Add this to the list of things that writers have to learn: when and how to walk away.
Thanks to everyone whose let me know that Frog Toes and Tentacles has reached them. From yesterday's LJ comments and a few e-mails, I see it's already reached people all over North America and as far away as Sweden. And I'm very pleased that everybody seems happy with the book. I'm in love with it, myself. I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on it. Today, I'll be laying out Sirenia Digest and sending it off to my PDF guru. Issue #1 may go out as soon as tomorrow. It's not too late to subscribe. Oh, and Vince's illustration for "Madonna Littoralis" is superb.
Here's an e-mail from Tyler Haywood re: Frog Toes and Tentacles:
I was reading over the list of influences at the beginning, and was wondering if you had ever heard of Zdzislaw Beksinski, a Polish surrealist. His oil paintings are very evocative and perhaps something you'd like. Anyway, the link is below. Hope you enjoy it. Beksinski
I'm a great admirer of Beksinski's work and reported his murder in my March 2nd, 2005 entry. One of the frustrating things about Frog Toes and Tentacles was that I needed to keep the acknowledgments to one page, even though I had far more than a single page's worth of people who'd helped inspire the pieces. In turn, one of the good things about doing a second volume will be having a second chance to acknowledge all the artists who weren't mentioned the first time. Like Aubrey Beardsley, for example. I'm astounded I didn't squeeze him into that long list.
There's not much to say about yesterday. Most of it was spent in an unproductive black funk. I did finish an interview (more on this in my next entry). It was really too cold for a walk, though I attempted one anyway. Last night, Spooky and I had slices at Fellini's, then watched Little Big Man, which she'd never seen, and which I'd never seen widescreen. It's one of my very favourite films. That was probably the best part of yesterday.
Time to make the bloody doughnuts. Please take a look at the current eBay auctions. My thanks, by the way, to the folks who purchased that copy of Candles for Elizabeth and the Aberrations #27. You'll be getting a little something extra in your packages.