Erika KNOWS.

My Year of Everything:

You know how every non-fiction book in the last 4 years has been about the author doing some goofy thing for a full year and writing about it? The Year Of Living Biblically, The Whole Five Feet, The Bonfire Of The Brands, etc?

For the next year, I’m going to read one of those books a week, and I’m going to write about it. After 12 months of blogging, I’ll have my own book that will teach you how to be a better person, a better cook, a better lover, and literally everything else. How convenient!

And- SPOILER ALERT- I will learn something about myself in the process.

One of the only people I've ever seen David Simon get all "I'm not worthy!1" is Mencken. There is a tiny stylistic resemblance, imo.(hampered by Simon's need to keep it real through profanity.) Heh, P-C, maybe I should pimp my mock proposal "This ain't Aruba, bitch: My year among the wit and Wisdom of Baltimore's Western District.

The words "Harlan" and "likes" cancel each other out. I have no idea what noise you just made, Jilli, but it doesn't register as language.

Having had lunch at his house at his invitation, I can vouch that he likes lots of people. He was not only very nice to me, he did me kind favors.

I think he's sort of the loyal friend/bitter enemy type.

I think he's sort of the loyal friend/bitter enemy type.

(I agree.)

Having had lunch at his house at his invitation, I can vouch that he likes lots of people. He was not only very nice to me, he did me kind favors.

The test of whether someone is a good person is not that he's kind to his friends.

Harlan called a very smart and rising star in the SF field an NWA. Among other things.

I still think he's one of the great short-story writers of our time. But having been to Birmingham or befriending Octavia Butler doesn't give you a pass on calling someone the N word and not apologizing for it. And you don't get feminist cred for supporting the ERA (thirty years ago) if you are seen groping women in public.

The test of whether someone is a good person is not that he's kind to his friends.

I didn't say he was a "good person." I said he was capable of liking people. That may be a low standard but that's all I said.

Yeah, I'm sorry, that was a bit stronger than I needed to be.

Yeah, I'm sorry, that was a bit stronger than I needed to be.

That's fine. I recognize the larger issues swirling around right now between media fans and an older generation of science fiction writers. It does feel a bit like people are talking past each other anymore and there's no common ground for discussion.

When Harlan Ellison is the worst racist in America we'll be living in a freakin' paradise.

When Harlan Ellison is the worst racist in America we'll be living in a freakin' paradise

Trudat. He at least isn't insisting on seeing the President's birth certificate.