It bears repeating, because it's so often taken for granted, that the book you write at twenty is going to be radically different than the book you write at eighty.

I'm amazed she's still alive and working. Good on her.

Am, the limit's 50K? Much easier.

Which explains why I managed it last year.

On the notebooks vs. computers thing: I keep a paper diary which records predominately real life stuff and a livejournal which records mostly fandom stuff; a reporter's shorthand pad in which I write (longhand) first drafts of almost anything whenever I can't reach the computer and notes about on almost everything; a poetry notebook (one that's actually labelled that, with nice paper and inspirational quotes from poets in); a pad of A4 lined paper for longer pieces; and several folders on the harddrive, of poetry, original fiction, fanfic, and suchlike. I like the speed and ease of sharing which comes with the computer, and the feel of creating something which comes with pen and paper. Also, I have a bit of a stationary fetish-- I can't walk past somewhere selling paper without at least stopping to look, and sometimes to touch-- and I find I write in subletly different styles on different types of paper, so I like to have a variety around.

New books by a favorite author, it's a happy thing.

I've only read a couple of her books (what was translated into Hebrew - I could never find anything by her in English around here, not even the ones that were translated), so I'm just glad that I have so much more waiting for me, when I do get to find it. I really loved the few that I got to read.

Also, Teppy, I had an idea for a subject for a drabble (and it even has a "something you may like" side to it, I don't mind admitting that): hands.

I thought about it as a possible topic while washing the floor at my apartment on Friday. I was squeezing (I'm not sure that's the word) the mop (I'm sure that's not the word, but I can't think of a better one), to take the water out of it so that I can wipe the floor with a clean dry one, and remembered how my grandmother used to do that, with her long beautiful damaged-from-decades of hard work hands, which were stronger than mine even when she was in her seventies and I a healthy teenager. And then I thought about how, after my grandmother passed away, my mom started to pick up a few hands gestures of hers, gestures that she never used before.

So, anyway, at the moment that I thought "if I could write¹, that's what I'd write about", I thought to offer it up here as a subject. Of course, I didn't think I'll force you to read so many words in order to get to that idea.

¹ Yeah, in that Hebrew sense of 'write' as I explained before!

connie -- what was the book?

Nilly, I love that idea. Hell, for those of us who "talk" with our hands, not using them is excruciating. I find that if I sit on my hands, or make a conscious effort to not use them, my speech slows down and I develop a tiny stammer. Odd.

Thanks, deb.

I've said it more than once - if my hands were tied, I'd be unable to shout for help. That's how much I use my hands when I talk.

(slightly off-topic) Nilly, any idea when you're coming out? (edit: to the West Coast, I mean. Heh.)

t Natter

any idea when you're coming out?

Nothing specific yet. The dates of the exams are still not final, and I'm still not sure of people's schedules, so I don't know anything final yet. If there are dates that are bad for you, and I know that there's pretty much a plan to kidnap me and load me on a car to SF (not that I have any objections to that!), then that's the time to let me know - Allyson and Kristen have dates when they won't be in LA, and I already know I should plan around those, in order to make sure we'll get to meet and hang out.

t /Natter

There is definitely a plan afoot (or a-car or a-Jeep). I'm hoping to be in Minneapolis for juliana's wedding at the end of August, but I'm keeping September basically open for you, until you know.

And it isn't completely off-topic nattering; I want to give you books.

juliana's wedding at the end of August

Dates, please? Or, once you have them?

I want to give you books.

Wheeeeeeee! Yay me!