Ok, Buffistas! Dust off those sewing machines! Pull out those needles, thread, and that leftover pink fabric that I just KNOW you have lying around. We need your help!

My local quilt shop is participating in Quilt Pink!, and I know you wanna help.

Tonight at my monthly quilt binge party (officially known as the Monthly Magic Mystery Tour), my quilt shop owner told us about Quilt Pink. Our shop is one of many that is participating in this fabulous fundraiser. But, since this is mostly just known in the quilting community, I thought others might want to have the opportunity to contribute. You can help in a couple of different ways:

1. Make a pink or pink and white quilt block—either 9 ½ inch square or 12 ½ inch square (it totally doesn’t need to be anything elaborate). Send it to me, and I’ll make sure it gets included on Quilt Pink Day (September 30, 2006) at my quilt shop. We’ll be sewing together quilt tops that day (and probably for a few days after that too). Or, if you’d like to be more involved, you can do a search on the website and find a quilt store near you that is participating. I’m sure they’d love to have you help on Quilt Pink Day.

2. Start saving your pennies. Once the quilt tops are put together, they’ll be sent off to machine quilters who have donated their time and talents to put these together. After they’ve been machine quilted, they’ll come back to the shop, and quilters like me will bind them and get them ready for auction. Then, next spring, all of the quilts will be sent off to the Quilt Pink organization and listed for auction on ebay. I’ll be posting links to the auctions of quilts that we (me, my mom, and other Buffistas) worked on, so you’ll have a chance to bid on one of these quilts. Net proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

My grandma died of breast cancer when I was 10. Mom just had a really bad scare, which thankfully turned out to be nothing. But, this is something that has really hit home, and I know it does for a lot of you as well. This is a fun way you can help. I just thought you’d like to know.

E-mail me at my profile addy or ask in Bitches if you want more information.

Thanks!

We are requesting pitches for articles to appear in The High Hat #7 (www.thehighhat.com). We hope to have articles on all the usual subjects (music, comix, literature, politics...) but this issue will feature a special section celebrating the career of director Robert Altman. We welcome pitches on all aspects of his career, from individual movies to career retrospectives. Pieces questioning his reputation as one of the great American filmmakers are also very much welcome.

As always, we will consider all manuscripts, but we would like to encourage greater concision with this issue. Extremely lengthy pieces will be accepted only if they are of astonishing quality.

We'd like to thank Dana Knowles and Tom Block, who originated the idea of a section devoted to Altman, and we'd also like to welcome Paul Hernandez to the editorial board this issue

Email for pitches: highhatsubmissions at gmail dot com. The editorial board is still debating the deadline, but we'll post that sometime reasonably soon (please note: this editorial board defines "reasonably soon" in terms usually reserved for geological events).

After nine long months, You'll All Pay #41

"Roll 'bama!"

[link]

The latest issue of the magazine I work on is at [link] Yes, I did write an interview in it, but I'm equally proud of spotting Jill Khoury's poetic talent in the slush I read and I think the editorial on "disability culture" is also well-written. If anyone here could donate and make me look like a fundraising hero, I'd appreciate it, too.

Wanna help welcome Shrift to Chicago? We will be gathering at Sizzle on Broadway [link] [link] this Saturday at 7pm. A few more details can be found here. If you haven't been in the loop but you'd like to attend let me know (profile addy) so I can get the reservation number correct.

Ecoutez, Boston and environistas!

I'm going to break with tradition this year by premiering the latest book in the Haunted Ballads series on the east coast, instead of the west coast.

Cruel Sister is scheduled to kick off with a reading, signing, and very probably a costume party, at Kate's Mystery Bookstore in Cambridge, Friday, 27 October 2006, time to be officially determined but probably 7:30 PM.

Discuss? F2F thread? Email? Something?

So, because I SO needed to have another non-paying thankless hobby, I requested a column/blog for the Girl Wonder project.

My introductory entry is now up: [link]

The other half of the duplex I live in is going to be available for rent soon. If anyone is interested in a 3 BR/1ba in Benicia, drop me a line. Pets are allowed, it's the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, private backyard (there's a gate between their yard and ours). Benicia is pretty far out from everything, but it is a nice place.

Any Kansas City peeps, I have one free ticket to the Folly Theatre performance of NPR's Wait, wait, don't tell me! On Thursday, June 12. Profile address is good.

Also, the Serenity day festivities are being celebrated at the Screenland theatre on June 23 and 24th if anyone would like to go!

Anyone out there like working with beads?

I have an amazing collection of beads (four compartmented plastic cases full of them), ranging from tiny standard to one-of-a-kind larger pieces. I used to make jewelry, but I can't anymore; the multiple sclerosis and the hands don't like each other much.

Free to first person to e me at profile addy; recipient covers the shipping.

eta: and claimed, splitting between two people.