The post I thought was Connie's read, "perceived specialness isn't actual specialness," (paraphrased) in regard to my "connections."

I knew my love for a well-turned phrase would bite me in the butt. Ah, well.

But a lot of the posts are assuming what I think, like, "I think you like it when people fawn over you for your connections."

I try to avoid telling people what they think. If I did that in that post, my failure of rhetoric.

In the other, I'm going with the person who says, "I think that you think you are close to Minear, but I don't think he'd say the same about you." Because that ripped my heart out. The poster also said something about a fan never being able to be a friend (paraphrasing again) which put my heart back in. That all read to me as dried up and angry, and designed to put me in my place out of an intense dislike for me. I didn't think it was Connie, but maybe it could have been. It doesn't change what I think the motivation is.

That, thankfully, was not me. That's a festering sort of jealousy I hope I got over in high school when I realized the cute geeky guy didn't know I existed and preferred the Head Cheerleader. Plus it presumes I know how Tim thinks, and Tim may think Allyson is the greatest thing since sliced bread and cheese in a can.

I'm not sure if you were expecting an argument out of it, but I had thought it was you when you mentioned things that were being said in GWW in my LJ, and it hasn't changed the way I think of you or post with you.

Thank you, that is gracious and appreciated. I didn't want to introduce ugliness here, but I thought putting a somewhat identifiable personality to at least one of the posts might clarify some points for you--or at least clarify some confusions. Well, plus I was hoping to prove not everyone who posted anonymously was a "spiteful needy no-life." I suppose that's yet to be proven.

ETA: What has changed is how to quote your posts in my chapter, which is right now credited to Anonymous, and I'm not sure if you'd like that changed. Let me know.

I haven't yet put anything out on the net that I'm afraid to put my name to, the Anonymousnes of that post notwithstanding. Feel free to put Connie Neil on any quotes you use, including any identifying information you're aware of--well, not my email, of course, naturally--that you think would illustrate what you're trying to say. I'm not afraid of the truth as I see it.

Oh, and my apologies, Allyson, for being wary of your reaction. Your civility and continuing regard make me more than a little ashamed of myself.

Oh, and my apologies, Allyson, for being wary of your reaction. Your civility and continuing regard make me more than a little ashamed of myself.

Connie, that's nicely said. So was everything Allyson said about.

And cheers and goodonya both for it. It goes a long way toward proving that, while the wide open spaces of the net may be uncharted and unsafe in a lot of ways, long familiarity with fellow/soror posters can - and damn it, should - breed trust.

Thank you, deb. Graciousness costs nothing and is pretty damned powerful.

Graciousness costs nothing and is pretty damned powerful.

It's true of us all, and damn it, it's a good thing. But at the moment, not being gracious - just being straight-up. And straightup, at the moment? Is a sold good on both of you.

FWIW? I read Allyson's poll early and only read two of the anonymous entries. Both, as I say, reeked of discontent and envy - but neither said anything about GWW, or used the language you've mentioned. So the assumption here is that yours wasn't one of those posts.

But at the moment, not being gracious - just being straight-up.

Silly woman, for some people, it's the same thing.

Silly woman, for some people, it's the same thing.

Heh. That would be the ones at whose christening the Tact Fairy wasn't smoking a crack pipe with the Passivity Fairy, plotting the subject's gruesome and violent death, methinks.

Both fairies were kicked out of doors when they named me. I have no subtlety - I just say what I think I mean.

Anyway - just truth as I perceive it. And the goodonya stands.

OK, this just made me mist up a little. Talk about the best kind of attention:

Hi, my name is Elise and I attend Washington High School in the Bay Area. In my English class I have been assigned an "I-Search" project where you have to research your target job and interview people already involved in that profession. I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember so I thought it would be perfect to interview you because I love your writing. I'm sure you are very busy but I could schedule the interview around your schedule and it would be very short. If you do find it feasible you can email me. Whatever your decision, I thank you for your time and ask that you continue to write.

My daughter Joanna went to Washington. (So did Maya Angelou, and a few others interesting people, but mostly, Jo went there.) I taught a couple of guest lectures on the Scots play at Washington.

This is absolutely the best butter. Nice nice nice.

Aw, deb, that is so sweet! And cool, with all the connections and stuff.

Of course I pinged her back and told her I'd do it, whenever she liked but Tuesday is bad (medical crap, ugh).

Stuff like that makes me happy.

Readers?

The original short story topic was "espionage." Once the editors selected stories for the anthology, they saw that most of the ones they selected had a fantasy or sci-fi element, so they wanted them all to have a fantasy or sci-fi theme. Mine didn't, although they felt it was a bit dream-like and asked me to play that up.

It honestly would've been easier to make it hard sci-fi, but I've taken a crack at it. Could I get a couple folks to give it a read in the next couple days?