Diversity in speculative fiction

Seattle writer and literary critic Nisi Shawl has written an interesting article about some new works of speculative fiction that span the compass from the medieval period to the future, with a focus on diversity: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2003973129_scifi28.html

I used my Native American icon because I AM Indian, enough to be on the tribal rolls (with all the dubious benefits adhering thereto) if I could prove my heritage. It's interesting that now I and all my family are eager to be known as Native American, when our great-great-grandparents were at pains to hide it. When some of my family tried to trace our lineage, the trail dried up before we reached its source. We have only our family memories and stories by which to identify ourselves.

That's a sort of non sequitur. Nisi's article is brief, but makes interesting reading. Nisi's one of the driving forces behind the Carl Brandon Society, an organization to promote and support speculative fiction writers of color. http://www.carlbrandon.org/ I'm glad to say that, despite my pale appearance, they let me join. They, at least, took my word for it.

First matron lit book report

By popular request--well, fairly popular--herewith follows my first report on this new genre, matron lit, also known as boomer lit, granny lit, or elder chicklit. I took my reading list right from this article: http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0202/p14s01-legn.html

I slogged through most of Larry McMurtry's book LOOP GROUP. I don't understand why this writer has the reputation of creating good female characters. I found the book lifeless, despite a more or less endless series of outrageous events. The older women characters are bawdy, yet somehow without humor, and utterly without an inner landscape I could relate to, and which I think of as the essence of women's fiction. Every female character was as randy as some creature out of a Playboy cartoon, but still the book lacked any real sensuality. At the end, I was left with a sense of ennui that was exaggerated by a bad taste in my mouth.

Gee, can you guess I didn't like the book? On my recent trip to New York, my editor at Ace gave me a book to read on the train, and that one I couldn't put down until it was finished. It wasn't matron lit, because the characters were younger, but it was clearly women's fiction, and it was lively and funny and telling. The book is THROUGH THICK AND THIN, by a fairly new writer named Alison Pace, a quick read, but a book that has something to say about women in contemporary America.

Okay, on to the next! And I'd be interested to hear if someone feels differently about LOOP GROUP.

A Nobel Prize for Doris Lessing

You may already know that Doris Lessing, who wrote the odd science fiction novel THE MAKING OF A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE EIGHTH PLANET, has just received the Nobel Prize. She's such an interesting writer! Born in Iran in 1919, she has a bibliography that is as varied as it is long. Check her out on Wikipedia.

Eighty-eight. A Nobel Prize. Still writing! Wow.

We should order up one of those for our own wonderful Carol Emshwiller. If you haven't read THE MOUNT, you really, really should.

A farewell to books

In keeping with my new venture, distance-teaching for the excellent Long Ridge Writers Group, I've undertaken a complete renovation of my study. This means cutting the accumulated stuff at least by half.

Ack! Books everywhere! Under things, on things, in the shelves, doubled in the shelves . . . and it's so hard to decide which should stay and which should go.How can I part with my copy of HALFWAY HUMAN, for example? I love that book, tattered paperback that it is. And how can I keep going on my task when SMOKY, THE STORY OF A HORSE, suddenly is in my hand? My dad gave me that book, and I must have read it a dozen times at least when I was a kid. It's my favorite book of all time. And the Edward Eager books surfaced, along with a copy of SILMARILLION that I bought and simply couldn't read . . . but maybe one day I'll be smarter.

Then there are my friends' books, my book club's books, the books I hope I'll find young adult readers for . . . I don't even want to think how much money I've spent on all of these, or how much time I've passed reading them. The numbers stun me.

Library sale, here I come. But I may have trouble letting these treasures pass out of my hands.

On the loose in New York

On the loose in New York

Of course, there are thousands of writers in New York, but on Tuesday that was thousands plus one little Pacific Northwest girl, all on her own. What a blast! And how amazingly productive twenty-four hours can be.

First, the wonderful Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman hopped a subway to come and meet me for dinner at a really cool Greek place--not fancy, great food, and of course perfectly lovely conversation.

Second, the writer of MARRYING MOZART, ebullient and friendly Stephanie Cowell, also hopped a subway to meet me for coffee Tuesday morning. We share a fascination with Mozart, and of course we both write about him. Stephanie knows a LOT about this composer, and she is also, like yours truly, a retired singer. We discovered we have a lot in common. Then, like a true New Yorker, she walked with me all the way to West 35th, for my lunch with my agent.

Lunch was wonderful, at a restaurant called Uncle Jack's. Sounds like a steak place, doesn't it? But it's very white-table-cloth and extra waiters. Had lobster bisque and sashimi tuna. Oh, and an encouraging talk about what's to come next in the career of la Marley.

I delivered some page proofs to Ace, and had a nice, quiet meeting with my editor, and then a struggle to get a taxi back uptown. Okay, this was interesting: cab drivers go off shift at 5:00 p.m. I was on Hudson Street, quite far downtown. Four different cabs stopped for me, but when they found out I needed to go back to my hotel on W. 51st, they turned me down! Apparently they thought the ride would keep them working past their shift change! Gee. I guess they don't need the work that much.

But, ultimately, a cabbie carried me back to my hotel for my bags, and then another one got me close to Grand Central, but not all the way. The UN is meeting! New York was hopping busy, cops everywhere. So I schlepped two suitcases and my briefcase up the sidewalk, downstairs into Grand Central, across that stupendous marble lobby, often with help from kindly gentlemen taking pity on a lost-looking refugee from the rainforest. Perspiring and not a little doubtful, I made it on to my train for Connecticut--more help from kind strangers--and here I am. Yes, I know I should travel light, but I needed a whole bunch of stuff for this trip!

The Long Ridge Writers Group orientation begins tonight, and I have some work to do. Thank goodness I have a day to rest!

Freelancing again

I turned it in. AIRS OF NIGHT AND SEA is now in someone else's hands. I feel relieved, sad, and hopeful.

Since my first novel came out in 1995, I've only NOT been under contract for a very few months! But with my new project, I'd like to write it before selling it. This feels a bit odd, after such a long time knowing exactly what I'm going to do next and who is going to publish it. When one door closes, they say . . . I hope.

Watch this space!

Horsemistress images

This is Allen Douglas's beautiful painting for Airs and Graces. Lovely girl, beautifully realized horse.

This is by artist Kevin Radthorne, just having fun with my characters. Darker, edgier, just really different. Such fun to see a different take!