Hey all. Totally off-all-topics, and I guess most people aren;t interested
anyway, as this is all personal. But for those who are, well, a few people
told me I was being asked after here, but since I'm no longer onlist only
some of you know. Julia was right saying I've been up to my armpits in all
kinds of stuff. Here's a brief precis, I guess, of what I have and have not
been doing. Hope it's not offensive to post like this. Mind, I am still
offlist and won't receive replies; if you wanna email me try me at the
sender address above, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Okay, here's the stuff I've been doing, which is in some way an explanation
for not being around, I guess:
- have defended my MA thesis successfully. Did it last week. Yay. Am doing
the final revisions to my thesis right now. I'll be graduating in May.
- have been hired to work full time as a tech writer for a place here in
Montreal. Essentially I write (and sort of get involved in design of)
tutorials for computer applications for special-needs users (mainly people
who are blind/visually impaired).
- have not been online much at home. I'm in front of computer 8-9 hours a
day as it is with work, and by the time I get home I do other things. So I
actually have time to be reading the list at home, if I am to do other
things as well.
- have been out a lot with friends, trying to bolster that side of my life.
am still in touch with lotsa Brinellers via email and ICQ, but am also more
socially active offline.
- have been editing on the side for pocket money (actually laptop-fund
money), and I mean editing all kinds of stuff; not just engineers, but, er,
all kinds of things. Some quite bizarre.
- have not stopped writing; in fact, have been writing more these days,
another reason I'm online less. Lots of poems, and some fiction that's
actually a quantum leap beyond the older fiction I was producing. Working
on a novel too.
- have not been dating. *grumble and sigh* But have not given up hope
either. Nuff said, I think.
- have been reading a lot. Must say early Delany isn't my thing, but early
Sterling is (thanks, Kevin). Love Egan, horribly love his stuff, still.
Bear's not bad; abhorred the first 60 pages of Baxter's _Time_ (or
Manifold:Time as they call it here). Kierkegaard's fun (yes really... try
the Diary of Seduction in _Either/Or_ if you distrust such a claim).
Charles Olson's poetry unconvincing as of yet; Paul di Filippo rather
so-so. HG Wells a riot and same goes for Aphra Behn and Chretien de Troyes
("It is a difficult thing, to teach an idiot..."). Anyone out there read
Victor Pelevin's _Omon Ra_? (Satirical Russian cosmonaut stuff post-1990,
non-SF but I suspect it might appeal if the description my friend who
loaned it to me gave is true). Another loaned book is Armah's _The
Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born_, which is parly read but abandoned for
belakness, something to which I can be extra-sensitive at times.
- have not played my sax more than 3 times in the last month. Dreadfully
out of shape, sounds bad.
- have been asked to do one, or maybe two readings in Montreal in the next
2 months. Will be poetry in the main.
- have been watching politics in horror. I could make swiping commments
about the US government and monstrosity but then I am living only 2 hours
from Quebec City, North America's newest police state. Am a little worried
about the politics of the present, and what viable alternatives or
expansions can be made so that humane concerns can be effectively addressed
oppositionally without being reduced to purely oppositionalist stances and
mindsets. Am turning to SF to see if I can model some ideas about this.
- have thought of you bunch often, and missed our debating hijinks. I hope
all's well for you bunch.
Talk to (some of you, anyway) soon!
Gord
