opinion of the book as a whole is not that high).
Two “writing life” reports, the first really a quick continuation of yesterday’s entry. As promised I got to the library this early afternoon and, after dealing with the first flurry of email, I got to Worldsmyths Publishing’s somewhat elaborate questionnaire and contract, the latter seemingly already filled in by another writer. Say what? But not to worry — perhaps that was just meant to be an example — I dutifully edited out the other guy’s stuff, substituting my own name and title, etc. Then, not being able to get the electronic signature feature to work, I printed it out, signed it “live,” then scanned the sucker into an email to me in attachable form to send on to Worldsmyths.
Thus, the ball in their court, on to an email from late yesterday from Michael Cieslak of Dragon’s Roost Press: LOLcraft has a defined place in our publishing queue. While there are a few books ahead of it, that does not mean that we are not still actively working on it. The other titles are in much later stages of production, final edits, awaiting artwork, etc. We do not see any of them causing any delays in the work on this title as the labor intensives phase has been completed for those.
We are currently working on the initial edits for each of the 34 stories which will appear in this collection. In order to not have anything lost in the shuffle, we plan on sending all of the edits out to the authors on the same day, rather than some here and some there. Look for this to happen within the next few weeks.
The book in question is LOLCRAFT: A COMPENDIUM OF ELDRITCH HUMOR , conceived in the spirit of such movies as BEETLEJUICE and CABIN IN THE WOODS, but in an H.P. Lovecraftian vein. We want the laughter but we also want that sense of helplessness and dread that comes with a good Lovecraftian tale. And my plum in the pastry, a tale called “The Reading” (cf. April 27, et al.) originally published in UNIVERSE HORRIBILIS (Third Flatiron Publishing, Spring 2013), of a poet who writes horror, a fear of public performance, and . . . Cthulhu.
The original call was for [f]antasy/science fiction stories, following the theme of “seasons.” (Seasons, weather, cyclical nature, ending, returning, regularity interrupted, growing things, dying things, planet sized impact, local microsystems . . . ) Well you get the idea. But what about a story then — a reprint, originally published in FANTASTIC for Summer 2002, reprinted in DARKER LOVES, etc. — about a great clock on the running of which time itself depends? And then, what if it stopped?
The book is to be called SEASONS UNCEASING, by Worldsmyths Publishing, and the story that came to mind, “The Master of Time,” about the apprentice to the Master Clockkeeper whose job is to make sure that never happens (cf., e.g., September 22 2016, et al., concerning another reprint of the story). But who has some other interests as well.
So yesterday, and not all that late really, Worldsmyths emailed its answer: Congratulations! Your story submission “The Master of Time” has been accepted into SEASONS UNCEASING: A WORLDSMYTHS ANTHOLOGY . . . Please follow the below link to access the contract and author information questionnaire. This followed in turn by instructions, some of which will be better completed at the library tomorrow (hence the “or is it early” of the headline above), plus information on the editing process to come, etc.
More of which will be here as — as does time itself — it comes to pass.
It came July 10, and even then late in a sense, as Editor Tom English explains: Hope you’re doing well. Here’s the contract for “The Country Doctor” for BLACK INFINITY: FIRST CONTACT. (You submitted the story way back in September 2021, but I got rather involved with the first issue of NIGHTMARE ABBEY.) Yes, the story of a New Mexico doctor and a strange patient, an accident victim, brought to him and his nurse by members of the military (see September 8 2021, et al.). And, oh yes, they are not to tell anyone about what happened or what they saw.
But truth will sometimes out.
In any event the story, originally published in BOOK OF DARK WISDOM in Summer 2005, had been accepted for the upcoming BLACK INFINITY: FIRST CONTACT issue and, notwithstanding other items intervening, the contract had finally been sent! Except — one more twist — my email decided this one was spam and hid it away, not to be discovered by me until yesterday afternoon, five days later. And then I had to go to the library to handle some details, but as of now it has been signed and sent back, and a new BLACK INFINITY is that much closer to being on its way.
Then one more unrelated item, but nonetheless missed and far too late returning — for which we go back to a pre-Covid early 2020. Yes, CatVideoFest is at last back, the annual compendium of short feline clips from all over the world (see February 2 2020; June 8 2019, et al.), with in this case ten percent of the show’s receipts to be donated to the Monroe County Humane Association. What more can one say? Some were funny, some action packed, some sad — a favorite judging by the applause, of cats in a city in Ukraine, some feral, some ex-pets, who’ve moved with people into a bomb shelter, determined to survive — others just cute — another international offering of cats “getting away with a lot” in Turkey, where cats are apparently much treasured. And all for a good cause, this year being shown in the downtown’s Buskirk Chumley Theater to a semi-packed (notwithstanding COVID, but some of us wearing our masks as well), and very appreciative house.
But also for me a reminder of the most important cat, the one at home, that I’d be returning to as promised about two hours later (that is to say, in time for supper): the Goth Cat Triana.
Triana also wishes to use the occasion to show off her newest portrait (she would have done it on the 4th, except it was too noisy).
Let us recall the question of what became of the reading for this summer’s RYDER poets (see June 29, 13)? That is to say, a reading of poems that appeared in the magazine — for which one may press here* — had been tentatively scheduled for a Bloomington Writers Guild sponsored reading at Morgenstern Books. But then June came and went, and as we progressed into July it seemed less and less likely for this month as well. . . .
But now there’s an answer — not carved in stone, maybe, in that it may depend on how many poets will still be available, but nevertheless that it may yet happen in early September.
In short, via today’s email from coordinator Tony Brewer: I was unable to get a reading together at Morgenstern Books and have had to turn my attention to other projects — one of those being the return of the spoken word stage at 4th Street Festival — and so I thought about trying to bring the two together.
I would like to have as many of you as are available to come read your poems(s) from the issue at 4th Street Festival, September 3-4 Labor Day weekend. Please let me know if you have a day/time preference. The stage runs 10am-6pm on Sat Sep 3, and 10am-5pm Sun Sep 4.
This would be Bloomington’s annual “Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts,” planned to be back from a several-year COVID 19 hiatus, including a two-day presentation of readings and other written-word features from the Writers Guild (cf. September 1, August 16 2019; September 1 2018; et al.), of which possibly more news will be coming too. But for now at least I emailed back to Tony that I’m game, with a possible Saturday afternoon preference.
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*Then go to the very very end to find mine.
A Gallery Walk in a raging rainstorm, not a combination for getting large crowds. But it would mean more snacks for those who did show, or, you win some, you lose some.
And one thing to the good already. Yesterday, Thursday, was the Goth Cat Triana’s Annual Visit To The Vet Day and, for various reasons, this involves a 30 to 40 minute walk with a heavy cat carrier, this year on a day with possible thunderstorms in the forecast. But the rains held off, the cat got a good bill of health; except this morning, Friday, the storms finally arrived, with possible flood warnings and all.
So I could stay indoors at least most of the day, and the Weather Channel did speak of a letup around 4 to 7 p.m., coincidentally the time I would have to be out for the Cook Arts Center “Vonnegut @ 100 Reception,” including my reading (cf. July 5, et al.). Another win maybe? As it happened, yes. By about 4:30, almost time to leave, the sky had turned sunny and dry and warm! The weather lovely. And so it was for the walk to the reception, and at destination meeting coordinator Natalia Almanza, a few others, Jenna Bowman with a table for Morgenstern Books . . . the Center director, though, scheduled to start the “Story Share” proper at 5:30 p.m. unable to make it.
But sunny or not, Bloomington is a college town in summer session, and with rain still falling while people were making their plans for the evening. So plenty of snacks (there was one family with children who came but soon disappeared into the exhibit itself) a very nice cheese dip with crackers, more cheese and salami, blackberries, miniature cupcakes. The cupcakes were good (I had about three).
Then 5:30 came and while, for those of us present, there was a collegial and pleasant vibe already established, it was time to begin. Thus being introduced by Natalia, I started it off with “Dead Girls, Dying Girls,” my own Vonnegutesque story of dancing bears and the perils of science fairs gone wild (c.f., again, July 5, et al.) with a reading time of about ten minutes, followed by Natalia, Jenna, Charles and one or two more gentlemen (one mainly there to take pictures, I think) reading selected passages from several novels, etc. Interesting and apt. But no new listeners coming in from the world outside. . . .
It wound down thus at about 6:30, half-way to its 8 p.m. scheduled ending, a nice enough time for the few of us there but with most drifted away by 6:45. At which point, when I was about halfway home, the rains did come — not raging thunderstorms, quite, but enough to get wet.
So it goes.
That’s the reading for the “Vonnegut @ 100: A Century of Stories” closing reception originally scheduled for July 1, but since re-set for this Friday, the 8th, from 5 to 8 p.m. as noted below (June 29, 25). But why the dancing bear pictures on those posts? For that you’ll just have to read the story — or else, if you’re local, drop by the Cook Center for Public Arts & Humanities in Maxwell Hall at the appointed time.
The reason for the rescheduling is that this is part of a monthly “Bloomington Gallery Walk” — a multiple open house for several art galleries downtown and, in this case, on the near-downtown Indiana University campus — normally scheduled on first Fridays but, due to the Independence Day weekend, put back this month to the second. My part in this is to present a Vonnegut-inspired story, “Dead Girls, Dying Girls” (originally published in SO IT GOES: A TRIBUTE TO KURT VONNEGUT by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, 2013, and reprinted in CAT’S BREAKFAST: KURT VONNEGUT TRIBUTE, Third Flatiron Anthologies, Summer 2017), the tale of a very clever young girl but, other than a knack for manipulation, with tragically little feeling for social relations.
Be it known, however, I do write horror and — with a hat tip to Vonnegut’s own delicious sense of the absurd — my humor may sometimes be black (which is to say, let the story’s title also stand as its “trigger warning,” or does that even make sense in a Vonnegut context).
In any event, the e-word came today from Coordinator Natalia Almanza, I having noted before that I might have to leave around 7: I’ll have you scheduled to read at 6pm if that’s alright with you? It’ll be fairly informal, community members interested in participating will sign-up as they arrive!
My rough timeline will be that our director will read first around 5:30pm, then you at 6pm and our staff and community members will go after.
And thus, so it goes. I’ve sent back my OK, and my story should take up only about ten minutes, so plenty of time for others who’d like to sign up too — sort of like “open mic” at Bloomington Writers Guild events, it would seem (I being actually scheduled mainly, I suspect, because I may have been the only one to respond to an invitation forwarded specifically to Writers Guild members, cf. June 25). So the more the merrier — and I will try to stay myself until maybe just past 7 (assuming, that is, they don’t throw me out when they hear my story).
jamesdorrwriter 