anxiousIn Iraq, a 60-day State of Emergency has been declared. Isn't it sort of odd to declare a State of Emergency in a nation that's already been invaded by a foreign empire (hey, if G. W.'s own people can call the U.S. an empire, then so can I) and is presently at war? Well, I think so. It seems a tad redundant. We're bombing the hell out of Fallujah, where there is supposedly a "rebel" stronghold (rebelling against who and what? — wait, that's sort of a rhetorical question). For all I know, that's true, the bit about the rebels, but I wonder how we'd know if it isn't? I wonder a lot of things. Like how many Americans could go to a globe and show me where Iraq is, much less Fallujah? To most people living in this country, it's just another funny-sounding Middle Eastern word. All those damned gook names sound alike, right? (Sorry. Lately, I've been dropping Apocalypse Now references like mad, like American warplanes are dropping bombs on Fallujah). That it's a city with people, just like Atlanta or Biloxi or Philadelphia or North Platte, well, it's probably best for our collective patriotic conscience if we don't think about that too much.
Excuse me. I'm still trying to get the taste of the damned election out of my mouth. Look at it this way — we're halfway through the Bush Regime. We can all start looking forward to the Cheney Regime.
Life goes on...
Levon wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
'Cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town
Someone wrote to ask if "Onion" will be included in To Charles Fort, With Love. Here's the book's Table of Contents:
Author's Preface: "Looking for Innsmouth"
"Valentia"
"Spindleshanks (New Orleans, 1956)"
"So Runs the World Away"
"Standing Water"
"Onion"
"La Peau Verte"
"Apokatastasis"
"The Dead and the Moonstruck"
"Houses Under the Sea"
"The Daughter of the Four of Pentacles"
"The Road of Pins"
"Mercury (Atlanta, 1986)"
The Dandridge Cycle:
"A Redress for Andromeda"
"Nor the Demons Down Under the Sea"
"Andromeda Among the Stones"
Afterword by Ramsey Campbell
There will also be a sixteenth, previously unpublished story exclusive to the lettered edition. I'm really looking forward to getting this one out there. It'll be nice working with Rick Kirk again, and there's going to be a gorgoeus cover by Ryan Obermeyer. Spooky and I have been planning the shoot for the author's photo (it's gonna be another messy one, I think). I'm going to put a lot of time into getting this volume just exactly right, probably more time than I can spare. I'll get the pre-order info up ASAP.
I half expect to get to the airport on Thursday and discover that my name has been placed on some frelling "no fly" list. I flatter myself, I'm sure. But at least I don't do it very often.
And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leaving Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies...